Type	Strange
Software	AceCat comes with its own software for MS-DOS and Windows, as well as drivers for several popular programs.
Distinguishing Marks	The AceCat is a tablet and stylus input device. It has both mouse and tablet modes.
Favorite Cheese	Cottage cheese
Physical Description	The AceCat looks like a thick clip-less clipboard. It's surface is flat, but has a 5 _ 5 inch square outlined in the middle, which is the drawing surface. Off to one side of the tablet connects a drawing stylus. The stylus has one button in the tip, activated by pressing down. A second button is on top the stylus' lower staff. The button on the tip is the "right" mouse button, the button on the staff is the "left" button. Is this backwards? I really wanted the button on the tip to be the "left" button. Oh, well. The other side the tablet connects to both a serial port and your keyboard connector. This makes for a wonderful ganglia of cables, especially if you lack a 25-pin COM port. The manual has nine steps for attaching and plugging in the cables: the 9-to-25 serial port connector goes to the 25-pin connector, which plugs into another connector that sits between your keyboard and the PC. The other end attaches to the tablet. The keyboard is daisy-chained, since the AceCat is simply looking for an extra power source and not trying to overthrow your keyboard. A slider switch under the tablet moves it from T, tablet mode to M, mouse mode. I only used the tablet in the mouse mode since I lack any tablet-happy software. Top dead center, right next to the hole you can rest the stylus in, is a green LED. It constantly flickers when the tablet isn't in use. When you're writing or clicking, the LED glows solid. All that's required is the woob-woob sound effects and you'll think you're Star Trek's Dr. McCoy jotting down a 23rd century prescription
Impression	Ah, remember the old days when a mouse just plugged into a serial port or a custom mouse port? AceCat, like many of the fancier mice, requires at least a Community College Certificate in Plumbing before installation. This doesn't help the ugly octopus of cables most of us hide behind or PCs, either. As a mouse, the AceCat is less-than-okay. I sneer this way because it's one of those mice that can't just sit there until called upon. To use the AceCat, you must pick something up. Sure, you can blindly try for the pen and then move the mouse around with a few strokes. But since the all-important "left" button must be positioned on top the pen, I always had to look to make sure I was holding everything properly. This was aggravating. Another thing: the packaging. The handsome man on the box holds his AceCat on his knee, I use my PC all slouched over. I also have absolutely no, zero, zip desk space, unlike the clean studio setting on the box. (I don't mean to harp on the guy, who's only an actor and knows as much about computers as, say, I know about dressing properly.) For drawing, the AceCat was very nice. Humans are used to drawing with things in our hands, and I had no problems using the AceCat to create primitive things in Windows Paint. However, once that was done, and I needed back at the keyboard, the AceCat got in the way again. I assume people who spend most of their time drawing would not find this a problem. Unfortunately, AceCat makes a better mouse pad than mouse replacement.

Type	Strange
Software	Felix comes with its own set of device drivers for DOS and Windows.
Distinguishing Marks	It's not really a trackball mouse, though it sits stationary like a trackball mouse. Felix is manipulated using a, well, thing that slides around on top.
Favorite Cheese	Felix does not like cheese
Physical Description	This mouse was obviously designed by people who watch Star Trek: The Next Generation. The base is low and sleek, about the size of a compact disc jewel case but thicker in the middle. On top is the "thing" you use to manipulate the mouse cursor. The thing looks like a shuttle craft from the Enterprise. (I apologize for continuously calling it a thing, but there is no name for it in the manual.) You manipulate the mouse cursor by sliding the thing around. Though it doesn't look like it, the thing is connected to the base. Even so, I still found myself wanting to pick it up and move it around. That's never necessary since the thing somehow manages to maintain absolute screen coordinates — even when accelerated. On top of the thing are the two mouse buttons. The "left" mouse button is longer, shaped like a diving board pointing toward the back of Felix's base. The "right" mouse button is smaller, sitting square atop the shuttle craft, er, thing. There is no problem using the buttons or remembering which is which. Dual click, no sweat. Felix plugs into a serial port, not the PS/2 mouse port. It also requires AC power — which rules out Felix's use on a laptop since it must be plugged in to operate. The AC power connector is located on the back of the serial plug, which is a 25-pin D-shell connector. All my PC's use 9-pin connectors and Felix does come with an adapter. But in the end, it makes for an ugly clump of cables.
Impression	Felix the mouse, the wonderful, wonderful . . . ah, never mind. This mouse is ingenious and easy to use. The idea is to use your fingers to manipulate the mouse instead of portions of your upper body. For a "strange" mouse, it's convenient to find since it stays in one spot. Aside from my tendency to want to pick up the thing, Felix proved worthy for whatever task I put it to. For some reason, I always expect a computer mouse to come with manuals equal to it weight or more. Logitech's mice some with abundant documentation, richly illustrated and way too much information for something as banal as a mouse. Felix is at the other end of the spectrum. The manual is practically nonexistent. It looks like a warranty card. The instructions are so brief, a copy of them are glued to the underside of Felix's base. That's about all you need, though it ain't very friendly. Something inside made me want to hate Felix. But I don't. I actually grew quite attached to using it during testing. Definitely a better mouse.

