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Hardware

Left Handed Peripherals - Where are they? 42

Posted by Cliff from the but-does-it-fit-right-in-my-left-hand dept.
Anonymous Coward asks: "Why is it that Microsoft and many other manufacturers of PC Peripherals do not make left handed models of their products? Every day the peripherals on offer become more ergonomic, have added buttons and functions. I am not able to use these Peripherals as they are only produced for Right Handed People, so I remain using these crappy mice and joysticks that have a generic layout. Are there any manufactures that produce left handed versions of their products (eg. mice and game controllers)?"
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Left Handed Peripherals - Where are they? More

Left Handed Peripherals - Where are they?

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  • Well, here's one... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    My Microsoft Intellimouse Optical [microsoft.com] is ambidextrous and, quite frankly, quite a good mousie pointer thingee.
  • You are assuming that all types of work can be done without a mouse. There are a lot of things for which a mouse (or trackball) is much easer than a keyboard. The problem is that with only 10% of the population being left handed there is just not that big a market. On the other hand if you could get one lefty in 10 to buy your mouse that would be a decent market so I don't know why someone isn't doing just that.
  • Its in the Springfield Mall - he's got left-handed versions of everything.

  • Only one thing I can say to that...

    Doh!

  • Semi-seriously, it would be verrrry interesting if some leftie were to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act as if left-handedness were a disability....

    --
  • Remember, the Leftoriums business has been going down ever since Leftopolis moved in - which is always good news for the consumer.


    --
  • English words are left hands. Check out the number of complete words you can type one-handed using normal typing (home keys+up and down rows), courtesy of x42.com [x42.com]. For the lazy, there's 1447 complete words you can type left-hand-only, compared to 187 right-hand-only (not moving from that side of the keyboard, mind you)

    So, left hand on the keyboard, right on the mouse (and using the right to CRLF using the numberpad Enter key) is the ideal setup for lots of situations.
  • The reason you won't find left-handed equipment, is that there is what, 10% of the population which is left handed? The cost of manufacturing, and stocking left handed stuff is not worth the additional cost of reworking the moldings, and often times the circuit boards to be ...um... backwards. Southpaws have gotten screwed from day one. Sucks to be you ;)

    In addition, there are many turncoat leftys that suck it up and use the equimpent right handed. My wife is a lefty, and she uses her computer with the right-handed ergonomic logitech trackball marble.
    So, with so many leftys livin' in the righty world, it drops the number of left handed mice that would be purchased s'more...

    I guess it don't pay to be a deviant!

    G
  • I'm .so. kicking myself right now, trying to think of the brand... I've seen a joystick that I'm pretty sure is the one you're talking about at Best Buy as well as other stores [we had them at target Once, as well]; billed as something like "the world's most customisable joystick". I dunno, I'd be inclined to believe it; you should see this thing...

    Also, in response to both the joking "disability discrimination" and "leftie mouse? :(" threads, I'm forced left handed [despite, my parents believe, a natural tendency to right-iness] by a slightly disabled right hand, and as such have used mice left-handed all my life. I also tick fellow computer users off, because i do so on the more convenient side of the keyboard [the left], which does incidentally alleviate the "off center keyboard" thing... hrmm...

    but i digress [habitually]. First, I've never understood the urge to flip the mouse buttons. I tried it briefly, back when I started on win3.1, but between conformity and convenience, it just didn't seem worth it. Maybe I have an exceptionally dextrous [dactrous? heh, sorry] middle finger, who knows? But, then I use the middle for left click, the index for both right click and wheel/middle, and the mouse held between ring and thumb...

    Secondly, [and this is getting way too long for a mousepost] I've always Really Liked the microsoft ergo-mouse shape, for some reason [this inexplicability is becoming a theme, isn't it?]; come to think of it, the shape of those mice might be partially responsible for my odd finger positioning today. Whadyaknow. But I always kind of let the "lump" hang out under my ring and pinky fingers... maybe it gave better grip that way...

