Keyboards & Mice

IOGEAR Phaser Hand-Held RF Wireless Mouse

By Miguel Blanco ⋅ April 30, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Who would have thought, back in the early nineties, that we would be sitting here today in a business world littered with PowerPoint presentations? Yet here we are creating more sophisticated animations with sound and video, trying to impress our colleagues in our PowerPoint prowess. Today we will be telling you about a new tool that lets you show off even more. The IOGEAR Phaser Hand-Held Wireless Mouse w/Laser Pointer get you through your presentation with a very high coolness factor.

When I first heard about this mouse, I fell under the impression that it worked similar to the Gyration Ultra GT Cordless Optical Mouse which allows you to move the cursor by moving the mouse around in the air. The IOGEAR Phaser is wireless, but it is not an “air mouse”. It works just like any other trackball. What’s cool about it is its ergonomic design, ease of use, and laser pointer feature.

The Phaser comes with two AAA batteries which power the wireless mouse. To my surprise, the battery cover was held down by a small Phillips head screw which makes it inconvenient if you don’t have a miniature screwdriver handy. Since most conference rooms aren’t equipped with a set of tools this is a major oversight especially since this mouse is targeted towards the business user. The receiver is powered by your computer and requires no batteries.

Installation is pretty straightforward. Turn off the computer, plug it in to your PS2 or USB port (an adapter is included), turn on the computer. The mouse must then be “married” to the radio receiver. This is done by depressing a reset switch on the receiver then doing the same on the mouse. The receiver detects the mouse and off you go. The point of this process is to allow you to have up to 256 Phasers operating in the same room without interfering with each other. You only have to perform this procedure once, unless you wish to marry the mouse with a different receiver.

The Phaser performs well overall. Anyone who uses a trackball mouse should find it pretty easy to get used to. The Phaser is held and looks, well, like a phaser from Start Trek. If you’re not a Trekie (or Trekor), a phaser is a laser “gun” which is used to zap evil aliens. The “trigger” button works as a secondary left click button, performing the same function as the left click button on top of the device. The right click button is where you would expect it, and the center button is used to activate the laser pointer. The trackball is small, but smooth and easy to use. The unit is light and ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in your hand with easy access to all its functions. Maybe Gene Roddenberry should have been an engineer!

The included documentation states that the Phaser is capable of controlling your computer from up to 50′ away. In our tests the Phaser performed free of jittering at 30 feet, but longer distances and obstructions caused the curser movement to be a little more jumpy than usual. If you’re in a conference room bigger than that, chances are you’ll probably have an assistant to push the mouse button for you.

Product SpecificationsChannels: 1
Computer Interface: USB and PS/2
Dimensions: W 3″, L 4.6″, H 1″
Frequency Band: 27.045 MHz
Housing: Plastic Case
IDs: 256
Operating Range: 50 feet
Power Source 2 AAA batteries for the mouse, receiver bus powered

Requirements

For PCs
Windows® 98, 98SE, 2000, ME, XP

Warranty / Other Information

3-year limited warranty from IOGEAR.

Conclusion

Overall the IOGEAR Phaser is an easy to use wireless solution for business users who want to impress. Although I would not use it as my primary mouse, it is great for presentations and would be ideally suited for a conference room or classroom computer. Its laser pointer is a smart feature, its range is adequate for most situations, and its affordable price makes it a great investment for any business.

Pros:

Ergonomic design
Laser pointer feature
Good range
Affordable price
No radio interference with multiple units

Cons:

No easy access to batteries

Quality: 10 out of 10
Features: 8 out of 10
Price: 8 out of 10

Overall: 9 out of 10