Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

3-button Optical Mice?

Posted by Cliff on from the we-can-get-mice-with-big-ears-but-not-3-buttons? dept.

proclus asks: "Does anyone else think that scroll wheels are a clunky replacement for the middle button? Mice are supposed to have three buttons, right? It was such an improvement when the three button mice started appearing for PC hardware, but I'm wondering, where are the optical ones?"

3 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Sun by TRS-80 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sun makes 3-button opticial USB mice, and they ship with most of their new workstations. You could probably pick them up as spare parts, but they're probably fairly costly.

  2. Simple mouse mod by Hungus · · Score: 4, Informative
    Why not just mod a wheeled mouse? The steps would be simple enough.

    Parts Needed:

    3 button optical mouse with wheel

    Set of screwdrivers (prolly just need a #0 and #1 phillips)

    X-Acto Knife

    McDonald's Straw - I am not sure if other straws will work it needs to be thermo softening while being thick enough for wear and pliable enough for use.

    Personal flamethrower or lighter or soldering iron

    krazy glue

    about 30 minutes of your time.

    Heres how to do it:

    1. With the X-Acto knife make a faint score on the mouse wheel along the profile where it sticks out of the mouse
    2. Remove mouse cover (typically by removing 2 screws maybe 3 in your case)
    3. carefully remove the screw holding the circut board to the upper mouse casing
    4. Remove the wheel and action spring noting how they were installed.
    5. Trim the mouse wheel with the X-Acto knife so that it is almost flush with the mouse case (using your earlier score) - Nice thing here is you have 3 chances if you mess up at first because you can just rotate the wheel 120 degrees and have a fresh surface!
    6. Cut the straw latterally so as to be able to lay it flat and cut a section off which is approximately 35% longer than the exposesed mouse wheel opening in the upper shell of the mouse
    7. Heat the straw fragment (dont burn it) until it lays almost flat on your work surface (you do still want some curve)
    8. place the mouse wheel back on the curcuit board with the flattened side up (away from the board
    9. place the now flattened straw fragment over teh mouse wheel centering it.
    10. once you have things the way you want them remove the upper cover again and the trimmed straw fragment
    11. place a single tiny drop of krazy glue on the former wheel and immediately recenter the star fragment on it
    12. wait a few minutes as the off gas of the glue will cloud the optics of your mouse if you re-assembled immediately.
    13. Re-assemble the mouse and you now have a 3 button no wheel mouse!
    Congratulations!
    --
    Bad Panda! No Bamboo for you! In matters of importance ACs will not be responded to. Want to say something critical,OK
  3. IBM by GiMP · · Score: 3, Informative

    IBM makes a 3 button no-wheel optical mouse. Try looking yourself next time.