    Anyways, the handedness did play a part in my last mouse purchase: as the intellimouse explorer has extra buttons only on the left side, I chose the intellimouse optical, which has them fairly balanced left and right. Now all that remains is getting X to natively support the extras as buttons 6 and 7 in usb mode, which might be as simple as upgrading to 4.higherhthani'vegot

    Again, longer than the topic deserved... maybe I should have made it 4 separate posts, heh.

    John Moriarty

  • Well, here's a leftie ergo mouse. (Score:3)

    by hfcs ( 22012 ) on Wednesday April 25, 2001 @04:30AM (#266879)
    A left handed mouse [contourdes.com] in 3 different sizes.
  • I'm left-handed and i usually have the mouse on the left side of the keyboard (i know when my sister has used my computer when i find the mouse on the right ;) but i use the right-handed mouse button settings, probably because when i started using a mouse (my first computer, an XT had no mouse, i bought it later) i didn't know settings could be changed, so left button is left button and right button is right button, with the mouse either side of the keyboard.

    Sorry for my bad english

  • Kensington Optical Mouse (Score:3)

    by scotpurl ( 28825 ) on Wednesday April 25, 2001 @05:31AM (#266881)
    Try the Kensington Mouse-in-a-Box Optical Pro. Five buttons, plus a scroller. USB, with a PS/2 adapter.

    Not ergonomic, but comfortably contoured, and perfectly symmetrical.

    As a rightie, I'd like for there to be less stuff on the right. The cursor keys are to the right, the number pad, and my mouse. With the text keys centered on my monitor, my mouse is forced to be too far to the right. Anyone know of a good, ergo keyboard that ain't huge? Not a mini-keyboard, but a normal-sized-keys keyboard.

  • Umm, You mean like a QWERTY keyboard? It was invneted by a left handed man. The most common keys are all in the left hand.

    (Not sure if this was an emmision of your humour gland, but I'll bite anyway...)

    Close, but not quite. QWERTY was developed in the early days of mechanical typewriters to slow people down.

    People were starting to type so fast (up to 80 wpm! :-) that the keys were constantly jamming. The QWERTY layout was specifically designed to slow down typists, so that the most commonly used keys were in the most inconvenience positions, and so that keystrokes alternated from left to right as often as possible.

    The left hand, being weaker for 90% of the population, is therefore the best (worst?) place to put the common vowels a and e, and the common consonants s,c, etc.

    Ironically, people just got used to the new layout, and were soon typing at 80wpm again, regardless of the inconvenience. But, the delay was long enough for the engineering of typewriters to catch up.

    IIRC, DVORAK keyboards are designed to do the exact opposite, putting common keys on the home line. Can't say I've seen any studies showing faster typing for dvorak's, though...

    Russ %-)

  • I'm a southpaw, and I love having the mouse on the right. Why? Because I hate meeses to pieces. I'm a Unixian touch-typist, and I feel that nice are a vast downwing conspiracy to break your flow by forcing you to reposition one hand. If I have to sacrifice hand position to a mouse, I'd rather the mouse eat my non-dominant, right hand. That way, I can use my left hand for typing.

    Now if I could get a mouse or equivalent that works with my fingers on the home row, that would be cool.

  • I'm left-handed and use a mouse right-handed, it is very common. I find it amusing when a right-handed person uses the mouse in their left hand. (I've met several). All of them say it allows them to work better.

    There is something about a mouse that allows it to be used nicely by the non-dominant hand, but it does take some getting use to. (Especially if you have been using it in your other hand for a long time).

    I won't buy a left-handed mouse, for one I am not use to it, but also oher people use my computer and I would not wish to inconvenience them significantly. But, my latest mouse is not what I would call Ergonomic, it could readily be used in the left hand.

    (Microsoft Optical Mouse)

    The only thing Microsoft does right.

  • Now if I could get a mouse or equivalent that works with my fingers on the home row, that would be cool.

    Look for the IBM Trackpoint keyboard. It's got a tiny joystick between the G and H keys, I think, just like on the IBM laptops. I used one of these laptops for a while and really liked this feature, especialy compared to touch pads, and even trackballs.

