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Top Mice Compared
Johnny writes "Unfortunately mice are one of the most overlooked computer peripherals, while in reality should be one of the first places where your hard earned cash should be invested in. TechSpot has posted a round-up of some of the best mice currently available in the market: Logitech's MX1000 and MX518, Razer's Viper and Diamondback, and from Microsoft, the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer and the Optical Mouse by S+ARCK."
Mice, Keyboards, and Monitors.
Sure, you can deal with your computer being a little slow, but skimp on the above and you can wreck your wrests, posture, and eyes.
I've been using a trackball for a couple years now. I enjoy it much more than a regular mouse. Its not only perfect when desk space is at a premium, but also in reducing RSI. When your are can remain in one position, its less likely that it will get into an uncomfortable/unnatural position which could cause injury. I also find it more accurate than a mouse, or at least as accurate. I find that they don't need to be cleaned as often, because they aren't rolling around on a dirty surface. Unless you don't wash your hands. Also, it's nice to be able to click without having to worry about moving the pointer.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Your sig makes a lot of sense in this argument. I never really did understand why mice won out over trackballs. Trackballs are highly superior in just about every way. I've been using mine for about 2 years. Since my hand is always in one place, it's more likely that it's in the right place. Also, I like the fact that you don't have to worry about how it acts on different surfaces, or on desks with very little surface area.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
"while in reality should be one of the first places where your hard earned cash should be invested in"
OK, sure because mouse resolution and "mousing surfaces" are what most people really care about. I've been a system builder for better than 10 years and while a good mouse is important, good can easily be a $6.00 optical mouse made by Mitsumi. The first place to spend my cash? I think not. While twitch gamers get so hyped up on mice and surfaces its almost retarded, and regular users just want a mouse that works doesn't cripple them and responds well. Personally I still use my trusty iFeel Optical Mouseman by Logitech, probably about 7 years old with no issues or problems... cost? $12.99
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Years ago when I developed very bad RSI I changed my mouse over to my left hand. The buttons on the right side of the keyboard always get hammered harder than the left (delete and enter) and the high static loads associated with the mouse were killing my right hand.
A left handed configuration is more balanced. And I can now select objects (icons, selected text) with my left hand and action them (enter, backspace) with my right. Because of this my hands don't have to move as much between keyboard and mouse, which is easier on them as well
And how can you train yourself to use a left handed mouse you may ask?
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Anybody else notice that the reviewer never tested ANY of the mice with a left-handed user?
All those "its ergonomic" Pro points would have been reversed, and suddenly the 2 Razers and the Starck thing would be the more ergonomic mice.
why oh why do we still use mice keyboards & monitors?
I'm looking at the gyromouse (can be lifted free from the desk) as an absolute comprimise. I can't even run two independent mice at once? I can't even run two independent keyboards at once? (why you ask? macros for one)
I don't care how good they make the "mouse" or the "keyboard" they are next to obsolete in my eyes. The manufacturers just haven't caught up with the present. Are we all still cynical because of movies like lawnmower man? Yes we *should* have direct interaction with the computer. We *should* be able to liberate ourselves from our desks.
i'm more able to expand the functionality & efficiency of my computer by expanding its controls indefinitely with midi. Yes I know it too has its limitations but it was atleast designed to be expandable, not be a static typewriter replacement.
give me an expandable interface. let me connect 10 racks of assignable buttons. Let me rotate an object in maya by grabbing one side of it with one hand and moving the other side. Theres no processing limitation on this, just a lack of vision (or marketability)
ah thats the end of that rant... - 'plex
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E.g., if you read the very first page of the review, about the MX1000: "As with optical mice, if you don?t make use of it for several seconds, the battery indicator turns off and the mouse goes into power saving mode."
Now I am a hardcore twitch-gamer, and let me tell you that those power saving delays are what gets you killed in multi-player. You end up doing weird stuff like slightly waving the scope around when you wait for a target as a sniper, because otherwise you have that brief wake-up delay when you do need the mouse.
I had an MX500 and went and bought an MX300 with a cord instead.
Basically my take is that it's a mouse that isn't really good for either. For twitch gaming I _really_ want a corded one, for someone who just browses the web, as you've said, a $6 mouse works just as well. So who are the target demographic that absolutely needed it?
The SFV (Stupid Fashion Victims). The people who buy for the buzzwords and the hype. OOOH, IT'S LASER!
As someone who actually spent a lot of time studying physics, lemme tell you what you probably already knew or suspected: there is nothing magical about laser light in a mouse.
