What is your mouse of choice?

[Temetka]

For desktop systems:

I prefer trackballs. I have carpal, and I can tell you from experience that trackballs aggravate less. Thank you Logitech for the Trackman Marble. It is 'teh awesome'.

For Laptops:

I prefer the IBM Trackpoint system. It is extremely accurate.

Although being able to use 2 fingers to right click on my PB is cool.

Overall I prefer IBM Thinkpads. Quick and sexy, with dual inputs, removeable drive bay, excellent graphics (by my standards) and great keyboards.

My dream laptop:

A Thinkpad T61p built by Apple with full support for OS X and has a backlit keyboard and dual inputs. I can dream can't I?

I will never own another laptop without the backlit keyboard. I heart it that much.

 

[shred]

For desktops:

1. Optical mouse of just about any type, except the awful iMac style "iPuck" (what were Apple thinking!).

2. Ball Mouse. The Apple ADB ones with the larger, much heavier gray ball were excellent. Can't stand the old Apple ADB mouses with the really light, small black ball though.

3. Trackball. Like Bunsen, I'm quite partial to the old Kensington trackball with the "billiard ball" - they are particularly good for a computer with cramped space or that has to be used while you are standing up. In addition, the older ones are shaped to "match" the Mac Plus keyboard, so they look like they belong.

For laptops:

1. Large-ish trackball like the Mac Portable. PowerBook 140, 170, 180 etc trackballs are not bad either. The Duo trackballs were too small to be effective though, and as for those weird, tiny little trackballs Compaq used to put up the side of the display... ewwww! Obviously, their user testing did not involve any of us left-handed people!

2. IBM style trackpoint. Takes some getting used to, but very good - especially since you can use it with without moving your hands away from the keyboard "home" position.

Hate, loathe and detest track pads. They are a scourge upon the Earth. I've given them a fair go over the years, having had a PowerBook 520 as my main "work" computer for five years back when they were current. I've also had various WinTel laptops with trackpads over the years and the more I've used them, the more I hate 'em.

 

[bigD]

I have a two button (with scroll wheel) optical Logitech mouse. Works great, and I like the feel.

But why is it that nobody can build a silent scroll wheel? Heh!

 

[Danamania]

A normal mouse here - an apple mighty mouse.

Trackballs make my fingers/thumbs/wrist lock up in pain after a little use, without me noticing until it's too late.

Dana

 

[zerohour]

I use the Microsoft Optical Trackball and now I find it cumbersome to use a normal mouse.

 

[SiliconValleyPirate]

I use exclusively Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer mice (the big silver ones) as I have hugely long fingers. I have used trackballs in the past, but I'm with DAna, they cause my wrist and thumb to lock because I have long thumbs also and the movement is actually quite uncomfortable.

Only other Mice I use are my Amiga Technologies Mice (one black, one white) and my token teardrop ADB mouse for the older Macs.

 

[LCGuy]

Out of the mice I have, my favourite is the wireless Microsoft Wheel Mouse that I have. It uses RF signals, not bluetooth, and it requires PS/2, but its still a great mouse. I use mine with my iMac. Very comfortable.

 

[Unknown_K]

I own 2 adb trackballs and a logitec marble trackball ps2 mouse, but mostly I like the MS opticals. For the ADB macs I use the standard adb type mice.

 

[SiliconValleyPirate]

But why is it that nobody can build a silent scroll wheel? Heh!

My new Microsoft Intellimout Explorer USB (v4.0) has a silent scroll wheel. No clicks or anything and it's so smooth you can actually like give it a sharp pull with your finger and it scrolls down the page really fast. It also does side scrolling way better then the Mighty Mouse with the tilt wheel. Scrolling the scroll ball sodeways o nthe Mighty Mouse is not a very natural action and used to make my finger hurt if I used it too much.

 

[register]

I prefer good trackpads as a pointing device (I recommend the Alps/Cirque Glidepoint series). Trackpads are space-saving on a small desktop. You can use it without a table, holding it in one hand and pointing with the other hand. The Glidepoint devices work even in dirty environment and can be used wearing examination gloves.

For CAD and picture editing I prefer a trackball with click-lock or an Artpad with pen. The general purpose device of my choice a mouse, still.

 

[Scott Baret]

I use a Logitech wheel mouse on my MacBook but stick to Apple mice on the others. I can't stand the feel of a Mighty Mouse--the little ball feels like one of those pimples you used to get when you were 13 that you just want to pop open (so that it would be gone in time for the big middle school dance).

I actually like the old IIc type mouse and use it on my Plus. I prefer late-model Taiwan models out of the original square ADBs. If they were made in 1992, they usually have a clickier button, a feel which I like.

I like the puck, believe it or not. I ordered one through the service department when I got my iBook G3. I also like IBM mice.

 

[pudding]

Kensington Turbo Mouse! Worked like a charm for me from the first time I used an auction $5 unit I purchased and have owned a dozen or so over the years. Good solid products with solid easy to obtain software. The bigger the heavier ball the better! Also you can substitute the balls on the old models 2.25" billiards work nicely.

Wrist support is Mandatory for prolonged use otherwise you will have a problem with cramps ... but that goes for all inputs.

I use the Expert with scroll wheel now that zooms and pans in my cad software - very usefull - but the scroll could be more sensitive.

However I like to have seperate input devices for every computer in the house to help my slow head twig to the machine characteristics.

 

[II2II]

I bought a way over-priced Kensignton Turbo Mouse, and don't regret it in the slightest. It is wonderful to use, very rugged (I don't want to think of how often it has been dropped). and has been used on everything from my IIgs to a Mac mini. Given that it is 6 years old and still working properly, the over priced bit doesn't hurt in the slightest.

I don't have much experience with optical mice. Just a few ancient Sun mice and the Mighty Mouse. The Mighty Mouse scroll 'wheel' is too small, side mouse buttons are too sensitive, and it tracks worse than a mouse with balls.

/me runs to his Turbo Mouse and cuddles it.

/me then runs to his model M to cuddle it, so that it won't get jealous.

/me starts wondering why everyone thinks he needs to see a psychologist.