14 DAY TRIAL // You might not know this, but the Windows 8 and 8.1 operating systems from Microsoft have a special mouse profile, designed to work with the Charms bar and active apps. Genius took this into account when it made the Ergo 8800.
Ergo 8800 is named after the “ergonomic” design, but we'll get to that later. For now, we'll look at what makes the newcomer specifically suited for Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 PCs.
We all know how a mouse works. Left click selects an icon, double click launches a process or opens a file using some application or another.
Meanwhile, right clicks both select and open a pop-up menu that provides PC users with a list of options, operations you can perform on or with the help of the selected file.
In Windows 8 and 8.1, however, you can set up your mouse in a special mode where a normal click can be used to launch the Charms bar or switch between active apps.
Genius wanted it to be easy to switch between the normal ”mousing” mode and this “Windows 8” mode.
The result was the Ergo 8800, which, if you hold down the right, left and scroll buttons at once, switches between the two operational settings. Once in the Windows 8 mode, you can even change between Windows' Modern UI and last app used.
Ergo 8800 even has four hot keys that access Previous Page, Next Page, Flying Scroll and DPI adjustment.
Speaking of which, the sensitivity of the peripheral can be modified. While the maximum is a healthy 1,600 DPI, it could be a bit too much in shooters or strategy games, so you can choose 1,200 DPI and 800 DPI as well.
Moving on, the Ergo 8800 is a wireless mouse, though it still has a USB pico receiver (which you take out of a small socket in the front).
Two AA alkaline batteries should keep the device running for up to 36 months, three years as it were, give or take a month or two. If you want, though, you can use a single battery to power the mouse. Not something we come across all that often.
Finally, the reason the mouse is called what it's called: the ergonomic design. It consists of an asymmetric shape that should keep your hand, wrist and forearm in a natural posture. No joint strain to be had here, no sir.
Finally, the Stick-N-Go mount is a plastic piece that can be secured to any notebook or ultrabook, basically strapping the mouse to it, for easy carrying. The Ergo 8800 mouse from Genius should be up for sale at $50 / €36.