Trying to grok all the possibilities for the pointing device for a desktop system
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I've been using a notebook for so long that I am completely used to using the standard touchpad on a notebook, whether it's one that has buttons or allows for depressing the bottom left or right on a buttonless pad. Of course, the last time I used a desktop system, I used a mouse with a rubber ball that would be moved along the top of a mousepad. But it seems that there is now a (laser? optical?) moving mouse that does not have a rubber ball but that is moved like the one with a rubber ball (does that require a mousepad?), and even a stationary mouse that has a trackball on top the is moved around with a thumb, or perhaps with any finger. Looking around Amazon, I didn't see too many touchpads that resembled one that would be on a notebook (although maybe I don't know what I am looking for). As for the non-ball moving mouse, it seems that they draw a lot of power, and thus automatically turn off after some time of non-use, necessitating that the mouse get turned over and switched back on - this would be a big turn-off (pun not intended) for me. Everyone seems to say that once the hang of it is garnered, the trackball is the best; I guess that in the way that I have mastered the notebook touchpad, I will be able to master the trackball (Evolution has done a wonderful job in crafting the human eye-hand coordinating system). So, I guess I would like some opinions from folks that regularly use all these different systems, especially anyone that uses a touchpad for a desktop.
My personal preference is a trackball. I'm currently using the MX Ergo made by Logitech. The M570 is cheaper but, lately, they don't seem to last as long. My wife prefers using a touchpad and a while back we bought her a Logitech K830 keyboard that has a touchpad where the numeric keypad would normally be. It's wireless. Hope this helps. Scott
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I've been using a notebook for so long that I am completely used to using the standard touchpad on a notebook, whether it's one that has buttons or allows for depressing the bottom left or right on a buttonless pad. Of course, the last time I used a desktop system, I used a mouse with a rubber ball that would be moved along the top of a mousepad. But it seems that there is now a (laser? optical?) moving mouse that does not have a rubber ball but that is moved like the one with a rubber ball (does that require a mousepad?), and even a stationary mouse that has a trackball on top the is moved around with a thumb, or perhaps with any finger. Looking around Amazon, I didn't see too many touchpads that resembled one that would be on a notebook (although maybe I don't know what I am looking for). As for the non-ball moving mouse, it seems that they draw a lot of power, and thus automatically turn off after some time of non-use, necessitating that the mouse get turned over and switched back on - this would be a big turn-off (pun not intended) for me. Everyone seems to say that once the hang of it is garnered, the trackball is the best; I guess that in the way that I have mastered the notebook touchpad, I will be able to master the trackball (Evolution has done a wonderful job in crafting the human eye-hand coordinating system). So, I guess I would like some opinions from folks that regularly use all these different systems, especially anyone that uses a touchpad for a desktop.
I came to prefer using a Wacom Tablet with stylus. Direct mapping from pad to screen meant that I didn’t have to shuffle the mouse over and over to move it across a wide or multiple screens. Some models allow for touch (fingertip / multiple finger) and gestures. The downside was the desk space it takes. But I got used to it. Since I retired, I opted for a gaming mouse due to desktop size, and not spending 8 to 12 hours on it. Currently using a wired Roccat mouse. It’s programmable and precise. It’s all personal preference, so, as another commentator said, all this is opinion. Good luck :)
Time is the differentiation of eternity devised by man to measure the passage of human events. - Manly P. Hall Mark Just another cog in the wheel
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Below are just personal opinions so don’t take them too seriously :) I am super picky about mice and pointing devices, that’s how I ended up with a box of those that I don’t use anymore. Among them there is still a Microsoft ball mouse like the ones you mentioned. Was good but it would pick up lint from the pad and had to clean it regularly. That’s probably why mechanical mice haven’t been sold in decades. Moving to optical mice the first choice is between corded or cordless. The corded ones obviously don’t need any external power. If you go for the cordless than you have a second choice: Bluetooth or radio. Bluetooth is somewhat more power hungry but you don’t need a receiver dongle that blocks one of your USB ports. Regarding the power usage, all mice go in a sleep mode to save power but they come back to life instantly and you don’t have to turn them off unless you go in vacation. As for trackballs, I find the consumer grade ones to be very annoying and not comfortable. For me a good trackball needs to have at least 3-4 inches diameter while most trackballs are only 1 or 2 inches. I used a good trackball on a radar station but could not take it home :laugh: I haven’t used a pad with a desktop but I imagine you would need a pretty big one to move the pointer across one or two monitors with enough accuracy. While your laptop screen has 14-16 inches, desktop screens can be 60 inches. For the same dynamic you would need a pad 4 times bigger, me thinks. Currently in using a Logitech G305 and I’m 90% happy with it. Battery life is not an issue: I installed a rechargeable battery about 2 months ago and it’s still going (and no, I don’t turn the mouse off at night). When it will be discharged I have another one to swap. The curve of the mouse also fits my hand quite well. That’s something important that I cannot fully appreciate from a picture on the internet. I ordered many mice that were either too flat or too curved. Also, I’m a lefty who alternates left hand and right hand for the mouse (good for RSI prevention) so my mice have to be symmetrical. This one is almost symmetrical except for the two back and forward buttons on the side. I deactivated them but still clicking them occasionally is a bit annoying (hence my 90% grade).
