So some dude on the East Coast was selling the Mousetrapper Flexible (
http://www.mousetrapper.se/mousetrapper-flexible-p-48-c-118.aspx) for $150 a pop on Ebay a couple weeks ago ($100 less than list), and I jumped at the offer. Despite my worry that this discount Mousetrapper could have some thing tragically wrong with it, things have worked smoothly since the purchase. Yea!
After being a veteran user of the Rollermouse and a couple top quality trackballs (CST Ltrac and Kensington Slimblade), I decided to try another high-cost input device, the Mousetrapper. I opted to purchase the Mousetrapper Flexible rather than the full-size Mousetrapper Advance because smaller the better, ya know? For full irony, I use the Mousetrapper with my IBM Model F122, the aircraft carrier of keyboards. It has not relieved my home's persistent mouse problems, but it has relieved some of my persistent hand pains from using regular mice.
Size and Form FactorThe Flexible is 12 inches across and 4 inches long and less than 1 inch tall.
It can work well with low profile keyboards, and actually is a little low for my Model F, but it does have some little feet that raise it just a tad (1 cm or so) for these higher keyboards. The width makes it perfect as a palm rest for the alpha-numeric keys and compact keyboards, but it is too short if you wish to use it as palm rest for the navigation cluster or numpad on a full-size board.
The Flexible also is light and easy to chuck at your co-workers across the office, but is perhaps a little cheap and fragile. It may not hurt them as you intend. But for any product made completely for plastic, that seems to be the case. It does come with a standard two-year warranty for some piece of mind.
Features-A sleak and stylish carrying case. Along with the HHKB kept in that purple briefcase (
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,cases&pid=gc_hhk) you will look slicker than your company's board.
-Nine (9) programmable buttons. Baller.
-Scrolling by dragging the right side of the touchpad, along with auto scroll functions
-USB or Wireless capabilities
-Height adjustment
-Capable of making tiny rolls of sushi suitable for using as bait for mice.
Aesthetics-Black all over
-Smooth to the touch
-Dare say I "sleek looking"?
-The touchpad has some grippy finish to help you...grip, but it tends to collect dust.
Build QualityIt comes with a two-year warranty, so I suspect this thing is more durable than it appears. It feels a little light and flimsy and moves on the desk with a bit of force My trackball mice would be more appropriate to take into battle with Model M's and Model F's, so the Mousetrapper has little use in the zombie apocalypse.
Ease of UseAfter unboxing, I was able to jump right into using this baby without a problem. The mouse pointer moves quickly and smoothly, and I had no difficulty with the adjustment. The software offers adjustments for the pointer speed and scrolling speed, both of which were annoyingly fast out-of-the-box. As easy as a new pair of pants.
The touchpad actually moves with your finger. At the moment, I do not know the engineering behind the Mousetrapper, but that darn touchpad is an interesting and unique feature.
My favorite aspect is that I can keep my hands on the home row and use the mouse. I do not have to stretch to the end of the keyboard to use the mouse.
Accuracy can be a slight issue, but I find it just as accurate as the Rollermouse and the trackballs I have used. On the other hand, I have not found anything as accurate as a traditional mouse.
The buttons actually are so numerous, that I have trouble remembering my settings for each button. But 9 programmable buttons! Love it.
Issues Because the touchpad moves very easily and you can push down on the touchpad for the left click, it does create some accuracy problems. You may intend to click on an item, and accidentally mouse the mouse pointer a bit. The touchpad click is a little unreliable for double click because the click on the movable surface can move your pointer by the time you finish the doubleclick.
Select and drag has turned out to be another slight issue. When I am selecting a block of text or dragging with the touchpad click, I often have trouble selecting the exact area I would like. This is less of an issue when I use a separate mouse click button than the touchpad.
Dust attraction capabilities. Because the whole thing is black and the touchpad has a grippy surface, the Flexible tends to display the dust and grime that accumulate. I have to brush that off often.
The scrolling feature on the right side of the touchpad tends to be inconsistent with wear I need to exactly touch it in order to activate the scroll. Sometimes I need to be very close to the edge, other times I have a bit of leeway. Not sure if this is due to operator error or inconsistency with the program or device.
ConclusionI like it and I am glad I took the dive. The Mousetrapper Flexible very convenient to use with a flat keyboard and has some great features. I love any device puts less strain on my hands, wrists, and arms, and this does just the trick. If only it could actually catch those mice I see running around my kitchen! Ha ha ha!
