Swiftpoint SM300 Laptop Mouse

I know, that sounds like a snort-worthy outrageous claim, but in this case, it's completely true. I recently bought a small ASUS laptop with a touchscreen and thought it might be time to go for a mouse upgrade. For the last few years, I have been using a very cheap, corded Logitech mouse (simply because it was free), which I would always use on-the-go by placing my mousepad on top of my laptop's keyboard. This was unwieldy and inconvenient to always be switching between having a keyboard space or a mousepad space on my lap, but that was the best option I could figure out. I'd often wished, and tried, to use my mouse on the handrest areas of the laptop, but the mouse was too big and the area too small for it to significantly work. Prior to this, I spent years traveling back and forth to Europe with my laptop and accessories, and used a cordless optical mouse. While it worked well enough (well, it could get gunked up pretty often but that's just because of me), I stopped using a cordless optical mouse simply because of the cordless feature -- I was sick and tired of dropping the damned thing and sometimes even misplacing it as it fell under furniture. It was versatile, but a pain in the butt, which is why later the Logitech corded mouse was clunky and the cord long, but I liked that whenever I dropped it (which happens quite a bit if you're very mobile with your laptop) at least I knew where the heck it was. Flash forward to two months ago, not long after I bought my new, significantly smaller and more portable laptop. I came onto Amazon with the idea of buying a mouse much like the one I currently use at work: a very small, optical travel mouse with retractable cord. It's not perfect, but it was small, light, and could be used on the handrest areas in a pinch. I couldn't find the same one, but as I was searching for travel mice, I discovered the Swiftpoint. I'd never heard of it before. I'd also never spent more than maybe $15-20 for a computer mouse before, and I'm damned frugal, so the price tag kind of scared me. But I kept coming back to it, intrigued. I also did a search of expensive computer mice to see what the high end mice cost, so I didn't feel as bad afterward at the Swiftpoint's price tag if it was as amazing as some of the reviewers claimed. I was also concerned about some of the supposed negative factors, and the people who said it wasn't natural/comfortable to hold. Still, in the end I decided that a snazzy new laptop warranted a snazzy new mouse, and $50 or so is worth the risk. I'm so glad I did. It is totally worth it, and in the first couple of weeks I was telling people how much I love my new mouse. I have never been so enamored of a little piece of tech before. Sure, things like iPad Minis and other tech look and seem cool to play with, but this was not only cool but its increased functionality literally improved my computer-using quality of life. It works exactly as described. I love that there are no drivers to detect or install every time I plug in the USB dongle. I have quickly switched it out between my PC and my fiancee's Mac with barely an eyeblink. The magnetic docking is great -- it really does charge in seconds, and I love that I have somewhere stable to put it when I'm closing the laptop and am done with work for a while, as opposed to when I had the full-sized optical mouse and no easy way to keep it nearby. As strong as the magnet is, however, yes, the mouse does fall off sometimes. This is not due to lack of quality of the magnet, in my opinion, but more to physics -- the dock area is less than half the size of a thumbnail and a small percentage of the surface area of the mouse itself, so obviously when it is docked on the USB dongle and you, say, tilt your laptop/mouse against something, yes, it will pop off given enough leverage and force. This has happened sometimes, landing on the floor (it's also sturdy -- it's never been nicked or scratched or had decreased functionality because of landing on the floor), but a very, very small fraction of the time compared to when I had the full-sized optical mouse. To address a couple of concerns: 1) Whether it is a natural feel or not... For me, it was. I was a little thrown when I first took it out of the package, but within minutes I was fine with it. Holding it gently is the best way, I've found. Let me note: I realized when showing the mouse & raving to a coworker a couple of days ago that I hold pens/pencils in my right hand differently than he does. I hold my writing implements with the pressure against my ring ringer (versus my coworker holding against his middle finger). I'm not sure if that makes a difference in the comfort level of holding/using the Swiftpoint, but I thought I'd just mention it so everyone can have all the facts. So, in general, holding it and using the scroll wheel and left-click buttons are completely natural to me; the right-click is a little stranger to use since it is directly behind the left-click, but it's not bad. Strange, but I don't even notice it anymore. 2) The stick-on parking station... When I was reading about it and looking at YouTube videos of reviews of the Swiftpoint, I was concerned about this, mostly because I didn't want to cover-up and gunk-up my shiny new laptop. I heard it looked and felt terrible, and I was wary. Especially since many people said that covering it with the clear stuff basically left the laptop's touchpad unusable, and I hate cutting off my options. The first thing I did when I took the mouse out of the package was to charge it and see if it would work fine on the handrest areas directly. Once I established that it did (the casing/handrest is brushed metal, unlike my old HP laptop which was more like a shiny plastic), I decided I didn't want or need all that stick-on surface area. But I loved the idea of having the magnetic parking when I wanted to switch to typing. It's important to note that the magnetic parking area is very easy to identify: it's a medium-grey rectangle amidst matte-clear stick-on surface area. Even though it felt kind of risky at the time, I had heard you can cut the clear area down to size -- I decided to cut it all away. I cut away all I could, even cutting away a tiny perimeter of the magnetic grey just to get rid of the unappealing matte-clear surface area. I didn't want to lose touchpad functionality, so I put the small rectangular parking station flush against the bottom edge of the laptop and covering between the two touchpad buttons and a small part of the touchpad itself. So I have minimal visual impact of the parking station and still can use the touchpad as originally intended when want to, so I'm happy. And in general, the parking station is ABSOLUTELY my favorite part of the whole mouse. Since it is small, unobtrusive, and centrally located, it makes unconsciously putting the mouse there to park while I switch to typing an absolute breeze. Remember how I said I was always shifting awkwardly to putting the full-sized mousepad on to and off of the laptop keyboard, switching between using the mouse and typing? This has eliminated that to something so simple and easy, this is much of what I meant when I said it has improved my quality of life. The parking dock is pretty strong, too... I just tested it, and if you park the mouse there and tilt your laptop fast, the mouse slides off at about 45 degree angle; if you go slowly, it stays on almost until 90 degrees. I use the laptop while laying in bed sometimes, with my knees bent and my laptop on my chest/lap, and I love having the mouse stick to the parking station rather than get lost amongst the covers. I really love this mouse and can't recommend it highly enough. I'm sure for some people it may feel too strange and they don't want to stick with it, but I think it's fantastic. It also does work on a surprising number of surfaces with good range -- I just used it on a wood table, a leather ottoman, and a woven fabric couch, and it worked just as well as if I were using it on a mousepad. I don't work for the company, but I am a fan, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. By the way, the only reason I even decided to leave a review was because I was coming online here to buy another Swiftpoint -- my dad saw it as I was raving about it a few days ago to someone else, and fell in love, so I'm buying him one as a gift for his birthday next month. I'm sure he'll love it.