Type	Keyboard
Software	J-Mouse comes with its own special drivers for DOS and Windows.
Distinguishing Marks	The blue key. It's a blue J in the middle of a typical, 101 enhanced PC keyboard that gives the J-
Favorite Cheese	Jack
Physical Description	The J-Mouse is your typical 101 enhanced PC keyboard, the same kind Mrs. Ashby would hold up in her Basic Computing course and proclaim, "This is the keyboard. Key board. You type on it." And she would then attempt to type on the keyboard, one hand still holding it aloft in a manner not unlike the way airline seat belts are demonstrated. At some point, a brave student would query, "What's the funny blue key?" Mrs. Ashby would respond that it was the J key, but little does she know that it's also a keyboard mouse. Unlike the built-in trackball type of keyboard mouse, it's the recessed and blue-tinted J that doubles as both the handy J key as well as the mouse. Other keys to the left of the J have tiny blue labels: Click (B1), Dbl Clk, Ctrl Clk, and a few dedicated to Windows: TaskMgr, Copy, Paste, etc. Stab the J key and release and a J appears on the keyboard. Press and hold the J key and the mouse takes over. Press slightly to the left, the mouse cursor moves left. Press up, it moves up. Only a slight pressure need be applied; the manual advises you against rocking the key. The "left" mouse button is the Space bar. The "right" button, B2, is the D key. Dual clicking must be done with two hands: J plus Space-D. Dragging works okay, though clicking is clumsy since you must press and hold the J while pressing the Spacebar-button. This is perhaps the least appealing aspect of the J-Mouse; there are no dedicated mouse buttons.
Impression	The J-Mouse is also a keyboard, so I must judge it on that basis as well. I'm a fussy keyboard user, one who enjoys big bouncy keys with a pleasing click to them. As a keyboard, J-Mouse is sadly typical. There is nothing remarkable about the keys on the J-Mouse keyboard, in fact they're a little on the spongy side. However, the keyboard does sport a wonderful angle of attack; it's a lot steeper than other keyboards, which I liked immensely. The mouse side of the J-Mouse works surprisingly well, almost clairvoyantly. Not once did a J appear when I was using the mouse to zip around the screen. And when I wanted to type a J, it appeared as I expected. The keyboard must be psychic! The J-Mouse takes some getting used to. You need to work at pressing the J key to get the mouse pointer motivated. Yet the biggest plus of this unique mouse is that you seldom have to lift your hands from the keyboard. This is 100 percent opposite of the mice you have to look for, pick up and orient before you can use them. With a better keyboard on it, I could heartily recommend the J-Moues. Otherwise, it gets a weak thumbs up.