  • Close, but not quite. QWERTY was developed in the early days of mechanical typewriters to slow people down.
    Check out Why QWERTY Was Invented" [earthlink.net] for an alternative explanation.
  • The point of a left-handed mouse, and for reversing the sense of the buttons in a multi-button mouse is to keep the index finger (typically the strongest and most accurate finger) as the most-frequently used. Reversing the keyboard layout wouldn't necessarily help keep the strongest fingers busiest. If that were the goal, the Dvorak keyboard is one purported solution, but it's not clear that it actually works better in practice across a broad population (Economist article here [economist.com])
  • I have no idea if this is an answer to the question posed, but I (being left handed, and not ambidextrous) can use a mouse with either hand. In fact, whilst my PC mouse at home is on the left (although it's a right handed intellimouse), my two machines at work (set up side by side) have one mouse on the left, and one on the right.

    I think the point I am trying to make is that maybe there isn't that much market pressure to create left handed mice (etc) if some left handers will use right handed peripherals (in either their left or right hands!)
  • Due to the nature of my first PC I was only able to operate the mouse left handed, and have prefered to do so ever since.

    What? You fell for Radio Shack's left-handed PC scam?

    ÕÕ

  • Every single mouse Apple has ever made was suitable for use by either hand.

    Kensington's trackballs are also symmetrically designed, and the buttons are all assignable so you can use it from either direction. I'm using a Kensington Orbit at my left. Leaves my right hand free to...um...uhh...work the keypad and chase keyboard shortcuts.


    --

  • Well, I must say the round iMac mouse is un-usable whatever hand you have it in, true ;-)

    You can certianly get symettrical mice, but asymetrical ones are more comfortable.

    There's a wonderful shop in Soho called Anyhting Left Handed that just sells things that have been reversed, like can-openers, notebooks, watches. You may have something similar, or, by the power of google: http://directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/Niche/Lef t-Handed_Products/

  • Have you considered switching mouse hands? I am right handed, but I mouse with my left hand for repetitive-stress reasons. I switched to left-mousing without a lot of trouble. It was really easy since you can switch the buttons in software, took maybe a week to get proficient. I also know two people who are left handed, who mouse with their right hand. Reason: they can mouse and write at the same time, or stop to take a note or point something out without taking their hand off of the mouse. Pretty slick, I think. I'm not quite coordinated enough to do that yet, but I'm working on it.


    ---

  • Amen! I remember my old reliable Sun Type 4 keyboard with fondness, why can't I find a PC board like that? I don't need a numeric keypad 95% of the time so why not use it for both numeric and navigation and cut 2.5 " off the keyboard width? Or put the navigation keys on the left...
  • I'm a right hander (along with 95% of the rest of the population) but I used to use my "generic" (left or right handed) mouse left handed because it suited me better. I had no trouble using it left handed, and no trouble swapping to using the mouse right-handed when I got an ergonomic one, so what's your problem? Anyway, why not learn keyboard shortcuts. They're quicker anyway.
  • just played a regular guitar upside down. I think mice are easier to use that guitars...
  • Having a right-button context menu is very handy.
  • Yea, it would be fun to watch them lose in court.
  • No worse!

    It was an Amstrad PC1512 that I had on loan. All the cables were non-standard and fairly short, making it almost impossible to build extension cables cheaply. The power supply for the base-unit was in the monitor, and it wasn't possible to put the monitor anywhere other than on top of the base unit. Due to the depth of the base unit it took up half of my desk, and I had to place the keyboard to the left of the base unit, stretching the keyboard cable to its limit. The only place left for the mouse was to the left of the keyboard.

  • At work all the mice are awful ergonomic things. My work involves a lot of jotting things on forms whilst operating a GUI and typing the odd number. The work would be a lot easier if I could use the mouse in my left hand whilst writng and using the numeric keypad with my right hand.

    Due to the nature of my first PC I was only able to operate the mouse left handed, and have prefered to do so ever since.

