At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like this Wireless Vertical Ergonomic mouse by Anker. I'd never heard about vertical mice before, but my other (regular) wireless mouse quit working properly, so I went looking for a new mouse. My plan was to buy something similar to what I already had and then I saw this optical vertical mouse that intrigued me. I have carpal tunnel problems and arthritis in my hands. This mouse was just under 20 bucks and PRIME and after reading some reviews, I decided to give it a try. Right out of the box, I liked the smooth feel of the mouse, but have to admit it was different in looks and it felt different because of the way one has to hold it to use it. I plugged the USB receiver into a USB port, opened the battery slot and put in two "AAA" batteries (which were not included) and it was ready to go.
From the onset it had an unusual feel to it as far as making it work. It wasn't a bad thing, just different. It did move very nicely on the new Anker mouse pad I'd purchased to use with it. I noticed on the side of the box the way one's hand, arm, wrist normally move with a regular mouse versus the difference (shown on the diagram) there would be with the vertical mouse. Since I also have problems with my thumbs, I still wasn't sure it was going to work for me.
As I used it that first day, it didn't take too many hours before I realized it was probably going to help the normal pain that comes from grabbing a regular mouse when you have hand and wrist difficulties, but it was going to take time to get used to. The hand and the brain have to learn how to use the new equipment properly. However, I wasn't real satisfied in regards to my thumb having problems. On the second day, I began to observe I was actually trying to grip the mouse too far up with my entire hand. For me, I learned if I could touch the wheel with my middle finger and scroll, that was far enough up with my grip. As my grip lessened and I allowed the middle finger to use the scroll things became easier. The left and right mouse buttons were easy to work once I got used to the different position of my hand. I then began using the buttons up from the thumb to make the pages go left and right which is a nice feature, but one of the features I seem to easily forget is available to me. It took me until about the third day of working with it to realize my thumb just had some new muscles it was working that it had to get used to and then the pain there began to ease. Now, things are working quite well. I'm days down the road with the new vertical mouse and I'm pretty much used to it. There is much less pain in my hand than with the old mouse and the ache in the thumb seems to have dissipated by learning to use the new muscles it has to use. There has been a learning curve for me with it due to the pain I have in my hands, but I'm glad I stuck with it because I think overall it's going to be much better for me ergonomically. If you try it and you hurt, give it some time before you give up. Like I mentioned earlier, I think it's a matter of both the hand and the brain getting used to a totally different feel and movement to the mouse.
UPDATE: This vertical mouse has been such a great device for me with wrist and hand problems. The ache is less, numbness is also much less. A year after using it, it is second nature to use, comfortable and is in great condition. I really like it and the relief it has brought to my hand, fingers and arm as it has been used for over a year now and works like it is new. I really really like it.
| Brand | Anker |
|---|---|
| Item model number | A7852M |
| Hardware Platform | Mac |
| Operating System | Linux, Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 3.36 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.72 x 2.94 x 0.1 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 4.72 x 2.94 x 0.1 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Manufacturer | Anker |
| ASIN | B00BIFNTMC |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | February 20, 2013 |
