I worked in a computer store when the MousePen was released. We had it set up on one of our demo systems. That crazy wood block/stand actually came with the pen! As for why you'd want one? You missed the killer app. I think it was on the driver disk that came with it... A DOS text-mode version of Solitaire. Worked GREAT with that pen. You could play it using the pen on your jeans while you stood next to the demo system watching over the store. :-)
@@Mick_92 Most companies don't charge you the exact price they pay for shipping, they just split the shipping charges into categories based on weight ranges to simplify their logistics. Usually there's pretty substantial price jumps by going up a weight class, which leads to situations where you have packages that are on the very edge of a class (say, 4.95 pounds and the next class is at 5+) that'll effectively cost the shipper the same as a 5 lb package, and not a 2-4 lb package. In edge cases like these, it's pretty common to use extra packaging (or even something like a small panel of cardboard) to bump the package up to the next price tier so they don't lose money on shipping. That said, this practice is dying out due to the rise of flat-rate shipping in the commercial sector, mainly through the USPS.
The stuff about shipping might have been true (and is interesting), but in this case the block of wood was actually part of the device. It was suppose to be the stand for the pen (LGR guessed it right), it was just a really crappy design.
For the next step up in oddware, look for the Soniture "Space Pen"... an ultrasonic 3D controller that you waved around in the air in front of your monitor to control the pointer or other functions. It was introduced in 1985 and was designed to plug into the joystick port of an IBM PC, Apple II, Commodore, Atari, or MSX computer -- plus it comes with a required "receiver frame" that you put on your monitor. There's been one listed on eBay for quite a while now, and I'm sure it's attracting lots of curious and puzzled people, but so far its rather high Buy It Now price hasn't gotten any takers.
My SO gave me a pointer that was basically like the power glove but as a mouse. You wrapped it around your hands and could do the whole Minority Report thing. It worked, but it was so inconvenient. You twitch your finger to click: index for left click, middle for right click. This was from the mid 2000s. I have no idea what it was called or what the brand was.
Thank you so much for reviewing this! I'm surprised they had already tried introducing a pen shaped mouse so early in the game since trying to buy something similar now (ie drawing tablets) requires you to spend so much extra in addition to the standard mouse. As a design student I would've thought that the demand to have been pretty high for designers... But I'm guessing this product did not give too much of an advantage to what was already available... I do wonder if they had made the pen more synonymous with how the present stylus works, (placing the ball at the tip and rounding out the edges) to have helped the sales.
Nah, in fact pen-based graphics tablets and light pens existed for decades before this thing. It's just a strange mashup between two things that existed already: a mouse and a pen :)
What LGR said about ebay is absolutely true: I once opened a box containing a printer and found a human ear. Imagine the massive paypal controversy that followed, because the seller actually wanted it back. Honestly, some people...
I can see their reasoning behind this product. It's interesting. Long before mouses and keyboards were a thing, pens were their 'primitive' equivalent. Maybe if this was the original input for a computer it would have been standard, but introducing when they did is the odd part.
Well I think in some ways it's ahead of it's time, maybe too ahead. As you said, there are similar products on the market today and in a lot of ways it resembles a stylus that you'll find with certain tablets. You get a much more natural experience with certain things, like paint programs. I think touch screens really enhance that because of how seamless it feels. By the way, this is becoming my favorite series of yours. I look forward to every video you put out and the fact that you read and respond to the comments makes this my favorite channel. Keep up the good work!
Play Duke Nukem with the mouse pen, and another keyboard replacement oddware (preferably the most ridiculous thing you can find.) Should be hilarious to watch.
***** Modern mouse pens are between 12 and 40$ and come from KYE/Genius on the better end and from no-name Chinese companies on the cheaper end. Back in 1991, the $130 price tag was highly reasonable, because no mouse would cost below $50, and they went up to about $300 for slightly better made models. A friend of mine spent 400€ on Intuos 4 pen tablet, and it's GLORIOUS. I have a 200€ Graphire XL pen tablet, and i'm thinking of replacing it with Huion for $40 because i need a bigger tablet for my new monitor, and this particular Chinese brand seems to have matched the Graphire quality, though it certainly won't compare with the best of Japanese products.
@@thedawkturr4481 Lol I literally own the first Razor Phone, got for a bargain from Razor for 400 bucks. GREAT deal other than no headphone jack. Ha, love the irony there, gaming phone with no headphone jack.
Old pen tech is so fascinating. I would love to see a through the ages, from crap like this to high end Wacom pens. Appreciate the video, keep em coming!
I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the mouse pen is not ergonomic. The angle one has to hold it in puts too much strain on the users wrist. Using it everyday for work will probably give you a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel.
I actually drew a design that looks exactly like that, not knowing that it already existed. I thought it would be great for drawing on Adobe programs or something. Now of course we have touch screen laptops and drawing tablets. Crazy how people think of the same ideas!
We had one of the "Mouse Pen Pro's" and it was a sleeker more ergonomic with a metal ball, it was a pleasure to use, rather precise but had to be cleaned Twice as often and after a year the left button broke off but the company was already defunct and it lived on by using sports tape. Overall not a bad device.
