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Comments: 246 +- Hardware: The Best Computer Mice In Every Category on Wednesday December 31 2008, @12:05PM
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CmdrTaco
on Wednesday December 31 2008, @12:05PM
from the do-these-mice-work-frozen-with-no-power-screw-you-dte dept.
from the do-these-mice-work-frozen-with-no-power-screw-you-dte dept.
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inputdev
ThinSkin writes "Now that the folks at ExtremeTech have finished writing about the best keyboards for every occasion, they conclude their roundup of input devices with the best computer mice in every category, which includes ergonomic mice, gaming mice, notebook mice, and so on. While this year's crop of gaming mice didn't impress much, there were advancements in non-gaming mice and tracking, as demonstrated by Microsoft's Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack technology — which is considered more precise than optical and laser. Even ergonomic mice saw little growth in the year — prompting the reviewer to rely on the older Zero Tension Mouse as a favorite."
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from the do-these-mice-work-frozen-with-no-power-s (Score:5, Funny)
Bitter much?
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Michigander?
I neither live in Holland nor am I poultry.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The expense is not particularly in the capital outlay, but in the logistics of ensuring that you always have fuel laid in, and that your system is always ready to go at a suitably short notice.
At work, we have to have a separate emergency power system, housed in the opposite corner of the vessel to the main engines, on a sepa
backups (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, I don't live on a ship, but I do live on the largest commercial farm in this whole area (it's not mine but I am the oldest employee here). We have automatic start and run large diesel generators to operate the farm itself, three of them needed. Those are computer controlled and have redundant wireless and hard wired controls that coordinate that with the climate control systems in the various buildings and broiler houses and the main feed from the electrical grid. They have their own bulk tanks and th
I don't care what category (Score:5, Interesting)
Laptop Mouse? (Score:3, Interesting)
My best laptop mouse is the built in touchpad.
I usually sit leaned back in my office chair with my laptop on my lap and a mouse is a waste for me.
A touchpad is also more intuitive to me, the best option that gives me all the advantages of a touchscreen and a mouse.
And those ultra tiny portable mice drive me up the walls, and besides I spend most of my day writing mails and tooling through logs on the command line... no mouse needed for vi, grep or tail thanks a lot.
only if they allow delay while typing... (Score:2, Interesting)
I have a Fujitsu tablet now, which has a trackpoint/touch stick. That works fine once calibrated, and saves some space which allows for a bigger keyboard with a smaller screen.
Keyboard trackpad! (Score:2)
I love the keyboard trackpad on laptops. I use an IBM/Lenovo UltraNav keyboard with trackpad on my desktop. It's identical to a Thinkpad keyboard, including trackpad, but it also includes a numeric keypad.
What I really like about the UltraNav is that it has three mouse buttons, most only have two.
My problem with all mice is that that they require moving your hand away from the keyboard.
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Funny. I hate trackpads. I guess it's just personal taste.
I have trouble with click/drag, chording (middle-button functionality), etc....
Departments (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, TypoNAM:
CmdrTaco apparently hasn't given up yet. [slashdot.org]
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Best "mouse": Logitech Trackman (Score:2, Informative)
This thing is fantastic -- imagine not having to move your arm and wrist in order to move the cursor. I'm kind of surprised that I haven't seen more people using them, although they do take a couple of days to get used to. However, once you're accustomed to it there is no going back.
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Trackballs in general got shafted. I love my Kensington Expert Mouse trackball. Horrible name, though.
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Yep, I have a Logitech Trackman Wheel on all my computers.. Have never found anything even close. The thumb-action is ideal.
I do wish they'd come out with a bluetooth version for laptops, though... Their wireless dongle is too big for portable use...
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My major beef with all the mice presented & with the article is that NONE of the mice shown are bluetooth models.
Every laptop I have bought over the past 5 years has had Bluetooth pre-installed to be able to sync/transfer files to/from my cellphone. I will NOT condemn a USB port just to communicate with some mouse's non-standard RF when my PC already has a usable means of communicating with my mouse.
