Like many people, I have invisible access needs. I’m not in constant barely tolerable pain these days (I used to be!), but some movements come at a physical cost: constant reaching, bending over a laptop — that sort of thing.
The complicating factor is that I hate using computer accessories marketed for “accessibility”. Lots of accessibility tools have user experience tradeoffs – either in functionality, comfort, or simplicity.
Too many accessibility tools compromise user experience on functionality, comfort or simplicity
As a result, I’m set in my ways when it comes to my work setup. I use a well-placed touchpad (with a wrist rest) in lieu of a mouse, and I keep a keyboard on my lap so I can sit in my way too expensive an ergonomic chair without moving. Still, it’s not the most convenient thing in the world. So if there’s a better way, I’m game.
All of these are compatible with Windows 10 and 11—good news for the upgrade-phobic among you—and can be configured via the Microsoft Accessory Center app. They can also be used with devices running other OSes, but they require initial configuration on a Windows PC. They also work wirelessly (via Bluetooth) or when hardwired via a USB-C cable (which also charges them).
Overall, these devices do a great job of providing an opportunity to make a lot of actions and functionalities more accessible through simple long and short button presses without the burden of having to move at a desk (something that is extremely difficult for people important such as me; see above). In other words, they do more or less what they want to do. They’re also sized for portability—and thus, accessibility. Any of these (probably smaller than the adaptive mouse tail) could comfortably fit in your pocket – even the very small pockets of women’s jeans.
However, I do have nitpicks. I’m not a fan of the material/texture. Pretty much all of the Microsoft Adaptive Assistant tools I’ve tested (and I’m sorry because this is going to be weirdly obvious) plastics feel. They are at once too textured and not textured enough. The casings feel cheap and unpleasantly rough.
Speaking of accessibility, let’s delve into those accessibility functions. (Keep in mind that I’ve looked at these in the context of my own needs; for other people, this stuff may work differently or suit them better.)
The Adaptive Hub is a small black box-shaped device about the size and shape of a portable USB charger. “Hub” is the key word here. It provides functionality not so much as it enables devices that provide access. It’s like a wireless docking station for your other adaptive devices—not just other Microsoft adaptive accessories. The Adaptive Hub has five 3.5mm ports and three USB-C ports (not counting the charging port), all configurable, with adaptive buttons and switches to connect. It also has a Bluetooth pairing button.
What I really like about the Adaptive Hub is that it has a Profiles button that allows you to switch between three different device profiles. Each profile can be customized so that your adaptive equipment will act in a particular way when the Adaptive Hub is set to that profile. This means that three different people can use the same adaptive assistant device with their own individual configurations through the Adaptive Hub. Or, if you don’t need sharing, it means that one person can effectively triple the number of their personal adaptive luggage offerings.
You can also customize the set of button actions for a specific app through the fourth profile, Profile 0.
The D-pad has one pushable button for the eight cardinal directions and the center for the ninth pushable area.
Adaptive Button is a small square-shaped device about the size of the sum of the one to nine keys on my keyboard’s 10-key number pad. The one I received came with a d-pad topper out of the box, but the Adaptive Button is customizable. Microsoft also sells at least two other toppers, including the Joystick Topper and the Two-Button Topper. The company has also partnered with Shapeways, a 3D-printing company that makes other 3D-printed toppers and add-ons to meet specific needs. (To replace the topper, some awkward pressing and twisting is required.)
This review, however, will focus on the D-pad.
The D-pad has one pushable button for the eight cardinal directions and the center for the ninth pushable area. You can use the Microsoft Accessory Center app to customize what each of these does for a short press and a long press; Effectively, the D-pad gives you 18 actions or actions (including macros if you want) per profile.
The Adaptive Button is small and has rubber-like feet so you can hold or position it however you like – approx. The square shape of the Adaptive Button device isn’t the most ergonomic design, depending on how you want to use it. I found it uncomfortable to hold (that is, to control with my thumb) for extended periods; The size and shape are more for portability than anything else.
