What's good about wireless optical mouse?

[Bill]

Don't know much about mouse but have to buy one. Look at
the prices, optical mouse is more expansive than the
traditional roller-ball mouse. Is it better too? Does it
last longer?

I don't like optical mouse because they need batteries. If
the roller-ball mouse can do the work without batteries, why
not just buy roller-ball mouse?

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Don't know much about mouse but have to buy one. Look at
the prices, optical mouse is more expansive than the
traditional roller-ball mouse. Is it better too? Does it
last longer?

I don't like optical mouse because they need batteries. If
the roller-ball mouse can do the work without batteries, why
not just buy roller-ball mouse?

Let's clarify a few things here: -

1) The plural of 'mouse' is 'mice' (though, in this instance, some would
say 'mouses' or 'pointing devices')
2) The word is 'expensive' - 'expansive' means 'capable of expanding'
amongst other things.
3) Where on /earth/ did you get the notion that optical = wireless?! I
had a wireless ball mouse years ago, just like I have a corded optical mouse
now.
4) You only don't like optical mice because you think they're all
wireless. A Google search will disprove that.

Let's see...Advantages of optical over ball mice: -

1) More accurate
2) Nothing to gum up, therefore never needs cleaning. A ball mouse worked
(and the past tense is deliberate, since I think they're pretty much
obsolete now) by moving the ball against four rollers (up/down and
left/right) and, the gunk and lint it picked up from the desk, would be
transferred to the rollers, therefore you would need to disassemble the unit
at regular intervals to remove the crud (I used to have to physically take
mine to pieces to remove all of it) and the ball would need washing in mild,
soapy, water.
3) Works on virtually any surface (except glass) no mouse mat required.
4) You can't buy anything other than optical these days
5) Funky red light (though these days other colourways are available)

Disadvantages....

Erm, none.

Now, if you were to ask for the advantages/disadvantages of corded vs
wireless

Advantages

1) Greater freedom (some can be used up to 50 feet away from the computer
(if your study is that big!)
2) In the case of Bluetooth (rather than plain old wireless) the ability
to use more than one device with the same receiver.

Disadvantages

1) Heavy - (the Logitech MX700 that I use weighs in at 170g. My old -
corded - MouseMan weighs 48g - nearly 4½ times as much.
2) Depending on what you buy, they munch batteries (unless you use
rechargeables - the 1800mAh that I use last 4 days on a charge. Logitech's
latest offering is said to last 30 days on a single charge, using a single
lithium ion cell).
3) Because they are so heavy, they are a major cause of RSI (if my MX700
didn't glide better over the desk than the MouseMan, I'd still be using the
MouseMan). I suffer from CTS, and I'm seriously thinking about changing back
to corded.

So, there you go, does that answer your question?

 

[Michael C]

Disadvantages....

Erm, none.

Although optical is much much better it does have some disadvantages. Cost
is higher although not much and it doesn't work on some desks (eg mine)
without a mat and the red light is kinda wanky.

Michael

 

[DevilsPGD]

Although optical is much much better it does have some disadvantages. Cost
is higher although not much and it doesn't work on some desks (eg mine)
without a mat and the red light is kinda wanky.

Wanky?

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Although optical is much much better it does have some disadvantages.
Cost is higher although not much and it doesn't work on some desks
(eg mine) without a mat and the red light is kinda wanky.

Michael

I did say "most surfaces" - your desk is obviously too reflective.

 

[Michael C]

Wanky?

Derived from the term wanker. Someone who visits Mrs palmer and her 5
daughters often.

Michael

 

[Michael C]

I did say "most surfaces" - your desk is obviously too reflective.

I'm suprised it doesn't work on my desk, it is a painted wood desk that
isn't that shiny anymore. It also doesn't work on my spare desk which is
black laminate but does work on my desk at work which is a beige laminate.
So for me it doesn't work on 66% of the desks I've tried it on. Maybe I'm
unlucky?

Michael

 

[kony]

I'm suprised it doesn't work on my desk, it is a painted wood desk that
isn't that shiny anymore. It also doesn't work on my spare desk which is
black laminate but does work on my desk at work which is a beige laminate.
So for me it doesn't work on 66% of the desks I've tried it on. Maybe I'm
unlucky?

Maybe it's just that particular mouse?

 

[kony]

Don't know much about mouse but have to buy one. Look at
the prices, optical mouse is more expansive than the
traditional roller-ball mouse.

Barely, they can be had for under $10, something decent like
a logitech can be hand for under $15 for the lower-spec
models.