1) Interesting product.... bought it to augment my finicky touch pad on a Dell Inspirion N5050. 2) Best features are -compact size... great for use on desk surface lacking space -scrolling feature 3) To work on my Dell hand platform, it was a must to put on the sticky sheet onto platform.... -just beware that the sheet will cover up thumbpads making it difficult to use them if your not using mouse... I eventually cut holes in sheet to access them -sheet did not disrupt the function of the touch pad otherwise.... ie just as sensitive as it was sithout it 4) The USB mouse holder charger works well except -if you have two usb ports close together you won't be able to use both ports at the same time -for some reason the bottom and top of USB holder charger came apart... a little super glue seem to correct that problem. Bottom line product works but beaware you'll probably need to attach sheet and lose access to an adjacent USB port.

This product broke my heart. I loved it right out of the box because of its elegant, compact design and simple installation with my laptop. But after a couple of weeks use, it just stopped working. I returned it to the manufacturer, and they were quick to provide a replacement. But that one stopped working in a couple of weeks, too. The device clearly is getting power from the USB port, and seems to be powered; it just fails to be recognized by the computer.

Despite the good reviews, I was still skeptical about this little mouse. All I kept thinking was "How is this tiny little mouse going to feel comfortable in my hand?". Well, I took a chance and I'm glad I did. The design of this mouse is absolute genius. Just as other people have commented, this mouse literally feels like you're holding a pen in your hand. Beyond the feel of the mouse, the charging capabilities are phenomenal. No batteries to switch out, just put it on the USB dock and in 90 minutes you have a 2-4 week charge (or just 60 seconds and you get an hour charge). It also comes with an optional accessory called a "Parking Accessory" that is an adhesive film that goes under your laptop's keyboard. It's essentially a mobile mousepad for your laptop, helping your mouse to track better and protect your laptop's hard surface. The Parking Accessory also has a magnetic pad in the middle to dock your mouse on, this keeps your mouse from slipping off your laptop while you're typing with it at an angle. --------------------------------------- A few minor drawbacks worth mentioning: -USB Space If you have two USB ports next to each other like many laptops do, don't expect to be able to use the 2nd port for anything if your mouse is docked. It takes up a good bit of space. -The Parking Accessory It's great in terms of providing a mobile mousepad. However, it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing, which may or may not bother you. Also be prepared for it to lower your touchpad/buttons sensitivity a slight amount (the film actually goes over your touchpad and R/L click buttons). -No Case It would be nice if the mouse came with a case. This mouse is obviously more pricey than others, and although worthy of the extra money, you don't want your investment to break while traveling. --------------------------------------- Aside from the minor drawbacks, this mouse is spectacular. It was clearly well thought out before being designed and put on the shelves. The idea and execution came together to make a near flawless mini-size wireless mouse. Whatever you use your laptop for - Business, Travel, Homework, Leisure, this little mouse will meet your needs and impress you.

