Comments on: I want a new mouse.

Question: I want a new mouse.

jellicle — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 13:53:28 -0800

I want a new mouse. One that won't make me nervous, wondering what to do... Every computer mouse I've tried recently has been a piece of junk. What's the perfect one?

What I want: optical, scroll wheel, no side scrolling. Should be a large mouse since I have large hands. Ideally the mouse click should be quiet and easy, and it should glide like a greased ice cube skating across a lake of butter. NO JUMPINESS from bad optical sensing, that drives me crazy. A plain-jane three-button mouse. That works. What I've tried: Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer (left mouse button broke after one week), Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse (piece of junk, jumps around the screen randomly, no it isn't the surface I'm using, everyone has the same problem, see Amazon reviews), and a no-name cheapie (scroll wheel has uneven resistance, ARGH!). Microsoft used to make great mice but no more, apparently, so Microsoft is not an option. Why is this so difficult?

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:06:41 -0800

I have used a Kensington Turbo/Expert mouse since 1990. It is a perfect piece of hardware; you should at least consider it.

Especially with the scroll ring.

By: iamcrispy

iamcrispy — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:08:21 -0800

If you don't want the cursor to jerk about, then the best mouse to get is a laser mouse. I'm loving my Logitech MX1000. It is a bit over-packed with buttons, and it does have side-scrolling. It feels lovely to move around, though.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:14:58 -0800

I picked up one of these battery-less wireless mice not that long ago and really like it. Its alot lighter to use and seems to be decently made (its withstood my 16 month old's "tender" mercies).

In general, I've found that I really like A4's products.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:21:29 -0800

If you can find an MS Intellimouse 3.0, I'd grab it. They were the king of large-handed mice. 4.0 is ok, but the sidescrolling wheel is lame. iamcrispy's MX1000 is also a good choice.

By: Caviar

Caviar — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:24:17 -0800

Second the Kensington Expert Mouse. I haven't used a regular mouse on my desktop in almost 20 years.

By: scruss

scruss — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:28:11 -0800

IBM Scrollpoint 24P095; best non-Sun mouse I've ever used. Doesn't have a scroll-wheel, but a mini scroll joystick thing like is on some laptops. This I find to be faster and more accurate than the scroll wheel. It's also quite a big mouse.

Every computer surplus place I've seen has a bunch of these (they're discontinued). Worth trying; even if you find hate it, it was only $5.

By: selfnoise

selfnoise — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:29:04 -0800

I'd definitely go with a Logitech mouse. I have the MX518, which has some extra buttons, but their midrange mice are large, fairly comfortable, and I've never had any issues with them.

what's side scrolling again?

By: mumeishi

mumeishi — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:30:24 -0800

Not exactly what you described, since it's a bit fancy, but I just got the best mouse ever: Logitech G5. About $50 street price. I have used MS everything, Logitech, Kensington, and others. This one is corded, 2000 max dpi, on-the-fly adjustable resolution (via tiny buttons behind the scroll wheel), four-direction wheel, adjustable weight, and other stuff I can't remember.

By: xyzzy

xyzzy — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:31:56 -0800

I love the Logitech MX series. I have an MX518 now, and frequently give MX mice as presents to other people. I personally dislike cordless devices, but friends of mine who have used the cordless Logitech mice seem as satisfied with their choice as I am with my corded version.

By: andrew cooke

andrew cooke — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:35:21 -0800

well it was just the cheapest mouse in the local shop, but i have an mtek ms27 that meets all your requirements. three button with scroll wheel. optical. not small. works.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:41:44 -0800

I have an Logitech MX510 that fills all your criteria. (At least it doesn't seem jumpy to me.) I'm not sure what the MX518 improves on, other than that it's easier to find at the moment.

Also, if you still have the broken MS one, they used to have very easy warranty support. You just faxed them a copy of the bottom of the mouse, and they shipped you a new one. I 'm not certain they still do this, but if they do, it's definitely worth the tiny bit of effort it takes.

By: deborah

deborah — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:48:35 -0800

Labtec Optical Mouse
I've used it for over a year with no problems.

