1. Introduction

Having built my Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) a few months ago, I've been looking for a good keyboard and mouse package to complement the system. I really did not want to work with a traditional keyboard and mouse setup due to the need for wires and the large size of a normal keyboard. I briefly tried out the wireless Logitech combination and though the keyboard was nice to work with, there were still issues with the overall size as well as needing a desktop to work with the optical mouse.

So up until the TechXNY conference this past June, I had very little hope of finding a good solution for an HTPC system. Then I came across the Gyration booth on the exhibit floor and I immediately fell in love with their new product - the Gyration Ultra

Gyration Mouse/KB combo at TechXNY

Cordless Optical Mouse. Honestly, I had never heard of the company until that day. Here was a mouse that was ideal for a home entertainment PC as well as a practical solution for business users as well. Why? Not only did you have a small attractive wireless optical mouse that could work on a desktop, you had a mouse that could be held in midair using hand/wrist gestures. At the booth, I played around with both the Gyration Ultra Mouse as well as their Cordless Keyboard, but the real kicker was the mouse. After heading back home, I immediately set out to get in touch with Gyration and they were kind enough to send me a pre production mouse for us to evaluate. So let's get going!

2. Specs and Features

It should be noted that the mouse that I am evaluating is a pre production mouse though I could not find any major problem with it at all. With that said, let's get on with the company background and product specifications.

2.1 Company Information

I thought I would provide a little company background for those unfamiliar with Gyration. Gyration was founded in 1990 and is a privately held company specializing in providing hardware and software products that simplify user input to displays in business communications and PC/Home Entertainment markets. In pursuant of this goal, they have developed the use of gyroscopes for applications of user input. This resulted in a Gyration technology called GyroPoint Power technology which is showcased within the Gyration Ultra Optical Mouse. For more company and product information, please go to their corporate website at http://www.gyration.com