Baraka_Guru

What do you use as a computer mouse?

I have a standard mouse. It has a left and right button and a click-wheel for scrolling. It's infrared instead of the ball.

The click-wheel went on it. It clicks, but it doesn't scroll. Since I use a computer anywhere from 12 to 14 hours a day, it's going to drive me nuts.

However, I've never actually bought a mouse on its own. I've always used what's come with a computer or what a friend might give me.

Does anyone have a preference? Anyone use the ergonomic style? Anyone have anything that comes highly recommended?

Or is a mouse simply a mouse?

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—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

telekinetic

I use a mouse all day as well. At work I exclusively use a Microsoft Natural Laser since it came out 3 or 4 years ago:



The idea is that it rocks your hand off the carpal tunnel and prevents CTS



The wife didn't like such shenanigans, so at home we have a Logitech M505. The tracking is great, the feel is good, the size is right.


I'd go to a big box store, put your hand on all the samples, and then buy the one that feels nicest. (how we ended up with the m505)

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aberkok

I like the Microsoft Comfort Optical Mouse 1000 - I bought it as a cheap replacement mouse, and it feels good and does everything I need it to. If I was you, however, I might use this as an opportunity to get use to that fancy neutral grip mouse above, what with the 12 to 14 hours a day at the computer. Pronation isn't a great position to be in. I notice my right forearm naturally pronates when hanging loose.

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snowy

This is the mouse that I have:


Newegg.com - Logitech V470 Blue 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel Cordless Laser Notebook Mouse for Bluetooth

I like it because it's small and my hands are small, so it fits perfectly. It's not fancy since it's meant to work with my laptop. It does the job well.

My husband has a crazy Logitech mouse designed for gaming, complete with little weights you snap into it. While it is a great gaming mouse, I don't like it for everyday use because it's too big for my hand. You have to go with what feels right. I honestly didn't really pay that much attention to that until I got this laptop mouse.

The newer version of my husband's mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104318

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Willravel

I use the Microsoft Bluetooth notebook mouse 500. It's a decent mouse, but to be perfectly honest the thing goes through batteries way too quickly. I'd say avoid it.

Jinn

If you're a gamer, I can't get enough of mine.. Performance MX.. I've worn it to hell on just about ever surface feasible..

Performance Mouse MX?

The nice feature of laser over optical (and Dark Field particularly) is that you don't really need a uniform surface. When I play FPS and RTS on my couch I can mouse just as easily on my pant leg as I can on the couch cushion or my girlfriend's face for that matter.. quite handy. The "Unifying Reciever" is nice too, I pair it with my Logitech Keyboard with the same and only use one USB slot, and with a tiny dongle to boot. 1000-1500 is hard to beat for precision.

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Baraka_Guru

I'm leaning towards the ergonomic design. I spend so much time with my hand on a mouse, it would make sense.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Lindy

I use a couple of different Logitechs with scroll wheels. Tried Apples MagicMouse but didn't care for it. I liked the two finger scrolling and horizontal scrolling, then somebody told me I could scroll horizontally with a wheel mouse by holding down the shift key, which I didn't know before.
I like a symmetrical mouse 'cause I use it left handed sometimes when doing number/data entry.

Lindy

telekinetic

I love it, and don't even have a trace of carpal tunnel. I have the matching keyboard as well. One little tweak, I found it awkward to click the scroll wheel, as it has pan side to side as well as scroll, so I set my middle click to be one of the little thumb buttons. I use it all the time to navigate in Solid Works and am totally adjusted to it. If you just middle click occasionally it might not be a problem, but it's a major part of my work flow, so not having to make sure I was exactly precisely applying downward pressure to a wheel was good.

Also, they're super easy on batteries. I change them once a year or so.

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Plan9

I use Logitech Trackman thumb trackballs. I have the Trackman Marbleball Wheel (red ball, cord) and the Trackman Wireless (blue ball, leave-in receiver).

Used to do CAD; there isn't anything more comfortable for serious work than a trackball. You don't have to move your forearm or wrist, just slide your thumb. I'll never use a mouse for a personnel computer if I have a thumb trackball as an option. I have several for home and work. They're bomb-diggity.

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Baraka_Guru

@Telekinetic: I'm not really in the market for a keyboard, since my primary machine is a laptop. My PC desktop is only used casually. Though I do like the idea of the ergo keyboard. Maybe next replacement when necessary.

@9er: That's hardcore. My most important scrolling is through documents, so I'm not sure whether a trackball would be practical or just overkill. I'll take a look at them if I see them. I think the most important thing for me at the moment is comfort, so I'm willing to check these out.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Plan9

The Logitech Trackballs both feature programmable scroll wheels; the wireless model features a page clicker. Shazam, bitches.

Fuck a mouse.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Baraka_Guru

So I picked up one of these: Wireless Laser Mouse 6000

It's similar to yours TK, but the design regarding the natural grip isn't as extreme. It was, however, the closed approximation that was available at the store I went to. I'm using it right now. It's certainly more comfortable than a standard mouse. And the wireless is way less annoying, considering I've been switching the old mouse between computers for months now. I don't really need a scroll on the mouse for my PC.

9er, they didn't have a single trackball mouse despite having two sections: one for notebook/portable mice; and one for "standard" mice.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Plan9

Gotta buy it online, brah.

The market isn't out there for trackballers because everybody is brainwashed by the idea that they need to move their whole arm to move the cursor.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

StanT

Definite Logitech bias here. I use a G9 fully loaded with weights. I prefer corded mice and have a tendency to lift the mouse when gaming.

dain524

I use a Logitech M510. It is big enough for my hands and it is super comfortable for me. I also like that it has a good scroll wheel and forward/back buttons on it It feels pretty solid and weighty for a mouse. I've had decent battery life, I've owned several logitech wave combo units over the years and I havent replaced the battry in this mouse in 6 months with daily sue for 8-10 hours a day.

Shadowex3

Any of logitech's mice that have their new scrollwheel. As oddball as it sounds using one of their gaming mice like the G500 might be good since you can just pick one DPI setting and then use the buttons for all sorts of things, and that new optical scroll wheel is amazing.

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spindles

I regularly swap hands with my mouse, so I wouldn't like the 'ergonomic' ones - too hard to use a 'right handed' mouse with your left.

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flat5

I would open the mouse and clean it.
Dust gets into the "slots" of the wheel and light no longer reaches the sensor.

Baraka_Guru

Thanks for the tip, but I already tried this. The thing was shot.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Martian

Funny story -- I switched to a trackball at work, and it's largely Plan 9's fault. Since they were willing to pay for it, I got the wireless one with he extra buttons. It's pretty swank.

I'm going to be on a computer 8-10 hours per day professionally for the rest of my days, most likely. I see no reason to encourage carpal tunnel or other joint issues.

I haven't switched at home yet. I'm a bit unsure about a trackball for game playing, and you'd have a bit of a job convincing me to give up my MX518.

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