Swiftpoint Mouse For Laptops

Author
Aron Schatz
Posted
February 8, 2011
Manufacturer
Swiftpoint
Product Page
Swiftpoint Mouse
Views
145959
Swiftpoint Mouse For Laptops
While the price might put some people off, the Swiftpoint Mouse has true innovation that makes it well worth the money. There is no software required for full feature use.

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Page 1
Introduction

When we take a trip and bring along a laptop, it is important for us to be able to work while on the go. Road warriors and airplane fliers might not be at a desk when the call comes in to fix that presentation that your boss is doing in 20 minutes. Times like these call for an input devices that can handle itself when you need it. A touchpad might not be your thing, but how about a new style of mouse that can be used on your laptop? This is a head turning mouse with its unique style. Not only is it stylish, Swiftpoint packed in a large number of features to set their product apart from the rest.

About Swiftpoint

Quote

Swiftpoint is a New Zealand-based, technology company that seeks to improve people’s computer experiences by introducing novel, well-designed peripheral technology products. The company was renamed Swiftpoint, from Simtrix, in 2009 to reflect the company’s focus on its ingenious laptop mouse product, the Swiftpoint Mouse.

Over eight years ago software engineer and Swiftpoint founder Grant Odgers decided that his laptop's touchpad was preventing him from being a truly mobile computer user. Grant, like many others he discovered, found touchpads to be very inaccurate and inefficient substitutes for a mouse. However, if he wanted to be able to use his laptop away from a table or desk, there was really no other alternative. So Grant slipped on his inventor’s hat, convinced some friends and venture capitalists to invest in his ideas and began working on a concept for a small, portable mouse that could actually be used on your laptop surface itself.

In 2008, the company introduced two revolutionary mice concept designs, the “Swiftpoint Slider” and “Swiftpoint Triped”, at CEBIT in Hanover, Germany. The CEBIT unveiling attracted enormous attention, including coverage by international media and interviews with the BBC and CNN. With this strong interest for the Swiftpoint products, in particular for the Swiftpoint Mouse, a decision was made to channel resources into launching this flagship product.

http://www.americas.futuremouse.com/About+Us.html


Packaging

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The first thing you might notice is that the mouse has no product name other than the company name itself. The mouse is called Swiftpoint Mouse, we just added the "Future mouse" tag to give a bit of flare. Swiftpoint packages the mouse in a simple white box that opens to show more features. You can see the mouse and the parking/charging/receiver USB stick before you purchase the mouse. The plastic is contoured to allow you to "try" the mouse out.

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The back of the packaging has all the various features. Yes, this is a pretty technology packed input device. You can even customize the "up" direction of it without software.
Page 2
Features

Small size, easy to use
The Swiftpoint mouse is ideal for use in small spaces and can be used on your laptop’s palmrest. Left- and right-click buttons and a scroll wheel make the Swiftpoint mouse as easy-to-use as a traditional mouse

SlideScroll - scrolling, zooming and paging
Simply tilt the mouse and slide the scroll wheel along the mousing surface to quickly scroll through documents. You can also use SlideScroll to page through a document or zoom in for a closer look. View a video to see how SlideScroll works.

Micro USB dock for charging and wireless operation
No cables required, the USB dock acts as a wireless receiver for up to 30 feet (10 meters) and charges a docked mouse. The dock secures the mouse to your laptop, so when you move, you only carry one thing. View a video about USB docking and charging.

Plug-and-play simplicity
No software to install, the Swiftpoint mouse gets you started quickly, on any platform.

Long life battery
A full charge (90 minutes) gives 2-4 weeks of normal use.

RapidCharge
Charging a flat battery for only 30 seconds lets you use the mouse for up to an hour.

Battery status indicator
The mouse LED lets you know when it needs charging and when it’s ready to go again.

1000dpi micro optical technology
For precise and accurate operation.

Customizable SmartTouch
The SmartTouch sensor ensures the mouse’s pointer stops moving when your finger is not detected on the finger grip. This optimizes power consumption

Customizable ‘up’ direction
Wherever you use the mouse, you can easily change the pointers ‘up’ direction to suit where you’re working. View a video on how to customize the 'up' direction.

Hardware requirements:
USB port

Parking Accessory
A parking accessory comes with every Swiftpoint mouse. This thin adhesive film has a parking area that secures the mouse in place whilst typing. The parked mouse stays out of the way and is close at hand when you need it. You can cut the thin film to suit the size of your laptop. It is easy to apply and remove and won’t leave a sticky residue on your laptop.

