Optical Mice - R they any good?

I was in Office Depot and noticed that optical mice were pretty cheap. I hate cleaning the trackball on my current mouse. Are they any good? If so, what brand(s).


Regards,


Rick


PS I need to know to fill out my Christmas wish list with something other than books.

i have a microsoft one with a wheel and its wonderful. it has a chord though. no more balls ever. make sure you get 4 buttons plus a wheel. so you get back and forward.

just like an internet keyboard is great.

my question then is, are the ones without chords good.

PS I need to know to fill out my Christmas wish list with something other than books.


Why? That's all I ever put on mine.


natedogg

ray,


Good question about the mice without a cord. I saw a few but they were a bit more expensive (about $40). But without a cord a mouse may become like a clicker (i.e., remote control). I'm always losing my clickers. So I need a device to make my clickers beep when I lose them in the couch cushions or wherever. Which means maybe I'm better off with my mouse attached to something. Which means I may try attaching rope to my clickers and tying them to my coffee table.


Heh! Maybe we can get rich (in your case richer) selling clicker retrieval devices to the masses. Do you want to chop chop with you supplying the capital? I'll be the brains and also cut the rope. That's fair.


Regards,


Rick

natedogg,


Books don't fit in the stocking as well as mice. And the sexy underwear thing has already been done.


Regards,


Rick

I have the top-of-the-line Microsoft IntelliEye (what marketing genius came up with that name?) and I love it. It's the only thing Microsoft sells that I think is worth the price, other than Flight Simulator. I have the corded variety.


You do have to clean the teflon strips off once in a while. They'll stay clean if you use a mousepad, but I just use mine on the desktop so it picks up a lot of lint, dirt, Nacho Cheese Dorito crumbs, and so on.


TRLS

Screw regular mice!

I have this logitech trackball thing and it is the best damn mouse ever- requires NO cleaning (I've had this thing for like 4 years and I am baffled as to why it never gets dirty)and you just use your thumb to move the cursor. So much easier then having to move your whole wrist or arm, I don't know, maybe I'm just lazy but, anytime I'm on a friends computer or something I hate those regular mouses or mice, whatever they're called. You might want to consider one of these things.


kRiS

I hate mouse cords too. The mouse I suggest below doesn't matter though because it's stationary.

Goat,


Moving the mouse is how I keep in shape for arm wrestling.


~ Rick

Real Lin,


I like the split ergonomic keyboard Microsoft sells too. Plus I'm happy with the 98 version of MS Golf I bought in a bargin bin for $5 (my one and only game). Microsoft isn't all bad (I even am happy with Windows XP!).


Regards,


Rick

Funny you mention that! I just saw a show tonight on sports and they showed some dude's arm snap during an arm wrestling tourney. Oh my god it was painful to watch and the snap was LOUD!!!!!! Utter brutality, ugh, I can still see and hear the images. Oh yeah to top it off they showed that it happened again in some other tourney, but the arm that broke was a womans- oh geez.


Yes, yes, I know your being facetious with your arm wrestling comment....


I'm just too lazy to move and hate those damn cords getting in the way.....wait i already said that in my other posts.


Later,

Kris

I've used a trackball for years and think they are the only way to go. Among other things I think they are better for avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if you use your computer heavily.


Mine have all been from Kennsington, but were purchased before optical versions became available.


Chuck

yea thats a great idea. im sure there are lots of people like yourself that carry your computer's mouse over to the tv couch. perhaps gluing velcro to your hand and to your clickers will keep them in sight.

that way you are not as apt to have a bunch of little mice running around everwhere

I only know non-optical mice: the three blind ones.

I can't remember the comedian who did the bit, but I remember being in stitches over his impression of Richard Burton reciting "Three Blind Mice." It started:


A trio of rodents with impaired vision,

A trio of rodents with impaired vision,

Observe the manner in which they perambulate,

Observe the manner in which they perambulate,

In unison said rodents pursued the spouse of the agriculturalist. . .

I tried the ergonimic keyboard but I always felt like I was playing some sort of Star Trek version of the accordion. Besides, they're hard to type on one-handed, which is a critical consideration when you eat most of your meals in front of the computer, as I do.


Plus I am HELL on keyboards, in part because I eat most of my meals at the computer. I order Dell's cheap ones 4 or 5 at a time.

...are still mouse balls. A trackball device is just a mouse turned tits up.

I'm trading my corded optical mouse for a cordless one tomorrow. Cordless is the nuts. The batteries last anywhere from 2 to 5 months. $50 and worth every penny.


By the way, Logitech all the way.


http://www.logitech.com/cf/products/productoverview.cfm/95


http://www.logitech.com/cf/products/mice.cfm

You will definitely notice the difference between a track ball and optical. I didn't think it would matter, but I love my optical mouse. I also have the cordless and it is my favorite possession.

sell rick your old one and kill two birds with one stone.

Too late ray. Santa is sitting next to me and since I've been mostly nice not naughty I can go for the optical and cordless.

Of course. And I've had track balls suffer from the same problem as mouse balls (lint, etc. builds up). But the key difference is that you only move the ball, not the entire mouse. Even optical mice require you to make hand motions that, when done repetitively, can cause injury. Trackballs aren't perfect in this respect either, but they are better.


Chuck