It was very affordable (sub $20), came in lots of colours (including this lilac colour that I love!), and is super comfortable too. The vertical mouse I used previously, a Ugreen one, had a narrower grip that was less than ideal.
The mouse is by “Sanwa Supply”, model number “GMAERGWBT22V” (V for violet I presume, it shows up at just “BT22” when pairing with Bluetooth), though I’m sure there are plenty of identical models from other brands.
The plastic finish is nice and will last a long time, as there isn’t rubber everywhere like on the ridiculously priced MX Masters. The buttons are silent and have a nice click, the side buttons for forwards/backwards are nicely placed, you can switch between 3 devices (two Bluetooth, one with the dongle), and the scroll wheel is nice (though not a metal one)
The mouse came with a magnetically attached wrist rest too, which is nice, and even without it, it does not suffer from the trailing pinky finger issue of other vertical mice. The magnets are strong enough where it isn’t super loose but not too strong where it’s hard to detach. It’s a nice bonus when I’m at my desk for long hours, and it can be removed if I need to pack it.
BUT one of the main reasons I bought it, aside from the fantastic colours, is that you can use it with a AA battery! No glued in nonsense, it’s super easy to swap it out, and the dongle is also stored in the battery compartment too (always a nice bonus). I use it with rechargeable IKEA Ladda batteries, and it’s been awesome.
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Looks neat. Are there any indications that this will last for life though?
i too was surprised to see this in “for life”.
in my experience, no mouse can be bought for life
I just like that it has replaceable AAs, plus the fun colours. I don’t think it will actually last “for life”, but hopefully it will last for a long while!
jolly good then
Using a soldering iron, a replacement 3D printed shell from Aliexpress, and onboard storage for the configuration, I’m dragging my mouse kicking and screaming into years it was never designed to reach.
Granted, it should have been designed to.
I don’t know about the Lemmy com as much, but the vibe I used to get from the Reddit BIFL community sometimes horsehoed back around to being something materialistic. I feel like avoiding planned obsolescence is important but so is maintaining stuff. I think maintaining stuff is flat out more important than finding the perfect stuff especially in the age of fast mass market everything.
I also repair my mice when the buttons start breaking.
So to call it BIFL it must check at least one but ideally both of these boxes for me:
- lasts very long right out of the box ✅
- is designed to be repairable with existing spare parts ✅
second that
I don’t know about the Lemmy com as much, but the vibe I used to get from the Reddit BIFL community sometimes horsehoed back around to being something materialistic. I feel like avoiding planned obsolescence is important but so is maintaining stuff.
BIFL threads help with which brands to avoid and which to prioritise when you need to buy. I’m also subscribed to repair communities like !diy@lemmy.ml where the focus is on “maintaining stuff”. I think of BIFL as breadcrumbs for people who are sick of paying for things that won’t last a year’s use. We all value, i assume, what you wrote above.
I’m sure that’s the case but in retrospect when I look back on Reddit and how it turned into a genuinely trusted but super astroturfable place I can only remember the original sub as nothing but “hey guys check out this product I purchased for myself and then wife and child and friends”
This community also allows for things that just last significantly longer than usual :)
This community also allows for things that just last significantly longer than usual :)
for some of us that’s already “life” 🙃
life is “significantly longer than usual” indeed
I dunno, I’ve had a Razer Naga hex for like 10 years now. Before that I had a mini Logitech for 8 but it was stolen
Its a bootleg MX Vertical. Better off investing in a Logitech MX range tbh. Had mines for a decade.
Unsure why OP thinks they are ridiculously priced… Actually worth every penny.
You can swap the battery and the older ones had a flaw with the thumb button, but it’s repairable. Software is well supported on everything and opensource drivers exist so it doesnt matter if Logitech kills support.
Vertical mice aren’t a Logitech trademark. The shape is noticeable different from the MX Vertical, it has the cool wrist rest magnetic thing, and the angle it sits is different. The colours are a lot nicer than the graphite black of the MX Vertical. Also, the MX Vertical (at least the current revision) does not use replaceable batteries.
Logitech Options doesn’t support Linux, so no, it’s not “well supported on everything”, though there are community made alternatives that seem really neat! I imagine the mouse itself does, but nearly all mice should work on Linux so Logitech is not unique in this
The MX Vertical is over $100, over five times the price of this cheap little guy, so I don’t think the price is worth it, especially since this cheap one has fun colours + a more comfortable shape for me (YOUR HANDS MAY VARY)
It’s virtually the same design.
