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ACGAM G402 gaming mouse review

In today’s world, the computer Mouse has become standard on almost every computer. While tablets and other such devices utilize alternatives, no one device has yet been able to make it obsolete. As computer gaming has become mainstream, many companies have joined the popularity and created a mouse specifically designed and labeled for gaming.

What is it?

The ACGAM G402 Gaming Mouse is a wired right-handed optical ergonomic gaming mouse that is designed for ease and speed of use by the gamer. It features 7 conveniently located buttons, RGB color customization, OMRON gaming switches and supports USB 2.0 and 3.0.

What’s in the box?

In the box there is the G402 mouse, a 3-inch driver disc and a manual that includes the basic instructions in 6 languages. ACGAM employs a very minimalist concept in both the accessories they provide and the very thin manual in very small writing.

Design and features

The ACGAM mouse is well built albeit completely made of plastic. It is very light but it does fit well in my hand. It is a right-handed mouse with contours that fist well to my right hand. The right and left click buttons are on a slope with a concave curve that hugs my fingers very well and add to the comfort and ease of use of the mouse, There are 2 buttons on the left side of the mouse that are well placed and make for easy access with my thumb with just minimal movement required for me to select either one. The mouse uses a USB cable connection. The built-in cable is braided and seems very strong and likely to withstand continuous use without fraying or breaking. The optical sensor is very responsive and without delay. This mouse is also very attractive with customizable colors that shine brightly on both sides and make it a pleasant addition to the work routine.

ACGAM does provide a software suite with the mouse that allows the user to customize the colors, the functions of each of the 6 programmable buttons, the speed of tracking, the adjustable DPI settings and the actual “breathing” of the lights while in use.


What I Like

After using the G402 mouse quite a bit, I can say that I really like the responsiveness of the optical sensor, the customizable color schemes, and the ability to program each of the 6 buttons and save them as profiles for various applications. The mouse is very easy to use because the design of the contours is well thought out to fit the hand comfortably, and I like that I can add it to workflows in other applications other than games.

What needs to be improved?

While the mouse is sleek and a great value for what it offers, I found that the stiff braided USB cable was at times very restrictive to my movements and did get in the way of the other equipment on my desk. Making this mouse a Bluetooth mouse would greatly improve its flexibility. While understanding that this is a low-cost mouse, it is being marketed as a gaming mouse, and therefore the design should offer more in the way of knobs with a greater range of movement to accommodate more of today’s gaming requirements.

Final thoughts

The ACGAM G402 Gaming Mouse is a great “bang for the buck” deal. It offers quite a bit of customization and programmability for the price, and it is well built. While it can be utilized for some games, its ability to customized for use with other applications and workflows to add ease and efficiency might be a better application, especially since today’s games are very sophisticated and require a lot of control ability to be fully engaged.

Price: $15.99
Where to buy: Amazon.com
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ACGAM.

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ACGAM G402 gaming mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus ergonomic mouse review

I’ve recently been on a mission to find a new mouse to help alleviate some problems that I’ve been having with my right hand and thumb. After reviewing Contour Design’s Unimouse, they followed up with an offer to review their Rollermouse Red plus which they felt might help me more than their Unimouse. I’ve been using the RollerMouse Red plus for the past couple of weeks and am ready to share my thoughts.

What is it?

The RollerMouse Red plus is a unique cursor moving device, aka “mouse”. But unlike a traditional corded or wireless mouse, the RollerMouse Red sits behind your keyboard and moves the cursor by moving a rubber covered tube. That makes it sound much stranger than it really is, so keep reading.

What’s in the box?


Rollermouse Red Plus
Keyboard supports
Key to remove wrist rest

Design and features

The Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus is premium looking and feeling product which features a large padded wrist rest with the roller bar attached above it.

The base of the RollerMouse Red plus is made of aluminum which has enough weight that it does not move around once you place it on your desk.

If you don’t have room or really like the wrist rest, it can easily be removed by using the included tool. I personally like the wrist rest and find that it enhances the comfort of using the RollerMouse Red plus.

Also included with the RollerMouse Red plus are two keyboard supports that slide into slots on the base of the device. These supports allow you to position your keyboard so that it is raised to the level of the RollerMouse Red plus.

