I have two new devices that are somewhat comparable. The Canon X Mark 1 and the Scorpius-N4 are computer mouses with numeric keypads. The Canon is wireless via Bluetooth and the iOne Scorpius is wired. Scroll down to view more images and check my notes regarding each device.
Back of the packages.
Box contents.
Thickness of the two mouses. The Scorpius-N4 has a side switch that allows for different modes: mouse-only, mouse-disabled (only num-lock+keyboard are enabled on this one), and all-modes enabled.
Bottom side of the mouses. The Canon X Mark 1 has a laser, pairing button (needs a paper clip), calculator reset, PC and Mac mode on switch, battery compartment that holds two batteries. The Scorpius-N4 has a laser and that's it.
Comparison of width and length with the Logitech G700s and HDE Multi-Functional Keypad with Fn Key.
Depth comparison,
Top side of the two devices.
Scorpius-N4 Optical Mouse Keypad (the one with bigger number keys)
- Too wide to be a proper mouse.
- Too narrow to be a proper keypad.
- Not ergonomic at all. There are no nice contours, this is a rectangle.
- Mode switch on the side allows for: Mouse only, mouse disabled (num-lock + keyboard), and all enabled (mouse + num-lock + keyboard).
- The top plastic plate/cover is quite flimsy--it moves side to side.
- The keypad keys feel small, but they seem sturdy. There is a good travel depth. The keypad can send three keys to the pc at a time. The keys are responsive enough for ten-key.
- The cable is a bit short, which is convenient for usual travelers. For desktop purposes I wouldn't use this.
- The mouse buttons and scroll wheel behave as a classic USB mouse. The same can be said about the mouse movement.
- There is no special drivers for this device.
- Does not glide on surfaces as well as gaming-grade mouse.
- If you are looking for a device that can work as both a mouse and a keypad, and you want to save space while travelling, this may be one of the few options available in the market.
Canon X Mark 1 Mouse
- Uses AAA batteries (not rechargeable). It would have been better if it used rechargeable batteries via USB. If you want to conserve your AAA batteries you will have to turn off the device after each use.
- Does not include a Bluetooth dongle; your computer must have built-in Bluetooth or you will have to purchase a Bluetooth dongle separately.
- The width of the device is enough for it to be considered a decent mouse.
- Has Mac and PC modes.
- Works well as a stand-alone calculator.
- After several minutes of not using the mouse, there is an initial delay before the mouse "wakes up." This makes it a poor choice for a mouse.
- Setting up the pair mode requires you to press on a tiny pin-button on the bottom side of the mouse; keep a paper-clip handy for the initial pairing.
- You can switch from stand-alone calculator to keypad.
- As a keypad the Canon X Mark 1 will send to the PC one key at a time; this makes it a slow device for inputting numbers.
- The keys are small and as such this is not a good ten-key candidate. However, you can grab the mouse with both hands and type in numbers as you would with a smartphone.
- If you use the device as a stand-alone calculator and desire to transfer your calculations to the PC then you can press and hold the SEND key. This is a neat feature!
- I wish it had an equal "=" key so it could be more useful in Microsoft Excel.
- As expected from a Bluetooth mouse, the movement is not responsive enough. The movement pales in comparison with wired mouse.
- There is no special drivers/software for this mouse and the settings/options are minimal.
- Glides well on surfaces.
- If the responsiveness was improved I would recommend this mouse for those who travel a lot. As it is I would not recommend it.
Canon X Mark 1 mouse options.
I hope these notes and images are useful to those looking for information regarding these products. While I like the combo concept the execution is rather poor. You are likely to be more satisfied by what two dedicated devices can accomplish.
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