You have Solaar on Linux which does most of the same things. I use my MX Master on Linux and it’s solid.
https://github.com/pwr-Solaar/Solaar
Some logi options features are missing (sharing mouse across devices) and need to be accomplished with other programs, but it’s not a hardware issue. You can support 3 different devices on the bluetooth with the switch underneath. There’s multiple FOSS options for sharing a mouse between multiple multiple Linux/Windows/Mac. Youd need one anyways if you dont have a matching Logitech keyboard (I dont like their keyboards).
Its not AA batteries, but you can replace the battery. You have screws to take it apart. Minimal tools needed. Never had to change the battery yet. $20 fix though.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Logitech+MX+Master+Battery+Replacement/141816
I’ve used the “over $100” mouse every workday for the last 7 years and an older edition that works fine still for 4 years. (fast charging was worth the upgrade.)
It also works on virtually any surface. Wood desk, couch, bed, virtually anything will feel like a mouse pad.
Other than mild wear on the rubber, it is the definition of “buy for life”.
Especially the MX Master 3 and 3s. The 2 had a flaw with the thumb button breaking over time but it was fixable with 30 minutes of tinkering. Havent tried the 4.
No, the design is not the same. The shape is different and, more importantly, the angle is also different!
Yes, I did mention alternative software for Logitech mice! Solaar looks awesome if you have a Logitech mouse. The mouse I mentioned can also switch between 3 devices, I think that’s a pretty common feature on most mice nowadays.
Definitely more of a hassle to replace the battery, but good to see it’s somewhat replaceable at least. AA batteries are a lot easier to replace though, you don’t need to pry out the mouse feet and it’s much quicker to swap it out when it runs out!
Rubber will wear out faster than a normal plastic finish, but if it has lasted for your hands that’s good too! I’ve just heard lots of people, particularly in humid climates, where the rubber disintegrates quickly. I’m from HK so humidity is a big issue, so this mouse isn’t a good option for me (if you live somewhere drier, it could be neat!)
And again, the one I have is really neat too with the fun colours (!!!) and magnetic grip thingy. The shape is more comfortable for me too, but hey our hands are all different
Using replaceable AA batteries is a good start I think! And it doesn’t feel cheap, the build quality is good
I had sooo many mice that seemed to have good build quality. But then one day one mouse button starts breaking: doing double clicks instead of single clicks or not registering that I keep the button pressed making drag and drop impossible. Or the scroll wheel sporadically scrolling in the wrong direction.
No mouse, cheap or expensive, that I bought was ever for life and I doubt that this one is.
Its a cool mouse though and I might consider buying it if I was currently in need of one.
But then one day one mouse button starts breaking: doing double clicks instead of single clicks or not registering that I keep the button pressed making drag and drop impossible.
I had that happen recently on a logitech G600 (apparently a lot of models of logitech mice use switches that are prone to early failure/hysteresis). I was able to purchase some replacement switches and fix it, though it did require a soldering iron and some rudimentary skills with it to do successfully (it’d actually make for a great first project to learn on).
I think most mice use the same generic switch design, so that should be viable to do with most of them once they start failing.
Asus makes a mouse with swappable button switches and comes with spares…
In my experience, its always the switches that wear out, so we’ll see if this mouse is worthy of BIFL
It’s always a case of time for these kinds of things, yeah. I doubt it’ll last of a lifetime, the switches will eventually wear out
Evoluent makes the best vertical mice
You can tell it’s neat because of the way that it is
I wish Ploopy made a vertical mouse!
It’s not a “colorway” if it’s just one color
This explains it pretty well:
https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/1dormme/comment/laeen6f/?context=3
Well then it’s purple and a lighter shade of purple colourway if you want to be pedanticedit: Just checked the link, colourway means the way colours are used (that makes so much more sense!), meaning I’m wrong!
Read the link I posted. It explains the term “colorway” and how you’re misusing it. How most people misuse it. It’s like saying “ATM machine.”
It’s a technical term used in the production of textiles and other product manufacturing.
The terms you’re looking for are either “color scheme“ or “color palette“. Unless you want to discuss the means by which the item was manufactured/produced.
edit: It seems I’m wrong! Whoops, it is an “ATM machine” case after all
Seems more like you just don’t want to admit when you’re wrong
That’s on you
Oops just checked the link, you might be right. It guess it does make sense that it’s the way colours are used rather than just what the colours are. The way part.
