The coolest mice to be found for your Macintosh right now certainly aren't being made by Apple. While the folks in Cupertino
keep insisting, for some strange reason, on supplying us with archaic single button devices that we immediately replace with
more functional multi-button, scroll-wheel pointers, other companies are pushing the input envelope in terms of form and
function. One company on the cutting edge of mouse design is Elecom, a Japanese maker of computer accessories whose wares are
available to you through Shinza.com. Elecom makes Mac-friendly mice in all shapes and sizes,
from miniature models to full-size critters whose bellies change colors to suit your mood.
The latest offering from Elecom ranks among the elite of mice to be found anywhere, for this is a designer mouse,
conceived and designed by Masamune Shiro of the Ghost in the Shell Japanese anime saga. The MAPP Mouse is a limited edition offering that
comes packaged with an interview with Masamune in which he discusses the philosophies that informed the creation of
this lovely peripheral. Whether you care about how your mouse came to be or not, it's hard to dispute the fruits of Masamune's labors:
The MAPP Mouse is an eye-catching, eminently functional input device that is a pleasure both to look at and to use.
Available in silver (pictured) and white, the MAPP Mouse resembles a section of a futuristic robot claw, with two "fingers" extending
out from a rounded palm section, and flanking a scroll wheel. The mouse fits very comfortable under one's hand, with said fingers aligned under
your index and middle digits, and the contoured bottom half of the unit fitting neatly under your palm, cradled by your thumb on one side
and pinkie finger on the other. I'm a righty and the mouse really fits me like a glove; left-handed users may find the setup a bit awkward,
but certainly not unusable. One of the mouse's fingers, for instance, is cut longer than the other, which makes better ergonomic sense
under a right hand than under a left.
Each of the fingers is a button, and the scroll wheel is also clickable. All mice functions are ready to go right out of the box
with USB plug-and-play compatibility under OS X (using the standard Mouse System Preference), which is a very nice Mac-friendly touch.
The MAPP uses a very accurate optical tracking system - Shinza claims it to track at some 800 counts/inch, which is twice the
resolution of most optical mice - and the wheel and all
three buttons are comfortable and easy to use. The ergonomics of the MAPP Mouse are wonderful -- the unit really feels like it was
molded to fit my hand (I have fairly large hands, as a point of reference), and is made to allow for my thumb and the pads at the
base of my hand to gently guide the device as I move it around. The flatter I keep my hand on the mouse (which does take some
conscious thought), the more comfortable it is to work with.
What else can I say? This is easily one of the best mice I've ever used. At
$69.95, it's not cheap, but then again it is a limited edition designer model. The only thing more one might wish for at this price is
wireless functionality. Maybe that's being saved for Masamune's next commission ...
The MAPP Mouse is available direct from Shinza.com.