Contour Designs also included their Balance Keyboard which has been designed to be used with their roller mice. I started out test the RollerMouse Red plus with the Balance Keyboard, but I ditched it for my original Apple wireless keyboard early on in the process. The keyboard is nice, but the layout of the Balance Keyboard didn’t work that well with my MacBook.

My Apple wireless keyboard looks tiny compared to the RollerMouse Red plus, but it works fine for me.

How does the RollerMouse Red work?

The RollerMouse has an 11.75-inch long tube with another tube over it that can roll up and down and be moved side to side with one or both of your thumbs. This is what moves the cursor on your computer. The roller bar has a rubber cover with nubs that make it easy to move around without slipping under your thumbs.

The roller bar can be clicked to select things. In addition to clicking the roller bar, there are other ways to select items with this “mouse”. Below the roller bar are dedicated left and right mouse buttons, copy and paste buttons, and a one-touch double-click button. There’s also a small roller in the center that is used as a scroll wheel. This scroll wheel can be clicked to open pages in a new tab in your browser.

You’ll also notice a small oval button between the copy and paste buttons. This button is used to customize different settings for the RollerMouse Red plus. You can customize the cursor speed, click force of the roller bar, and the volume of the button clicks.

As I mentioned above, I’ve been using the RollerMouse Red plus for the past few weeks. At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it because it felt awkward to use the roller bar especially to select things by clicking it. When I first started testing the RollerMouse, I still had my Logitech mouse next to the keyboard and I found that I would unconsciously reach for it and use it instead of the RollerMouse without really paying attention to what I was doing. I was using my traditional mouse as a crutch of sorts. After I finally took the Logitech mouse and put it in a drawer, I quickly acclimated to the RollerMouse and it now feels second nature to me.

The whole idea behind this mouse is that you don’t have to move your hands away from the keyboard to use it. I can just drop my thumbs to the roller ball to move the cursor or to the smaller scroll wheel to scroll pages while still keeping my fingers on the home row of the keyboard.

Positives

  • Keeps hands on the keyboard
  • Comfortable
  • Multiple buttons and scroll wheel
  • Can be used with any keyboard

Negatives

  • Slight learning curve
  • Accidental presses of the dedicated left mouse button
  • Expensive

Final thoughts

I really like the Contour Design RollerMouse Red plus ergonomic mouse because it’s comfortable to use and I don’t have to move my hands away from the keyboard like a traditional mouse to use it.

There are two downsides to the RollerMouse Red plus that I want to mention. I noticed that the palm of my left hand would sometimes accidentally press the dedicated left mouse button which would end up moving the cursor to a new location. This usually happens when I’m typing and will cause me to start typing new text in the wrong location. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but when it does, it’s kind of annoying.

But the biggest issue with the RollerMouse Red plus is the price. At $265, it’s not a frivolous purchase. That price will scare a lot of people away from buying one, which is unfortunate because it’s quickly becoming my favorite “mouse” of all time.

Price: $265.00
Where to buy: Contour Design or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Contour Design.

Hippus HandShoe Mouse review

I haven’t been to a doctor (yet), but from my own research, I think I may have the beginnings of carpal tunnel or De Quervain syndrome in my right hand. My mouse hand. The fleshy part of my thumb in the palm of my hand and the same area on top of my hand feels inflamed and a little swollen. I also have some pain in my hand when I  touch my thumb to the tips of my fingers or when I try to open jars with that hand. I’m sure this problem comes from years and 1000’s upon 1000’s of hours of using a mouse. So I decided to check out some alternative mice to see if I can halt the progress of carpal tunnel and even hopefully reverse it.

The first ergonomic mouse that I’m testing is the Hippus HandShoe Mouse. It has a weird name, but can it heal my issues? Let’s see.

What is it?

The HandShoe Mouse looks similar to a traditional two button mouse, but it’s much larger and provides a place for your whole hand to rest instead of just two fingers and your thumb.

Design and features

In the image above is a traditional mouse on the left and the HandShoe mouse on the right. As you can see, the HandShoe mouse is significantly larger and it sort of reminds me of a horseshoe crab, which makes me suddenly wonder if that’s where the name of this mouse comes from.

The HandShoe mouse is available in wired and wireless version. I was sent the wireless version which can also be used with a USB cable while it’s charging. This mouse is also available in four sizes from extra small to large. For my hand size, I was sent the medium-sized HandShoe mouse.

