Like many of Apple’s products, the Magic Trackpad is more form than function – it looks great but it’s not very practical. On the other hand, Contour Design’s design philosophy seems to be the opposite of that. The company’s product, RollerMouse Free, is a more ergonomic and practical mouse alternative, even though it’s not much to look at.
The RollerMouse Free is meant to alleviate stress in the arms, shoulder and neck caused by repeatedly reaching out for the mouse. It’s not that evident in the picture, but the heart of the RollerMouse is a roller bar – it’s the black bar beneath the left hand. The bar rolls forwards and backwards and also moves side to side, allowing the user to control the cursor. The functions of the buttons are not that hard to guess – left click, right click, dedicated double click, and a scroll wheel. There are also dedicated copy and paste buttons. See what I’m saying? The exact opposite of Apple’s hardware.
Contour Design does have one thing in common with Apple – their prices. At $220 (USD), the RollerMouse costs more than 3-times what the Magic Trackpad sells for. Fortunately Contour Design is offering a 30-day trial period on all purchases, so customers have plenty of time to test the RollerMouse Free and figure out if it works for you. You can order the RollerMouse Free at Contour Design’s website
