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Frequently Asked Questions (18 April, 2010)

What does Meta mean?

Meta is a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, with the meanings "after" and "beyond". Due to its unique design, the functionality of the Meta completely transforms as you go from one application to another, or from one game to another. It has transcended the plane of mere material mouseness. We're not the only ones to reach this conclusion. After reviewing the mouse for two weeks, Techzine magazine concluded that we have "given the concept of the mouse a whole new meaning." Hence our chosen tagline for the WarMouse Meta: Transcend the Mouse.

Is the WarMouse Meta a gaming mouse or an office application mouse?

Depending upon your perspective, it is both and neither. The Meta will perform better in most games than the best gaming mice out there, but it is indisputably even more useful for a wide range of commercial software applications. We already have more than 30 application modes for everything from audio editing and CAD to medical radiology and contact management software. Some of these modes are for commercial applications we'd never even heard of before, made by people who have downloaded our mode layout spreadsheet.

How many modes are there?

At the moment, 90. We will ship 64 with the first Metas and expect to have more than 1,000 game and application modes available for download from the website by the end of the year.

Is this like Apple's Magic Mouse?

The Meta is almost the complete opposite of Apple's approach with their new mouse. The Magic Mouse has one giant button that can do 10 things, the Meta has 18 buttons that can each do two or more things. And a scroll wheel. And a joystick. And 512k of flash memory storing 3,072 commands....

How do I hold the mouse?

We have found the most efficient and effective way is to rest your first three fingers on the mouse with your thumb on the joystick. Your index finger controls the first two vertical rows, your middle finger utilizes the two middle ones and the scroll wheel, and your ring finger the last two rows. This lets you click and double-click with a minimum of effort and finger movement. A more conventional two-fingered "V" approach will work too, but is slower on the buttons and will tend to place an amount of strain on the index finger over time. On the ergonomic side, the decreased use of icons and pull-down menus significantly reduces the amount of wrist movement required to operate the Meta in comparison with other mice.

Aren't all those buttons hopelessly confusing?

Not at all. If you can remember what a command does, then you can remember which button triggers it. It usually takes about two days to get completely used to a new game or application. If you can handle the buttons on a smartphone, then you can easily handle the buttons on the WarMouse Meta. The buttons are laid out in such a way as to make it easy to know which one your finger is on without needing to look at it. If you get confused as to which button does what, just click the help button to see a transparent map of all the commands assigned to the buttons in your active profile. Or, alternatively, you can refer to the PDF exported for that profile. And if you doubt us, we've provided a sophisticated set of button click tracking so you can see exactly how much you are using each and every command for each and every game and application. Our initial tests indicate that the average user will replace more than 30% of his normal L1/R1 button clicking and hotkey use with Meta functions; the percentage will likely be even higher for veteran gamers and power users.lik

Can I reassign the buttons on the default profiles?

You can customize them and rearrange them however you like. It's very easy. Just click on the function in the relevant mode, click Assign, then click on the button you want. To assign a double-click, do the same thing but check the double-click box before clicking on the button. You can create an entire application mode in 10 minutes even if you start from scratch and don't use the Copy Category or Copy Mode functions.

What if I don't feel like making my own mode but there's no default mode for a game or application I'm using?

We are constantly adding to our catalog of default modes for everything from major mainstream applications to obscure DOS abandonware. The mode library currently comprises 50 games and 35 applications and we will ship a total of 100 in the box. We will continue to expand our library here on the web site; once you find the mode you want, all you have to do is download it and load it into Meta Modeware. That's it. Update the mouse by clicking a button and you're ready to go. And if we don't have a mode you want, you can fill out a layout on a spreadsheet and email it to us. We'll email you back the requested mode as well as a PDF of the mode map.

When does the first gaming-dedicated WarMouse come out?

The WarMouse Meta is already more powerful than the most high-end gaming mouse out there, the Razer Mamba. Follow us on Twitter or the WarMouse development blog to keep up on the latest news.

Why did you change your mind about using the laser sensor?

Because we were offered a laser that didn't cost any more than the optical sensor. We're still not entirely sold on the genuine necessity of CPI above 2,000, but if you want ultra-high resolution, we've certainly got it. And thanks to the capabilities of Meta Modeware, we also allow the Meta user to customize default, high, and low CPI settings for every single game and appplication and switch between those settings with a single button click if desired. This is quite useful in FPS games and Photoshop, but significantly less so in RTS and word processors.