By: CrayDrygu

CrayDrygu — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:58:16 -0800

I'll second (third?) the Logitech MX1000. Don't worry about it being wireless, the batteries last forever (and charge quickly), and it acts and feels like it's wired. The tracking is exceptionally good, I've even gotten it to work on a glass table. It's pretty large, too. It's got side scrolling, IIRC, but I'm sure you can disable it, or maybe even learn to love it?

If not, the MX700 is quite similar. No built-in battery meter, just a light that blinks when it's low, but I've found it'll still work for at least a day when that light starts going off. The tracking isn't as good as the MX1000, but as long as you aren't using it on something shiny, you'll be fine. I used a piece of paper taped to my desk as a mousepad (and notepad) for a while.

By: Jairus

Jairus — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:31:52 -0800

The MX1000 is the best mouse I've ever used.

By: tichance

tichance — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:33:25 -0800

I have tried a bunch of different mice (cheap and expensive) and settled on the Logitech Marble Trackball. Took me about half day to become proficient - really saves the wrist. Highly recommend if you are at the computer a lot. Plus, it's cheap – about $15.

By: nowonmai

nowonmai — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:39:27 -0800

I threw out my old Kensington rubbish, and now exclusively use the "Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical" both at work and home. Both meeces are about 3 years old and have been robust and reliable.
The other mouse I use a lot is a Dell, and while that looks like it might be identical but differently badged, is markedly inferior and makes the pointer skip onto the other monitor.

By: phearlez

phearlez — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:48:13 -0800

I always buy the cheap logitechs with optical and scrollwheel and nothing more - lots of extra buttons makes it less useful to me, not more.

By: hortense

hortense — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:55:48 -0800

Love my MX700, one year no problem

By: majick

majick — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:28:22 -0800

The only actual mouse I like is the Logitech Optical Mouse, a plain-jane affair with a wheel, a laser, and a couple of buttons. Tracking is absolutely fantastic, and it moves very well on just about any surface. They may still be selling this as a "Logitech First Mouse."

The only other really great pointing devices out there are the Kensington Expert and the Kensington Orbit.

By: trevyn

trevyn — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:28:42 -0800

The Logitechs that everybody's pimping are fine mice that are worth checking out, but I've never liked the feel of the larger ones.

My fave is the Razer Diamondback. They also have a laser one called the Copperhead, but all laser mice seem to continue to track when raised quite high off the mousing surface, which really bothers me. The scroll wheels on both of these are heavely. Translucent, glowing, slightly rubbery, soft and pleasant, yet accurate. Mmmm.

By: trevyn

trevyn — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:32:06 -0800

Oh, and the Razers are "gaming" mice, so they're designed to hit a lot of your points: smooth, accurate tracking and sensitive buttons.

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:45:51 -0800

Logitech MX500. It's not "latest-generation laser technology" but if you're not doing any gaming it won't matter. Super-smooth glide, buttery clicks, and very convenient thumb buttons for forward/back in your web browser. Fits my large-ish hands better than anything else I've used (including the newer, more expensive Logitechs).

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:40:38 -0800

Since tichance opened the trackball argument, I have to throw my vote in for the non-ambidextrous logitech trackman. This one. I swear by them. Once you're used to it, the difference is so huge I can't even use a mouse without being frustrated now. Save your wrist, save your deskspace.

By: orthogonality

orthogonality — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 19:49:05 -0800

The perfect mouse is a TouchStream keyboard. They're no longer made, but you can find them for $200-$700 on ebay.

No scroll wheel, just move four fingers up and down on the surface. No buttons -- just tap your fingers in pairs. And it's a keyboard.

By: squidlarkin

squidlarkin — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:36:07 -0800

I've been thinking about getting a trackball for a while. Are they a hindrance for gaming?

By: b1tr0t

b1tr0t — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:05:10 -0800

I would suggest the Apple Mighty Mouse, except that the scroll ball almost never does anything in the horizontal direction. And one of my Mighty Mice is starting to respond less to scroll input.

By: drumcorpse

drumcorpse — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:07:43 -0800

I'll throw in with the crowd recommending the Logitech MX line. I've been using an MX500 and I'm well satisfied by it.