Side by Side Comparison of: Zalman vs Welltop

I LOVE this mouse.I read allot of people complaining about size, my hands barely fit into XXL gloves and I love the fit. It could have been 1/5" taller and been more comfortable. But I like the mouse anyway.Some reviewers complained of the fact that the laser is in the front part being a problem. But the fact is, you use less wrist movement moving side-to-side that way. If you have very little space on your desk, I would say this might be an issue, I have room for the longer mouse without issue.It would be nice if they released a new version that was a tiny bit taller and with a wrist rest to the side. I am sad that it is no longer being manufactured. My only complaint is that the rubber grips on mine peeled off. But that was after 3 years of use so I cannot complain.I have had this mouse for nearly 6 years now. I sometimes use the low DPI settings to give better finesse while working in SolidWorks drafting. It is my work PC mouse, so it gets 6-10 hours of use every day.

The biggest complaint (from other users) about this mouse is that it's too small. I happen to be a female with small hands and I can't tell you enough how much I LOVE this mouse. Not only males with big hands play first person shooters or play video games! I played an RPG for an entire day without my hand or wrist dying. The following weekend I played an FPS and had a noticeably superior experience.The second biggest complaint (from other users) is that the mouse itself is flimsy and cheap. I don't find this to be the case. True it doesn't have a space built in that you can add weights to, but because of how your hand rests on the "grip" your connection with this mouse is a lot more natural and fluid, no need for weights IMHO.If you are male or female with small hands, and the mouse you use now makes you feel like you're palming a boulder all day long, I highly recommend getting this mouse, even if you're not a gamer. (Great for design, as other users have stated)The ONLY thing I think could use improving on this mouse is the thumb buttons. The other buttons depress easily while the thumb buttons seem a little harder to push. No big deal overall, just something to get used to.

Love, love, love this mouse, I have used it for years. I have had this mouse on my wish list hoping it would be available on Amazon again, so I could buy a backup replacement mouse in case my current mouse failed. I have been a gamer for a long time and I have had carpal tunnel surgery in the past. This mouse allows my hand to have a perfect ergonomic position that does not let my hand go numb and allows me to game for hours on end. I love the sensitivity and the motion seems natural. I actually have a hard time using a traditional mouse after using this one on a long gaming weekend.

Great vertical mouse. I have nearly crippling carpal tunnel (I am an IT pro) and this has made a huge difference, especially for game play on the weekends!Update: Using this mouse (and a different semi-vertical mouse at work), I don't have to wear my wrist brace very often any more.Also, I really like the placement of the buttons and scroll wheel on this mouse. I am able to play games better with the easy-to access controls: the scroll wheel/switch and back/forward buttons are all right under your thumb.I really love this mouse.

I've been using this mouse for 3+ years, and I love it! The padding has come off of it, but it doesn't affect the performance or comfort, so I think it still gets 5 stars.Because it follows a more natural setting for your hand, I've never had wrist problems after having to use it for hours on end. And the adjustable speed setting straight on the mouse is extremely convenient!As far as gaming goes, it's perfect as long as you're not the type to program their mouse to do 20 different things. I highly recommend this mouse, both for regular use and for gaming!

Hardcore gamer, and this is my most essential piece of gear. Mouse is very durable. The plastic sticker decals eventually come off, but throw them away and keep gaming. A note about those that think it is too small, apparent they never really used it. Do understand that this is to be used as a mouse, and is not intended to be a full-hand pistol grip which would be bad because you would have to use arm movements to control. As it is, you wrap you thumb and top two fingers around the half-grip and flick your wrist to control. The buttons are under your fingers and you hand is in a more natural position. I even bought another as a spare in case this one breaks, but haven't had to open it yet after two years of hard use.

