Pencil Mouse B3
Danger mouse Could this kooky stylus–mouse mashup reduce RSI?
We test out a stylus-meets-mouse combo, intended to reduce RSI.
Repetitive strain injury affects so many PC users it’s no wonder devices are designed to limit risks and Penclic’s B3 is one solution.
Installation of the B3 is a simple pairing task with this version, which communicates with your Mac or PC via Bluetooth (there’s a wireless version too). Along with the power and pairing buttons on the underside there’s also a DPI switch, which enables you to choose from various sensitivities, from 800-1,600 DPI, although rather annoyingly it defaults to 1,200 when switched on.
The B3 looks like both mouse and stylus, but doesn’t quite act like either. The stylus part, which you hold during operation, has the buttons on it and it swivels at the nib, but you need to keep the mouse part flat on your work surface. Unfortunately the plastic feels a little fragile, and you may find yourself straining to apply less pressure than you normally would.
Whether this prevents RSI is something we probably won’t know for years. The feeling we have is that this kind of input would be great for day-to-day office-based tasks, but possibly not as useful for painting with confidence and flair.