The mouse has 2 buttons and a scroll wheel. You can also see the mini USB charging port. According to the directions that come with the mouse, it should work for about 4-6 weeks per charge. There’s a small battery status LED above where your thumb tip would rest. This LED will turn red with the battery is running low. Luckily, you can use the mouse while it’s recharging and connected to a USB port using the included mini USB cable.

The HandShoe mouse does not use Bluetooth as a connection method. On the bottom of the mouse is a holder for the included USB receiver.

The USB receiver plugs into an open USB port on your computer. It goes without saying that this mouse won’t work with a laptop or computer that doesn’t have a USB Type-A port.

This is something to keep in mind for newer computers like my 12-inch MacBook which only has one USB Type-C port. However, I use my laptop with a LandingZone Docking Station which adds 2 Type-A USB ports to my MacBook.

When I first placed my hand on the HandShoe mouse I was worried about how large it was. But the design allows you to place your whole hand on it and helps eliminate the need to squeeze the mouse with your thumb like I do with a traditional mouse. I’ll admit that I still find myself squeezing the HandShoe mouse, but I’m trying to learn to relax my thumb and move my whole arm when I need to move the cursor. Note that you need to support for your forearm on the desk or the arm of your chair.

What I like

  • Comfortable
  • Helps you relax your whole and not squeeze the mouse with your thumb

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive
  • Probably not a great mouse for gamers and people who need really fine cursor movement

Final thoughts

I’ve been using the HandShoe mouse for a few weeks now and have noticed some slight improvement in my hand. It isn’t the fault of the HandShoe mouse that I haven’t noticed more improvements because I have only been using the mouse at home. I have a traditional mouse at my day job. So I’ve only been using the HandShoe about 35% of the time. I plan to take the mouse to work and will update this review in a few weeks.

The biggest issue that I have so far with the HandShoe mouse is that it’s not optimal for making fine cursor movements. I do a lot of image editing and was finding that I would constantly move the cursor past the area where I needed it to be. I tweaked with the mouse sensitivity settings on my MacBook which improved things, and I hope I’ll get better as time goes on.

Other than the fine cursor movement issue, I do like this mouse. It’s comfortable to use and may be just what the doctor ordered for my hand problems. Time will tell though, so look for an update in a few weeks.

Price: $109.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Hippus.

My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad

Serious PC gamers are a discerning group of users. To give them an edge over their competition, they look for the best equipment like the fastest rig (computer), largest monitor, great speakers, headsets, programmable keyboards, and mice. Speaking of mice, even mouse pads are an accessory to consider for gamers. Does it provide enough traction and speed? And is it big enough? 

Antlion can answer that last question. No, your mouse pad isn’t big enough because it’s not 3 foot x 1 foot like the Pro Gaming Über-Wide Mousepad from Antlion. This cloth mouse pad is large enough for your keyboard to sit on top of it for a seamless mousing experience. Even the edges of this gigantic pad are sewn to prevent fraying and with a price tag of only $20, you’ll still have cash left over to buy a new game. Head over to Antlion for all the details and Amazon to order.

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My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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ACGAM gaming keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad review


While I love the ability to brighten my desk via the RGB lighting systems and lighted PC fans, I’ve never really taken advantage of it. My PC speakers have some lighting, but that’s about it. I noticed ACGAM had their AG-109R keyboard and G502 mouse set that utilizes the RGB lighting and are made for gaming, but what really caught my eye was the P09 gaming mouse pad that lights up as well! After seeing that, I had to try out the entire set.

Since I am reviewing three devices that are sold separately, I will start with the keyboard, move on to the mouse, then end with the mouse pad.
Inside of the keyboard box you’ll find the AG-109R wired keyboard, a keycap puller, driver CD, and an instruction manual. I downloaded the drivers for the keyboard online since I do not have a CD drive on my computer.
It was a joke that my previous keyboard was loud, but when I started typing on this one, I laughed because it was even louder! The OUTEMU Blue switches are known for being loud, but they are very responsive and have held up to daily use for the past three weeks without skipping a beat.
Overwatch was the main game that I tested all three devices on, and other than the clicking sound being louder, there was no difference between the quality between this keyboard and my previous one. Each keystroke was registered and multiple keys could be pressed with no problem at all. Comfort-wise, I wish that it had a wrist rest like my old one, but the keys themselves were comfortable to type on. There are non-skid pads on the bottom of the keyboard as well as two feet that adjust the angle of the keyboard. I loved the size of the keyboard, as it’s compact shape allowed me to have quite a bit more desk space compared to what I had before.