Type	Laptop - Trackball
Software	The Trackman Portable comes with its own set of Mouse drivers, Windows drivers and utilities.
Distinguishing Marks	A trackball that clips to the side of your laptop's keyboard, àla the Microsoft BallPoint mouse.
Favorite Cheese	Jarlsberg (which isn't the same thing as Swiss, by the way)
Physical Description	The Trackman Portable closely resembles the Microsoft BallPoint. But once you put your hand on one you'll discover a multitude of tiny differences, all of which are positive. Overall, the Trackman Portable is larger than the BallPoint and its edges are smoother. The Trackman fits your hand more comfortably, making the BallPoint seem like it was designed for people with small bony hands. This jolly round design allows your fingers to easily find the buttons, which are better placed than the BallPoint's. The second or "right" button is below the ball so you never have to jostle your fingers. Where the BallPoint has a small, tough to move ball — like a golf ball dropped into stiff yogurt — the Trackman Portable has a big, bulging, green "eye ball" that your thumb will quickly love. It rolls smoothly without any excessive thumb twiddling. The Trackman Portable's base is sturdy and connects to your laptop's keyboard lip with a spring-enforced grasping mechanism, much better than the BallPoint's thumbscrews. The only downsides to this arrangement are the lack of quick release buttons; it's hard to clip the Trackman on or off when the mouse it attached to the base, and you don't have the multiple angles of attack the BallPoint has.
Impression	I like the big, solid feel this mouse has. The ball spins much better than the Microsoft version. The positioning of the second ("right") button below the ball is very convenient; with your hand resting on the Trackman Portable, your forefinger and thumb naturally find the proper buttons. I've used the BallPoint mouse almost since it was first available. I liked it. I like the Trackman Portable better. It's well-designed and gives you a feeling of true control. (I told Logitech I "lost" the mouse so I didn't have to return it after the evaluation period.)

Type	Rodent
Software	Self-programmable, possibly heuristic, neural-net type of software. Generally incompatible with the Microsoft driver.
Distinguishing Marks	Fur all over case; beady little eyes.
Favorite Cheese	Any, preferably not held in the maw of some wooden and steel trap.
Physical Description	Too small to be handheld, this thin, tapered mouse has a short tail with an incompatible connector. I tried unsuccessfully to work the tail into a mouse port, serial port or the thing that looks like a recessed door knob on my laptop and met with no success. I believe the mouse to communicate sonically, though the receiver module was not included in the setup kit. Unlike traditional PC mice, this mouse has buttons. Tapping at various positions on the mouse's body met with unexpected reactions, but none that would influence the mouse cursor in Windows. In my search for buttons I did, however, notice that this mouse has plenty of tiny, sharp teeth.
Impression	The furry mouse proved unwieldy to handle, often scurrying off the mouse pad. Its diminutive size made it hard to find on the floor, and its four highly mobile foot-pods would often carry it off into dark corners. This is obviously a novelty gift only.

Type	Traditional
Software	MouseMan comes with the standard Logitech mouse drivers.
Distinguishing Marks	There's no cord on this large, three-button mouse! It's truly radio controlled. Dit-dit-dit-dit.
Favorite Cheese	American, individually wrapped slices.
Physical Description	There are two parts to MouseMan. The first is the base, which is a little larger than the "family" size Sucrets box. It connects to your PC's serial port or a PS/2 mouse port. The second part is the mouse itself. It's big, like a Microsoft mouse on steroids. The mouse is contoured and has three buttons and . . . no mouse cord. I assume part of the mouse's bulk is taken up by the radio transmission equipment. A small battery is included that you plug into the bottom of Mouseman's mouse house. After you do so, a small, blinking, green LED flashes the mouse's heartbeat. I found this disturbing and — like we've all done with the refrigerator at one time or another — tried to see if the light goes off when you close the case. (It doesn't; the light means the mouse is "talking" with the base. A similar light on the base flashes when information is received from the mouse.)
Impression	Earth to Mouse! Earth to Mouse! Seriously, there's no problem communicating remotely between the Mouseman and its base. Even in my radio noise-filled computer dungeon, the Mouseman was always able to place a call. It didn't live up to the box's claim of a six foot range; the Mouseman seemed to work only on a line-of-sight basis, but then again is there any true advantage to sitting two yards from your PC (like that new program will really blow up on you)? The Mouseman is a big mouse. It's large and Kong-like; the biggest traditional mouse I tested, in fact. It's not for little hands, and my version was contoured for right handed users — but this is okay since it says "right-hand mouse" right on the box. (Logitech was one of the first mouse makers to come out with a left-handed mouse.) Overall, I liked the Mouseman, though I feel the cordless aspect is a bit gimmicky. Still, I like the warning on the mouse's belly, "Caution: Danger of explosion . . ." The Real Man in me finds it appealing to use a mouse that's capable of such an act.