Alex Coulthard I can use a mouse in my left hand, it just doesn't feel right. The gamer muscle memory in my right hand is so much more refined, and no matter how funny the idea sounds, left clicking with my middle finger will never feel natural to me.
I noticed in some videos there's a copy of Duke Xtreme on your shelf. Will you ever get around to do doing that? It's a really odd piece of software, but much better than most shovelware discs out there.
I totally understand what LGR is saying. That period when computers (or any invention) were still new enough that the best practices hadn't yet been set into stone, and so entrepreneurs were trying all kinds of neat things. It's a magical time full of new wonders, or Oddware if you will, that just wouldn't happen again. The whole science of Computer Ergonomics was trail blazed during this imaginative searching for best practices. There hasn't been a new mouse format since 2002, when the best practice Ergonomic Vertical Mouse was finally brought to market. The world is still waiting for a tablet stylus that moves the cursor while it is held above the pad. Perhaps if Oculus Rift ever gets off the ground and goes mainstream, there will be a new time of wonders as the best practice VR gloves is searched for.
Nope, I was being serious. I am aware that my above statement is basically the MousePen, but I think with a trackball as small or close to as small as is found in a ballpoint pen, it would be magnitudes more practical and comfortable to use. Also, it would probably mean the elimination of the tilt angle problem seen in Mouse Pens thus far.
Did you nick that lamp from Paul Schindler's study back in the 80s? The mouse pen looks and sounds so fragile, especially compared the peripherals of its time. I mean, it's from the era when IBM Model Ms still had a 2lb plate of steel in the back. Just in case the zombie apocalypse started while you were hammering away at DOS and couldn't get to a cricket bat in time.
Im really intrigued my this as someone who uses a digital tablet to draw. I often find myself using my tablet and pen to navigate the web just cuz I fond it intuitive and easy to move my cursor by pointing the pen XD
if the "head" were on some kind of swivel, I could see it working, but with the exact angle you have to hold it, I anticipate hurting wrists after about 10 minutes or so of constant use.
i had it in my childhood, and being left-handed, it was amazing to use, only mouse i ever managed to use with left hand; sensibility can be fixed in the hardware inside.
For anyone curious, the cost on this in 2014 dollars is $235, when adjusted for inflation. The thought of paying $235 for this strikes me as insane. I can't believe they actually were able to sell any of these things to the public. Different times I guess.
I had something very similar to this. It was called a "Crayon", was blue and a lot more ergonomic than the pen mouse you're showing. I got it back in 1996 at Best Buy and I don't think it was more than $30.00. I loved the thing. It worked great and to be honest, I'd still be using it if it were USB compatible (mine had the Atari 2600/Sega Genesis style plug).
SimCity 3000 - Night Life @ 2:55 . The soundtracks Jerry Martin composed for Maxis are surely memorable. They give me that good 1990s to early 2000s nostalgia blast.
Kinda off topic but does you hand ever turn ice-cold after extended mouse use? If I'm on the computer for more than two hours at a time, my mouse hand (my right hand) gets so cold lol
It might be how you're resting your hand on your mouse. Is your wrist against the edge of your desk? I have a habit of that and it tends to cut off the circulation in my right hand.
Awesome video as usual. You still have the greatest toned voice on RUclips. Leo Laporte #twit is another with a voice that has that right tone. Just like yours does. I am a big fan of your work.
If the first "mice" had been in pen format we'd probably look at what we consider "normal" mice today in equal bewilderment (so if things were different they wouldn't be the same..... Somebody quote me on that)
You're new set-up is looking slick if a little sterile, I am sure it will grow on us. Also your audio seems to have a tad echo (I am not sure if that's the technical term). I like the idea of pen mouse because I am writer but every time I've tried to use something akin to a pen mouse its not good at all.
If you've followed my updates on Twitter and Facebook, you'll see that the new place is nowhere near complete. Still got floor and wall coverings, more furniture to build and set up, more games and hardware to move in, etc! But it'll come together, trust me.
The long table with a bunch of old computers on it sort of reminds me of my elementary school's computer lab. Loads of Windows 98 computers lined up along the walls.
Ah yes, the mouse pen. Love these odd ware videos. Have you ever done an odd ware on the dip switches? Back in the day when you set up your perifials with a teeny tiny little switch on the motherboard.
Funny you list this today, I was just looking at a pen input of ..well far more modern tech. The wacom bamboo feel for my surface pro 2, freaking artists best friend I can say that much. This thing ...looks like a nightmare, I imagine that door hinge wearing out and just endless frustration.
I used to have one of these. It was the"pro" version. The ball was designed and positioned better, and you could just keep it rolling on nearly any surface. At the time, it was my favorite way to play "Purple Saturn Day".
Call me crazy, but I prefer touchpads to mice. Don't get me wrong, I grew up using computer mice, but once I got a laptop everything was so much different. It's far easier to use things like Photoshop and I even prefer some games using a touchpad. I could definitely see myself using a drawing tablet for full time computing if I ever tried one. It appears that that's what this product tries to do, but it is unfortunately flawed in its design.