I bought this vertical mouse and the Shark mouse. I liked this one much better. The shark was too slippery and maybe too vertical. The Welltop has a slight texture so it helps keep the fingers on the buttons. I had injured my arm and the vertical position of the hand was more comfortable.One draw back of this type of mouse, it is awkward to bring the hand from the mouse to the keyboard because you have to raise your hand over the mouse as you move your hand.I also switched from the finger I normally use when using the scroll wheel.

Very comfortable to use. Didn't take any time to get use to it.

I tried 4 different mouse and finally found one that fits my hand. For reference, my 3rd finger measures 3 inch or 7.5 cm. Substantially decreased wrist pain after 1 week of use. Not superfast scroll speed but decent enough speed to get work done. Bought 3 of thses in case they go out of production.

Could this thing be any cheaper? No. It's really really cheap. And it is not weird like a mouse ball or some alternate input devices, I found myself as comfortable with this as with a regular mouse within 10 minutes and it really seems to have relieved a lot of wrist discomfort.

My girlfriend has been using a standard mouse forever. Lately her wrists have been hurting and having problems holding things. Ever since I installed the vertical mouse the pain in her wrist has decreased. Her grip has gotten better. I would say this mouse save her from having carpal tunnel. THANKS

If you look at this mouse and think it looks just like a WowPen Joy (without the logo), you would be correct. In fact, what I received was in fact the WowPen Joy, but I did not even notice. The mouse provides a nice neutral hand position, and is very comfortable for a very low price. The biggest issue is that I knock it over a lot, since it sticks up, but that is my own fault. I switch off between this mouse and a Kensington Trackball.

Used it for a long time with no complaints until.....after few months of use, the grips started to come off (glue wore out) so i stopped using it.

I love the laser being in the front. It makes a lot more sense to pivot than it does to drag your hand across the desk. I love the triggers being on the front, I suffer from normal mice buttons that keep me tapping and straining my tendons, this feels so much more natural and its way better than the other vertical mice... with buttons on the side, where clicking might actually move the mouse. So annoying.That said, I feel the entire left side of the 'stick' could be more curvy/ergonomic and the whole thing just a bit bigger (or make 2 sizes!) I would suggest turning the wheel on its side (protruding from the stick) that would seem more natural to me. I also dislike using the wheel for middle clicks, I think the top of the stick could have a nice middle click button that would see very natural. Also, I'm super thankful that it has a Mouse 4 & 5 button but they are kind of integrated within each other which is odd because they're meant for your thumb and you're thumb ins't always that precise. I would suggest moving them apart, making them bigger, and more vertically aligned.You're so close you don't even know it Zalman!

Unboxing this mouse I was shocked at it's size. The pictures of this mouse are misleading about its size. It's very small. However, after the initial shock it's really not so bad. I have very large hands, even for a male, and can comfortably use this mouse. The only downside I have found to its size is the platform built as a pinky rest is just too small. The tip of my pinky drags the table at times and hinders my movements. Other than that I can comfortably use this mouse. FYI: It IS designed to be a 3 finger grip rather than a 4 finger grip. It also feels a little plasticky with no weight adjustments. Now for the good things about this mouse (They far out-weigh the bad). It has a DPI toggle with a button on the sensor pad. It has 3 diffrent toggles, each one can be set to a diffrent DPI up to 2000. This is a FANTASTIC feature. Its just in a semi-awkward location for quick changes. All other buttons are customizable which is a BIG plus. I had no trouble at all installing the drivers. This mouse has a great feel that is hard to describe but worth mentioning. It's pistol-like grip is very natural and you know how it works the first time you use it. I had no adjustment period with this mouse at all! I would recomend it to any gamer, FPS, RTS, or any other type of game!WELL WORTH EVERY PENNY!