Type	Strange
Software	The MousePen Pro adapts easily to any already-installed Microsoft Mouse driver, though it does come with its own driver.
Distinguishing Marks	This mouse works like a pen. The ball is held in a box at the end of the pen and you use it as you would a pen. Pen mouse, get it?
Favorite Cheese	Philly
Physical Description	The Appoint MousePen Pro Portable feels like one of those fat "doodle" pens teenage girls use — the kind with four or five colors and a special option that rotates the point to make especially swirly-looking letters. Regardless, the MousePen Pro does fit comfortably in your hand and it's not too heavy. The ball sits inside a tiny box at the end of a pen and sticks out far enough that you can twist and turn your wrist and still make contact with the mouse pad. The two buttons are located near the base of the pen, a little lower than I expected but still easily within reach. The "left" button is on the bottom and the "right" button is on top. Pressing both buttons for a dual-click is easy as sin. A third button is used to activate the MousePen's acceleration feature. One of the bonuses included with the MousePen Pro is a custom mouse pad. It has an elevated surface on the back with a hole large enough to stick the MousePen into and snug enough to keep it upright. The image is reminiscent of the old days of writing with an ink well and quill. This aids in grasping the MousePen quickly as opposed to having to pick it up and orient it before you start working. My only major dislike is that the buttons are a little too low. It's probably just me, since I was educated in a California school and do things wrong in general, but I consistently grab the thing high and then must shift down my hand to access the "left" mouse button.
Impression	The MousePen Pro excels at drawing. This is obvious, since we all learned to draw with a fat crayon wedged into our tiny fists. Using drawing applications with the MousePen is natural and lacks the frustration I've found when using the bar-of-soap type of computer mouse. For generally use, I found the MousePen troublesome. The advantage of a bar-of-soap traditional mouse or a trackball mouse is that it's stable. You can reach over and find it with your fingertips without having to pause and look for it. I could see how the MousePen would become second nature after a while — especially to graphic artists — but it's still more effort to grab and touch up a text document than using the other, traditional type of mouse.

Type	Strange
Software	PortaPoint can use the Microsoft Mouse DOS or Windows device drivers or its own.
Distinguishing Marks	The PortaPoint mouse has no ball! It uses a touch-sensitive pad to control the mouse pointer's direction and velocity.
Favorite Cheese	String cheese
Physical Description	The doorbell-on-a-rope PortaPoint is a little flatter and weighs less than a pocket pager — and it's definitely less annoying. It has one ominous eyeball that's really a soft pad you press. Press the pad's top, the mouse pointer moves up. Press the pad's bottom, the pointer moves down. Press hard, it moves faster. This works well and it also solves the problem of having to pick up the mouse when you run out of mouse pad room. The PortaPoint is lighter than other teensy non-mice (see THUMBELINA), but it lacks the problem of having to hand-hold the mouse to use it properly. You can secure the PortaPoint mouse to just about any flat surface using the handy Velcro strips that come with it (once again asserting my belief that all laptops should be made of Velcro). The two large buttons on either side of the mouse represent, logically, the left and right mouse buttons. There is no "drag" button since it's very easy to keep one finger on the accelerator pad and another holding down the left mouse button.
Impression	It's a steering wheel and accelerator pedal all in one! Image how much fun it would be to drive cars if they had a PortaPoint-like control pad. Well, not really. The PortaPoint mouse definitely takes getting used to. It's a subtle thing, like learning the nuances of the Nintendo control pad. With practice, I found using PortaPoint effortless. As with training small children, gentleness is required. I also discovered that using two fingers to work the control pad worked best. Two fingers tap dancing on the pad seemed to work better than a the "one finger" approach shown on the box. Precision mouse users will probably prefer other types of mice. I assume with practice I could have learned how to better control the PortaPoint for tiny maneuvers; if the graphic artist-types prefer the big-as-a-globe trackballs for definitude, then sadly PortaPoint is at the other end of the scale. But if you want a sleek, unobtrusive, casual, low-laying mouse, PortaPoint is it.