I hate touchpads so much, that one of the first thing I did on my laptop is deactivate it in the BIOS, but my laptop is a Thinkpad, so it got a trackpoint, which do the same duty and that I much prefer.
Last time I used a touchpad I inadvertently booted up Microsoft Word, initiating the task manager, and selected an MC Hammer desktop wallpaper. It is the most unwieldy inaccurate tool since the silly-straw dildo.
Guru Laghima Hi Guru! I've been using a basic but good Pen Tablet from Wacom (Intuos 3, A5-size) for the past 10 years now, the same unit for almost in daily basis, so that might talk something about the quality and durability of these things. Back then, i bought it as an experiment to see would it improve my drawing skills (simply by finding ways to practice more), and get fully interested on it once again. As a graphic designer / enthusiastic that was just the next step. Well, that did happen and after couple months of use the pen become so fluid that i didn't get back to mouse again, only for some rare cases. And using the pen (and Xbox 360 controller for gaming) contributed hugely getting from painful wrist back to a healed one. The pain / damage originally came from bad ergonomics and way too heavy mouse use, so that was my mistake. I'm sure ergonomics are much better in use these days. In any case, i use my pen for just about anything. Graphics, browsing, all OS operations, some gaming. But for most games i'd use something else, and for anything that needs absolute pixel perfect precision (such as 3D modeling in my case), mouse is still the way. But Sculpting in 3D might be a great experience even with pen tablet, for example. Since you mentioned Photoshop, i'm sure you'd fall in love with one so very much. In my Wacom, all the buttons are highly customizable (on the pen, but also on the tablet), tip pressure and angle are also welcome and important factors. Simply put, i find using good pen tablet to be smooth, accurate, gentle and ergonomic experience. Love it! I highly recommend for you to give one a try. And if you're interested in getting one, i'm sure you'll find some of the older Wacoms for good price, and indeed, they are very durable even if bought used. But do look for other manufacturers and models too. Alright. All the best to you buddy!
Well yeah touchpads work. I wouldn't use them in gaming they are decent enough for office though and running applications. So no big loss there. And on laptops they are always around.. just don't get them greasy ;)
To me that mouse looks like a electronic thermometer. The concept makes perfect sense since at that time I'm guessing at the time most people were not used to mice so a pen would feel more "natural". Though I imagine the box surrounding the ball gets in the way too often if you tend to tilt the thing as you move left. If it could somehow work more like the top of a ballpoint pen I imagine it fix that problem, and of course the fixed angle problem.
so... adjusted for inflation this mouse pen would be over 200 dollars. And you get a free piece of wood with it. what an expensive weird piece of plastic.
The way they hold it on the cover, it really reminds me of dental drill. People say toothbrush or even vacuum, but this is the first thing you recall if you've recently been to dentist.
OH hey, I remember "Fun Time". We had this plug in RCA TV game controller with a module already installed running up to 3000 titles (although many of those were duplicates of themselves). Somehow the music it made sounded better than the arcade versions. It all came to an end when our crazy poodle chewed the wires to shreds.
04:47 Thrifting is a lot like having kids. It's not something you'd necessarily pick from a store shelf, but given some time and work, you might never remember how you ever lived without it ;-) I dig your "Vibe", Clint. Oh yes, there is power in this one..
Nice! I had the Appoint Brand Pen Mouse for my Legacy Mac PowerPC 7200/90 Desktop. As an Artist, the Pen Mouse was still a bit clunky but I no longer had to tell my friends I was digi-drawing with a bar of soap. Don't know how I got by without a scroll wheel (or did it have one, can't remember). The emergence of Artful goodies like the Wacom Tablet most likely sent the Pen Mouse to Dinosaur Land. I can't believe I'm seeing a re-emergence attempt of several different Pen Mice creeping back into the computer market (like the ones on As Seen On TV). Haha! If you guys are still reading, then it's humor time! The center holed wood block around frames 4:50 is a simple included accessory to make it easier to castrate yourself for buying this unit (or is it now eunuch?)!
I got a drawing tablet for osu, but I really like it for normal use. I just need an easy way to scroll and to get used to putting it down to type (or get used to holding a pen in my fingers while typing
Quick suggestion: you can get rid of that horrid flickering when recording a video screen if you sync up your video framerate with the refresh rate of the monitor (you usually have to experiment though). Love your channel man!
Just like I´m used to mouse aiming in games and not used to gamepad, it´s the same thing with this. I think we are all used to regular mouse (PC users), so this really feels weird and hard to control. But it´s always nice to see something like this, learning the history and such things.
I can see this thing being useful using something like MS paint or a similar program.Well at least a modern version I have always been able to draw pretty good.Trying to draw using a mouse is often difficult same way trying to print your name in a paint program with a mouse. Using something like this would give a much more natural feeling IMO.Maybe not this bulky thing but the idea is solid.Its practical uses in other applications like a game it would be downright awkward. I did a test with wifes laptop using a empty pen to draw on the touch pad.It improved my results a great deal over a mouse using Gimp.Not sure they even make a modern equivalent to this thing.Point being I can see a use for such a thing even though its uses would be very limited. Keep the weird oddware coming!
