Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad - Gizmodo Comments

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

exti047 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:46:33 EST

I saw this on the stand at CeBit today and it was actually pretty amazing. You do a test with a touch pad and then their swiftpoint and the swiftpoint blows the touch pad out of the water...and I'm a touch pad user! No problem with it pushing buttons on the keyboard either it sits over several keys at once to stop this and there is virtually no downward pressure required to move it around - I actually did the mousing below the key pad but could have done more over the keys if I needed to. My overall rating was: I want one now!!!

exti047

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

skulldriveshaft — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:41:47 EST

You could also use one of these if you can't move that far away from a normal mouse.

Alternative devices are definitely needed, not everyone gets to sit behind a desk all day.

skulldriveshaft

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

tayaya — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:40:33 EST

I actually like the concept of this quite a bit. I don't think I'd have too much trouble adapting to it, but after using a traditional mouse for almost 20 years now, it would take some adjustment for sure.

The guy using it made it look so natural, which indicates that it's at least possible, but of course it's human nature to resist change whenever possible, so the mouse isn't going to go anywhere anytime soon, I don't think.

tayaya

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

N@tedog — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:11:06 EST

@ianmunslow:

Oh man it's WAY smaller that it looks in the picture. I couldn't figure out how it worked until the video. This actually doesn't look like that bad an idea. You do lose your right thumb for typing but I don't think I use it to type anyway (space with left thumb).

N@tedog

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

twoeightnine — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:07:42 EST

Why do you have to use your keyboard? I have a Logitech VX Nano and if I use it on the space to either side of my Vaio's trackpad I can easily reach every inch of the screen without interfering with the keyboard. Hell, I can even use it over the trackpad so it doesn't get in the way of my hands while typing.

twoeightnine

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

Out2gtcha — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:57:23 EST

I think I'd have to see this thing in action to fully understand the "savings" they are revering to. I honestly don't think this thing would have ever actually made it past the paper stage into a real object if it was harder to use than a traditional mouse. Harder to GET USED TO maybe.

Maybe I'm wrong here or just don't understand quite how this thing works......

Out2gtcha

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

hagrun — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:00:28 EST

@Keebler: I'm with you... what a dumb idea.

hagrun

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

ianmunslow — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:52:00 EST

Actually watching the video from the BBC it doesn't look "that" stupid.... or maybe it does?

[www.bbc.co.uk]

ianmunslow

Simtrix Swiftpoint Slider Mouse Uses Your Keyboard for a Mousepad

Keebler — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:47:52 EST

Supposedly this offers efficiency savings, as your hands don't have to dart off to a touchpad or grab a mouse

This makes no sense to me... wouldn't the time savings of "not having to dart off to a touchpad or grab a mouse" be entirely offset by the fact that you have to remove a mouse from your keyboard when you want to type? And if you weren't typing, then why would your hands have to be darting off anywhere anyways?

*confused*

Keebler