Introduction:

1.1 History of the computer mouse

One of the most iconic innovations that complimented the rise of the personal computer in everyday life, was the computer mouse. Originally envisioned and designed as a wooden box with wheels by Douglas Engalbert in 1964 (Glass, 2018), the computer mouse was destined to change the way people would use computers. 

Coupled with the gradual rise of computers in everyday life, the computer mouse would slowly evolve into different variations that would fit the needs of the different people. The first real development of the computer mouse would come in 1972, when American computer engineer William English developed the “ball” mouse (Glass, 2018). This “ball” mouse would replace the wheels of its precursor’s design with a trackball, enabling it to monitor movement in any direction. However, the “ball” mouse design had its own unique issues. Occasionally, the trackball would collect debris such as dirt and dust within its components causing it to clog and stop working. Eventually, more progress would be made by the year 1980, when the optical mouse was developed, which slowly saw the removal of the ball in computer mice at the time. These optical mice were commercially sold by Xerox in 1988 and were comprised of new advancements such as LEDs within the mouse that would enable the mouse to detect movements of the user over a surface. 

Today, we have computer mice of all kinds being used, ranging from the everyday optical mice, to the trackball mice, to even the laptop trackpads. Nowadays, every mouse made is catered for a certain situation, with some optical mice being used for general purposes or competitive gaming, and some trackball mice being used for more work-oriented situations such as graphic design and video editing. With that being said, there is a mouse that is made for everyone and everything, proving the broad importance the computer mouse has served and will continue to do so within the world of computers. 

1.2 A Look Into the BenQ Zowie Brand

BenQ Corporation is a Taiwanese multinational consumer electronics manufacturer and provider (Plunkett, 2007). The BenQ name itself is an acronym for their company slogan “Bringing Enjoyment N Quality to life.”  The company’s flagship products range from high end gaming monitors to mobile communication devices. 

The company first began operating in the year 2001 as a spinoff of Acer, for the sole purpose of providing a separate branch to the Acer brand. However in 2006, BenQ would end up becoming a separate entity entirely due to Acer selling all of its shares of BenQ (“Acer cuts BenQ’s cord”, 2006). BenQ would then continue to manufacture technology products such as mobile devices and cameras, all aimed at an Asian target. They also began to dive into the world of competitive gaming, sponsoring various professional esports teams and organizations while also beginning to produce gaming accessories such as high refresh rate monitors.

BenQ’s venture into gaming would then lead them to the eventual acquisition of ZOWIE GEAR, a notable gaming accessory brand, on December 10, 2015 (Wilson, 2015). This led to all of ZOWIE’s products to don a new logo and color scheme, whilst also bearing the BenQ name in all of its new products. These products would include gaming accessories such as monitors, gaming mice, mouse pads, and mouse bungees.

1.3 Creation of the Zowie FK1

In the ever growing world of competitive gaming, the Zowie FK1 is a staple optical mouse for many looking to gain an advantage over the opposition. Designed by ZOWIE GEAR and Filip “NEO” Kubksi (hence the name of the mouse being FK, the same as his initials), a Polish professional player of the action game Counter-Strike, regarded as one of the greatest to ever play. The Zowie FK1 was designed specifically to fit the needs of Kubski, in order to maximize his ability during matches. 

Figure 1: Filip “NEO” Kubski Figure 2: Zowie FK1 in 2015

Prior to becoming one of the main inspirations and designers for the FK1 mouse, Kubski had used previous Zowie mouse models such as the EC and the AM series. However with these models, Kubski still felt like there was something missing, that in turn prevented him from reaching his optimal abilities during matches. Kubksi wanted to create a mouse that would be catered for players that utilized a “claw” grip with their mice. 

                Figure 4: Side view of the “claw” mouse grip

To quote Kubski (2013) himself, “I would like that the mouse be designed with a concave in the middle, so that I could hold the right side of the mouse by my ring finger and little finger at the same time.” With this design philosophy in place, Kubski and Zowie created the FK1 with a slight concave in the middle, allowing Kubski and other “claw” grip players to be able to hold the right side of the mouse with their ring and pinky finger. This is especially important for players with “claw” grips, as it will allow them increased comfortability while playing, which in turn leads to a higher quality of in-game movement control.          

Description of the BenQ Zowie FK1:

2.1 The Inside Technology 

  The Zowie FK1 is an optical gaming mouse, making the entirety of its components electronic. In fact, the optical mouse has almost no moving parts, with the exception of the mouse wheel. Looking at its inside components, the mouse works by utilizing a red LED light that is projected from the back of the mouse to the front (as seen in Figure 4). The red LED light is then reflected and angled downwards to the surface on which the mouse is moving on by a plastic strip serving as a light guide. After the red LED light gets projected onto the surface, a light-detector chip absorbs all the reflected light back into the mouse’s processing chip in which a series of calculations and processes occur to convert the mouse user’s analog movements into digital information that can be sent to the computer for further processing and input. 