If i remember correctly, the dos mouse drivers had command line options to change things like sensitivity and acceleration (or sometimes called 'precision' for some reason). I doubt that the hardware itself has that built in to it in any meaningful way, but its driver is expecting a much larger ball which would have a much slower roll rate and therefore a much wider acceleration threshold.
It was perfectly ambidextrous, as I recall. Even more so than current designs. The primary button was ahead of the secondary button. I used to frequently switch between hands, with no change in usage. ...memories...
I worked in a computer store when the MousePen was released. We had it set up on one of our demo systems. That crazy wood block/stand actually came with the pen!
As for why you'd want one? You missed the killer app. I think it was on the driver disk that came with it... A DOS text-mode version of Solitaire. Worked GREAT with that pen. You could play it using the pen on your jeans while you stood next to the demo system watching over the store. :-)
Solitaire on jeans makes a lot of sense, actually.
That Mouse Pen looks complicated, glad I'd rather use an ACTUAL Computer Mouse for things like that....
Can you use it with Linux? Dose Linux support any such hardware older than itself
It's just a serial mouse. Should work fine. If you still have a serial port. :-)
Scott Duensing How about with adapters? Will there be any input lag?
Insane they made it so square though, it's hardly an ergonomic transition from the traditional pen.
it also looks like a tiny vacuum cleaner :D
Haha agreed
Guru Larry in the comments of LGR videos? That's the best thing since someone put butter on toast.
metalj
Someone put butter on toast!?
It also looks like one of those LEGO brick separator tools
metalj He shows up in the comments sections for videos like this pretty often, actually.
block of wood was to make the package over a certain weight so you had to pay more for shipping heheh
Really? Are you being serious?
What-s the point? They-d have to pay for it anyways.
@@Mick_92 Most companies don't charge you the exact price they pay for shipping, they just split the shipping charges into categories based on weight ranges to simplify their logistics. Usually there's pretty substantial price jumps by going up a weight class, which leads to situations where you have packages that are on the very edge of a class (say, 4.95 pounds and the next class is at 5+) that'll effectively cost the shipper the same as a 5 lb package, and not a 2-4 lb package. In edge cases like these, it's pretty common to use extra packaging (or even something like a small panel of cardboard) to bump the package up to the next price tier so they don't lose money on shipping.
That said, this practice is dying out due to the rise of flat-rate shipping in the commercial sector, mainly through the USPS.
@@zOMGREI this guy ships
The stuff about shipping might have been true (and is interesting), but in this case the block of wood was actually part of the device. It was suppose to be the stand for the pen (LGR guessed it right), it was just a really crappy design.
For the next step up in oddware, look for the Soniture "Space Pen"... an ultrasonic 3D controller that you waved around in the air in front of your monitor to control the pointer or other functions. It was introduced in 1985 and was designed to plug into the joystick port of an IBM PC, Apple II, Commodore, Atari, or MSX computer -- plus it comes with a required "receiver frame" that you put on your monitor. There's been one listed on eBay for quite a while now, and I'm sure it's attracting lots of curious and puzzled people, but so far its rather high Buy It Now price hasn't gotten any takers.
Will definitely look into grabbing one of those, that sounds wild. Thanks, man!
My SO gave me a pointer that was basically like the power glove but as a mouse. You wrapped it around your hands and could do the whole Minority Report thing. It worked, but it was so inconvenient. You twitch your finger to click: index for left click, middle for right click. This was from the mid 2000s. I have no idea what it was called or what the brand was.
VWestlife kinda like a blue tooth but less sensible
@@ferretyluv Are you talking about the Essential Reality P5 that LGR recently did a video on?
Mr. LGR, companies should put your quotes on all of their packaging. "It doesn't suck. So there is that."
Clearly the entire budget for this product was spent on that block of wood
yep
a video on paint programs sounds like something that would be enjoyable in your style honestly you need your own documentary series XD
Love the Sim City 3000 music in the background. :D
whats good nate!
I've been subscribed for almost three years on your channel and I just love how you always draw "LGR" in every freestyle paint stuff.
Are you still subscribed?
I can't stress how much I like your videos and how much I would like you to do this for a living.
That Simcity 3000 music!
Yeah boi! Thought I was the only one too lol
Thank you so much for reviewing this!
I'm surprised they had already tried introducing a pen shaped mouse so early in the game since trying to buy something similar now (ie drawing tablets) requires you to spend so much extra in addition to the standard mouse. As a design student I would've thought that the demand to have been pretty high for designers... But I'm guessing this product did not give too much of an advantage to what was already available...
I do wonder if they had made the pen more synonymous with how the present stylus works, (placing the ball at the tip and rounding out the edges) to have helped the sales.
so this is the grandmother of pen tablets? Wacom's ancient ancestor?
Nah, in fact pen-based graphics tablets and light pens existed for decades before this thing. It's just a strange mashup between two things that existed already: a mouse and a pen :)
Well then!
the grandfather you feminist
the grandnan you malist
ancientparent
you tablecist
What LGR said about ebay is absolutely true: I once opened a box containing a printer and found a human ear. Imagine the massive paypal controversy that followed, because the seller actually wanted it back.