I've recently had some problems with a pinched nerve that made working with a mouse painful and frustrating. I had looked at this mouse before, but with its price and mediocre specs always passed it over. This time I was desperate for something ergonomic and this mouse was on sale. I definitely don't regret the purchase.First, let me say, this mouse is big. I'm not sure what planet of giants the people talking about it being small are from, but ignore them. It's 1 1/2x the length of my Logitech G500 and just a hair taller than the G500 is wide. Yes, my pinky rides off the side of it, but more of my hand rides off the side of a regular mouse. Incidentally, if you don't like your fingers gliding on the side of your mouse, try a Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse for PC. They have a wing you can add to the side to rest your fingers on.Because of the size of this mouse, as one reviewer noted, you'll need a decent sized gaming surface. I use a Ratpadz GS, which is 11.55" wide and 9.3" tall. At 2000 dpi, I typically use the full height of the pad and about half of the width of the pad during normal use and a bit more of it during frantic gaming. I would recommend at least a 6"Wx8"H area for using this mouse.Overall, I like the mouse quite a bit, and wish other manufacturers would take a cue from Zalman and look into more innovative/ergonomic mice.Pro's:Ergonomics allow for more comfortable play for those with RSI/carpal tunnelCool gungrip design feels natural when playing FPSThumb scroll wheel changes color as clear indicator of DPI settingCon's:Large, so needs larger gaming surfaceThumb forward/back buttons could be better designedIncluded drivers should be avoided, stick with plug and play

I'd recommend this mouse for any FPS gamer. I love this mouse except it is small for me. To be specific my hand from wrist to tip of middle finger is about 8 inches. Maybe a better measurement would be from the base between your thumb and forefinger, since this is where the mouse touches your hand when you grab it, to the tip of your middle finger. My measurement is about 6 inches. I'm thinking if your measurements are about 7 inches and/or 5 inches respectively this mouse would be a great fit. If your hand is larger like mine then the mouse will be usable, but I think the small size will keep your skills from being as good as they could be if the mouse fit your hand better. You will have better reaction times if just the pad of your fingertip is resting on the "trigger" mouse buttons. Better fit means less fatigue also.To make the mouse fit my hand better I bought some clay that gets hard when you bake it. I decided where I needed more bulk on the mouse, molded the clay on the mouse, used the mouse a little so the clay would shape to my hand, and then took off the clay, baked it. After cooling I glued the molded piece to the mouse. I did this in 4 smaller steps versus doing it all at once. The mouse is now custom fit for my hand.

One can safely use the scroll wheel for its rotation function, but DO NOT use the scroll wheel as a button. The small plastic axle that holds the wheel in place will break. When the scroll wheel is broke button inputs are skewed inside and the mouse is rendered useless. Fixing the plastic axle is possible. I repaired mine and have been using this mouse for about six months.

It's OK

This mouse is a lil smaller than the Anker wired mouse. This fits better in my hand, I like the sensitivity, the feel/control I have, it works well & the buttons feel ok. 2 issues I have with this mouse. The scroll wheel is kind of stiff, doesn't scroll with ease. Also the usb cord is short but I have extension cord so not a big issue. This vertical mouse has been a huge help with the pain I was experiencing in my elbow with a regular mouse. The price was worth a try & I hope its last a while.

This is actually a lot smaller than I was expecting. I had an ergonomic mouse that started having problems so I decided to buy this one based on reviews. I prefer to use an ergonomic mouse for online gaming because it is always nice to be comfortable for those long hours of gaming. Anyhow, I think this mouse is a little small for me. I wouldn't say I have large hands, they are pretty much normal sized, but my hand still feels a little cramped up using this, and it actually puts a little extra strain on my wrist as a result. My previous ergo mouse was much larger, and I got use to it and came to prefer it. I think I will keep this however, its compact size makes it easy to throw in a laptop bag and use it with a laptop for casual computer use rather than gaming. As for my desktop pc I will search for something a little bigger, but by no means is this a bad mouse.