Additionally, because it’s totally square, totally symmetrical, and totally black, it’s not always easy to tell which side is which – so I sometimes get confused as to which button to press. All you’ll find are the power button and pairing button (both small and the same color as the rest of the device) on the bottom, and the USB-C charging port on the top. There are no other indicators. Maybe it would help to put a sticker on the d-pad.
My biggest complaint about the D-pad is its lack of satisfying haptics. The button is pulpy and not deep at all. It didn’t feel particularly like I pressed it when I did. (Some people, I guess, prefer these types of haptics; I’m not one of them.) The haptic sensations in the D-pad were also inconsistent. Some edges/corners felt different from others in terms of clickiness. Meanwhile, center presses require significantly more pressure than side or corner presses.
In any case, the d-pad won’t be the best topper option for everyone.
An adaptive mouse consists of two clickable buttons and a scroll wheel.
The Adaptive Mouse (which connects directly to your computer instead of the Adaptive Hub) is roughly the same size and shape as the Adaptive Button, except it has rounded corners and edges (appropriate for mouse-dome) and a slightly gets smaller. It has two clickable buttons and a clickable scroll wheel. Both the buttons and the clickable scroll wheel can be configured for action/function shortcuts for both short presses and long presses, just like the Adaptive Button can.
In a world where middle button/scroll wheel clicks and right-clicks aren’t as indispensable as they were 20 years ago, this extra functionality adds new and exciting layers of usefulness to what would otherwise be a standard mouse. For example, I set middle button short press to open notepad and long press to open calculator – I use two apps Very, Not that I was using middle click for anything else, after all.
But what the adaptive mouse adds in productivity and functionality, it subtracts in physically accessible design. Like the Adaptive Button, its size and shape make it especially handy for travel — but these same factors make it particularly inconvenient for standard use as a mouse. It is too small to hold under the palm. And it’s too small and sleek for a comfortable standing paw grip; As soon as you start clicking a button, you run the risk of losing your grip on it.
All this is needed in the design, perhaps, for the texture on the mouse buttons to have some small bumps to keep them from slipping. We can hope that Microsoft introduces this in Microsoft Adaptive Mouse 2.0. Until then, you can stick something on itself (perhaps a furniture slider) to keep it from sliding off your hand. Otherwise, you’ll need a 3D-printed solution (whether home-brew or from Shapeways) if, for some reason, you want your mouse to rest comfortably in your hand while in use.
Thumb support connects to the mouse.
But wait – there’s another solution. You can buy the Adaptive Mouse Tail and Thumb Support add-ons for the Adaptive Mouse. It attaches to the back of the mouse (once you’ve peeled off part of the casing), making the adaptive mouse resemble the Microsoft Arc Mouse in terms of shape and letting you use it as a more traditional mouse.
The thumb support attachment, which comes with it, can be mercifully attached and reattached to either side, making this add-on just as useful for lefties as it is for righties. (Or you can leave it out if you prefer an alternate grip.)
On the downside, the otherwise well-responsive buttons on the adaptive mouse aren’t well designed or angled for this type of use. A standard mouse will usually let you push anywhere on the button without much difference in force to register a click. Here, when using the Adaptive Mouse Tail with the Adaptive Mouse, I had to make a more conscious effort to keep my fingers toward the far tips of the buttons or to press harder. This doesn’t make the Adaptive Mouse with Mouse Tail unusable, but it does take some getting used to.
my conclusion? In my estimation, all of these accessories represent a commendable continuation of Microsoft’s foray into the adaptive accessories market. They’ve got some really helpful features in the form of portability, multiple profiles, and click-and-reach-saving shortcuts. They can also be adjusted to your needs through Shapeways’ 3D-printed designs. But they come with some UX tradeoffs (unpleasant texture, slippery, poor ergonomics, subpar haptic design) – things that need to be improved for optimal accessibility.
Photography by Joe Stanganelli for The edge