Is it better too?

On average, yes a lot better.

Does it
last longer?

Depends on how you intend on breaking it?

I don't like optical mouse because they need batteries. If
the roller-ball mouse can do the work without batteries, why
not just buy roller-ball mouse?

It has nothing to do with optical or roller-ball, it's
wireless. WIreless roller-ball mice use batteries too. If
you don't need a wireless mouse nobody's twisting your
arm...

 

[The Other Guy.]

Ive got my Logitec MX 700, Optical Cordless mouse, and would never go
back to corded .

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Ive got my Logitec MX 700, Optical Cordless mouse, and would never go
back to corded .

You obviously don't suffer from RSI/CTS then? I didn't think I did either
until I began using mine. I have just ordered an MX510 as a replacement and
I will be selling the 700.

 

[kony]

You obviously don't suffer from RSI/CTS then? I didn't think I did either
until I began using mine. I have just ordered an MX510 as a replacement and
I will be selling the 700.

Was it the weight though or the sculpted shape?
My most-used mouse is a MX300 with the weight removed, makes
it very light but if I had to choose light or ambidexterous
I'd go ambidexterous regardless of which hand I had using
it.

 

[yak]

Don't know much about mouse but have to buy one. Look at
the prices, optical mouse is more expansive than the
traditional roller-ball mouse. Is it better too? Does it
last longer?

I don't like optical mouse because they need batteries. If
the roller-ball mouse can do the work without batteries, why
not just buy roller-ball mouse?

An optical mouse doesn't inheritly need batteries. Wireless mice, ball
or optical, do.

Wireless is better.

No ball to get gummed up.
No need for a mouse pad (on most surfaces).


My wireless optical takes about 30 days to run it's batteries down. But
that's the dollar pack of 12 at whatsitsmart, so who cares.

 

[MCheu]

Don't know much about mouse but have to buy one. Look at
the prices, optical mouse is more expansive than the
traditional roller-ball mouse. Is it better too? Does it
last longer?

I don't like optical mouse because they need batteries. If
the roller-ball mouse can do the work without batteries, why
not just buy roller-ball mouse?

While there are some ham fisted optical mice out there, optical mice
need not be any more expansive than ball mice. In fact, you can get
some very small optical mice, considerably smaller than the tiniest
ball mice.

In theory, an optical mouse can last longer than a ball mouse. It is
certainly possible to kill one if you try, but in normal usage, the
only thing that wears out seems to be the low-friction sticker feet on
the bottom -- those wear out early on ball mice too.

As for that battery thing, you're confusing optical mice with wireless
mice. The wireless models exist in both ball and optical variants,
and either way, you need batteries because they're wireless and can't
get power from the computer. A tethered optical mouse will not need
batteries. As to why one would go for an optical over a ball mouse?
Well, for one, I don't have to take it apart and scrape out the crap
every couple of months to keep it working.

 

[Bill]

Hi Miss Tick, Thanks for correcting my grammar. Not a
native speaker of English.

If you say optical mouses don't need batteries, then they
don't. but I wonder how they get light then?

 

[Paul E]

Hi Miss Tick, Thanks for correcting my grammar. Not a
native speaker of English.

If you say optical mouses don't need batteries, then they
don't. but I wonder how they get light then?

A wireless optical mouse needs batteries.
A wired optical mouse does not.

Paul

 

[Michael C]

Maybe it's just that particular mouse?

They are different mice. 2 of them are MS explorers but the black desk is my
test bench and has had many different mice on it.

Michael

 

[Michael C]

Wireless is better.

That's a very general, and in my opinion, false statement. Others have
already pointed out why.

My wireless optical takes about 30 days to run it's batteries down. But
that's the dollar pack of 12 at whatsitsmart, so who cares.

Maybe the environment cares. If everyone had one it would be 24 batteries
per year multiplied by 400 million Americans which is 9.6 billion batteries
just used in the US. BTW, haven't you heard of rechargables?

Michael

 

[Michael C]

If you say optical mouses don't need batteries, then they
don't. but I wonder how they get light then?

They take power from the computer. Most of them will be USB or PS2 which
provide power to the mouse. This is why you don't get serial optical mice,
the serial port was never designed to supply power and can't supply enough
to run it.

Michael

 

[DevilsPGD]

They are different mice. 2 of them are MS explorers but the black desk is my
test bench and has had many different mice on it.

Not just shiny surfaces, but also extremely services without any texture
or pattern.