Practicing the Black Art (05/08)
Buying a Mouse - More important than you might think!
by Vinny La Bash, vlabash@comcast.net
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
The average computer user recognizes how important the mouse is to getting things done.
Mice have been part of the compute scene for over twenty years and with
rare exceptions are simple devices to operate and control. That doesn’t
mean that people who use them are necessarily familiar with all their
features and functions. That’s not as bad as it may sound. Most
automobile drivers don’t have a clue how the internal combustion engine
inside their auto engines works. Yet they usually manage to drive from
one place to another without incident.
Selecting a mouse is much simpler than choosing an
automobile, but there are things you should know before laying out money
for a device that if not properly designed, may result not only in poor
computer performance, but may cause you injury.
The mouse may be the most common of the tracking
technologies used in modern computers, but it is not the only one. There
are trackballs, touch pads, and for ThinkPad users, track points. They
all have their advantages and drawbacks. We will focus on the mouse.
Mechanical mice, those with the rolling balls on the
underside, are obsolete. They have a tendency to gather debris on the
underside, and require cleaning. Moving parts are their most serious
weak spot because they will break down sooner than devices that rely on
other technologies. Newer optical mice suffer no such defects. They
generate a beam of light that combines with an optical sensor providing
a screen pointer that is well suited for meticulous graphics or serious
game playing. No moving parts mean less maintenance and lighter weight.
Optical mice will work on any smooth surface; a mouse pad is
unnecessary.
Look for a mouse with a USB connection. It will
probably be difficult to buy a mouse that does not have this type of
connection today. Make sure it is compatible with USB 2. The mouse is
not considered a high speed device so this caution may be unnecessary.
You may want a wireless mouse for no other reason
than to reduce desktop clutter. There are many generic wireless mice on
the market that will perform adequately, but doing this on the cheap
comes with a price. You will have a mouse that requires AAA batteries.
Save your pennies and get one with an integrated rechargeable battery.
High end wireless mice include receivers that double as battery
chargers, so your mouse will never suddenly expire in the middle of an
important project.
Most rodents on the market today feature at least two
buttons and a scroll wheel. The right button is used mainly for bringing
up menus or lists of options. The left hand button activates functions
or commands. The scroll wheel, as its name implies, is used to scroll up
and down screens. Sometimes the wheel can function as a third button
activating instructions. Advanced scroll wheel functions allow left to
right scrolling which can be very useful in wide spreadsheets or large
graphics. Used in conjunction with the keyboard, the scroll wheel can
zoom in and out of some applications, and can be used to make text
appear larger.
Mice do not come in a one-size-fits-all product.
Enlightened companies such as Logitec manufacture mice that are
specifically contoured to fit a wide variety of hand sizes. Logitec was
among the very first companies to recognize that different sized people
have different sized hands. Choose a mouse that is ergonomically
designed to fit your individual hand size. This will go a long way to
reduce the probability of developing carpel tunnel syndrome or some
other crippling ailment.
A mouse is a simple device by computer standards, yet it seldom gets
the attention it deserves. Take the time to find a good ergonomically
designed mouse that suits the physical characteristics of your hand
along with suitable options for your personal computing preferences.
Productivity and good health are not mutually exclusive.
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Copyright 2008. This article is from the May 2008 issue of the
Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota
Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL
34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit
computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and
our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication
the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For
further information about our group, email:
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http://www.spcug.org/
The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members
and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User
Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are
members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC
Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.