Honestly, some people...
Ghost81 :○
I still want my ear back, dangit
*Van Gogh wants to know your location*
For retatchment ofcourse.
@uncle ricky a joke
Next on "I can't believe they invented it!" with Troy McClure, the all-in-one mouse-pen-electric-toothbrush...
The mouse pen looks like a mini vacuum cleaner
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
You should make the logo you drew in telepaint your new official logo.
Tempting...
TPain...
T!
@@LGR do it!!!
I can see their reasoning behind this product. It's interesting. Long before mouses and keyboards were a thing, pens were their 'primitive' equivalent. Maybe if this was the original input for a computer it would have been standard, but introducing when they did is the odd part.
Very much so. The reasoning is what most makes this oddware, in the "obsolete thinking" sense.
Well I think in some ways it's ahead of it's time, maybe too ahead. As you said, there are similar products on the market today and in a lot of ways it resembles a stylus that you'll find with certain tablets. You get a much more natural experience with certain things, like paint programs. I think touch screens really enhance that because of how seamless it feels.
By the way, this is becoming my favorite series of yours. I look forward to every video you put out and the fact that you read and respond to the comments makes this my favorite channel. Keep up the good work!
Lazy Game Reviews and that's what makes the oddware section so entertaining Clint.
Looks like a pregnancy test
try not to pee on it D:
looks like a penis to me
The Saint of Dongs would be pretty familiar with pregnancy tests, I'm sure.
Play Duke Nukem with the mouse pen, and another keyboard replacement oddware (preferably the most ridiculous thing you can find.) Should be hilarious to watch.
The Max Payne mouse Pad is awesome, been looking for big box version that came with it for a long time. Have any extras? :)
No extras, but it shows up on Ebay every so often!
"This retailed for $129 in 1990"
*I look it up*
*$129 in 1990 is worth $240.21 today.*
Yeah. No. I'm not paying $250 for this. Ever.
***** Modern mouse pens are between 12 and 40$ and come from KYE/Genius on the better end and from no-name Chinese companies on the cheaper end.
Back in 1991, the $130 price tag was highly reasonable, because no mouse would cost below $50, and they went up to about $300 for slightly better made models.
A friend of mine spent 400€ on Intuos 4 pen tablet, and it's GLORIOUS. I have a 200€ Graphire XL pen tablet, and i'm thinking of replacing it with Huion for $40 because i need a bigger tablet for my new monitor, and this particular Chinese brand seems to have matched the Graphire quality, though it certainly won't compare with the best of Japanese products.
So, it was the Razer of its time.
Flashy for no reason, but because of its flashiness, it costs way more.
@@thedawkturr4481 Lol I literally own the first Razor Phone, got for a bargain from Razor for 400 bucks. GREAT deal other than no headphone jack. Ha, love the irony there, gaming phone with no headphone jack.
The Dawkturr Apple*
Tremere no definitely razor I don’t see Apple with $200 products it’s usually more
I saw you pick this up in one of the thrifting videos and I'm so happy there's a video to go along with it!!
I saw the same, so why did he say he got it off ebay?
oh yes. I had one of those. I didn't know any better at the time so I thought it was the best thing ever. nice to see it again :)
Simcity 3000 music in the background! Awesome!
Old pen tech is so fascinating. I would love to see a through the ages, from crap like this to high end Wacom pens. Appreciate the video, keep em coming!
I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the mouse pen is not ergonomic. The angle one has to hold it in puts too much strain on the users wrist. Using it everyday for work will probably give you a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel.
Yay, your new room. I love that desk lamp on the monitor.
Thanks!
I actually drew a design that looks exactly like that, not knowing that it already existed. I thought it would be great for drawing on Adobe programs or something. Now of course we have touch screen laptops and drawing tablets. Crazy how people think of the same ideas!
The Idiodyssey Then sue them for it if you so wanted to...
The Idiodyssey Did you post the schematics on the web? If so, can I see them?
We had one of the "Mouse Pen Pro's" and it was a sleeker more ergonomic with a metal ball, it was a pleasure to use, rather precise but had to be cleaned Twice as often and after a year the left button broke off but the company was already defunct and it lived on by using sports tape. Overall not a bad device.
"Going left is a real issue."
- Derek Zoolander
I get so nostalgic watching your old PC's and hearing the music on old games. :D
Using a pen mouse like that would really screw with me because I'm naturally left handed yet I use a mouse with my right hand.
Wow, I bet -- that's like double weird.
Better get ambidextrous and fast.
Alex Coulthard
I can use a mouse in my left hand, it just doesn't feel right. The gamer muscle memory in my right hand is so much more refined, and no matter how funny the idea sounds, left clicking with my middle finger will never feel natural to me.
Same here bro, Im also a lefty.
I'm in the exact same scenario as you.
Love the Lefty’s shirt! Reminds me of trying to sneak to play LSL late at night when my folks wouldn’t know!
Good old Simcity 3000 music. Thanks for the video too!
