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Manufacturer: Genius
Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, available USB port
MSRP: $44.90
What if a mouse was built and shaped like a pen? Would it be more efficient? Would it be easy to use? These are the questions Genius would like us to consider with the release of their new Pen Mouse. Designed to “…give you a brand new experience on cursor control for better handling and more comfort than a regular mouse,” this accessory aims high in an attempt to give users a better way to interact with their PCs.
The Pen Mouse uses a nano-sized, 2.4 GHz wireless connection to interact with any PC. Setup is a breeze, and the proprietary software configures the Pen Mouse for lefties and righties. It takes about five minutes to set up, and then you’re ready to go. Utilizing a laser with 1200 dpi tracking capability, the mouse easily detects movement and translates it very well. It also understands x and y axis movements in a sensible way, moving a cursor around not unlike a pen on a hard surface. And it’s not too picky about how it’s held. This is a pleasant surprise, as I had visions of having to angle it just-so to get it to work properly.
 As for interacting with icons on your interface, the Pen Mouse comes with three buttons. Two of them are on the top and near the tip. One controls right-click functionality and the other acts as mouse button three. To left click, you press the tip of the mouse (which houses the tracking laser) down. It takes some time getting used to this, since standard mice users have muscle memory for a finger pushing down to click rather than the whole hand. The advantage of this design choice is that dragging and dropping is quite easy and intuitive. It also works well with the Pen Mouse’s ability to use most surfaces as a mouse pad; any laptop user can whip out their Pen Mouse and start dragging and dropping without too much effort. The item’s size and shape means it can be used in cramped quarters that are inappropriate for a regular mouse. And let’s face it, mini-mice and track pads on laptops generally suck as a method of interaction with your PC if used for more than a few minutes.
All of that being said, I can’t say that I found my time with the Pen Mouse to be completely pleasant. Its tracking was very responsive, but I found left-click and right-click functionality laggy and unresponsive at times. I thought this might be a reception issue at first, but some experiments in different environments and on different machines demonstrated that the reception is fine. The problem is that the Pen Mouse doesn’t always catch your clicks. I also found that the inability to use the proprietary software to remap the buttons on the mouse to be a serious shortcoming. I really wanted the option to tell it to left-click using one of the topside buttons and to set the pen-tip as the scroll wheel/mouse three. This inability to remap, coupled with laggy button responses and the fact that the mouse has only three buttons, makes this device unsuitable for serious gaming.
That is not to say that this device is bad; quite the contrary. I found it somewhat useful as a lightweight and slender alternative to mini-mice and my laptop’s touchpad. It’s lightweight, relatively power efficient, and can work well for anyone who takes the time to learn how to use it. Just make sure you don’t try to frag your friends in multiplayer with it. The joke is likely to be on you.
Our Score: 
Our Recommendation: 
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Have you used it in Photoshop? Is it any good for drawing?
Yeah, this would have been cool if it could transcribe writing and drawing.
I did not use it for Photoshop. The documentation did not, in fact, say anything about its suitability for those kinds of applications. I don’t generally do that sort of thing (I have the visual artistic talent of an infant), so I didn’t bother to test it. I’m not sure I could have given it a fair shake.
However, I will say that I think it could transcribe hand gestures fairly well, provided the lag I experienced in left-click functionality did not rear its ugly head. Something else to keep in mind is that sometimes I had to press down a bit harder than I would have liked to initiate a left-click. That might influence how your hand movements are translated on screen.
Depending on the price of the pen-mouse you’re better off getting a Wacom Intuous. The Wacom tablet’s pen interfaces with Photoshop to detect pen angle and pen tip pressure. You can use those inputs to control photoshop’s brush settings in real-time.
But the pen-mouse sounds perfect for cursor tasks. Plus it’s more ergonomic that a standard mouse.
Agree with Matthew. For drawing in Photoshop, graphic tablet is better than Pen Mouse and Pen Mouse is better than a regular mouse. Genius also offers very affordable quality tablets. When it is on sale, you can find 6″x8″ around $50-$60 – a very good deal for a full-brown tablet.
Pen Mouse is good for presentation and teaching in class because it is easy to carry and it can even work on your palm without needing a desk or pad. You can walk on the stage with Pen Mouse on one hand to control the cursor on the screen without sweat. With 2.4 GHz radio frequency, it will work up to 30 feet distance.
As far as pen mouse goes, my experience with the wireless V-Mouse (I think they call it the wireless designer plus) has been good so far. It has 2 real buttons and works on my lap and couch when I want to be lazy.
What about the Genius Pen Mouse under Linux?
Do you know if it works under Windows CE?
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