Like the feel and received quickly

Great way to make a mouse, smaller than an average adult males hand, comfort grips fall off if you have warm hands and game for hours on end

The size is good. Some reviews say its too small, maybe. I am Asian and got smaller hand, so the size is good for me.One major down thing is somehow this mouse is designed as 2 parts. The part you are holding, and a part is at the front.That part has no particular reason.This is a major disadvantage because:1. It makes the mouse heavier to use. And hard to move. As you are holding it at one end, but somehow it got a pointing separated part at front, it affect you move the mouse when there is "something" wielding at the front. It can be very tiring and annoying.It makes the mouse too long. And it leads to the 2nd disadvantage.2. The laser senser is built at the bottom of the front pointing part.As its built at the front and making the mouse too long, I easily move the mouse too forward and the senser got out of the mouse pad and couldn't sense anything.I am using normal size mouse pad. The mouse itself is already same length of the mouse pad.3. THIS IS A MAJOR OF THE MAJORS affect.Since the senser is at the bottom of the front pointing part, not the part you are grabbing. It REALLY ALTER THE WAY YOU USE.For all mouse we are using, the senser is right below of your hand. But this mouse, when I want to move left to right, I shouldn't move my palm to get the pointer left to right. Because the senser is not below my palm.I got to kinda "wield" the mouse left right, because you need to wield the front senser part of the mouse to sense it.Its hard to use like that. And it goes back to the 1st disadvantage. It you keep wielding the mouse like that, you will got tired and hurt your wrist.I don't know why they don't build the senser right below the grabbing part. Maybe really wanna imitate the feeling of wielding a real gun, not just move the palm. But I got tired and hurt a little bit, giving me feel should I quit this mouse.Well... the rest is great. The trigger button really give me feeling of firing a gun when playing FPS. And the scroll wheel and thumb buttons just at right place.But since the scroll wheel is below your thumb, its hard to click the scroll wheel button. (mostly for FPS, the grenade button)

Pros:Tracks very wellCord is to the right side so it doesn't hit your keyboardFeels cool playing CSGO or other fps (you can get pretty precise with your left/right axis and its harder to move up/down so its great to keep locked in at HS height. I adjusted to using it surprisingly quickly.Cons:Pretty small but not a problem because you shouldn't hold it like an actual pistol grip if you want to be accurate (i rest my extra fingers toward the front section for stability)Mouse3 (scroll wheel click) feels awkward to click to me. You have to sort of roll your thumb and its in a tight corner.Click pressure is nice but the travel is really long which makes it hard to click fast/double click.Probably worse than a standard mouse for your hand/wrist in the long run as it requires gripping muscles to use but its nice to switch things up.

ok

Pro1) ergonomics is amazing, 12 hours of gaming without wrist pain2) buttons in all the right places, mouse scroll within easy reach of thumb with 2 extra buttons for the thumb as well. 2 trigger buttons and a dpi switch that is within reach but will never be in the wayCon1)the sensor is roughly 4 inches away from the center of your palm, that means your movements will be rougher, its great for quick turns, horrible for precision aiming.2)it needs space to work, your standard mouse pad need not apply3)and this is the reason why i'm returning it, plastic on the right side of the pistol grip is peeling off within a month. this has happened to several people already. the best part is the plastic also seems to have expanded a little so it can no longer just be glued back on.love this mouse for the long gaming sessions, had to switch back to my old trusty Logitech for shooters

I dig this mouse. I have Large hands so my pinkie finger is left extended when using the mouse. I have been using this mouse for 5 months. It has held up ok I tend to go through mice about one a year heavy left mouse clicking and dropping. no loss in the spring action or sticking of the mouse yet.

Worked great for 9 months then just stopped working.

The track wheel broke within the first month. This may have been my fault because I use it CONSTANTLY in my job, but that also made it impossible for me to keep using it.

Mouse broke in less than 2 month I have used.

When the mouse is working its great, but this is my second one and the scroll wheel broke again.

Great hand position, but feels cheap. I don't know if this is a long term solution but great for the price.

