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Gyration Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse
Price: £79

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 20/11/2003
Featured in magazine:
Issue 41, page 38
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Gyration
Tel: 0870 442 8668
Web Address: www.gyration.co.uk


Just when you thought science boffins could do nothing more to make the common-or-garden desktop mouse even better, along comes this model from Gyration. It has all the other modern mouse innovations built in – no cords to get in a tangle and an optical sensor to guide it around your desktop – plus you can pick it up and guide your cursor around the screen through the movement of your hand.

The mouse contains a small gyroscope, which senses movements and relays them back to your PC. This means you can sit back and relax while you surf the web – you don't even have to have the mouse pointing at your computer. The mouse has been designed so it can also work as a standard mouse, sitting directly on your desktop. The casing is comfortable to hold whichever way you do it, though it's at its most pleasing in the air.

Getting going is easy. You simply give the mouse its first charge on the supplied docking station and plug the radio receiver into a spare USB port. There's no software to install so it really couldn't be simpler. Using the device in the air takes a bit of practice. The trick is to keep relaxed and move your wrist rather than your whole arm. Of course, if you get fed up with this way of surfing, you can place it back on your desktop to regain regular mouse-like behaviour. It's worth taking the time to master, though, as the health benefits of altering your posture while working at a computer are well known.

The perfect balance with this mouse seems to be using it both in the air and on your desktop. The former is great for browsing web pages, especially if you sit back in your chair and let the mouse take the strain. You'll want to use the desktop option as well though. We found our wrists a little too wobbly for higher detail work such as image processing. Also, you're not going to want to be constantly picking up and putting down a mouse if the majority of your work involves the keyboard.

Nearly £80 is quite a lot of money for a mouse, but isn't bad for a top of the range product. If you're looking for a bit of comfort in your computer use, or are worried about repetitive strain injuries, then it's certainly money well spent.

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