March 20, 2008
Just so everyone knows. I don’t know how you can screw up a mousepad, but I attempted to use a Microthin Wow!Pad mouse pad here at work with my optical mouse. And it sucks. It makes my mouse skip across the screen uncontrollably every couple minutes. Very strange.
Needless to say, I’m not using it anymore. Sorry Glen. It was a nice thought, and it’s not your fault it sucks.
March 20, 2008 at 10:56 am
What?! A mouse pad? You mean people actually still use those?
March 20, 2008 at 11:05 am
I’m using one right now. Laser doesn’t pick up couch very well.
March 20, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Join the Trackball revolution suckers!
March 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Yeah, really. I am lucky to have an optical mouse at work, however, at home I still have a standard mouse.. And I hate it. For some reason, all the standard mice I’ve had recently (work before my computer broke and home) have been these really crappy HP mice that SQUEAK when you move them. They *really* get on my nerves. The optical mouse is also an HP, but it doesn’t squeak, thankfully.
March 20, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I used a crystal trackball, or similarly-styled trackball, for over 20 years.
Lack of serial ports in new computers forces me to have to re-make decisions I shouldn’t be forced to re-make. Can’t use my favorite mouse.
Well, at least I’ll eventually be able to learn how to play Quake correctly. Mouse > Trackball > Keyboard.
March 20, 2008 at 1:51 pm
@carolyn:
What?! A standard mouse? They still make those?
Optical mice are dirt cheap nowadays.
And don’t use HP. Use either Microsoft or Logitech.
@clint:
They don’t use lasers, they use LED’s. And they work quite well on my knee(jeans/pajamas). Especially when it’s wireless.
March 20, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I wouldn’t use HP if I had a choice. For some reason (i.e. I didn’t buy it), that’s just what I ended up with.
If that squeaky thing dies, I’ll be definitely looking for a logitech optical one. I don’t like MS.
March 20, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Chriggy — I suggest looking into your lasermouse claim. From the amazon page for my logitech laser mouse:
“20X Tracking Power
By revealing significantly greater surface detail than optical mice, the MX1000 laser mouse tracks precise on previously impossible-to-navigate surfaces, such as highly polished or wood-grain surfaces.
In tests on these demanding surfaces, the invisible laser light reveals 20 times greater detail when compared to its LED-based counterparts.”
Anyway, mouse on knee is quite inconvenient.
I only do that when sitting at a conventional desk.. and in that case, i had a corded mouse taped to my desk, so that if i let go of it, it would only fall about 6 inches from my hand (hovering in mid-air, waiting to be grabbed). That was cool. If I accidentally dropped it, I could grab it when it swung back
March 20, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I guess technology has improved. Or not. Maybe laser technology works better on smooth surfaces and less good on rough surfaces?
My non-laser optical mouse works fine on couch. And any other fabric I’ve tried it on. I does have a little trouble if the table has a fresh coat of Pledge on it though.
March 20, 2008 at 4:56 pm
There’s only one sensible way to find out, really… all-railgun Quake3!