4 ms·

One thing this really points out is how products that's ultra-hackable and ultra-customizable are often more expensive than typical mass-produced, ultra-cost-sh

One thing this really points out is how products that's ultra-hackable and ultra-customizable are often more expensive than typical mass-produced, ultra-cost-shaved alternatives. IE, the Ploopy mouse costs $130, but a generic wired mouse costs $13. I'm tempted to buy a Ploopy mouse because it has dedicated copy & paste buttons... (I don't think I'd ever hack it.) But then again, it has a cord! I personally was a holdout and kept using a wired mouse long after everyone cut their cord, but I don't want to go back to a wire. (And I don't want to hack the mouse to be cordless.)

weego 5y ago
It's a 3d printed shell and some fairly stock bits. How anyone thinks that justifies nearly $200 assembled is beyond me. Also almost all claims that a specific keyboard / mouse design from someone 3d printing their own stuff is ergonomic are dubious at best and more than likely just a sales tagline.
- LeifCarrotson 5y ago
  And this sentiment is why so many hardware startups fail. At small scales, you need sale prices 2x, 4x or more above your BOM costs to have any hope of profitability.
Cyberdog 5y ago
Opposite here. After trying a few, I have no interest in buying cordless mice and will actively go out of my way to make sure any mouse I buy is corded. Even if things have gotten better in the last few years since I've tried them with regards to lag and such, there's still the annoying battery situation. Sometimes there's just no replacing a direct connection. All that said, I agree on the price on these. I'd love to have an open-firmware mouse, but $130 is too steep for a productivity mouse and there's not enough buttons for a gaming mouse (I like using the MMO-style ones which basically have a 10-key pad under your thumb).
- gwbas1c 5y ago
  > there's still the annoying battery situation That was what kept me away from cordless mice for decades. Now I seem to get about a year on a set of batteries. Do you use your mouse for gaming? Image manipulation? I don't have accuracy issues, but sometimes I notice a very slight lag if I haven't touched the mouse in a few minutes. Personally I'm willing to put up with that compared to the cord getting in the way.
  - Cyberdog 5y ago
    > Do you use your mouse for gaming? Image manipulation? Yes, often, and yes, sometimes. The "wake up" thing is a problem I remember having from one of the wireless rodents I had in the past and it was definitely frequent enough to turn me off. Granted, improvements in this and in battery life have surely occurred over the years, but I've never had a problem with a cord getting in the way (are you pointing your mouse backwards sometimes?), so that's not something I need solved. I'll just stick with wired mice for now and the foreseeable future.

weego 5y ago

It's a 3d printed shell and some fairly stock bits. How anyone thinks that justifies nearly $200 assembled is beyond me. Also almost all claims that a specific keyboard / mouse design from someone 3d printing their own stuff is ergonomic are dubious at best and more than likely just a sales tagline.

LeifCarrotson 5y ago
And this sentiment is why so many hardware startups fail. At small scales, you need sale prices 2x, 4x or more above your BOM costs to have any hope of profitability.

Cyberdog 5y ago

Opposite here. After trying a few, I have no interest in buying cordless mice and will actively go out of my way to make sure any mouse I buy is corded. Even if things have gotten better in the last few years since I've tried them with regards to lag and such, there's still the annoying battery situation. Sometimes there's just no replacing a direct connection. All that said, I agree on the price on these. I'd love to have an open-firmware mouse, but $130 is too steep for a productivity mouse and there's not enough buttons for a gaming mouse (I like using the MMO-style ones which basically have a 10-key pad under your thumb).

gwbas1c 5y ago
> there's still the annoying battery situation That was what kept me away from cordless mice for decades. Now I seem to get about a year on a set of batteries. Do you use your mouse for gaming? Image manipulation? I don't have accuracy issues, but sometimes I notice a very slight lag if I haven't touched the mouse in a few minutes. Personally I'm willing to put up with that compared to the cord getting in the way.
- Cyberdog 5y ago
  > Do you use your mouse for gaming? Image manipulation? Yes, often, and yes, sometimes. The "wake up" thing is a problem I remember having from one of the wireless rodents I had in the past and it was definitely frequent enough to turn me off. Granted, improvements in this and in battery life have surely occurred over the years, but I've never had a problem with a cord getting in the way (are you pointing your mouse backwards sometimes?), so that's not something I need solved. I'll just stick with wired mice for now and the foreseeable future.