OpenOffice.org, the developers of the open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, recently released the new OpenOffice Mouse, designed to give OpenOffice users a faster and more efficient experience with the OpenOffice applications.
The mouse has a whopping total of 18 buttons, an analog joystick, and up to 52 shortcut key commands. The large number of buttons is meant to improve user interface in such a way that traditional icons and menus normally can’t match up to.
The intentions are there, but perhaps the biggest drawback of the OpenOffice Mouse is its form factor. It is nowhere near as sleek and sexy as most mice in the market today, and the mere look of the large number of the buttons can be pretty unsettling.
Aside from the unusual, dated appearance of the mouse, another possible drawback is the price tag — coming from the developer of a free, open-source office suite, the mouse costs a whopping $75. This makes for a rather small niche market indeed.
So if you’re a hardcore OpenOffice.org user, go right ahead and enjoy the functionality of the new OpenOffice Mouse. The rest of us, however, may be content with what we already have.
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