Type	Trackball - Strange
Software	Thumbelina uses the Microsoft Mouse driver or its own driver, supplied on disk.
Distinguishing Marks	Thumbelina is a tiny, handheld trackball mouse approximately the size of two Triscut crackers with a dill pickle slice between them.
Favorite Cheese	Chez Whiz, cheese-flavored snack food spread.
Physical Description	The Thumbelina mouse looks like a small ring box that someone has successfully shoved a marble into; the "ball" you roll is tiny and stiff. In fact, the manual recommends you switch on the "accelerated" mode in order to best use Thumbelina in Windows. There are three buttons and one tiny green LED sharing Thumbelina's top. The button at three o'clock is the "left" mouse button — the primary button — and the button at one o'clock is the "right" mouse button. Pressing both buttons simultaneously is doable (but then again I'm the King of the Family when it comes to Thumb Wars). The button at nine o'clock is a drag button. This is necessary since you can only use your thumb on top of Thumbelina; the mouse rests in your hand or on top a stand, making it awkward to use a thumb and a finger. Pressing the drag button simulates a click-hold-left button mouse action and the green LED comes on. Press the drag button again to switch it off. The biggest problem with Thumbelina is how to hold it. You have three options: you can Velcro Thumbelina to your keyboard, in which case you can diddle it with your forefingers; you can hold Thumbelina in the palm of your hand; or you can use a mini-scaffold to elevate Thumbelina to a usable height on your laptop. None of these really worked for me — especially the handheld technique. It requires too much time to look, then pick up Thumbelina and position my thumb. A traditional mouse or trackball is easier to deal with.
Impression	The mouse tail comes toward you, the mouse tail comes toward you . . . Every time I picked up Thumbelina, I had to orient it. Unlike other mice, Thumbelina's mouse cable points toward you. This is just too odd for me, since every other mouse I played with has its tail pointing out and back. Overall, I found Thumbelina to be a poor execution of what should have been a good idea. It's a tiny mouse, ideal for some situations. But using the mouse leaves a lot to be desired — particularly the stiff little thumb ball. On the upside, the manual is readable and concise. In fact, the FCC regulations take up more space than the basic rules of operations. Now if I can only get Danny Kaye out of my head, I'll be fine.

Type	Trackball
Software	The Kraft TopTrack comes with its own mouse drivers and appears to be compatible with the Microsoft drivers as well.
Distinguishing Marks	A trackball mouse with a foot pedal!
Favorite Cheese	Gjetost
Physical Description	The TopTrack is a round, squat, fun-looking mouse that you can just about cover with your cupped hand. It has four buttons, the left and right mouse button, plus two middle buttons. The lower middle button acts as a dual left-right click and the upper middle button is a drag lock. The buttons have a nice feel and make a pleasing click when you press them. I'm very impressed with the dual click button and would love to find that feature on other three button mice. Coming out of the right rear side of the TopTrack is a serial cable which plugs into your PC. The left rear side has a phone jack, into which you plug the vaunted foot pedal. The foot pedal acts as the left mouse button. Appearance-wise, the foot pedal is, eh, just another sturdy foot pedal. In the Cool Accessories Dept., the TopTrack comes with a silver and gold fabric mouse cozy. A mouse cozy! My wife wonders why anyone would need to keep a mouse warm. Obviously she has no heart. Personally, I can see reasons for modem cozies as well.
Impression	I really spazzed out when I read the sticker on the box, which says "Foot Pedal Included." In the old days, my buddies and I used to tease Frank — a humble Mac owner — about needing a foot pedal to avoid using the keyboard on a Macintosh. Ha! I never dreamed a mouse would really come with a foot pedal, and I was surprised at how useful it could be. It's nice to give your feet something to do when you use a computer. (Well, at least we don't have to pump a treadle to keep them going.) The foot pedal makes it easy to drag with the mouse. And then there's the ever-fun double-click foot stomp. I soon found myself making up excuses to click this or that and taking the slower mouse-way of doing things over the keyboard just to use the foot pedal. Overall, the TopTrack is well designed and the buttons are marvelous to use. The ball rolls smoothly and can be adjusted for super precise mouse actions. The dual-click middle button is also handy and my right foot loves the pedal. As a trackball mouse, Kraft dishes up a solid competitor.

