Gyration Pro Gyrotransport

After years of ergonomically incorrect computer use, many people suffer from a tennis-elbow-like condition sometimes called "mouse arm," causing pain in the wrist and forearm. One solution is a gyroscopic mouse, held in the hand like a remote control, which is a much more natural position for the wrist. A company called Gyration has carved out a unique niche with its line of gyroscopic input devices. The tiny $199 Gyrotransport is a good (although expensive) alternative to the traditional travel-size optical mouse, and while primarily intended for controlling things such as PowerPoint presentations, is also useful for home theater PCs and multimedia laptops.

Measuring 1.25 inches wide, 2.5 inches long, and about 1 inch deep, the Gyrotransport is held in the hand with the forefinger resting underneath and the thumb on top. When activated, the mouse pointer effortlessly follows your hand movements across the screen. Unlike the Nintendo Wii control, for example, the gyroscope is only concerned with the device's orientation, not its relative location to a screen or receiver. Additionally, the RF receiver, housed in a USB key, requires no direct line of sight and claims a 100-foot range. The USB key also includes 1GB of storage--useful for bringing a multimedia presentation into a meeting, loading it up via the USB key, and controlling the show from a distance with the Gyrotransport.

Installation didn't require any special drivers, just standard Windows device installation. Because Windows recognizes the Gyrotransport as a mouse, an RF receiver, and a USB storage device, several runs through the new hardware wizard are required.

Controlling the cursor is accomplished by moving your wrist. The required motion is subtle, but it can be adjusted, just like with any other mouse, from the Windows control panel, to allow for increased or decreased sensitivity in mouse movement. By default, the mouse cursor won't move unless your thumb is holding down an activation button on the top of the mouse. Press the thumb button, move the cursor where you want it, then release the button to keep the cursor in place while you click the left or right mouse buttons, which are also thumb controlled and located on the top of the Gyrotransport. It may sound complicated, but as a long-time gyroscopic mouse user, it's actually very intuitive after a day or two of practice. Freeform control is also available by double-clicking the thumb button.

For casual computing, or controlling multimedia software, the Gyrotransport works as well as a traditional optical mouse and is especially suited for couch-based Media Center controls, as it requires no mousing surface. For applications requiring extrafine control, such as gaming and Photoshop editing, it's less successful. Controlling the mouse pointer can be awkward at first and requires a day or two of practice to feel natural. It's an acquired taste to be sure, but fans of gyroscopic input devices swear by them.

The USB-key RF receiver comes preloaded with Gyration's GyroTools software, which lets you assign macros (called Swipes) to various mouse movements, activated by pressing a second, smaller button on the top of the mouse. For example, you can program the Gyrotransport to raise or lower the audio volume when you press the thumb button and move the mouse up and down or to move forward or backward in a document with a flick of the wrist.

Some of Gyration's products, such as the Gyration Ultra GT Cordless Air Mouse, have a more common mouse form factor and include an optical sensor that kicks in when the mouse is placed on a flat surface for traditional mouse control. The Gyrotransport lacks that optical feature, which may prevent it from becoming your principal mouse.

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