Of Mice and Men

[Danger_Duck]

This is actually a serious question: Can ball mice ever wear out?

I have this ball mouse at home and sometimes it gets stuck when I try to
move it to the left, I end up having to bang it gently (if that's not a
contradiction) and then it goes on its way.

Now, Do I just need to get the dust outta there or can ball mice actually
wear out?

Also, can pressing hard on a mousepad and frequent use wear out the
ball/mouse roller thingies? (As in, when nerdy kids like me play real time
strategy games all the time that demand precision point and clicks)

Basically, I'm wondering if I need to replace or just clean my ball mouse,
and if so, if to get an infrared one instead (although a cheap infrared mouse
I got from china stopped functioning after a few months, leaving me uncertain
whether it was the china part or infrared part that was suspect)

Thanks!

 

[John John (MVP)]

Yes, they sure do! If the mouse starts to act eratically it's usually
time to replace it.

John

 

[db.·.. >]

just go buy a new
one.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Danger_Duck" <[email protected]>

| This is actually a serious question: Can ball mice ever wear out?

| I have this ball mouse at home and sometimes it gets stuck when I try to
| move it to the left, I end up having to bang it gently (if that's not a
| contradiction) and then it goes on its way.

| Now, Do I just need to get the dust outta there or can ball mice actually
| wear out?

| Also, can pressing hard on a mousepad and frequent use wear out the
| ball/mouse roller thingies? (As in, when nerdy kids like me play real time
| strategy games all the time that demand precision point and clicks)

| Basically, I'm wondering if I need to replace or just clean my ball mouse,
| and if so, if to get an infrared one instead (although a cheap infrared mouse
| I got from china stopped functioning after a few months, leaving me uncertain
| whether it was the china part or infrared part that was suspect)

| Thanks!

Replace it with an Optical Mouse. No crap accumulation and no wear and tear on movable
parts.
Problem solved.

 

[Unknown]

Suggest a cordless mouse. However, the life expectancy of a ball mouse is
many, many years.
You can remove the ball and clean the two shafts turned by the ball with a
pencil eraser.

 

[Twayne]

This is actually a serious question: Can ball mice ever wear out?

I have this ball mouse at home and sometimes it gets stuck when I try
to move it to the left, I end up having to bang it gently (if that's
not a contradiction) and then it goes on its way.

Now, Do I just need to get the dust outta there or can ball mice
actually wear out?

Also, can pressing hard on a mousepad and frequent use wear out the
ball/mouse roller thingies? (As in, when nerdy kids like me play real
time strategy games all the time that demand precision point and
clicks)

Basically, I'm wondering if I need to replace or just clean my ball
mouse, and if so, if to get an infrared one instead (although a cheap
infrared mouse I got from china stopped functioning after a few
months, leaving me uncertain whether it was the china part or
infrared part that was suspect)

Thanks!

A ball mouse should be cleaned periodically. That's why the ball is so
easy to remove; just twist the surrounding escutcheon and it should fall
right out. Look at the rollers inside too; if they're wrapped in dust,
clear it out by blowing and using tweezers if necessary. Clean the ball
itself and put it back together.

Optical mice are much better since they have fewer moving parts and no
ball to worry about. The roll wheels can still collect gunk, but it
takes a lot longer and is just as easy to clean out.

Buying a new mouse is OK, but ... in my case a waste of time when in 5
minutes I can clean the mouse out and be back to work. I've better
things to do than run back & forth to the stores.

HTH

 

[Mike Cawood, HND BIT]

This is actually a serious question: Can ball mice ever wear out?

I have this ball mouse at home and sometimes it gets stuck when I try to
move it to the left, I end up having to bang it gently (if that's not a
contradiction) and then it goes on its way.

Now, Do I just need to get the dust outta there or can ball mice actually
wear out?

Also, can pressing hard on a mousepad and frequent use wear out the
ball/mouse roller thingies? (As in, when nerdy kids like me play real time
strategy games all the time that demand precision point and clicks)

Basically, I'm wondering if I need to replace or just clean my ball mouse,
and if so, if to get an infrared one instead (although a cheap infrared
mouse
I got from china stopped functioning after a few months, leaving me
uncertain
whether it was the china part or infrared part that was suspect)

Thanks!

If you want to give your old fashioned ball mouse a thorough clean, remove
the screws underneath & pull the top off & remove the dust etc by blowing &
pulling.
Or by a decent up-to-date optical mouse or even a cordless one - no cable to
fail here & 2 x AA batteries last approx 4-6 weeks. (but you do need a USB
socket for this).
They're not infra-red BTW just red.
Both my PCs have cordless mice.
Regards Mike.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Mike Cawood, HND BIT" <[email protected]>


| If you want to give your old fashioned ball mouse a thorough clean, remove
| the screws underneath & pull the top off & remove the dust etc by blowing &
| pulling.
| Or by a decent up-to-date optical mouse or even a cordless one - no cable to
| fail here & 2 x AA batteries last approx 4-6 weeks. (but you do need a USB
| socket for this).
| They're not infra-red BTW just red.
| Both my PCs have cordless mice.
| Regards Mike.


If you use Lithium AA batteries you can expect a much longer life than 4-6 weeks.

 

[Badger]

This is actually a serious question: Can ball mice ever wear out?

I have this ball mouse at home and sometimes it gets stuck when I try to
move it to the left, I end up having to bang it gently (if that's not a
contradiction) and then it goes on its way.

Now, Do I just need to get the dust outta there or can ball mice actually
wear out?

Also, can pressing hard on a mousepad and frequent use wear out the
ball/mouse roller thingies? (As in, when nerdy kids like me play real time
strategy games all the time that demand precision point and clicks)

Basically, I'm wondering if I need to replace or just clean my ball mouse,
and if so, if to get an infrared one instead (although a cheap infrared
mouse
I got from china stopped functioning after a few months, leaving me
uncertain
whether it was the china part or infrared part that was suspect)

Thanks!

Buy an optical mouse. They don't cost that much and are way better than the
old ball mice.
Badger

 

[Unknown]

Why do you have to run 'back and forth'? Isn't once enough?

 

[Unknown]

I have a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0. Normal batteries last more
than six months.

 

[Gary Fritz]

I have a Logitech cordless mouse. I use NiMH rechargeable AA's in it.
One set lasts a month or two, then I just pop in a fresh set and recharge
the old ones. I've been running on the same 4 batteries for years.

 

[Trevor Lawrence]

I have a Logitech cordless mouse. I use NiMH rechargeable AA's in it.
One set lasts a month or two, then I just pop in a fresh set and recharge
the old ones. I've been running on the same 4 batteries for years.

Yes, so do I.

But the rechargeables started to die a bit earlier than that, so I went to
dry cells.

I think my rechargeables may be getting a bit tired

 

[Unknown]

I tried NiMH's and was very disappointed in them. They just don't seem to
hold a charge. Forever replacing them
in radios etc.They seem to discharge just sitting on a shelf.
I buy Kirkland batteries from Costco and they are about 20 cents apiece.

 

[Gary Fritz]

Current NiMHs do indeed have shelf-life problems. They only hold their
charge for maybe a month or so, so you have to charge them up relatively
soon before you need them. That's a bit of a pain but I can live with
it, especially for my mouse. I very much like the fact that I haven't
tossed a couple dozen alkaline batteries in the landfill in the last few
years.

 

[Unknown]

Try a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0. Batteries appear to last
forever.