Type	Traditional - Trackball
Software	Mouse Trax comes with its own, PMOUSE driver and can also use the Microsoft driver when the mouse is switched over the Microsoft hardware-compatible mode.
Distinguishing Marks	On its belly, this mouse is a traditional, slide-around the table, three-button mouse of joy. Flip it over on its back and the Mouse Trax becomes a trackball — or at least a thumb ball.
Favorite Cheese	Any cheese from Australia
Physical Description	Squint and you'll miss Mouse Trax's clever, subtle features. From a distance, eh, it's another medical-plastic mouse. Dip it in chocolate and call it a Dove bar. Then you'll notice that it has three buttons (not that any must-have software begs for that center button). Then you'll notice the three smooth indents on the right side. Yes, Mouse Trax is a right-handed mouse only. Indeed, even the leftmost button is longer than the other three to accommodate the right hand index finger. But the southpaw-bashing doesn't end there! Flip any ordinary mouse over and, like a desert tortoise, it will bake in the sun and die. Not a pretty sight. Turn over Mouse Trax and it becomes a trackball. You rotate the ball using your thumb — your right thumb, since that's where the handy put-your-thumb-here impression is on the case. I know this sounds weird, but some type of "gravity sensor" in the mouse tells the ball it's upside-down, so rotating it with your thumb works just as expected. (This cannot be done with an ordinary mouse since the ball moves the cursor in the opposite direction.) In the upside-down, trackball mode, you work the left and right mouse buttons in front of the mouse's case. Unfortunately, they don't reverse, so the "left" button is on the right side. Fortunately, this arrangement works, since you still poke the button with your right index finger. Again on the down side, you can't just let the mouse lay there on its back. You must pick up the mouse to make it work effectively; if you set the mouse down on the table top it slips around like a slimy fish and your thumb can't get to the ball.
Impression	I love those introductory computer books that say the trackball type of mouse is an "upside down regular mouse." Not quite. Trackballs have the advantage of precision on their side. Your fingers fondle the large, free-moving sphere and move the mouse cursor in delicate increments. If only the Mouse Trax people knew that, then they would realize you just can't flip over a mouse and call it a trackball. Through the miracle of an electronic "inner ear" Mouse Trax does work. I rarely used it flipped over, though, since you have to pick up the mouse and I'm a big fan of the grab-and-dash school of mouse handling. When I did flip it over, I found the ball tough to move. It rolls in jerks and stops. And — sheesh, it's been rolling around your table. Dirty mouse ball! Bad, bad! The overall design of the mouse is smooth and very right-handed. But one class they skipped at Aerodynamic Mouse University was Button 201, an upper division course that suggests putting bumps on three-button mice so you can tell which button is which. (Though I never had a problem since nothing I have uses the middle button.)

Type	Strange
Software	Twiddler comes with its own device drivers for DOS and Windows. A typing tutor program is included.
Distinguishing Marks	Twiddler is a handheld mouse and keyboard replacement.
Favorite Cheese	Velveeta
Physical Description	It's a plastic canolé! No, it's the knob from Darth Vader's stick shift from hell! Then again, it's more like a pregnant salt shaker with six buttons on the spout and a grid of 12 buttons on one side! In truth, it's Twiddler, the mouse that can type (which you can sing to the tune of Toonces, the cat who could drive a car). Twiddler connects to both your keyboard ports and serial ports. From the keyboard port it steals electricity; your keyboard plugs into a second, daisy-chain connector. The serial port is how Twiddler communications its mouse and keyboard commands to your PC. Both cables connect to the underside of Twiddler. A handy Velcro strap keeps it in your hand where your fingers and thumb can access the buttons. On Twiddler's face are 12 buttons, three columns and four rows. One row is for each finger. Twiddler's top has six buttons, which are operated by your thumb. By pressing various combinations of buttons you can produce nearly all the keystrokes common on a 101-key enhanced keyboard. Even doosies like Shift-Alt-F4 — tame on a keyboard — are possible, though not very comfortable at first. A handy key compatibility chart lists the finger movement positions for common keyboard characters (though it's only a rip of the Velcro strap and your hands are back on the keyboard). The 12 keys on Twiddler's face are all nicely labeled, though since you point Twiddler away from you, that's not going to help. The bottom line is, you need to learn to use Twiddler. For mouse functions you press the Mouse button on Twiddler's head. The mouse cursor is controlled only when the button is down. You move the mouse by twisting Twiddler's box left or right or angling it up or down. Weird, but workable.
Impression	Is Twiddler necessary? The idea behind it is to keep one hand "free." Once your hand is tightly strapped into Twiddler you can do anything you want with the other hand. I don't know how many times I've yearned for that. None, actually. But on the merit that it does keep one hand free, Twiddler works. On the other hand (which is empty), you need to learn how to input information into a computer all over again. Mavis Beacon, where are you? Twiddler doesn't "steal" the keyboard, which is nice. You can still type, though with a hand wrapped around Twiddler's stocky husk you can't type well. As a mouse, Twiddler leaves a lot to be desired. It's an air mouse! There is no solid surface to provide reassuring feedback. With enough wrist jerks, moving the mouse cursor is possible and you get a feel for it after a time. To anyone walking by, however, it will look as if it's Twiddler that's controlling you.