  • I have one of those too, excellent mouse - and i'm right handed.
  • Haven't seen one for windows, but there is a hack available for PalmOS that moves the scrollbar to the left-hand side. It's called Left Hack [quartus.net] and I've heard decent stuff about it. Of course, it makes more sense to move the scrollbars on PalmOS, since to scroll (normally) with your left hand, your hand covers the screen as you scroll.

  • Where are they? (Score:3)

    by grammar nazi ( 197303 ) on Wednesday April 25, 2001 @03:28AM (#266902) Journal
    On the opposite side of my desk from all of the right handed peripherals!
  • I don't speak for every leftie, but I guess since the first computers I used with mice all had them on the right side, that's the way I learned.

    Once I tried moving the mouse to the left and swapping the buttons, but I just couldn't get the hang of it, even though I'm left handed.

    There is a website, the Left Hand [thelefthand.com], that sells computer junk for lefties, including a keyboard, mouse, and joystick.

    Also, In San Francisco, CA, on Pier 39 I believe, there is an entire store that sells stuff for lefthanders. Maybe you can call them.

  • Umm, You mean like a QWERTY keyboard? It was invneted by a left handed man. The most common keys are all in the left hand.
  • I occasionally switch to mousing with my left hand, just to try to save wear and tear on my right.

    It is of course trivial to reverse the assignments of the mouse buttons, but I find myself wishing that Windows had a way to reverse the entire GUI. Put the scrollbars on the left sides of the windows. That sort of thing.

  • Absolutely. Writing and mousing are incompatible for right-handers.

    It honestly seems like it would be a much better idea to have left handed mice. When I find one I like as well as my trackball, I'm going to buy 2, one for home, one for work.

    Since mice are the main cause of wrist/hand RSI, it really makes sense to mouse with your non-dominant hand (and be careful, of course).

  • I can use both my left and right hands for writing and cooking, also working around the house. The web site that has helped me find most of the tools is

    Http://thelefthand.com

    They have keyboards, mouses, telephone headsets (had at least when I was revieing products ), food peelers, can openers, hardware tools and tons of other stuff. I even have a right to left ruler because i find it easier to use ( but I don't recall were I bought that).

    They ship within a decent time. Customer service is OK.

    Good Luck

    ONEPOINT

    spambait e-mail
    my web site artistcorner.tv hip-hop news
    please help me make it better

  • Logitech (Score:3)

    by wizzy403 ( 303479 ) on Wednesday April 25, 2001 @06:49AM (#266908)
    Logitech makes lefty versions of all their products. You probably won't find them at CompUSA, but if you order direct from Logitech you can get them. No price difference either. (Or at least there never was. I don't have any lefties in my new office, so I haven't ordered anything in a while)
  • I'm a lefty who's used to mousing with my right hand. I'm also a lover of keyboard shortcuts. But I find my right hand/arm seriously overtaxed and frequently aching because not only is the mouse on the right, so is the numerical keypad and the cursor keys. I'd like to see a keyboard with cursor keys on the left (or two sets, one left and one right).
  • I can`t remember the exact name, I thinks its CYBORG, but they make a joystick that comes with a little tool and you can move or adjust it from both left hand to right hand and also for big or small hands. It wasn`t even that expensive only about 45 quid here in Ireland so you should be able to pick it up in the states for less than 45 dollars

    Dei
  • Trust me --- getting manufacturers to retool for anything without PROOF of SALES is next to impossible ---- UNLESS you have VERY DEEP POCKETS. I speak from experience in trying to market my own PC Products (see http://www.nite-surfer.com [www.nite-s...mtargetnew]). I have people begging for the ergonomics version, and I am still just trying to get a standard released.

    Combining the 90% of the population who are right handed with the 5+- % of the population who are left handed but go ahead and use the righty products, the manufacturers just laugh when you cry out.... No way are they going to shut down to run a 5% run....

    Now have you ever thought about a discrimination suit, or filing for disability. It might work in this day's legal system... you never know.

    Anyway Good luck....

    David Byrd
    CEO - 21st Century Tech., Inc.
    URL: http://www.nite-surfer.com

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