Bluetooth royalty (Score:3, Interesting)
I will NOT condemn a USB port just to communicate with some mouse's non-standard RF when my PC already has a usable means of communicating with my mouse.
Then get a hub. As I understand it, Bluetooth mice cost more because Bluetooth is patented with a nonzero royalty.
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What about Best Cheapass Mouse (Score:3, Insightful)
For all of us who buy in the bargain bins of your favorite computer retailer.
Which mouse under $10 is the best mouse?
Which mouse under $20 is the best mouse?
Which mouse under $30 is the best mouse?
This is what most of us who are cheapskates really want to know.
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You can probably find an OK mouse from under $10.00 It will probably be mechanical (mouse ball moves a 2 wheel where there are 2 contacts per wheel and its pattern of contact 1 and 2 makes it decide where the mouse is going) and last 4 years. Or the Mouse that works great except for at 4:00pm in the afternoon where the afternoon Sun goes threw the windows at the correct angle threw the mouse buttons and floods the optical sensors. Or you can find a simple 2 button mouse no wheel, that glides nicely with the
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Depends on what you want.
Microsoft makes nice cheap intellimouse's for normal wireless use. Like 20-30$ range.
Gaming = Logitech G5 or a cheap Razer (older gen razer's are cheap, redundant poster is redundant).
For a cheaper gaming mouse that works well with high resolution I suggest a4tech's wireless battery free NB30. It's like 10$, no batteries, no wires, just has to be on the pad it comes with.
Ergonomic = get the trackball and avoid that Evoluent mouse at all costs or you will induce carpal tunnel, especi
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I pity anyone who's never had one.
I got the creative equivalent and the laser isn't protected so even the slightest dirt makes the thing unusable.
I really need another g5.
Weasel words (Score:2, Insightful)
Microsoft's Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack technology--which is considered more precise than optical and laser.
If you don't actually know whether it is more precise (and I guess if you did know then you would have come straight out and said it) then at least give us some clues as to WHO it is who "considers" it to be more precise. The people selling them? An independent study? Some guy you met on the bus? Without that rather fundamental detail, the statement is completely worthless.
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It would be worthless even with that.
The only benefits to bluetrack are that they use a custom CMOS chip instead of off the shelf items and use (supposidly) better optics. They also claim that the blue LED allows a better contrast image for their sensors, likening it to the blue lights used by CSI teams. But that sound more like market talk than actual reality.
Ugly Gaming Mice. (Score:2)
I am not sure why a Gaming Mouse has to be Butt Ugly. It is like the Ax Body spry for mice. Anyone under the age of 16 will think it looks so cool, however anyone over that age wouldn't be caught dead with it, unless it is hidden in a dark basement.
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I am not sure why a Gaming Mouse has to be Butt Ugly. It is like the Ax Body spry for mice. Anyone under the age of 16 will think it looks so cool, however anyone over that age wouldn't be caught dead with it, unless it is hidden in a dark basement.
So, how are these a problem for us slashdotters?
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And of the two, which do you think "gaming mice" are targeted for?
And of the two, which do you think actually worry enough about their gaming that they'd put down hard cash for a "gaming mouse"?
Are you sensing a trend?
Wireless Mice Suck (Score:2)
...for gaming at least.
I've got a BlueTooth mouse, and even that has a noticeable delay that would just kill me mid frantic quake session.
2 mice FTW!
Software (Score:5, Insightful)
It's amusing that these guys seem to count slick mouse software as a plus. I bet most of us would rather have a mouse that doesn't need any additional software. Wireless devices don't make any sense to me either, unless you're talking about a media PC. Isn't a mouse/KB that can run out of batteries just additional complication with no benefit? And isn't a charging pad a waste of desk space?
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I have a wired mouse and keyboard and I would love to upgrade to wireless.
However, since most of the 'acceptable' mice and keyboards I've found either have no wireless counterpart or their wireless version has custom battery packs instead of a spot for rechargable AA's. So I'm still wired.
Wireless means I no longer get frustrated by having a long FPS session interupted by the mouse wire getting caught on something and I'm suddenly trying to jerk it loose instead of aiming.