Type	Strange
Software	UnMouse comes with its own drivers for MS-DOS and Windows
Distinguishing Marks	The UnMouse is a flat, touch-screen pointing device. It doesn't roll, nor does it have any rolling parts
Favorite Cheese	Cheese cake
Physical Description	The UnMouse is a touch-pad device. It's about 4 inches wide by 6 inches deep and 1/2-inches thick. The main panel is a glass-topped grid that you press like a giant button. A smaller, two-bit sized red button sits off to the left, away from the pad. The UnMouse connects to your PC through a serial port and the keyboard port. A daisy-chain device is supplied for pass-through support of both standard and PS/2 style keyboard cables. (For laptops, an AC adapter is required; it wasn't included in the box I got.) You work the mouse by touching the pad. Unlike Felix, the mouse position isn't absolute. You graze your finger across the pad and the mouse cursor darts off in that direction. Pick up your hand and dart your finger that way again, the mouse keeps moving in the same direction. This works quite well, either with your finger or the ugly looking stylus that comes in the UnMouse package. To click the mouse, you press down on the glass-topped grid. The right mouse button is the large red button off the pad. While either button works well, the dual-click is a bit tenuous since your finger tends to move on the glass touch pad which means what you're double clicking on slips out from under you. The UnMouse comes with a series of templates that can slide under the glass. The templates can be used with UnMouse's PKEY program to give your PC a set of function keys for use in DOS or Windows.
Impression	Okay, it's not a mouse, but the end result is the same — an input device that controls an itty-bitty arrow on the screen. Unlike other strange types of mice, the UnMouse was easy to get used to. The only problem is that UnMouse determines the exact spot your touching on the pad by averaging; it takes all the pressure applied to the pad and calculates an exact middle point This is good since it allows us stout fingered people to be as precise as the boney-fingered among us. This is bad since accidentally dropping another finger tip on the pad messes up the mouse pointer. I can see where some users would prefer a touch pad such as UnMouse over other types of mice. It actually requires less attention than traditional mice since you don't really need to be "right on" the pad; any spot will do. But the dual-click is awkward and, for some dumb reason — call me gauche — I just can't keep only one finger on the thing. For laptop usage, the UnMouse is right out. You need an AC adapter to make it work. I tried connecting the UnMouse to my laptop's keyboard connector, but it just disabled the internal keyboard. This is sad since, in addition to being a pointing device, the UnMouse could also serve as a quick numeric keypad for your laptop. But without a battery to power it, the point is entirely moot. For a desktop machine, the UnMouse would make a fine alternative to traditional mice and trackballs. Just remember not to set your coffee cup on it, and you'll be fine.

Keyboard	This is a type of mouse incorporated into a computer keyboard. The keyboard mouse can be a trackball arrangement off to one side, a thumb-ball just below the Spacebar, or it can be some type of embedded mouse.
Laptop	A laptop mouse can be any type of computer mouse designed for use with a laptop. While you can use any type of mouse with a laptop, I've limited this category to the Microsoft BallPoint, Logitech's Trackman Portable and other small, transportable mice. (Essentially, the BallPoint and Trackman Portable are trackball mice.)
Strange	Weird mice abound and this category describes them. Basically a strange mouse is nonstandard. It's not a bar-of-soap mouse or a trackball. Examples of strange mice include Felix, Thumbelina, pen-shaped mice and touch-pad mice such as AceCat and the UnMouse.
Trackball	The trackball mouse turns the traditional mouse upside down; the mouse itself stays in one position and you manipulate its ball using your thumb. This type of mouse has the advantage of requiring a consistent amount of desk space. It's also preferred by graphic artists who feel they get more control from the trackball than the traditional mouse.
Traditional	Bar-of-soap mouse. The mouse has one or more buttons on top which you manipulate using your index finger. The rest of the hand slides the mouse around and the movements are detected by a mechanical ball or optical sensors.