A good friend of mine, a technical illustrator as well as a talented cartoonist and animator (Hi, Paul!) once described using a mouse for artwork as “like trying to draw with a bar of soap.”  For a long while now, artists have had access (at a premium most of the time) to much better tools–drawing tablets, pads, and styli that make the “drawing on a computer” process much less onerous.

Now Genius has a peripheral that could, just maybe, give you a taste of that, too:  the Pen Mouse.  The Pen Mouse looks a lot like an ink pen, but “functions on almost any surface with the 1200 dpi tracking technology, switchable between 400 and 800 dpi to accommodate various sensitivity preferences. 85 degrees of tilting lets you position your hand in whatever position is most comfortable. A slight, downward push activates the left-control button. Pushing the flying-scroll button and vertically or horizontally moving the Pen Mouse produces fast and convenient scrolling.”

That sounds kinda cool to me, honestly.  I have bad RSI, so the ol’ bar-of-soap input device actually works okay for me, but hopefully you’re not an old fart like me.  Or maybe you just want to try something new.  Who knows?  What I do know is, the new Pen Mouse comes in at an MSRP of $44.90, and you can check it out at Genius’ web site.

Full information below

Genius, a leading brand of computer peripherals, announces its latest innovation – Pen Mouse, which gives users an all-new experience on cursor control for better and more comfortable handling than a regular mouse. This dazzling Pen Mouse was exhibited at CES 2011 in Las Vegas earlier this month and already made a splash to the attending media and general public. The Pen Mouse lets you sit back in a chair and use it on your leg, arm, or any number of unconventional surfaces, that you no longer need a mouse pad. It’s a genuine alternative to the traditional mouse and much easier to control, just like your own hand-writing.

Shaped like an ink pen, the Genius Pen Mouse functions on almost any surface with the 1200 dpi tracking technology, switchable between 400 and 800 dpi to accommodate various sensitivity preferences. 85 degrees of tilting lets you position your hand in whatever position is most comfortable. A slight, downward push activates the left-control button. Pushing the flying-scroll button and vertically or horizontally moving the Pen Mouse produces fast and convenient scrolling.

The wireless Pen Mouse connects to desktops and notebooks via a USB port with a very small Pico dongle. An RF frequency of 2.4GHz reduces interference and provides a superior range of connectivity.  Powered by a single AAA battery, Genius’ Pen Mouse enters into a power-saving sleep-mode when not in use. To start again, simply press any button. A carrying case is included to protect the Pen Mouse and dongle when traveling.

The Genius Pen Mouse weighs 17g (body only) and is compatible with Windows® 7/Vista/XP. Dimensions of the Pen Mouse are 21mm x 16.3mm x 133mm (W,H,D). One USB port is required for connecting the dongle and a DVD-ROM is required for software installation.