Supported operating systems:
Windows 7®
Windows Vista®
Windows® XP
Windows® 2000
Mac OS® 10.4 or higher
Linux
Page 3
Marketing Summary

Quote

The Swiftpoint mouse gives you all the functions of a traditional mouse but operates next to your laptop's touchpad. It works anywhere your laptop works, so you never have to rely on a touchpad again. It’s small, wireless and goes wherever you go. You can use the Swiftpoint mouse on the palmrest next to your laptop’s touchpad, or on a desk surface just like a traditional mouse. The unobtrusive USB dock provides wireless operation and also charges the mouse. It docks the mouse magnetically securing it directly to your laptop, so when you move, you only carry one thing. If the battery goes flat, a 30-second rapid charge gives you another hour of use. Fully charged, the battery lasts for as long as 3 weeks. The Swiftpoint mouse points and clicks like a traditional mouse. Its easy-to-use scroll wheel helps you navigate through documents quickly, or zoom in for a closer look.

http://www.americas.futuremouse.com/Benefits.html


Package Contents

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The Swiftpoint mouse comes with the input device itself, the USB receiver, an installation guide, and a parking accessory.

parking.jpg


The parking accessory is clear, the text and guides are for your installation. You place it on your laptop and it has a small magnetic area that will hold the mouse while your typing. Check the video review to see how it works.

Swiftpoint Mouse

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Pictures don't do this input device justice. We strongly suggest you check out the video review to get a full view of the mouse. It is really unique. Pictured here is the mouse and the USB receiver. This isn't just a standard receiver.

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It serves multiple purposes. The first is for receiving. Most mice come with some sort of small receiver that fits in the mouse on the go, but this is also a mouse dock. The two metal bits on each device marry together and a magnet holds the combo together. This is how the mouse is charged and how you take the two on the go. It looks like this mouse is the 300 Series.

charge.jpg


Since the connection is just magnetism, you can easily remove and put back the mouse on its base station without fiddling around to make sure the contacts are touching. The battery life on a charge should last for 3 weeks, but we couldn't drain it long enough to test that since we kept putting the mouse back on the dock. 30 seconds should give you an hour of use. We had the mouse working fine with a few seconds or charge. If you need it in a pinch and there is no juice, a quick charge will be fine for you needs.

cdcomp.jpg


Comparing to a standard CD, it is very tiny. This is a laptop mouse, after all. If you have large hands, this might not be the mouse for you. I have large (not XL) hands, and it was bordering on being too small. It was fine after use, but smaller hands are better suited for this.

front.jpg


The camera wasn't tilted. This is the contour of the mouse. The front of the mouse contains the two buttons. The one with the raised bump is the right click and the lower is the left click. The left click button is large enough to click for the majority of hands and the raised right click button makes it simple to click that as well.

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The scroll wheel is located on the right side of the mouse. You operate it using the middle finger, but there is no scroll button for middle clicking. We always miss that feature when a mouse doesn't have it. For tiny laptop mice, this is never a deal breaker, though. There is a sensor on this side of the mouse to detect when you are gripping it. If not, the mouse shuts off to prevent false movement.

back.jpg


Black and red are the colors of ASE Publishing and this mouse takes those colors and it just works. The left grip is red to accent the black finish of the rest of the mouse. There is a battery and wireless indication LED on the top below the buttons.
Page 4
Use



The mouse is a real treat to use on the go. This is one of those products that doesn't bother playing "me too" against any other company. What we have here is genuine innovation and the market should pay attention. Features that this mouse boasts work, and they work well. No software is needed to change the orientation, or to do page scrolling.

The speed of the mouse is good. It is 1000 DPI, so it won't be too fast to control. It also should be able to control the entire screen on a tiny laptop surface without picking up and moving all over the place.

Ergonomically, the mouse feels good. Even on bigger hands, it works well after a bit of use. Smaller hands would be better for this type of mouse, but you can't please everyone. The charging USB receiver is a great idea and the battery life is remarkable. Why should we have to carry batteries for our laptop mice? It really is a problem when you run out of juice, but with the Swiftpoint, you just do a quick charge and you're good to go. All laptop mice should do this.

The scroll wheel has multiple modes. If you hold down the left click button, it acts as a zoom function (control+wheel). If you hold down the right click, it acts like a page scroll (page up or down). All of this works without software. It works in Linux just as it does in Mac or Windows. Bravo to Swiftpoint.

Conclusion

Here is where we will ding Swiftpoint a bit. The cost of the Swiftpoint Mouse is pretty high at $70 (Amazon Link). While the features it packs in are impressive, most laptop users will balk at spending this kind of money on an input device they might lose by accident. We always suggest you try the mouse before you buy, and Swiftpoint even offers a 30 day money back trial period. This is an excellent thing to offer to customers. If you don't like the way it feels, get your money back.

Still, if you\\'re a true road warrior or venture on airplanes all the time, this is a really handy input device to take with you. It just works and works well. All the features are designed in a good way and it is good when a product takes everything and makes it work without you having to think about it. We are happy with the innovation that Swiftpoint has done with this product. Hopefully other manufacturers will stop playing the "me too" game and throw some more innovation in their products. We recommend the Swiftpoint Mouse for laptop use.

ASE Labs would like to thank Swiftpoint for making this review possible.

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