I Need a New Mouse
posted on december 8, 2003, tag: tech
I'm having a problem. I can't find a mouse that I like. I've owned at least seven mice in the past few years, and I can't find the right one. I've had two MS IntelliMouse Explorers (one wired, one wireless), an Apple Pro Mouse, a Logitech Dual Optical, an MS Optical Mouse Blue, a Kensington StudioMouse and most recently (what I'm using on my G5 now) a Kensington PilotMouse Optical. A rough total of how much I've spent: $294.
All of the above mice are optical, and all but the Apple Pro Mouse have at least two buttons and a scroll wheel. The Kensington StudioMouse had a touch-sensitive scrolling mechanism, which was a neat idea but grew tiring quite quickly (and combined with the fact that the StudioMouse had serious lag issues in OS X eventually caused me to stop using it). Katia is now using that mouse at work in OS 9. I lost one IntelliMouse explorer on 9/11, and the other was the wireless version which was big, heavy and clunky (and would sleep constantly creating massive lag issues)—I eventually got rid of it. I still have the MS Optical Mouse Blue, which I have plugged into my PC and sitting on the corner of my desk. It's perfectly fine to use in Windows, and works fine for gaming, but in OS X it just doesn't cut it. Something about the Microsoft Mouse 'drivers' causes weird little glitches from time to time. It could also be that it's just a cheap mouse with really low optical DPI—I mean, the mouse was $20—and that just won't work for me in OS X. The Logitech Dual Optical (which has an optical DPI of 800 per sensor) is sitting in the livingroom attached to Katia's Sony VAIO R505 notebook, and is still fully functional despite the fact that the cats have knocked it to the floor about 7,500 times. The Apple Pro Mouse is attached to my PowerBook, which I will eventually sell and include the mouse.
I love the Apple Pro Mouse, but I can't stand not having at least a scrollbar. I can handle having to hold down control to right-click, but not without the scrollbar. It's unfortunate, too, because I like the shape and click of the Pro Mouse a lot.
The Kensington PilotMouse I'm using now has a few problems. The worst problem, and really an unbearable problem actually, is that the scroll wheel is cheap. When you scroll down, every few rotational clicks it will scroll back up a click. It seems the sensor in the wheel is extremely sensitive to the wheel moving up, especially in certain spots. This means that as I scroll down a page, I see something like this: down, down, down, up, down, down, up, down, down, down, up, down. It's hard to explain. Perhaps I need to record it happening. None the less, it's fucking horrible. It's especially bad when you get to the bottom of a page and on that last scroll it comes back up a click. So you reach the bottom and as you let go of the wheel it moves the page back up a little. Oh, god, it's so fucking angering!
I thought it was a faulty mouse at first, so I exchanged it for a new one and I still had the same problem. I tried changing the scroll speed settings, but it happened on every possible setting. Otherwise, the mouse is okay, except for its height. It seems like all mouse manufacturers are doing that now, though—making mice really tall so you feel like you're gripping half a ball rather than just lying your hand flat onto something—but I don't like it. Perhaps that's why I like the Pro Mouse so much.
I need a new mouse. And I need help, because I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.
For a while I was really interested in finding a Razer Boomslang, but since that company has gone in and out of business so many times, the only real place to find their mice is on eBay now, and they're still quite expensive for being used and outdated by 5 years. Plus, I know they say they're even more accurate than optical mice, but I don't know if I want a ball-based mouse. Besides, the Mac USB drivers you have to use to make the Razer work under OS X seem a bit shoddy.
I really like the new Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer's "Tilt Wheel Technology," but I don't know that I would ever use it. It's not often I need to scroll left and right unless I'm in Photoshop, and then I prefer the hand tool anyway. Besides, it seems that the tilting feature would probably end up happening when you didn't want it to—like when you were just plain scrolling. I've read reviews and no one has mentioned this problem, though.
I have Bluetooth, so I'm open to the idea of a Bluetooth wireless mouse. If the Apple version had a scrollwheel, I would have bought it the day it came out. But, alas, they're sticking with their one-button bullshit, so that's out of the question. Apparently MS's Bluetooth mouse doesn't work in OS X (which seems odd considering Bluetooth is a standard), and it seems as though Logitech's Bluetooth mouse won't work in OS X either. I guess that sort of rules out Bluetooth for now.
I like what I'm reading about the Logitech MX 700 Cordless Optical Mouse. The last time I used a wireless mouse it was terrible, but I've read that now the speed of wireless mice is much, much faster and unless you're a hardcore gamer (I don't play games on my Mac) you won't notice any lag or slowdown. Lag wasn't necessarily my problem, though, it was the 'sleep' feature that killed me. I don't want to take my hand off the mouse to type for 30 seconds, grab the mouse and find myself dragging uselessly for a second until the mouse wakes up again. I can't stand that, and from reading reviews it seems that the MS Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer still does it. I can't find any reports of the Logitech MX 700 mouse doing it, though, and since the MX 700 uses rechargable batteries and comes with a charging dock, it makes sense that it wouldn't sleep (you don't really need to conserve all that power if you can just recharge the batteries).
