Christchurch mouse joins giant US retailer

UPDATE July 4, 2011: It's been a big year for Christchurch technology company Swiftpoint.

January saw the company's signature product, the notebook friendly Swiftpoint mouse, pick up a Design and Engineering award at the giant Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas - the world's biggest technology event.

February saw the company temporarily sidelined by the second Christchurch quake.

Now the company's back on the up, today announcing its eponymous mouse will be sold through CostCo, the third largest retailer in the US, and Noel Leaming stores locally.

AUGUST 10, 2010: New Zealand-based technology company Swiftpoint has released a unique wireless mouse product that can be used on the laptop itself.

The Christchurch-based company says the mini-mouse is 30-40% more accurate than a touchpad.

The Swiftpoint Mouse has already caught the attention of Dell global vice president Andy Lark, an expatriate now based at the giant PC maker's corporate office in Texas. Mr Lark has pumped the gadget via his personal twitter account

That could be good for some OEM business down the track.

For now, the Swiftpoint Mouse is being pushed through Amazon.com, which won't harm retail sales.

"It is extremely exciting to be able to announce that the Swiftpoint Mouse is now available," company chief executive and product inventor Grant Odgers said.

"Pre-orders of the mouse began on July 12 and sales have been exceptional. It is great that we are now shipping and fulfilling orders."

The Swiftpoint Mouse is a different kind of mouse. It provides all the traditional functions of a mouse, however, it can operate on the palmrest area of the laptop next to the touchpad.

This means laptop users can use their laptop in any environment they choose and still maintain the performance and accuracy a mouse provides.

The idea for the product came to Mr Odgers some years ago out of frustration with the touchpad on his laptop. He wanted the benefits of laptop mobility but found the limitations of a touchpad ruined the experience. On sharing his frustrations with other laptop users, he discovered that he was not alone and that no other suitable alternative was yet in the market.

He took an initial product design to Canterbury University where Fitt’s Law and Steering Law principles were used to determine the efficiency of the design. The results showed that his concept and design were validated with the Swiftpoint Mouse design delivering 30-40% more accuracy than a touchpad.

“Due to the unique pen-grip design, the mouse is both accurate and extremely portable. It can operate on the laptop palmrest itself and can be used in any location where a laptop can be used. It has all of the functions of a traditional mouse with the convenience of a touchpad,” Mr Odgers said.

“The tiny wireless USB receiver allows the mouse to dock directly on to your laptop for transport and charging, with a 30 second rapid charge giving one hour of use, and a 90 minute charge giving 2-4 weeks of use.

Mr Odgers also believes the Swiftpoint Mouse has the potential to address ergonomic issues often associated with using small mice. “The pen-like grip makes it feel natural and comfortable to use, and although very small in size, (42mm x 57mm) our user testing proved that it is comfortable to use in all hand sizes.”

The Swiftpoint Mouse ($125.95) is available now through the company's website www.futuremouse.com and through Amazon, with plans to expand through additional retail outlets later in 2010.