About to take the plunge: 2-button/scrollwheel mouse...suggestions?

pscates

Eek. After 10 years of Apple mouse usage, I've really come - through using computers of friends and family members (both Macs and PCs) with two-button/scroll mice - to think that maybe that's the way I should be going.



I love the simplicity of the Apple single button. Always have. But I now spend half my day reaching for the control key. And goodness knows I'm on here enough, reading and contributing to threads, that I'm forever going over to the scrollbars and skootching the screen up or down.







What I need from you guys is this: suggestions, recommendations, models to avoid, experiences, brands that suck, brands that don't.



Let me help narrow and keep this thread tightly focused a bit. I'm interested in:



- mouse

- optical

- wired (I'd just lose the other kind...and batteries? No thanks.

- right button, left button

- scroll wheel/button

- USB



That's IT. I don't want some damn 7-button monstrosity. Nor do I want a trackball thing. I don't want wireless. I don't want a bunch of shit all over it. I don't want something I have to learn all over again or "figure out". I don't want something I have to configure a control panel/preference for.



And I'm not looking to spend a gazillion dollars either.



I want to left click as always, right click for context-sensitive menus and scroll through webpages, e-mails, etc.



Tell me what's good.







BTW, right now I've got my eye on this one from Macally. Just a basic mouse shape/style. No goofy Klingon marital aid designs like I see from some companies.

thegelding

i love my dual optical...not a pretty white like you are looking at, but very comfortable and easy to use...



here



g

pscates

That's looks pretty good. I hear lots about Logitech. I'll check into it. You get the idea.



Will probably tool around a bit this weekend, hitting the various Best Buy/Circuit City/Staples/OfficeMax places and seeing what's what.



In almost a decade, I've never really been on a "mouse mission" before.



I used the beige, rounded Apple Mouse, the orange hockey puck that came with my first iMac and now this white Pro Mouse.



I briefly owned a tangerine (what do you expect?) Contour UniMouse about 3 years ago. Somehow managed to lose it, after 3 weeks. Took it to work or to a buddy's house or something.







Funny thing, I bought it for the feel (okay, and the look), but I never used the right button or scroll button.

kjm1863

Bought an Macally icemouse from Fry's and really like it when using my TiBook.

ast3r3x

go Logitech if you want to keep ur prices down and you'll have a perfectly fine mouse (thats what i use) but if u want style and the best Kensington is the way to go my friend

thegelding

Quote:

Originally posted by ast3r3x

go Logitech if you want to keep ur prices down and you'll have a perfectly fine mouse (thats what i use) but if u want style and the best Kensington is the way to go my friend

i have not tried that mouse, but i have heard it is awful





g

ast3r3x

Quote:

Originally posted by thegelding

i have not tried that mouse, but i have heard it is awful





g

perhaps you didn't see how nice it looks?! (geez for a person taht uses a mac you'd think style over performance was not a matter )



haha really i heard it wasn't bad...then again that was only from two people

towel

Logitech MouseMan Dual Optical rocks. You get addicted to binding the thumb button to Cmd-click for opening web pages in a new tab.

luca

Two points to make:



1) The Studio Mouse sucks. It's a good idea in theory, but there are numerous problems you will encounter if you actually use it. First of all I have to say that it does feel very good in the hand, and it looks great. But the problems all lie in the scroll pad. The scroll pad requires a great deal of pressure to function, and even then, it's sporadic because I wasn't mashing my finger down on it hard enough. After a day of use, my right index finger was sore from having to press down so hard on it. Another design flaw with the scroll pad is that your range of motion is severely limited by it. With a wheel, you can roll the entire length of your finger along it, or you can choose to just use the tip of your finger for precise scrolling. With the Studio Mouse, you only have the option of using the tip of your finger. Scrolling long distances is aided by the fact that pressing down on either end of the pad will do a continuous scroll, but it's not the best solution. And the price of $60 is inflated to say the least. The software provided is somewhat good but the tracking speed will change whenever you unplug the mouse or put your computer to sleep, and you'll have to open up the control panel again and change it.