Sorry about that mate! I’ll amend the post then
I have an MX Vertical from Logitech and I love it! I used to have a cheaper one but it died.
Always laughed at it, but once my wrist started hurting I gave it a try. Now I’m laughing because my wrist doesn’t hurt.
Yeah, I’ve had the same one for years. I had absolutely destroyed my wrist and had to have surgery on it, and that bad boy saved my life. I even use it to play FPS games and I’m no worse than I was with a traditional mouse.
+1 for MX Vertical. No issues with FPS games whatsoever
I originally picked one up specifically for FPS games haha
I have one and I love it.
Do they only sell through Amazon?
I bought one through some Chinese ecommerce site (I think Aliexpress?), not sure if it’s on Amazon (in any case, you’re feeding some weird billionaire)
edit: It is on Amazon, for $30!
Oh, if can’t buy elsewhere than the two then unfortunately it isn’t an option for me. Hoped it would be possible since it’s supposedly Japanese. Are you sure the AliExpress one isn’t a knockoff then? Couldn’t find the other colors from the company itself.
Just checked Amazon, it is for sale with all four colours (though you do have the Amazon tax)
A bit unfortunate it’s not sold in other stores though
Seems comfy but why don’t put the left click on the left side and the scroll on top? I know this is a standard design but vertical mouses feels wrong to me (never tried one)
Because doing it this way let’s you reuse most of your muscle memory, but with a rotated wrist.
I understand. What about semi-vertical models?
The semi-vertical ones help compared to a standard (horizontal) mouse, but as someone who had a lot of pain, they were not enough for me. For example, I had the Microsoft sculpt mouse, which came with their split keyboard (the main reason I bought it) and still experienced pain. Then I went more vertical to the Logitech Lift which was better, but did not eliminate the pain entirely. Finally, I now use the Evoluent Vertical mouse and now no longer experience pain in my mousing hand.
The only drawback is when I used a standard mouse (totally horizontal), I used to switch hands and use it ambidextrously. Now I obviously can’t switch hands with these mice.
I think for someone who doesn’t experience persistent pain, a semi-vertical mouse may be well enough.
vertical mouse helps with the carpal tunnel syndrome. Your wrist stays straight in a natural posture and that helps if you’re working with a mouse all day long.
you can see this by just looking at your hand. Flat mouse forces your hand to be in a “wrong”, meaning stressed, position.
that said, this isn’t the most ergonomic vertical mouse. It looks more like a rotated flat mouse.
I’ve tried a vertical mouse very similar to this one and they relieve carpal tunnel a bit until they cause it again in a different way. Because it still fully rotates your arm it’s not great. I have used ‘hybrid’ mice now for a few years with success. A hybrid mouse is rotated halfway between a regular mouse and a vertical mouse.
My partner has been using the vertical mouse daily for about 5 years now. For now wrist pain isn’t “caused again in a different way”. All this depends, of course, on elbow and up to shoulder posture.
i’ve always used a tablet with stylus and I’ve never had wrist pain. Have you tried ditching mouses and trying a stylus instead?
I’m curious. You use a stylus as a mouse replacement? Do you have a screen on your stylus for precision or is it just muscle memory?
I actually remember in the 80’s/90’s, before mice were standardized, you would see a stylus or a trackball almost as often as a mouse. They work great, they take a second to get used to but after that it’s smooth sailing.
You could definitely set it up as any regular touchpad so the movement is relative to the mouse, but making it act as an identical second touchscreen is also possible
I’m curious. You use a stylus as a mouse replacement? Do you have a screen on your stylus for precision or is it just muscle memory?
muscle memory. I don’t even need to drag or move the cursor from one end of the screen to the other. I can just “touch” the other side and cursor jumps.
And when you need more precision (and feedback), hovering the stylus above the tablet is enough to move the cursor before touching.
I have used ‘hybrid’ mice now for a few years with success.
Which one have you been using?
I use trackballs and vertical mice (and fully split keyboards) because of wrist pain - all of those allow a more natural posture and put less strain on your tendons if you’re spending a large chunk of the day in front of a computer.
Vertical mice are AWESOME! Super comfy and it feels more natural for me to move the mouse around.
I imagine you can rebind the side buttons to whatever if you wanted to, but a scroll wheel on the top would be difficult to reach!