Figure 4: A closer look at the red LED that is reflected by the light-guide.

Figure 5: The inner workings of a Zowie FK1 from 2015

User inputs such as scrolling with the mouse wheel and pressing the right and left mouse buttons involve a different procedure. This procedure begins with a switch mechanism (Woodford, 2019) that is attached to the sides of the scroll wheel. The purpose of the mechanism is to detect when the mouse wheel is pressed, and measure how much of the scroll wheel is rotated. Though there are various methods in which rotation of the scroll wheel is measured such as using variable resistors, the Zowie FK1 utilizes a rotary encoder (a device that converts angular position and rotations into digital information). The use of the rotary encoder aligns with the design philosophy of Kubski and ZOWIE GEAR, as they wanted to keep the mouse lightweight, making it much easier to control during gameplay. 

  Figure 6: Close up look at the Zowie’s mouse wheel and rotary encoder

In addition to the scroll wheel, the Zowie FK1 has two primary mouse buttons, being the left click and the right click, while also having four secondary mouse buttons, with two of them on each side of the mouse. Each one of these buttons is complimented with a microswitch (electrical switch that is activated with minimal force), which is responsible for detecting when a button is pressed, and sending that information to the mouse’s main chip where it is then routed to the computer with a USB type A wire (seen next page in Figure 7).

Figure 7: Zowie branded USB type A wire 

Unlike other gaming mice used within the gaming scene, the Zowie FK1 does not need any extra drivers or complimentary customization programs in order to be used (Zowie, 2020). This is partly due to ZOWIE GEAR’s fairly minimalistic approach with its items, as well as a DPI (dots per inch) adjustment button on the bottom of the mouse. The DPI button is used to control the mouse’s sensitivity with intervals of 400/800/1600/3200 DPI. 

2.2 The Outside Technology and Aesthetic

Over the years of production, the Zowie FK1 has rarely strayed from its minimalistic and sleek design. Prior to being acquired by BenQ in 2015, the Zowie FK1 donned a black and yellow color scheme complimented with a yellow ZOWIE GEAR logo. However, after being acquired by BenQ and becoming their flagship professional gaming line, they have switched to a black and red color scheme and a redesigned logo that slightly resembles a “Z,” to signify their status as ZOWIE GEAR. The Zowie FK1 of newer generations reflect these changes, with black mousewheel and a red ZOWIE GEAR logo on the rear end of the mouse. 

Another important aspect of the Zowie FK1 is the coating material that is used to cover the mouse. Since its oldest iterations, the FK1 has utilized a plastic coating material, but now come in a special white edition that utilizes a glossy coating material (Zowie, 2017). The different coating materials allows for users with varying levels of sweat from their hands to have the opportunity to use a mouse that best works with the moisture level of their hands. A glossy coating will allow more grip for a user with dry hands, while a plastic coating will be more beneficial to a user with moist hands.

The Zowie FK1 also comes equipped with two mouse skates, which are found at the bottom of the mouse. The mouse skates, or sometimes referred to as mouse feet are small strips made out of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon. This material is used for the mouse skates due to its particularly low coefficient of friction (Sam, 2019), allowing the mouse to easily glide across a mousepad’s surface. The Zowie FK1’s mouse skates are interchangeable with third party brands of mouse skates such as Hyperglides, in the case that the mouse skates begin to wear off over constant usage.

Figure 8: Zowie branded mouse skates for the FK1

Conclusion:

The Zowie FK1 mouse may seem relatively simple when judging it from its minimalistic exterior, but the amount of effort and thought put into its components truly outshine its superficial features. With the creation of the FK1 mouse,  Filip “NEO” Kubksi and ZOWIE GEAR ushered in a new age of technology and design, bringing a new perspective to the market of gaming accessories. No longer were mice being made to try to encapsulate a larger audience, but rather designed expertly and carefully as a professional sports player would do with a custom sneaker of their own. It was the signaling of the rise of esports in modern day culture, which was slowly erasing the stereotype that gamers were held to — as unhealthy, lazy, anti social people, into a new image comparable to that of a professional athlete in recognized sports.  BenQ has now also become an iconic brand within the realm of esports, sponsoring various esports teams and tournaments, all thanks to their innovations with the Zowie FK1 and other gaming accessory ventures. The Zowie FK1 today is still used by many players, and even has different versions such as the FK1+, and FK2, allowing for players of all kinds to have access to a mouse that truly fits them. Coupled with the ever growing esports world and ZOWIE GEAR’s leading designs, gaming accessories will continue to reach new heights, bringing out the best in gamers from all over the world. 

