Evoluent Vertical Mouse 4: Right Hand Wired Mouse VM4R

The new Evoluent Vertical Mouse 4: Right Hand Wired Mouse VM4R offers new features that add to the legend of the popular Evoluent vertical mouse design. Evoluent Vertical Mice VM4R now include a more contoured shape to better fit users' hands, the option to change cursor speed without changing your grip on the mouse, and a sleep mode to conserve notebook battery power.

The Evoluent Vertical Mouse is by far our best selling mouse and represents excellent value. For starters, it is the only ergonomic mouse approved by University of California at Berkeley. The Evoluent Vertical Mouse 2 was evaluated in 2007 by a team at the health services clinic in UC Berkeley, including medical doctors, physical therapists, ergonomists, and administrators. It was found to be comfortable and easily adapted to, and the Evoluent Vertical Mice promote a neutral wrist and forearm posture. It is the only vertical type mouse approved for staff use within UC Berkeley and for sale in the campus store.

The Human Solution requested that the creator of the Evoluent Vertical Mouse give us his perspective. We met up with him at the the 2008 National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas and filmed this live. This video review will show you the Evoluent Vertical Mouse 3 in action, and its innovative design is explained by the man who designed the mouse. Enjoy.

The Evoluent Vertical Mouse is designed to encourage an arm neutral position, much like a handshake. Many users find this completely eliminates their wrist pain. By comparison, an ordinary mouse twists your forearm into an unnatural and uncomfortable position- especially if you spend long hours at a computer. A small lip on the VM4R keeps your little finger from dragging on the mousing surface.

The Evoluent Vertical Mouse features six easily programmable buttons which can function differently in different programs. For example, you can program the same button to mean "double click" in one program and "back" in another. The vertical mouse is sized to fit most people comfortably; your thumb opposes your finger action so the mouse doesn't move sideways when you click the buttons.

Evoluent Vertical Mouse VM4R Mouse Features

• Six programmable buttons with 59 selectable functions each, plus special features such as:
• Vertical scroll- press a button and drag the mouse to scroll with greater precision and control than the scroll wheel
• Auto click- automatically perform a double click by pausing the pointer
• Click lock - press and hold a button momentarily to simulate continued pressing without holding down a button
• Plug and play - these ergonomic mice include drivers for all 6 programmable buttons in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7; driver for Mac OS X 10.4.5 does not offer programmable button features without Shareware drivers from the Evoluent web site
• Repositioning- The vertical mouse can be repositioned without moving the pointer: simply tilt it slightly to disable tracking, then slide it without moving the pointer

Special Evoluent Vertical Mouse VM4R Functions (XP Pro, XP Home, Vista 32 only)

• Speed toggle- cycle among up to three pointer speed settings with a keyboard shortcut or mouse button; for example: a high speed for ordinary tasks, and a slow speed for graphic design work
• Auto click- automatically perform a single or double click by pausing the pointer, and it includes an adjustable time delay for activation
• Click lock- press and hold a button momentarily to simulate continued pressing without holding down the button with an adjustable time delay for activation
• Break Reminder- visual and/or audio alerts to remind you to take a break

Evoluent Vertical Mouse VM4R Specifications

• Gaming grade infrared sensor tracks more accurately on more surfaces than a laser sensor
• Variable resolution, from 800-2600 dpi, can be changed easily by moving a switch located on the side of the mouse (offers 2600, 1800, 1300 dpi - most mice are 800 dpi or less)
• Optical scroll with detents (clicks)
• Small lip on lower edge keeps your little finger off the mousing surface
• Programmable buttons allow for different functions in different programs
• Completely new electrical design and new internal mechanical design for improved fit and feel, as well as improved reliability
• 6.6ft long cord with USB connector
• Dimensions: 3 1/2" W x 4 3/8" D x 3 1/4" H
• Warranty: 2 years

Evoluent Vertical Mouse VM4R Compatibility

PC Compatibility

• Includes driver for Windows XP, Vista and Win 7 in 32/64 bit for programming all 6 buttons
• Does not require driver- the Vertical Mouse 4 still has basic functionality without it
• Uses USB port only- not compatible with PS2, and may be compatible with some USB KVM switches but it is not guaranteed

Mac Compatibility

• Allows for two buttons (left and right click) and a scroll wheel in OS-X or newer without a Shareware driver
• Check out www.usboverdrive.com- it offers a shareware Mac driver that enables button programming
  (Evoluent has no relationship with this vendor)
• Requires USB port

Linux Compatibility

• Basic functionality without a driver

Unix Compatibility

• Not compatible with Unix