Wireless means I'm that much closer
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OK, that's just cool (Score:2)
Mice? (Score:2, Redundant)
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Hey, can you recommend a good text editor for that OS?
What about PROGRAMMING? (Score:2)
It was just a 'best keyboard for gaming' article.
Why only cordless mice in general category ? (Score:4, Insightful)
Coordless offer a pleasant versatility in particular when you work with someone else on the same computer or if you use a laptop. I use a cordless one for my laptop and I really don't miss those annoying cables. But cord mice are usually lighter than cordless which need they battery included. Because of this weight difference I prefer good old cordful mice for pure desktop machine.
Additional but lesser arguments again using cord everywhere are than you need to pay the additional circuit plus to recharge and recycle additional battery.
The worst trackball is better then the best mouse (Score:3, Insightful)
I still have a functioning CH Products trackball at home. Still works after 15+ YEARS as a tool. Sure, I had to open it up and clean it inside a couple of times, but I have to do that more often with mice at work, so that shouldn't matter. I also had to get a PS/2 to USB convertor for the one I have (cheaper then buying a new trackball).
I like Logitech Marble Trackballs (Score:2)
Bring back the wired mice! (Score:2)
That's what bugs me about 99% of the mice out there these days: the good ones(ie 5-buttoners) just have to be wireless. I simply don't want a wireless mouse. I like it permanently connected without having to sync, or charge batteries or have dongles to worry about. Sadly, all i could find was this okay Logitech 5-button corded mouse with smaller side buttons. My all-time fave mouse of yesteryear was the MS Explorer mice that had a whopping 5 buttons on them. I had one for work & home & wore them out
Re:Bring back the wired mice! (Score:4, Informative)
Sadly, that wasn't the best driver software out there. Many moons ago, I remember the Logitech mouse drivers let you use the scroll wheel WITHOUT having to click to focus on the window to scroll. You just moved your mouse to the zone even if it wasn't in focus. Sadly, I can't find that nowadays.
It was very buggy, so they removed it.
Try KatMouse: http://ehiti.de/katmouse/ [ehiti.de]
Parent
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I remember the Logitech mouse drivers let you use the scroll wheel WITHOUT having to click to focus on the window to scroll.
X11 does that without any additional software... Additionally, you don't need a 10MB+ resident process just to have working horizontal scroll (Logitech does this at least on XP).
22 years later and still.... (Score:2)
I've been working with computers for over 22 years now and when I was young I had a dishwasher safe mouse and keyboard. I never knew the manufacturer of it and since the house fire back then I have never found one since.
They were heavy and all you did was pop the bottom off (two thumb screws on the sides unlocked it) and you put the upper part in the top shelf of the dishwasher. Same with the keyboard and mouse.
Now with that new marine waterproofing stuff can we PLEASE GET A DISHWASHER SAFE KEYBOARD AND MOU
Lefty or symmetrical mice (Score:3, Interesting)
This problem is often exacerbated by games like Fallout 3, in which bethesda felt the need to perma-bind numpad 7 (strafe left for us southpaws) to the 'Stop the game and open windows live' command. Is there no money in making a mirror version for those of us with a recessive gene or two?
$100? Are we really all this insane? (Score:4, Insightful)
Who spends $80 to $100 on a mouse? Is there honestly that much "value" going into it, regardless how fancy it is? I'm calling bullshit. Geeks need to reign in their enthusiasm and just say "no" once in while to ridiculous pricing; greedy pricing only works if we're stupid enough to agree to it.
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Re:TrackPoint (Score:4, Insightful)
The biggest problem with articles like this is that there's a very wide range of tastes when it comes to input devices. I prefer a simple, wide and long [microsoft.com] mouse for my uses. If given the choice between the linked mouse and a wireless, decked out, beautiful logitech laser mouse that costs hundreds of dollars, I'd take the simple one every time.
Parent
Re:TrackPoint (Score:4, Interesting)
Back in 1999 or so I used to absolutely slay in Tribes 1 on an old ThinkPad with a TrackPoint. Oddly, I couldn't play at all with a regular mouse.
Parent
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