Elecom GRAIO Variable CountMouse
A front-mounted ball, angled axes and hardware sensitivity adjustment.
As its name suggests, a mouse with variable sensitivity, but there's more to see here.
GRAIO mice were positioned as a new generation, improving precision and comfort through bold design choices. Instead of the usual central ball, this one puts it at the front, directly below the index finger. The designers intended a more intuitive movement, like a pen on paper.
This had an odd consequence: the cursor axes are angled relative to the case, probably to account for the hand's natural angle. Move the mouse straight forward and the cursor travels slightly diagonally. It took some adjustment, considered the price of unconventional ergonomics.
Variable sensitivity, which moved into driver settings with Windows 95, is still implemented here in hardware. A cascade of dividers passes every pulse, or every second, fourth or eighth pulse. More division means less cursor movement for the same distance across the desk. A more/less wheel switches modes; an underside switch sets the initial value.
The mouse was intended for NEC PC-9800 computers and compatibles such as Epson PCs, with a special nine-pin D-sub connector for their bus-mouse port.
All this earned a Good Design Award in 1993.
Personally, I find it quite uncomfortable. The round control doesn't click, although you really want it to. Move your hand forward so you can turn it with two fingers, and the buttons end up under your middle finger joints. Another design for small Japanese hands.
Japanese users gave it a restrained verdict: great idea, mediocre execution. It never became widespread, but Elecom would continue making interesting things.
