12, Jan, 2025
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3M Renaissance mouse

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We don’t often review mice at APC, and there’s a good reason for this: most mice are similar, and short of actually destroying them, it’s hard to tell how robust they are. Still, we’re always fascinated by gadgets (see Fetish Gear, page 70), so when a mouse masquerading as a joystick appeared in the office, we decided to give it a look.
Why make a mouse that looks like a joystick? 3M is pitching the Renaissance mouse as more ergonomic than the basic mouse shape. According to 3M, the grip used for a joystick (if properly done) is safer than that used for a standard mouse.
The Renaissance mouse has three buttons. Two of these are on a flip switch at the top of the mouse ‘stick’ for left and right clicks, and one is on the body of the stick. This can be customised, but is set at default for screen scrolling. The Renaissance is a regular ball-controlled mouse, which is something of a pity. Placing it on a mousepad makes the angle at which you hold it a little odd. An optical Renaissance mouse would rock.
Using the Renaissance definitely takes some practice. At first it feels totally wrong, and after about half an hour of use, we found it rather painful. However, this might say more about bad postural habits than anything else. After another hour’s work it felt quite natural, and by the end of the day it was very comfortable. One drawback is that the base of the stick is quite wide compared to a regular mouse, and if you have a smallish mousepad it can slip off quite easily.
The Renaissance comes in two sizes, depending on your hand size. APC looked at the small/mcdium one and found that it fitted most hands. It’s only available in a right-handed model at this point, which is a pity for left-handers, as well as for those right-handed people who prefer to use their mouse left-handed due to overuse injury in their right arms.

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