References

Acer cuts BenQ’s cord. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2020, from http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/desktop-hardware/2006/04/18/acer-cuts-benqs-cord-39263877/

BenQ announces ZOWIE as the new brand for e-sports. (2015, December 10). Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://zowie.benq.com/en-us/news/2015/benq-announces-zowie-as-the-new-brand-for-e-sports.html

Donnell P. (2014). Zowie FK1 Picture (digital image). Retrieved from https://www.eteknix.com/zowie-fk1-gaming-mouse-review/2/

Glass, D. (Ed.). (2018, January 24). The Evolution of the computer mouse from Microsoft and Logitech. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.theversed.com/86383/the-evolution-of-the-computer-mouse/#.JhoC6kbxCt

Hodgson M. (2017) Zowie USB wire (photograph). Retrieved from https://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/benq_zowie_ec2_a_review,5.html

Mouse light-guide (photograph) (2019). Retrieved from https://www.explainthatstuff.com/computermouse.html

Open top Zowie FK1 mouse (photograph) (2013). Retrieved from https://bbs.wstx.com/thread-469441-1-1.html

Portrait of Filip “NEO” Kubski (photograph) (2019). Retrieved from https://www.hltv.org/player/165/NEO

Plunkett, J. W. (2007). Plunketts Telecommunications Industry Almanac 2008: Telecommunications Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends & Leading Companies. Plunkett Research Ltd.

Rotary encoder inside FK1 (photograph) (2014). Retrieved from https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=64970.0

Sam, R. (2019, July 7). Mouse Feet Replacement Guide – Are Hyperglides worth it? Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://thegamingsetup.com/gaming-mouse/buying-guides/mouse-feet-replacement

Side of view “claw” mouse grip (digital image). (2019). Retrieved from https://steelseries.com/blog/which-mouse-grip-best-for-you-96

Wilson, M. (2015, December 15). Zowie gaming peripherals is now part of BenQ. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/matthew-wilson/zowie-gaming-peripherals-is-now-part-of-benq/

Woodford, C. (2019, September 3). How does a computer mouse work? Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.explainthatstuff.com/computermouse.html

ZOWIE FK Design Philosophy with NEO. (2013, April 1). Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://play.esea.net/news/12567

ZOWIE FK1 Mouse for e-Sports. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://zowie.benq.com/en-us/product/mouse/fk/fk1.html

Zowie Skatez-Type A (digital image) (2019). Retrieved from https://www.zowiedirect.com/skatez-type-a.html     

Reflection

When I first read the assignment information for the technical description paper, I initially felt overwhelmed. This sense of alarm was the consequence of many various factors. One such factor was that I had no experience writing an in-depth, and detailed description of an item, let alone a technical one. With this in mind, I knew that I had to refine my research skills, which I luckily learned a bit of during my English and research classes in high school. Even with that prior experience, I had a bit of trouble finding information on my topic of choice, which was the Zowie FK1 computer mouse, as there were not as many sources about it as I had initially expected. However, relating to one of the course learning outcomes of this class, I utilized various online sources, such as databases like EBSCO and Google Books to locate sources that would help me write my paper.

Another factor that contributed to my anxiousness during the writing of the paper, was that this paper would be the first time I would ever use APA style formatting and citations. All through my academic career, I have been using MLA format. Because of this, I utilized my professors recommendation of OWL Purdue’s article on utilizing APA style when writing papers, which helped me greatly. There I was able to learn how to format my entire paper into APA style, with a header and page numbers, a title page, table of contents, and most importantly a references page. Regarding the references page, I also learned how to cite my sources using APA parentheticals. 

During the process of writing this paper, our class had an opportunity to get their drafts peer-reviewed. This activity helped me out vastly, as I was able to get insight from two other people about my writing. Having another person view your work is especially helpful, as they will be able to catch on to things you might have missed while writing the paper. In this instance, one of my peer-review partners gave me suggestions on how I should organize the information included in my paper, as well as help me figure out the audience I was writing to. This relates to the course learning outcome of negotiating writing goals and audience expectations, as I was initially confused as to how I would write the paper. Was the paper going to be highly technical with lots of jargon, aimed at a group of knowledgeable and technically inclined readers? Or was the paper going to be straightforward and informative, with little jargon and many defined terms to allow for a broader set of readers? My peer-reviewer put this in mind, and told me that the language and conventions I was writing with, would fit a broader audience. With that in mind, I stuck to the same form of writing, this time keeping in mind that I was trying to encapsulate a broad audience with my work.

Overall, I believe that writing the Technical Description Paper has improved me in a multitude of ways. I was able to practice my researching skills, my citing skills, my paraphrasing skills, and most importantly my technical writing skills. I even learned a lot more about the computer mouse than I thought I would. I hope to write another paper like this, as it was a tough, but fun academic journey.