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  • Author Author: Catwell
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Polish start-up creates computer-in-a-mouse

Catwell

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Render of the PC in a mouse (all images via mouse box)


While most consumers today are swapping bulky desktop computers for compact tablets and smartphones, Polish start-up Przemysław Strzelczyk believes consumers will switch back to desktop computers, if computers can be made more compact. That’s why the tinkering team created Mouse-Box, a full PC harnessed inside the casing of a standard mouse. Take that Apple.

 

Przemysław Strzelczyk wanted to create a computer that was precise, comfortable and portable, so it built a fully functional, cloud-based PC (based on Android) inside of a necessary PC component – the mouse. The Mouse-Box is pretty impressive and features Wi-Fi, a quad-core TI OMAP Cortex-A9 SoC 1.4GHz processor, a micro-HDMI connector, two 3.0 USB ports, an accelerometer, gyroscope, optional battery-power and 128GB of storage. The best part is that it fits in the palm of your hand.

 

The Mouse-Box features five key features: HD image quality and connectivity to any HDMI/VGA/DVI capable monitor; Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity; power-packed quad-core processing power; a wireless charging pad (so theoretically, it should never run out of power); and limitless storage, as it includes both hardware storage and connects seamlessly to cloud-based storage programs. In demonstrations, the innovators behind the magic mouse showed that once the device is plugged into a monitor, it just works. That’s part of what Przemysław Strzelczyk wanted to create – a brilliantly convenient product that you can just plug-in and use on the go. 



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In a video on the company’s site, the Polish innovators show how the Mouse-Box can replace a standard PC at home and in the office. It can be used to give corporate presentations, browse the web and function as a standard mouse. In this way, the compact PC is similar to a flash drive storage device, except instead of bringing saved files with you to work, you can bring your entire PC. It also eliminates the need for a bulky CPU, saving consumers desktop space. The polish start-up, however, still needs funding to bring the concept to market. As such, a release date and prospective consumer price have yet to be announced.

 

The concept of making standard PCs more compact, however, isn’t new. Asus has its Eee Keyboard and maker Apostol Tnokovski recently announced his E-Ball PC concept. Experts watching global trends believe the surge in mini-PC technology is anticipatory of a spike in demand for the desktop PC. While tablets combine convenience and portability, they have their drawbacks. Storage space is limited and many tablets don’t offer fully functioning operating systems. Experts thus predict (and Przemysław Strzelczyk hopes) consumers will return to the tried and trusted desktop PC. According to Daily Mail, experts at Gartner estimate more than 300 million PC units will be sold in 2015. 

 

It may be a while until the Mouse-Box is available on the market. Currently, the start-up isn’t looking to crowdfunding for financial backing. Instead, it’s asking for the private sector to step up and fund the project, which may take a while. In the meantime, if you need a portable PC and can’t wait, check out the Eee Keyboard or follow Apostol Tnokovski and build your own.

 

I'm seeing a Raspberry Pi 2 in a mouse project for myself in the near future!

 

C

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  • in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    Yes, I think most people are using their cellphones for this purpose already.  Some have hdmi ports, can attach the sd card as mass storage if you want, and even function as a crappy keyboard if one isn't available.

  • I can help but notice the palm photo looking very fake, there are no shadows or anything around the mouse on the hand and it looks very flat and fake, rather than the first photo of the mouse

     

    I would like to assume this is the non battery version or why would there be a standard mouse connector cable coming out of it, lets hope this is the power connector

     

    The mouse would also not move too well if the micro HDMI where also connected (2 cables now coming out) and the two USB ports also being used

     

    now consider this is a quad core A9 at 1.4Ghz, the new PI 2 is a quad core A7 at 900Mhz and in other ways very similar, there would be no room for a battery in this to run it for more than a few minutes at a time,  and don't get me started regarding the heat dissipation needs between all those devices (Don't see any ventilation anywhere on the mouse)

     

    I watched their video and none of the pictures where of a working unit except where they where virtual, the one physical unit did not appear in enough detail to know what it contains

     

    Unfortunately this makes me sceptical of the whole thing, they have a lot of hurdles to overcome before it will replace a tablet or other common place device and no matter where you take it you will still need to be lugging or have access to a keyboard, screen etc

     

    for now im sticking to my smart phone and tablet.

     

    Peter

  • @

    The Mouse-Box is pretty impressive and features Wi-Fi, a quad-core TI OMAP Cortex-A9 SoC 1.4GHz processor, a micro-HDMI connector, two 3.0 USB ports, an accelerometer, gyroscope, optional battery-power and 128GB of storage. The best part is that it fits in the palm of your hand.

       I can see this device being an intelligent computer. With some python programming, I can develope a nice menu system using processor and storage. But the neatest thing would be on the fly web enabled content. Add a mic on USB and I could record a presentation. Using the accelerometer/gyroscope makes this a pointer/gesture machine. But is it light weight so wrist does not tire? Wowimage

     

    Clem