5:26 your workspace looks like my old elementary school computer classroom back in the 90s. Man that takes me back.
the block of wood is for your beer when you see how useless it is
I like the look of that HP computer next to the NCR, hope we get to see something on that someday!
I noticed in some videos there's a copy of Duke Xtreme on your shelf. Will you ever get around to do doing that? It's a really odd piece of software, but much better than most shovelware discs out there.
I'd like to someday, sure!
I totally understand what LGR is saying. That period when computers (or any invention) were still new enough that the best practices hadn't yet been set into stone, and so entrepreneurs were trying all kinds of neat things. It's a magical time full of new wonders, or Oddware if you will, that just wouldn't happen again. The whole science of Computer Ergonomics was trail blazed during this imaginative searching for best practices. There hasn't been a new mouse format since 2002, when the best practice Ergonomic Vertical Mouse was finally brought to market. The world is still waiting for a tablet stylus that moves the cursor while it is held above the pad. Perhaps if Oculus Rift ever gets off the ground and goes mainstream, there will be a new time of wonders as the best practice VR gloves is searched for.
1:55 I have a pen, I have a mouse. UGH mouse pen!
no.
yes.
Derpin Bird stop.
ew
Pen mouse mouse pen mousey pen!
I love your comparative measurements for the rollerball size... Didn’t skip a beat with me, lol! I love Oddware, so much fun!!!
Someone should make a ballpoint pen, but it's a mouse and the ink roller is the trackball.
Blitz that's basically what the mouse pen is or was that sarcasm?
Nope, I was being serious. I am aware that my above statement is basically the MousePen, but I think with a trackball as small or close to as small as is found in a ballpoint pen, it would be magnitudes more practical and comfortable to use. Also, it would probably mean the elimination of the tilt angle problem seen in Mouse Pens thus far.
Blitz why not just get a tablet and a stylist
kyle gregg because he wants a computer
The problem this would face is that you must hold the pen at a specific rotation to make sure it detects the correct directions.
That Max Payne mousepad brings back soooo many memories of gaming back in the day! :D
Did you nick that lamp from Paul Schindler's study back in the 80s?
The mouse pen looks and sounds so fragile, especially compared the peripherals of its time. I mean, it's from the era when IBM Model Ms still had a 2lb plate of steel in the back. Just in case the zombie apocalypse started while you were hammering away at DOS and couldn't get to a cricket bat in time.
Im really intrigued my this as someone who uses a digital tablet to draw. I often find myself using my tablet and pen to navigate the web just cuz I fond it intuitive and easy to move my cursor by pointing the pen XD
if the "head" were on some kind of swivel, I could see it working, but with the exact angle you have to hold it, I anticipate hurting wrists after about 10 minutes or so of constant use.
Totally, my wrist was aching after using this. The Wacom tablet idea works far better.
i had it in my childhood, and being left-handed, it was amazing to use, only mouse i ever managed to use with left hand; sensibility can be fixed in the hardware inside.
For anyone curious, the cost on this in 2014 dollars is $235, when adjusted for inflation. The thought of paying $235 for this strikes me as insane. I can't believe they actually were able to sell any of these things to the public.
Different times I guess.
Your voice is the best voice I've ever heard. I want you to narrate my life.
Wow, looks like a miniature vacuum cleaner lol
I had something very similar to this. It was called a "Crayon", was blue and a lot more ergonomic than the pen mouse you're showing. I got it back in 1996 at Best Buy and I don't think it was more than $30.00. I loved the thing. It worked great and to be honest, I'd still be using it if it were USB compatible (mine had the Atari 2600/Sega Genesis style plug).
Maybe it'll help if you use your leg as a mousepad, like the people on the different boxes.
That made it even worse!
Lazy Game Reviews You're supposed to use a foam mouse pad not a laminated one.
I used a simple piece of fun foam and it worked like a charm.
SimCity 3000 - Night Life @ 2:55 .
The soundtracks Jerry Martin composed for Maxis are surely memorable. They give me that good 1990s to early 2000s nostalgia blast.
Kinda off topic but does you hand ever turn ice-cold after extended mouse use? If I'm on the computer for more than two hours at a time, my mouse hand (my right hand) gets so cold lol
It might be how you're resting your hand on your mouse. Is your wrist against the edge of your desk? I have a habit of that and it tends to cut off the circulation in my right hand.
Spring Stranger yeah it is! I'll try to keep an eye on my hand to see if that helps! Thanks!
Awesome video as usual. You still have the greatest toned voice on RUclips. Leo Laporte #twit is another with a voice that has that right tone. Just like yours does. I am a big fan of your work.
Is that SimCity3000 music I hear? :D
+KillingerDOOM Referring to the song at the end during Lemmings right? Mind sharing what song that is? I like the sound of it!
Lucas Williams when in the video did u hear it. Time stamp please I don't hear it
MunecraftNation 2:55
I knew I recognised it, Thanks for confirming. Man, I played Sim City 3000 into the ground!
Dude! That is an authentic woodgrain pen holder.