Just ok could be better

Love the idea, not so much the implementation.Maybe someone should tell Zalman that not all gamers are 8 years old.My wife's dainty hand was entirely too big for this, let alone a grown man.If you have human hands, take a pass.If you were born without or lost only your pinky and ring fingers in a horrible rickshaw accident, this may work for you.

Too small for my medium-sized Indian-guy hands. Just by a bit. Slightly smaller hands would like it, probably.Horizontal movement is great thanks to the sensor being located in that front boxy thing.Vertical movement severely suffers because of it.Mostly good software. Nothing amazing.Blue light on the wheel is annoyingly permanent.Thumb buttons are kind of stiff, never felt use-able in fast-paced scenarios.A decent idea. Needs more work.I'd avoid this thing. Or, at least, try to get one used/try someone else's first.

smaller and makes fingers hurt for some time, besides of that gives good use for gamming.

Concept is actually pretty good, but you need a big mousepad (repeat: big mousepad). I don't find any actual difficulty in usage, but when in use, the thing is all over the place. Get the RAT7 (Madcatz) instead. Now that's a mouse.

Have you ever looked at the McDonalds or Burger picture and thought with a hungry stomach, "Man that looks good, I gotta get it!".That's how I felt with this product. The idea is cool, fresh and seems innovative. Boy did I get schooled. Zalman has a great reputation for making cool products. For one I love their CPU air coolers, they are the best and thats not just my opinion.The Zalman FPS Gun however fails in many categories. Lets start with a couple.Cons1. The size of this thing is perfect for my future 3yr old gamer. Yes I do have a 3yr old gamer who playes Battlefield Bad Company 2 on PC. This mouse is too small for those with medium to large hands.2. That 2000 dpi rating is pretty weak, I am thinking the max in Windows 7 64bit is maybe 800-1000.3. Response time is so slow!4. Buttons are clumsy and make no sense.5. Does not have weights like most professional gaming mice, feels very light and cheap.6. Too damn expensive!Pros:1. Great idea for the gamer who has carpal tunnel.2. Nice design.3. USB design is nice4. Plug and play without software initially on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit5. Nice packaging.

i dont like this at all...very unnatural

I really like the mouse but the wheel just stopped working after about 3 weeks

I have carpal tunnel and I was hoping to find a mouse that would give me some relief. Unfortunately, this was not the one for me.

this is not designed very well. My hand is only in a slightly less twisted position than it was before. You'll notice that the placement of the thumb is very low in the mouse, so it requires you still to twist your hand and wrist.

I absolutely love the shape of this mouse, it's extremely comfortable. However it has a few shortcomings.1. The cord should be longer and more substantial2. While the design is superb, the plastic has a cheap sound to it... they should have either made it thicker of used some sort of sound deadener.3. The mouse stopped working within two hours of hooking it up. I had a capital I that wouldn't budge, so I switched back to my old mouse and the problem was resolved.If the mouse worked, I'd give it 4 stars with criticisms 1 & 2. Unfortunately, it didn't work - so I can only give it +one star (2 total) for such a stellar design. Hopefully I can find another vertical mouse with the same or similar design because this one is so easy to hold and use.

Gimmick. Now emergency all-the-stores-are-closed-until-morning backup.

No, just no

It's smaller than it looks. It's not that hard to get used to, but it started falling apart the first week of use. i would not suggest this for any serious gamers or anyone who has big hands.

The scroll wheel just popped inside and does not turn anymore making the product unusable. Unable to find the product manufacturer info for warranty. Please stay away

Was working really well. I have small hands and this mouse was very comfortable... Up until it broke after one month of use. Didn't do anything to cause it to break except for daily use and I only used it to browse the Internet. I don't play games... Just regular browsing. Such a disappointment

worked great for about a month then the scroll wheel fell apart. I would not purchase again.

Mouse was a piece of crap, Did not work properly. Very dissappointd