The Renaissance Mouse is a leaning joystick shaped mouse that has been around for many years. It is also known by the name Dr. Mouse, Vertical mouse, Anir mouse and Doctor Mouse by Animax.

The mouse stands vertically and has a pistol grip that fits in the hand comfortably and it has three buttons for clicking. Two buttons are controlled by the thumb and the other one by the middle three fingers. The stick stands on a flat mouse base similar to the typical mouse.

With the renaissance mouse, your hands can remain relaxed as all the movement comes from the arm leaving the wrist immobile thereby decreasing or eliminating any stress on the wrist. Movement with this mouse is accomplished by sweeping forearm movements rather wrist movements. The mouse also has a rubber trackball which can be used to control the computer cursor. But the trackball doesn’t glide as well as the optical mouse readily available in the market today. Compared to the typical mouse, this mouse takes a while to get accustomed to.

Features of 3M Renaissance Mouse:

• The novel vertical design keeps the arm in a comfortable, more neutral and natural “handshake” position.

• The design makes sure you use the larger muscles to move mouse, reducing risk of pain and discomfort.

• The thumb buttons on the top of the vertical grip can be used for left and right click functions.

• Scrolling is reduced to a single click because of the easy electronic scrolling function.

• Comes in in two sizes: large and small/medium.

• The software included with the device provides the user with an option for daily ergonomic tips.

• It is very easy to install.

• It comes with an USB connector with PS/2 adapter.

• It is compatible with Macintosh, PC and iMac computers with USB ports.

• There is a two year warranty with this device and also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The thumbs up position while using this kind of mouse, doesn’t feel as simple, direct and accurate when compared to the typical mouse. People who do not use the computer for prolonged periods may not find the Renaissance Mouse very useful. If you are an avid user of the computer for navigation, word processing and web work then, this device is useful and you won’t find it hard to adapt to this device.

The 3M Renaissance Mouse comes in two sizes. The large size is for people with hands measuring about 3.5 to 4 inches transversely the palm of your hand at the base of your fingers (the place where your fingers joins the palm). The Medium size is for people with hands measuring 2.75 to 3.5 inches.

System requirements for 3M Renaissance Mouse:

Macintosh - You do not need any additional software with this. It works with Apple Power Macintosh computer.

iMac/eBook - It is compatible with iMac and eBook computers and works with USB support. It operates using Apple O/S 8.1 or higher versions with USB Upgrades. It does not come with any software support, just plug and play.