If the first "mice" had been in pen format we'd probably look at what we consider "normal" mice today in equal bewilderment (so if things were different they wouldn't be the same..... Somebody quote me on that)
That LGR Telepaint logo looks sick! ☺️
You're new set-up is looking slick if a little sterile, I am sure it will grow on us.
Also your audio seems to have a tad echo (I am not sure if that's the technical term).
I like the idea of pen mouse because I am writer but every time I've tried to use something akin to a pen mouse its not good at all.
If you've followed my updates on Twitter and Facebook, you'll see that the new place is nowhere near complete. Still got floor and wall coverings, more furniture to build and set up, more games and hardware to move in, etc! But it'll come together, trust me.
Yeah I've been looking on Face book It's looking good :D
The long table with a bunch of old computers on it sort of reminds me of my elementary school's computer lab. Loads of Windows 98 computers lined up along the walls.
Ah yes, the mouse pen. Love these odd ware videos. Have you ever done an odd ware on the dip switches? Back in the day when you set up your perifials with a teeny tiny little switch on the motherboard.
Funny you list this today, I was just looking at a pen input of ..well far more modern tech. The wacom bamboo feel for my surface pro 2, freaking artists best friend I can say that much. This thing ...looks like a nightmare, I imagine that door hinge wearing out and just endless frustration.
I used to have one of these. It was the"pro" version. The ball was designed and positioned better, and you could just keep it rolling on nearly any surface. At the time, it was my favorite way to play "Purple Saturn Day".
Call me crazy, but I prefer touchpads to mice. Don't get me wrong, I grew up using computer mice, but once I got a laptop everything was so much different. It's far easier to use things like Photoshop and I even prefer some games using a touchpad. I could definitely see myself using a drawing tablet for full time computing if I ever tried one. It appears that that's what this product tries to do, but it is unfortunately flawed in its design.
I hate touchpads so much, that one of the first thing I did on my laptop is deactivate it in the BIOS, but my laptop is a Thinkpad, so it got a trackpoint, which do the same duty and that I much prefer.
Last time I used a touchpad I inadvertently booted up Microsoft Word, initiating the task manager, and selected an MC Hammer desktop wallpaper. It is the most unwieldy inaccurate tool since the silly-straw dildo.
Guru Laghima Hi Guru! I've been using a basic but good Pen Tablet from Wacom (Intuos 3, A5-size) for the past 10 years now, the same unit for almost in daily basis, so that might talk something about the quality and durability of these things. Back then, i bought it as an experiment to see would it improve my drawing skills (simply by finding ways to practice more), and get fully interested on it once again. As a graphic designer / enthusiastic that was just the next step.
Well, that did happen and after couple months of use the pen become so fluid that i didn't get back to mouse again, only for some rare cases. And using the pen (and Xbox 360 controller for gaming) contributed hugely getting from painful wrist back to a healed one. The pain / damage originally came from bad ergonomics and way too heavy mouse use, so that was my mistake. I'm sure ergonomics are much better in use these days.
In any case, i use my pen for just about anything. Graphics, browsing, all OS operations, some gaming. But for most games i'd use something else, and for anything that needs absolute pixel perfect precision (such as 3D modeling in my case), mouse is still the way. But Sculpting in 3D might be a great experience even with pen tablet, for example.
Since you mentioned Photoshop, i'm sure you'd fall in love with one so very much. In my Wacom, all the buttons are highly customizable (on the pen, but also on the tablet), tip pressure and angle are also welcome and important factors. Simply put, i find using good pen tablet to be smooth, accurate, gentle and ergonomic experience. Love it!
I highly recommend for you to give one a try. And if you're interested in getting one, i'm sure you'll find some of the older Wacoms for good price, and indeed, they are very durable even if bought used. But do look for other manufacturers and models too.
Alright. All the best to you buddy!
Well yeah touchpads work. I wouldn't use them in gaming they are decent enough for office though and running applications. So no big loss there.
And on laptops they are always around.. just don't get them greasy ;)
try playing fps game on touch pad....
To me that mouse looks like a electronic thermometer.
The concept makes perfect sense since at that time I'm guessing at the time most people were not used to mice so a pen would feel more "natural".
Though I imagine the box surrounding the ball gets in the way too often if you tend to tilt the thing as you move left. If it could somehow work more like the top of a ballpoint pen I imagine it fix that problem, and of course the fixed angle problem.
so... adjusted for inflation this mouse pen would be over 200 dollars. And you get a free piece of wood with it.
what an expensive weird piece of plastic.
The way they hold it on the cover, it really reminds me of dental drill. People say toothbrush or even vacuum, but this is the first thing you recall if you've recently been to dentist.
i have a pennnnn
i have a mouseee
ahh mousepen 🎵🎵🎹🎹🍍🍍🍎🍎
You read my mind lol
🖱️🍍🍎 🖱️
OH hey, I remember "Fun Time". We had this plug in RCA TV game controller with a module already installed running up to 3000 titles (although many of those were duplicates of themselves). Somehow the music it made sounded better than the arcade versions. It all came to an end when our crazy poodle chewed the wires to shreds.