When I first found this mouse, I was searching for a ring mouse that stays on your index finger like a ring. At $70, this seemed pricey. After searching through reviews, this has the best out of everything I looked at. I am extremely impressed after a day of use. The package includes a non-obtrusive USB dongle that has a magnet to hold the mouse out of your way. This is also how the mouse is charged. Also in the package is a sticker that covers the touchpad and the area to the right. This allows the mouse to work if you have a really glossy surface. The sticker has a magnetic pad that will hold the mouse in place as you type and keeps it from sliding around if you tilt the laptop (a little). The touchpad still works with the sticker on top of it if that is a concern for you. The mouse is small enough to use on the front of the computer for couch computing. One major flaw is the lack of a middle click. For the average user, this isn't an issue. If you have grown to depend on a middle click, this is a GLARING shortfall in this mouse. Please note, there are two buttons and a wheel on this mouse, meaning if you plan to reprogram the buttons, you have to deal without a right click. I hope to see this included on the next version. I would prefer that the scroll wheel click down, but would be satisfied with a slightly wider front with left click and right click, making the current right click position a middle click.

First, let me say that the ergonomic aspects of this mouse are pretty much perfect. I was in the early stages of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, and switching to this mouse, plus a couple of other changes to my workspace ergonomics, has helped me reverse the progress. In that sense, I'm glad I bought this mouse, even at it's ~$60 price point. However well designed it is, the designers made one pretty MAJOR flaw. The rubber material they used for the grips reacts with your natural body-oils, and eventually turns gummy and completely degrades over time. I've uploaded a picture of what has happened to the red rubber material on the thumb grip of my mouse. IMO, at $60, this should not be happening. There are a lot of other "grippy" materials out there that could have been used, so IMO this was either a really bad oversight on the designers part, or part of a cost-saving measure for the manufacturer. Either way, I'm not pleased that my $60 mouse (which is EXPENSIVE for a mouse!) is starting to degrade after only 6 months of use. I give this product 3 out of 5 stars because the basic shape of the design is great, and definitely effective, but the deteriorating grip material is IMO a major flaw, because that's where your thumb touches all the time, and you don't want a goopy thumb, do you? EDIT (1/3/2013): As of this date, my mouse has quit working. I've owned it for less than one year. Not only did the thumb grip completely disintegrate, but the mouse just doesn't respond. I've tried resetting it, I've tried letting charge for a long time, and nothing revives it. It's just dead. For $60, I was hoping to have a mouse that would last several years. I've liked this mouse. I've gotten to love this mouse. But I CANNOT justify spending ANOTHER $60 on a replacement. This mouse is a great CONCEPT, but it has been executed very poorly IMO. It's pricepoint is WAY to high, and the quality is just lacking. It's too bad, really, because the ergonomics are just perfect... I've dropped my original rating down to two starts. I'd go lower, but I HAVE gotten SOME benefit out of this mouse in the past year, so it's not ALL bad...

UPDATE AGAIN back down to 3 stars Nov 2012: Welp, I got the 2 new mouses, and one stopped working within a few weeks. I switched the mouse and connecter with my other mouse that didn't work and got one functional mouse out of the 4 parts. Then that mouse died within another month. So, out of 3 Swiftpoint mouses, I am left with one that is still working after more than a few months. But if you're willing to go with the odds of getting a mouse that dies on you within a few weeks and hope that Swiftpoint will stand behind it and send you another that will work, I say give it a go. I still love this mouse but just wish they were more reliable. UPDATE to 5 Stars Aug 2012: Swiftpoint customer service got in touch with me and offered to replace my defective mouse and gave me a coupon for 1/2 off a second mouse. Both arrived promptly, and for now at least they are working perfectly. I will update in a few months to let you know if all is still well. But any company that stands behind its product definitely gets my vote of confidence. Way to go Swiftpoint! Thank you. Original Review was 3 Stars: I've been on the hunt for an ergonomic mouse to help with carpal tunnel and arthritis in my hands from overuse. As a web designer, I'm literally working at my computer 10-14 hrs a day. Traditional mouses cause too much of hyper-extension of my fingers. I knew if I could curl my fingers under (more like holding a pen) I would be able to work more comfortably for longer. And that's been true. The shape of this mouse is much more comfortable after several hours than either the Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet (a desperate attempt to try a pen-like tool as a mouse that failed) and the 3M Ergonomic Mouse, Optical, USB/PS2 Compatible, Small Size, Black (EM500GPS) --an OpticalJoystick (which was better for my fingers but wound up straining my thumb). But disappointingly after just a few months, the Swiftpoint mouse seems to be losing its tracking ability. So, in a nutshell: PROS: Very comfortable for long hours of use. Initially tracked perfectly. Unlike other users, I had no issues with the scroll button (wonder if this could be a hand-size issue?); that still works perfectly for me. CONS: Tracking got sticky and then pretty much stopped working after a few months, which makes the mouse unusable. This little puppy is seriously overpriced. If they can get the tracking to work and the mouse to be as reliable as traditional mouses, this would be the only mouse I'd use--even at this ridiculous price.

Purchased as a Christmas present. Must of had a built in timer to quit after 30 days but only lasted 28. It died today 3/23. The manufacturer was no help, John at Swiftpoint told me that they only work with dealers and corporate clients that I was on my own. Don't even bother to call them. I own another that is three years old. Had to reset it a few times but no major problems. Bought both on Amazon third party. Not really large enough for a door stop. Anyone have any other uses?

Happy with this device, makes some laptop work go very quickly. Holds a charge very well. Think the price could be improved upon a little though.