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Posted: Mon, February 16, 2004
3M Renaissance MouseBy Basheera KhanThe Renaissance Mouse from 3M is one of many products on the market at the moment which claim to be ergonomically designed and therefore less likely to cause muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injury through prolonged usage periods. Like many office workers, I normally spend about five hours each day at the PC, and though I have ergonomic keyboard and mouse pads to take the strain off the old wrists, my mouse itself is a bog-standard Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. It's smoother to use, thanks to the optical technology which eliminates the need for a mouse ball. It's also ergonomically designed, making it more comfortable to rest one's hand on, but it doesn't deviate much from classic mouse design.  The 3M Renaissance Mouse, however, couldn't be further from tradition in its design. Looking
more like a joystick than anything else, the mouse
requires that the user discard any preconceptions about ergonomic functionality. Unlike the traditional 'palm down' posture of most in-put devices, this mouse uses an innovative 'handshake' design which aims to keep your arm in a more natural and neutral position. This means you use your larger arm muscles to move the mouse, which places significantly less pressure on your wrist's median nerve and reduces the risk of discomfort. Installation is simple; the mouse connects to your PC via a USB cable; turn your PC off, plug the mouse in, turn your PC back on again, and that's it - no need to download any drivers at all. PC users will have an advantage over Mac users, in that there is a software utility program which can be downloaded if required - but it's for Windows operating systems only. The mouse has three main buttons; a dual purpose button at the top of the vertical grip which provides left and right click actions and an X button in the middle of the grip, which on Windows machines can be used to scroll horizontally and vertically. Using the utility software, once can program the X button to perform a variety of other functions, including quick access to running tasks, recently used documents and to launch other applications. In growing accustomed to the switchover from a traditional mouse to the 3M Renaissance Mouse, the suggestion is to first find a natural resting position for your hand on the base of the mouse and rest your thumb on the mouse button (your thumb should be straight when you click on the mouse). It's also vital to support your forearm while using the mouse. Rest the side of your hand on the base of the mouse. This position reduces the strain on muscles and ligaments in the upper arm and forearm when working. It's recommended that you adjust the speed of the mouse so that you can move the cursor around the screen without lifting your forearm or elbow. Finally, remember to keep your wrist in a handshake position, forming a straight line with your forearm and wrap the palm of your hand around the grip, and move your arm (not wrist) to use the mouse. The guide does remind the user that it will take a few days to get used to using the mouse. It took me about three days to get my brain around the different usage pattern; thereafter, it became a breeze - and quite a talking point for visitors to my desk. After a while, I became aware of pain in my shoulder when using the mouse, which turned out to be the result of the sub-optimal height of my desk and chair; I hadn't noticed this at all when using the regular mouse. The 3M Renaissance Mouse is a great buy for anyone who wants something different in a mouse. The biggest drawback, however, is that the special features, such as scrolling, mouse brakes for precise movements (such as the kind needed when editing images) and other functionality is not available to non-Windows users. The mouse retails at about £70, and is available in two sizes from computer and office stationery suppliers and ergonomic specialists. It is compatible with PC, Mac and iMac computers with USB ports, and can normally be tried risk-free for 30 days. Contacts3M UK Stockist Enquiry LineTel: 01234 229 470 Web: http://www.3m.com/uk |
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