Mice

SmartFish Whirl Mini Notebook Mouse Review

Not all that long ago I had the pleasure of using the Whirl - the first ever mouse to feature a revolutionary pivoting system. Today I'll look at the new version made for road warriors. This itty-bitty mouse shares a lot of the same basic feature of its bigger brother, a laser wireless mouse with a unique ergonomic design. In contrast to the original Whirl, the miniature model is designed for people who need wrist relief without sacrificing portability. Is the SmartFish Whirl Mini able to replicate the success of its larger silbing? Read on to find out.

Ambidextrous design
Wireless
ErgoMotion technology works
Very comfortable
Up to 10 month battery life

Mainly a palm grip mouse, not very comfortable when held in a finger grip due to its small size
No forward/ backward buttons
While compact it is still almost as tall as the original Whirl
Same price as full sized Whirl

Mouse Ergonomics & Form Factor
Being familiar with the desktop-version of the Whirl (formerly known as Ergomotion), the Whirl Mini's odd shape and design did not come as any shock. The ergonomic mouse is identical in basic design to the original version, only smaller and lighter. Its size, however, is both a strength and weakness. The proven ErgoMotion helps reduce RSI (repetitive stress injury) by allowing you to keep your wrist in a neutral position no matter how you move the mouse around.

For those unfamiliar with the Whirl, it is a two piece design. The bottom half consists of a pedestal stand with a center column sprouting up out of the center. This central column acts a pivot point for the upper section that resembles a normal two-button mouse. As you move you hand, the notebook mouse's upper body tilts forward and backwards and side to side keeping your arm in the same location. This alleviates stress on the Carpal Tunnel nerves.

This ErgoMotion design is both easy to understand and easy to use. Sadly, while it works extremely well on the full-sized model, using the Whirl Mini does take time to acclimate yourself to. This is always the downside to making a miniaturized version. What works perfect in the full size may not work so great on the small scale. Unlike its bigger sibling, the Whirl Mini has to be held in what is called a palm grip to the get the most from it. Due to its narrow and shallow depth, if you try to hold the mouse in a finger or claw grip, your hand is going to get fatigued quickly. Otherwise, the Whirl Mini could easily be used by palm and finger grip users alike. The size does force everyone not used to a palm grip to start mousing differently. Getting used to a new grip may take time and add its own discomfort to the process.

Whirl Mini's size compared to the original Whirl

Whirl Mini meets Whirl.

On the positive side, it appears that SmartFish did learn from their first attempt and has added rubberized grips to both sides of the Mini notebook mouse. Thanks to this inclusion, holding the Whirl Mini is a lot easier than if SmartFish had opted for the smooth plastic body of the original. Another improvement is the 4-way scroll wheel, which can now scroll vertically or horizontally. This certainly will come in handy for all you road warriors out there who spend a lot of time working on Excel spreadsheets on your laptop. It is also worth noting that the Whirl Mini has an ambidextrous design which suits both right handed and left handed users. This is contrast to some mice makers opting for a more focused design catering only to right handed users.

The smaller battery compartment can be a little rigid and is somewhat difficult to open and close although you shouldn't have to worry about that very often. Just remember to turn off the mouse when not in use (via the slide switch on the bottom of the Whirl Mini) to help maximize the battery life. SmartFish states the battery can last up to ten months before the 2 AA batteries will need to be replaced. The company also took the time to reengineer the battery compartment to include a small storage area for the receiver. Amongst the welcome additions there were some notable omissions. The biggest is the lack of forward and backward buttons. For those who have gotten used to having them, they are sorely missed.