I enjoyed the color options on the keyboard, and for the first week I went through and switched up the presets to find out which I truly liked. In the end, I settled for one that had the WASD, Shift, Q, and E keys lit up a solid color, while the rest of the keyboard did a rainbow wave. When the keyboard was not used for a while, the lights would turn off to conserve power.

Other than the keys being really loud, the only negative that I found with the keyboard was that when I restarted my computer, it would go back to the default color setting on the keyboard until I opened the AG driver program from my desktop tray. Once open, it would switch right away to the settings I had originally chosen. Overall though, this ended up being a very solid keyboard and it worked very well for gaming.

Next up we have the G502 gaming mouse. Included in the box you’ll find the mouse itself, driver CD, instruction manual, and a pair of interchangeable side mounts. The ones originally installed are a standard, generic version that you find in most cheap mice, while the alternate set to me is more comfortable as it allows me to grip and move the mouse much easier. Needless to say, I switched them right away. Just a couple of magnets hold them on, but I have yet to have it come apart on me, so they work very well and are very easy to change.

Most mice at this price range do not come with their own software for changing your mouse settings. This one does, which definitely gives it an edge over the competition. The software worked fine and all of my settings stayed when rebooting the computer. There are preset colors for the mouse that you can choose from that can be customized, and you can also change the color of the mouse that represents your DPI to match the other color settings you choose. I liked having six options to choose from for my DPI, though I only used two or three of them at max. Just having the option is nice.

The mouse worked very well with both every day use and gaming. I was very surprised with how well it performed given its price tag. There was no hesitation when clicking the mouse buttons, and the two side buttons are placed in a very good spot for easy use. It glided well over my mouse pad, though I am noticing some wear already on the bottom pads. I am unsure whether or not this has to do with the hard mouse pad or the quality of the pads on the mouse itself, but I would recommend to ACGAM to buff up the quality on those bottom pads, especially if they want them used with their own mouse pad, and they’ll have a very solid product in the G502 gaming mouse.

Lastly, we have the mouse pad. I had never seen a mouse pad that lit up before, and that is what really caught my eye with this whole set. Not only that, this is the first hard mouse pad that I have used, though I had seen them before. Just like with most soft mouse pads, this has rubber on the bottom to keep it from sliding around the desk.
If you want color, you will need to plug it into a USB port. That’s something to keep in mind if you have a computer with limited USB ports. There are no drivers for the mouse pad. You press the spot that looks like a fingerprint and it changes between several solid colors and a few rainbow variations. If you keep scrolling through the designs and you can also turn it completely off, which was necessary as it did not turn off when the computer did. The mouse and keyboard would, but for some reason, the mouse pad would not. Because of the lighting, there is a raised area on the top of the mouse pad that can be annoying if you catch your mouse cord on it.
The mouse pad itself worked very well. I am still up in the air about whether or not I prefer the soft or hard version of a mouse pad, but regardless of my preference, the pad worked just as good for gaming as the one I used before. I do wonder like I mentioned above if the rougher texture of the mouse pad would cause extra wear and tear on a mouse.

Overall, I enjoyed testing the ACGAM products, but I most likely will revert back to my previous keyboard and mouse pad. However, I do enjoy the mouse enough to keep using it for the time being. The RGB lighting matched my speakers pretty well on all the products, so that was neat, but it was not enough to topple my go-to keyboard that has lasted me for years. I would definitely recommend the G502 gaming mouse for a budget gamer. The keyboard is solid in quality and I would say it would be one to look at if you want to customize your RGB lighting experience. The mouse pad.. well, if you want to amuse your friends with color, maybe it is good, but in the end it just wasn’t for me.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ACGAM. Please visit their website for more information and Amazon to order the keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad.

 

Product Information

Price: Keyboard: $56.99 – Mouse: $17.99 – Mouse Pad: $27.99
Manufacturer: ACGAM
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Keyboard is sturdy and well made
  • – Keyboard can be customized to users liking
  • – Mouse is very well priced for decent quality and customization options
  • – Lighting can match other products that utilize RGB lighting
Cons:
  • – Keyboard is loud
  • – Mouse feet wore down quickly
  • – Mouse pad is rough and could have caused those feet to wear down

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ACGAM gaming keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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