What on Earth can you do with 512k memory? Isn't that just a marketing comparison?

Not at all. That's why we can store 63 simultaneous modes compared to 5 for other mice. You can have longer macros with more characters. You can store more game and application settings in the Meta for faster and more reliable switching from application to application. The more buttons you have, the more memory you need. And, we suspect the open source community will come up with even more useful ideas for how to use it.

Why did you use the OpenOffice name without OpenOffice.org's permission?

We didn't, we always had permission to use it. We requested written permission from the responsible individuals in OpenOffice.org's marketing group, who met and discussed our request to make use of the OOo brand before deciding to grant us permission to make use of the name and logo. Engadget was completely, utterly, and provably wrong to claim that we did not have permission to use the OpenOffice.org name or the OOo logo; that is why their Associate Editor was quick to remove the term "fraud" from the story when we contacted them and requested a correction. Ironically, we probably didn't even require OpenOffice.org's permission to use the term "OpenOfficeMouse" in the first place since a) their trademark is "OpenOffice.org" and not "OpenOffice" or "OpenOfficeMouse", and b) their trademark applies to software, not computer input devices. We have no idea why Donald Melanson concluded that we didn't have permission because he didn't talk to us, to OpenOffice.org's Marketing Group, or to any of the people at Sun responsible for OpenOffice.org before writing the piece. Sun did ask us to change the name of the mouse AFTER the Engadget story appeared and we had no problem agreeing to their request because there was already considerable confusion over a) who was making the mouse and b) if the mouse would work with non-OpenOffice.org applications. Note that the press release which was issued to clarify the matter was a joint press release put out by both Sun and WarMouse. We continue to have positive relations with both OpenOffice.org and Sun; some of our first production units are earmarked for individuals at those two organizations. In March, we requested and received permission to distribute OpenOffice.org productivity suite with the WarMouse Meta from Sun/Oracle; the Modeware installation program will provide an option to install OpenOffice.org 3.2 as well as the five default modes created for Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base.

Did people really think it only ran with OpenOffice applications?

Yes, and that assumption actually is not quite as stupid as it might initially sound. After all, you can't use the additional WoWmouse buttons outside of WoW and you can only customize the Naga's 12 thumb buttons in games for which they've written a special interface. The WarMouse Meta takes a very different approach which is why it can work with any application that makes use of keyboard keys or pull-down menus.

What's up with the Intellivision thing?

We are serious old school gamers with great respect for the classic games. Unfortunately, until now, the PC has never had a satisfactory input device to replace the gold thumb disc when using PC Intellivision emulators such as Nostalgia or Intellivision Lives. With all the wisdom inherent in 28+ years of game development, the Blue Sky Rangers saw the utility of our mouse design and were kind enough to provide us with a custom multi-game Intellivision emulator that serves as an excellent demonstration of the Meta's gaming capabilities.

Real Intellivision games? Which ones?

Of course. Our long-time favorites... we'll be announcing them in the future.

How about other emulators?

Thanks to the analog joystick, the Meta is phenomenal with MAME and classic arcade games such as Ms. Pac-man, Joust, Donkey Kong, and 1941. It has been extensively tested in this capacity. We even have a special "Arcade" mode in which B1-B7 serve as Joystick Buttons 1 through 7 in Windows.

Is your setup sofware really open source? Why?

Yes, it really is. The code on July 1, 2010. We don't sell software, we don't believe in stifling technological development, and we really don't believe that we are the only ones who can figure out interesting and effective ways to use the Meta's revolutionary mouse interface. If you've got a better idea, then we want to help you make it happen.

How do I make Modeware autostart in Windows?

To autostart Modeware with Windows, go into the Start/All Programs/Meta Modeware folder, right-click on the Modeware icon and select Create Shorcut. Then left-click on the new Modeware(2) icon and drag it into the Startup folder. The next time you start Windows, Modeware will autostart.

There are so many modes! Can I delete some of them? What if I want to use them later, can I bring them back?

It is perfectly safe to go ahead and delete every mode you don't want from Modeware. You can re-import them anytime you want one since there are backup versions on your hard drive in Program Files/Modeware/Modes. To delete them more quickly, use Groups/Delete Current Group. Deleting the group deletes all the modes in it.


-faq