It looks like a tool from the dentist
04:47 Thrifting is a lot like having kids. It's not something you'd necessarily pick from a store shelf, but given some time and work, you might never remember how you ever lived without it ;-) I dig your "Vibe", Clint. Oh yes, there is power in this one..
Makes me wonder if some 'genius' out there may have tried at some time or another to market a mouse shaped pen.
That classic LSL shirt is so crucial. There's no dive bar like Lefty's. Don't forget your left-handed hammer!
... I coulda sworn he already covered this... either that or the MOST deja vu
Maybe you're thinking of the thrifting episode where he found it?
***** no, I mean like... the whole episode felt very familiar... especially the testing
Same, I could swear this vid popped up in my sub box on Monday...
Good to know I'm not the only one who feel like this.
EGPrime Well I mean like... months ago
The paint program even has scanline based flood fill. State of the art!
it looks like a pregnancy test
Nice! I had the Appoint Brand Pen Mouse for my Legacy Mac PowerPC 7200/90 Desktop. As an Artist, the Pen Mouse was still a bit clunky but I no longer had to tell my friends I was digi-drawing with a bar of soap. Don't know how I got by without a scroll wheel (or did it have one, can't remember). The emergence of Artful goodies like the Wacom Tablet most likely sent the Pen Mouse to Dinosaur Land. I can't believe I'm seeing a re-emergence attempt of several different Pen Mice creeping back into the computer market (like the ones on As Seen On TV).
Haha! If you guys are still reading, then it's humor time! The center holed wood block around frames 4:50 is a simple included accessory to make it easier to castrate yourself for buying this unit (or is it now eunuch?)!
I'd get this for osu tbh
Now that you mention it, this would rock for osu.
now i can play osu! at school using a "tablet" without carrying my huge tablet to school!
holy shit i was just thinking of making this joke
You don't drag or hover, you roll with it.
I got a drawing tablet for osu, but I really like it for normal use. I just need an easy way to scroll and to get used to putting it down to type (or get used to holding a pen in my fingers while typing
This thing is awesome! I remember where I had to pull ball out of the mouse and clean it really good so it will work back again :) miss those days :)
MousePen, the premiere electric toothbrush by International Mouth Cleaning Systems.
Quick suggestion: you can get rid of that horrid flickering when recording a video screen if you sync up your video framerate with the refresh rate of the monitor (you usually have to experiment though). Love your channel man!
What did you study in university?
Graphic design.
+Lazy Game Reviews good major
That laugh at 5:08 makes me think you stick very random things in your boxes yourself.
Wacom has really come far... XD
Man, I agree the old draw times when filling the screen with colour on paint programs is so satisfying for some reason.
Mm. Supreme satisfaction.
I remember having a computer that loaded plain text just as slowly.
What the hell is a "Pen"?
Are you serious?
You dont know about a pen!?!?
lol, nice, got em
A blast from the past! I remember playing Future wars with it and i'm pretty sure that was the one and only mouse pen in the USSR!
IMCS stands for International Machine Control Systems? More like I Might Consider Selling this company, IMCS. XD
Just like I´m used to mouse aiming in games and not used to gamepad, it´s the same thing with this. I think we are all used to regular mouse (PC users), so this really feels weird and hard to control. But it´s always nice to see something like this, learning the history and such things.
7:30 how many of you r viewers know how big a buckshot is^^
At least 7
I can see this thing being useful using something like MS paint or a similar program.Well at least a modern version I have always been able to draw pretty good.Trying to draw using a mouse is often difficult same way trying to print your name in a paint program with a mouse.
Using something like this would give a much more natural feeling IMO.Maybe not this bulky thing but the idea is solid.Its practical uses in other applications like a game it would be downright awkward.
I did a test with wifes laptop using a empty pen to draw on the touch pad.It improved my results a great deal over a mouse using Gimp.Not sure they even make a modern equivalent to this thing.Point being I can see a use for such a thing even though its uses would be very limited.
Keep the weird oddware coming!
Hmm, For someone who draws with the mouse, this kind of looks nifty...But eh, I would stick with my touch pad mouse...
+Catty Mintgum
Try for a pen tablet, they cost quite a bit but they're well worth it
+Catty Mintgum I picked up a Wacom bamboo refurbished for 50 euro once.
As basic a tablet you can get. But it does the job.
Conor Tobin
I have an Intuos. well worth the money, even at full price IMO
I have that same Max Payne mousepad! Came in the box as an extra for buying it at the store and I've managed to hold onto it.
" Not the PlayStation 2 " haha xD
If i remember correctly, the dos mouse drivers had command line options to change things like sensitivity and acceleration (or sometimes called 'precision' for some reason). I doubt that the hardware itself has that built in to it in any meaningful way, but its driver is expecting a much larger ball which would have a much slower roll rate and therefore a much wider acceleration threshold.
Play osu! With it
I love how you have the sc3k soundtrack in the background!
Must be terrible for Lefty people like me.
It was perfectly ambidextrous, as I recall. Even more so than current designs. The primary button was ahead of the secondary button. I used to frequently switch between hands, with no change in usage.
...memories...
Is that part of the SimCity 3000 soundtrack in the background at 4:00?