Mouse Ergonomics

So what's the story with the ball?

If you've been keeping up with mouse development for the past year or so (and honestly, who really does?), you've probably noticed a general trend. The latest, most advanced, gadgety, and ultimately, expensive new mice tend to be large affairs, created either for those with larger hands, wrist ergonomic concerns, or both. Cheaper bargain-bin mice on the other hand, tend to remain small.

If you ask FiringSquad, having a smaller (or just "normal-sized") mouse can be a benefit to the quick FPS gamer. By cradling the mouse between the thumb and ring finger (or pinky for 3-button configurations), the back end of a smaller mouse doesn't touch the meat of your palm. This allows you to finesse mouse movements with your wrist and fingers, rather than requiring you to move your entire arm - this can be especially helpful for quick vertical movement, something not too many players excel at.

The general theory goes that moving with your wrist and fingers is a more dexterous process (and I'm not talking about right-handedness), and allows for finer control than moving the mouse by picking your forearm off the table and controlling the device with your arms/shoulders. However, as many people now know, wrist movement is something that you probably want to avoid if you spend a lot of time at a computer, as it is the common cause of a work-impairing (and painful) condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Many pointing devices today are now made with such ergonomics in mind, and mice in particular have evolved to allow more of your hand to rest on the top of the device, thus lifting the wrist and keeping it stationary during normal use. We don't think this is ideal for gaming, at least for us. However, for most people, the difference is one of preference, and no offense is meant for users of large mice!

The Boomslang answer

The Razer Boomslang is also a very large mouse, not so like the Intellimouse Explorer or Logitech Mouseman Plus, it is a very long device. If your hands are of moderate size, the Razer must be placed in the back of your palm if you have any chance of comfortably reaching the thumb-button. This makes quick vertical flicks with your wrist impossible, and most movement is confined to the arm.

While this arrangement may be better for the wrist, with a forward-placed mouseball, it would certainly result in erratic movement. By locating the ball closer to the palm, or the central resting spot for a hand placed on the Razer mouse, the movement and general accuracy can be stabilized. Most of us at FiringSquad (including Thresh) would prefer a smaller mouse, but Karna tackles the problem by providing a compromise that works fine, assuming you like the shape.