Yes, you can use the coherent light wonderfully for other purposes. But an optical mouse works more or less like a camera: it compares consecutive snapshots and determines the movement from the difference. Increasing the resolution or the number of snapshots per second, yeah, that'll make it a better mouse. Putting a laser diode instead of a regular LED in it, however, won't do jack.
Logitech's problem is: the keyboards and mice business isn't a great place to be in. You won't make a big fortune by selling el-cheapo $6 mice. So they just need some buzzword to allow them to sell a $50 one instead. That's all.
And if you put up enough hype, there'll be enough SFVs that believe it. And enough sites who aren't even as much review sites, but prom queens: they just print whatever is currently popular and brings page views. They catter to stroking the ego of those who already knew which buzzword they really want to buy. If enough SFVs fall for a buzzword, those sites will dutifully print an article telling them how good it really is, and how pleased they can be with that purchase.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
There's a 1:1 relation between the postion of the mouse on the pad, and the pointer on the screen.
That's not true at all unless you turn off acceleration. And mouse movement usually feels incredibly wrong with that off.
My suspicion is that most people have greater resolution in their arm+wrist+fingers than in just their thumb, so a mouse is far easier to use without any training or "getting used to." (I know this is true for me.) So if someone tries both, the trackball will feel awkward at first, the mouse won't.
the profit margin on these given the price range must be 400%. So these things probably earn more per unit than selling a dell shitbox, and x-box or maybe even an ipod.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
The environmental cost should also be considered.
One basic argument against wireless mice and keyboards is that they required batteries. In lots of case the batteries will need changing weekly. This seems ludicrous to me. At least the "wire" mouse will not require batteries so the cost this is lower.
I've been using the S+arck mouse with my G5 for a while now. I've been using a two button mouse since my first Mac (running OS 9).
As for the one-button mouse, I think Apple has it right on. I work at a retail store, dealing with people who are less than computer saavy. A typical conversation:
Me: "Okay now, I want you to right click for me..."
Them: "Right click?"
Me: "Yes, on your mouse, hit the right button."
Them: "Okay, I've done that."
Me: "Okay, now click on 'Properties' and then..."
Them: "Is that RIGHT click?"
Me: "No, Left click."
And it will go on and on.
With a Mac and the OS, walking a user through is much simpler. There's no need to worry about right/left click, nor is there a need to worry (typically) about options being hidden in contextual menus. It's perfect for novice users.
However, if you so desire to use a multibutton mouse, OS X will support up to five buttons out of the box. And yes, those right clicks will bring up contextual menus that will allow users to get to the information "quicker" than before.
What gets me the most is when I'm talking to a PC user who laughs about the one button mouse. I mention that I'm using a two button mouse, which they reply, "Well, Apple should supply one in the box!"
"Do you have the original mouse that came with your PC?"
"No, I have a Logitech MX1000."
So it's alright that they bought a new mouse for their PC, but Mac users should be forever stuck with the one button mouse? HUH?
While I do use a regular mouse for games now, I started off with nothing but the number pad on the keyboard. I used that until I beat Jedi Outcast a couple of times. A friend and I were playing some deathmatch and I was keeping up with him. He was shocked when he found out all I used was a keyboard. I have since moved to a mouse and I am a lot better than him now. Point is, if someone can be that good with a keyboard only, I can't imagine someone couldn't be good with a trackball.
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Just say no to irreversible processes!
As per most other hardware advancements, gaming has really defined the quality bar by being the most demanding application.
I was recently given a Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0 and a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 to compare. They are basically the same mouse but one is wireless and one is corded. I tried both with Unreal Tournament 2003, and there's still of course a huge difference between corded and wireless. The wireless mouse is laggy and significantly less responsive than the corded one. It's so bad that it makes FPS games basically unplayable.
No wireless mouse will ever be able to match the responsiveness and precision of a corded mouse, so the simple fact that this "review" ranks a wireless mouse as the top choice just shows how worthless this review actually is. Even if 90% of your mouse usage is on standard desktop/GUI activities, and you only rarely fire up a game to play, you will still be far better off with a good corded mouse.
Furthermore, durability and drivers are two issues largely overlooked by this review. If you go to the Logitech support forums you can find tons of users who have problems with the MX510 and MX518's buttons failing. It appears to be a design defect. And you can find tons of frustrated MX518 users who are suffering from major bugs in the SetPoint drivers or who are unable to get drivers for their platform (the MX518 drivers are only available for WinXP). By comparison, the Microsoft IntelliPoint software isn't very feature-rich for gaming purposes, but it's totally stable and is available for nearly every Microsoft mouse on every windows version.
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