2) Logitech is awesome. The software isn't that great, somewhat buggy, but it does the job. All you would have to use it for is to configure what a middle-click would do, because that's the only function that isn't covered by Apple's built in support. So just get a Logitech wheel mouse. It's optical, USB, two buttons + scroll, and cheap. If you want better software, ironically you should look into a Microsoft mouse because they happen to have great software. No bugs, and you can make the mouse perform differently based on which application you're using. Logitech's software doesn't allow you to do that. Anyway, if you want to get an MS mouse to use their software, I'd suggest the Optical Mouse Blue, which is a simple two button + scroll mouse. MS's other mice have other buttons which you don't want. So, either the Logitech Wheel Mouse or the MS Optical Blue (not bluetooth!).

ijerry

Quote:

Originally posted by thegelding

i have not tried that mouse, but i have heard it is awful





g

All the negativity with the Kensinton...I actually love my Studio Mouse; I have the wireless one too. I love not having to scroll but just touching the top or bottom of the scroll pad to scroll, that cuts down on a lot of movement. Mouseworks is superb, and this mouse it dead accurate, The cradle keeps my baby charged, and I just can't say enough about the mouse, maybe I just got a really good one...Don't know. At any rate, I have not used the logitech, so with so many votes for it, it sounds great, however I love my Kensington.

agent302

Since all you basically want is a wired, 2 button with scroll wheel, optical mouse, it would probably be best to see what you're going to use it for. Since I know, from reading your posts (and seeing your mock-up), that you will likely be a laptop user at some point in the near future, I'd suggest the Kensington Pocket Mouse Pro (which I have), which is optical, has two buttons, a scroll wheel, and, here's the kicker, a retractable cord that hides inside the mouse if you're on the go. So you avoid the issue of losing a wireless receiver, as well as having an annoying cord in your bag. Just my 2¢.

luca

Just make sure you avoid the wireless pocket mouse. I read a scathing review of it, saying the tracking was horrible because of the bad wireless receiver or something.

gargoyle

Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0



I have two of these now, and I could use them as conckers if I whish. They are well made, accuarate, and robust. They do have 5 buttons (you can press the wheel, and 2 thumb buttons) which are great for forwards/backwards in safari.



Nice feature... They are slightly shaped, very cumfy for right handed peeps.





Only downside... they are slightly shaped, bad option for south-paws.

yzedf

Logitech MX300



http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?pa...9&languageid=1



That is what I use at work, and it is great. Very reliable.



Macally makes nice stuff also (had a icemouse jr. for my ex g/f iBook).

alcimedes

is a total piece of shit. i bought one, i can't stand it. it's a pile.



go spend $20 on an optical MS intellimouse. it works just as well, if not better than the other options out there, and won't break the bank.

placebo

Quote:

Originally posted by alcimedes

go spend $20 on an optical MS intellimouse. it works just as well, if not better than the other options out there, and won't break the bank.

[color drains from skin] Please...not...MICRO$OFT! Actually, the mouseblue (the corded- not wireless) is pretty nice. Just avoid all wireless mice except for Microsoft's Bluetooth mice (not the other M$FT wireless mice like the wireless mouse blue ) and the Logitech Wireless mice (MX 700).



But my recomendation is the Macally Dotmouse. Nice product.

mcq

Another vote for the MX300 here. It sounds like you want a simple, solid optical mouse. Logitech is awesome, I use a Cordless Mouseman Optical, and it's a nice mouse. I'd love to get a MX700, but can't really justify spending $50-$60 on it.

placebo

The Apple 'Pro' [I] (Me half laughs, half sobs in a corner) [/B] mouse is $55, with one button, no scroll, and no wireless, so consider the MX 700 (with all the features that the Apple mouse DOESN'T have) a great deal.