Reviews of the MX 700 are all very high. People are calling it the best wireless optical mouse ever. I guess that's good news, but I'm still a big timid. There is, of course, a corded version of the MX 700, called the MX 500. Reviews of the MX 500 are pretty much perfect, and it frees me of my fears of wireless troubles. Another benefit to the MX 500 is the $10 mail-in rebate that's available until December 31.
It's funny, the course of writing this entry caused me to do quite a bit of research, and seemingly answer my own question as to which mouse I should get. But, none the less, I am still very interested to hear from other people—which mouse they use, whether or not they recommend it, etcetera. If and when I do buy a new mouse, I'll be sure to update this entry with my thoughts on it.
Comments
There are 15 comments, comments are closed
aharden on 12/08/2003:
I guess I'm easy - MS Wheel Mouse Opticals at home and work have beek OK for me. I experienced a huge satisfaction jump when moving to the optical technology.
Jonathan on 12/08/2003:
Try the Logitech MX700. It's pretty sweet.
Furo on 12/09/2003:
Hands-down, the MX700 is the way to go. The chip inside these puppies makes it track better than most pedestrian wired optical mice. Eight buttons is absolutely addictive. I have two MX700s, and three other wireless mice - two Logitech and one Microsoft - and there is simply no comparison.
-Furo
Blumie on 12/09/2003:
Have you heard about "The Mouse" made by MacMice? The Mouse Ltd.
Basically it's Apple's mouse with a scroll wheel and two buttons. Also, it comes in Black (Ltd.) and White (regular). I think they are also going to make a Wireless version in the future.
Brice on 12/10/2003:
Is there any reason you don't use a trackball? I got a MS Trackball Optical a few years ago and I vastly prefer it to all mice. I don't know if I got the name right, but I have the thumb ball rather than the finger one (MS makes two, if you look at them, you'll understand what I mean).
Garrett on 12/11/2003:
Thanks for all the advice. Specifically:
Aharden—yes, the plain-jane MS optical works fine for my PC, but not for my Mac.
Jonathan and Furo—I ended up getting the MX 500, which is the corded version of the 700. Fantastic mouse.
Blumie—yes, I have seen "The Mouse," but no one has reviewed it, so I decided against it.
Brice—can't use trackballs at all. Actually, should say can't stand trackballs at all. Absolutely hate them.
I'll write a little something about the new mouse some time in the future.,
Brice on 12/16/2003:
Bah ... everyone hates trackballs until they use them for long enough. There is something to be said for never having to worry about a flat usable surface. If you ever have the time, see if you can borrow one from a friend for a few weeks. Your answer might just change.
Alex on 01/14/2004:
I have a similar problem with the Microsoft mouse (that's how I found this page).
The scroll wheel apparently doesn't rotate full steps sometimes (it's very very light, almost no resistance, so little wonder), and when I let go of the wheel, it may suddenly click up or down one notch.
VERY aggravating.
Steph on 02/17/2004:
Forget mice - get a wacom tablet and your world will be transformed - the Intuos 2 tablet is excellent - the trouble I get is when the pen sticks a bit and you have to tap it on the table, otherwise, since I changed from a mouse, I love how quick and fluid it all is. You won't get the hang of it at first, but persevere and you will be rewarded.
cyradaria on 05/06/2004:
I'm on Mouse IV now and have hated them all like you. Fix a sore thumb and you end up with a sore finger from another. I had a Logtech trackball and despised it. We've taken it apart twice now and it still "sticks." I'm taking it back to Office Depot and am going to try the MX, too. What's a girl to do.
Jack Campbell on 09/07/2004:
Garrett, if you'll email me at jack@macmice.com, I will give you a free The Mouse BT. It's the same shape and feel as the Apple Bluetooth Mouse, but has two buttons, a scroll wheel button, and, a scroll wheel. Enjoy. My gift.
All I ask is that, love it or hate it, put your honest opinion on your blog.
Deal?
Dan on 09/08/2004:
Ahhhh I'm glad I've found someone else that isn't an out-and-out advocate of the Apple Pro Mouse.
I like the Apple Pro Mouse ergonomics, but the one-button with no scrollwheel, just champs my bit.
I use a small, blue, MS intellimouse via USB in the g4 powermac I have and it works a treat. Not sure on the optical DPI but it works perfectly on all surfaces, I've never had a problem and it required no drivers for installation, I just "plugged n played" it.
Also at around $30 Australian its a damn site cheaper than the $80 Apple Pro.
Good luck with the search. Please drop me a line if you find something that is absolutely rocking in the way of the meese :)
Dan on 09/08/2004:
Did i say powermac? cough I meant Powerbook...
Watchdog on 09/09/2004:
l33t
Ryan on 09/16/2004:
Garret, as a matter of fact, the MS IntelliMouse Explorer (BlueTooth Edition) works just fine with at least OS X 10.3.3, and continues to work great with 10.3.5. If you can overlook the short (about a month) battery life (and you can actually find this mouse for sale), it's a pretty good mouse.