- Brand:Â Anker
- Model:Â Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse
- Website:Â http://www.ianker.com/anker-vertical-mouse-ergonomic-optical-usb/product/98ANWVM-BA#sp
- Â RRP:Â $29.99 (At time of the review)
Anker were formed in 2008 by a few ex-Google employees with a passion for technology. They spent their time looking for ways to make life easier not just for themselves, but for everyone by providing reliable, affordable products that were pleasing on the eye.
Today I will be taking a look at something different, from their ergonomic range which is designed for reducing strain associated with using keyboards, mice and other peripherals. With the need for comfort in the workplace and generally everywhere else too, there are plenty of products out there which can help reduce strain, from GUNNAR glasses all the way to wrist rests. Today we have a mouse that fits the description but how is it going to fare in my capable hands?
The product in particular I will be looking at is the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse. First, for a look at the specifications…
| Optical Resolution: | 800 / 1200 /1600DPI |
| Product Dimensions: | 113 x 72 x 43 mm |
| Product Weight: | 104g |
| Buttons: | 5 |
| Compatible system: | Windows 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista / 7 / 8, Mac 10.x and above |
Now let’s have a look at the packaging…
The mouse itself comes packaged inside a clear plastic box with a cardboard backing which the mouse and wireless adapter sits inside. The box itself is very basic and looks rather plain with its white and black design.
On the rear of the box, is a detailed list of the Anker mouse’s different features and specifications. There is also an illustration which points out what each button the mouse actually does which is a very nice feature.
Inside the box there is a contact card so you can contact Anker, and a wireless USB adapter which allows you to connect the mouse wirelessly. There are no AAA batteries which this mouse requires 2 of to operate.
The packaging overall does leave a lot to be desired but it’s what’s inside the box that matter, right?
Let’s take a closer look at the mouse…
As we can see here, the mouse is designed for those who want an ergonomic mouse. The way you grip the mouse is very different to how you would use your grip on a standard palm mouse.
Here is a side on view of the mouse, as we can see we have the usual left, right and middle mouse button, which like most mice, has a scroll wheel.
On the bottom of the mouse, we have the on and off switch, an optical sensor and the latch in which you place the batteries. The mouse is powered by 2 x AAA batteries and they do not come included in the packaging, something which I find very disappointing.
Due to the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse being designed for everyday use, I thought I would test the mouse to represent that fact. In saying that I left gaming out the testing simply because it would suck at it and it really isn’t its intended purpose.
I decided to stick with general browsing and how comfortable the mouse is to use.
General Browsing
As I went about my daily browsing, using this mouse was a very weird experience. I understand the benefits of ergonomic products, but I had a hard time adjusting my wrist to the position needed to use the mouse. While using the mouse to click on certain points of the screen, it became apparent that this was going to be a challenge. Having had the mouse for a week it was safe to say that, although it started to grow on me, I just couldn’t get used to the grip. Going from web page to web page was a challenge and I can tell you this mouse won’t be for everybody.
Comfort
With comfort being what this mouse was made for, it made for some interesting results. The mouse is ergonomic and as mentioned before, it’s to alleviate the strain on your wrist while using your mouse. After using the mouse for a week I have to say, I found no comfort whatsoever in using this mouse. I tried as hard as I could and usually have no problems adapting to different types of peripheral but this mouse really caused me problems. I found this mouse actually put strain on my wrist compared to my Logitech G9X and really struggled to get to grips (mind the pun) with this Anker mouse.
As far as the grip goes, it has a soft rubbery type feel which is nice to touch, but it’s the overall position that the wrist in that I had problems with.
Overall the testing was disappointing. The fact I couldn’t get used to it over a week is a testament to how I feel about this mouse although some people might really benefit from the design but for me, I simply couldn’t find anything positive other than the wireless didn’t cut out once, so in retrospect one aspect was good after all.
Having had a week to test, get an overall feel and generally get to grips with the Anker Wireless mouse, my feelings are mixed.
To cut straight to the point of my own personal experiences, this mouse was not my cup of tea and after using it for a week, I was tempted to just lob it in the bin, how could anyone use a mouse like that? Well this mouse would suit the type of office worker who uses their mouse constantly throughout the day. Although, to contradict that, I use my mouse all day and found it horrible.
The mouse doesn’t come included with batteries which is a major disappointment. As far as that one goes, the mouse doesn’t come useable out of the box which is a massive downside. Would it have hurt to stick 2 x AAA batteries in the box? Not by my reckoning.  Although the mouse is cheap and value is this mouses strong point, its no excuse in my eyes.
Now this is my own personal opinion, but this mouse was probably the worst I have ever used, but that isn’t to say that someone else wouldn’t love this mouse, so please take my word as it is my personal opinion of the mouse.
If you’re looking for looking for a wireless mouse, that’s vertical, ergonomical, cheap and built to a decent quality, then this mouse will definitely be for you, but bare in mind it could take a long time to get used to.
I would like to thank Anker for sending the mouse in for review and I really hoped it would have been a great product for me, as I do use my mouse every day, often for 8 hours or more but I really struggled with it, so for that I couldn’t give Anker any awards today.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
What a terrible review. It is blatantly obvious that you want to have your cake AND eat it without having to pay for it of course.
The equivalent of this vertical mouse cost at least 3-4 times more, and yet from the very beginning you are complaining about the cheap packaging and lack of included batteries.
You had already pre-decided to NOT like this mouse before you ever put your hand on it.
First of all the packaging is clear and no nonsense. It protects the mouse, prevents theft of any parts from an individual product. What exactly is your problem with the packaging? Are you one of those hipsters who require a “premium feel” to every bit of tat they deign to lower their royal selves to analyse?
Second there are very sensible reason for NOT including batteries with devices with long battery life expectations such as these: a) affordable products like this are likely to be produced, stored, shipped and take significant periods of time before getting anywhere near the end customer, by which time the batteries will be nowhere near optimal when you get them, thus giving a substandard impression to the first set of batteries.
In all honesty, aside from gliding over the obvious non constructive cricisim, when I purchase a product I expect it to work out of the box without the need to purchase anything extra; would you be happy to have to go out and buy a pack of batteries, to find out the item is defective?
There are 2 sides to every story and lots of multiple angles you can look at it from; personally the review and like most reviews on the internet of products is my personal experiences. Maybe my expectations are different from yours? Would be a boring world if we all thought the same, liked the same things and of course had the same opinions; I appreciate your feedback.
I still stand by what I said, I found it hard to use, I didn’t like the feel it was something I could use but it will be SUITABLE for those looking for an ergonomic mouse; this is my opinion and I am entitled to it just like you are yours.
In regards to my opinion before opening the mouse, that is just utter twaddle; the concept is great but in my PERSONAL opinion, it just doesn’t suit me hence it is reflected in the review.
Thanks for commenting 🙂 – Gav