Mircea
Mircea Neacsu wrote:
I haven’t used a pad with a desktop but I imagine you would need a pretty big one to move the pointer across one or two monitors with enough accuracy. While your laptop screen has 14-16 inches, desktop screens can be 60 inches. For the same dynamic you would need a pad 4 times bigger, me thinks.
Using higher DPI mice does require some practice, but at 2000 DPI I can sweep across three monitors just by pivoting my hand at the wrist not actually moving it left/right like I normally do. My actual mousing area is on part with the smaller mouse pads I used back in the 90s. At the same time I still can move with pixel accuracy when I need it for editing images/etc.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius
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logitech has trackman series u can check, also [https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice.html?filters=ergonomic-line\](https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice.html?filters=ergonomic-line) [https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/k400-plus-touchpad-keyboard.920-007119.html\](https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/k400-plus-touchpad-keyboard.920-007119.html) [9 Best Trackpads of 2021 - Wireless Touchpad Reviews](https://www.bestproducts.com/tech/electronics/g20633756/trackpads-touchpads-for-mac-and-pc/) RollerMouse [RollerMouse Red Series - Contour Design Inc.](https://www.contourdesign.com/product/rollermouse-red/) [What on earth is a "Roller Mouse"?? - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68yTRNkgO0) kensington [Mouse Optical Trackball](https://www.kensington.com/en-ca/p/products/control/trackballs/expert-mouse-optical-trackball/)
Caveat Emptor. "Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
abmv wrote:
RollerMouse RollerMouse Red Series - Contour Design Inc. What on earth is a "Roller Mouse"?? - YouTube
The marketing blather:
RollerMouse Red, unlike a traditional mouse, sits in front of your keyboard instead of to the left or right. This placement eliminates the need for reaching for the mouse and will greatly reduce unnecessary muscle activity in your arms, shoulders, and neck.
And then a screen farther down, they show the users left hand on their contraption farther away from the home row than my left hand is when using the mouse immediately adjacent to my keyboard to the side.
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:rolle
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My RedDragon mouse is wireless and uses a laser. It lasts a good 3 days on a single charge and can be used while charging as well. It has variable speed right on the mouse and other features that I don't currently use (I think it's a lowish-level gaming mouse). It also matches my keyboard :cool:
Cpichols wrote:
It lasts a good 3 days on a single charge
Comments like this are proof that team battery has succeeded in beating people until their morale improved. Wake me when wireless mice can go the same several years/charge that's the minimum useful lifespan for a non-junk corded one. Until then I need more pieces of crap that needs hooked to a charger every day like I need additional holes in my head. X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| &nb
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Mircea Neacsu wrote:
I haven’t used a pad with a desktop but I imagine you would need a pretty big one to move the pointer across one or two monitors with enough accuracy. While your laptop screen has 14-16 inches, desktop screens can be 60 inches. For the same dynamic you would need a pad 4 times bigger, me thinks.
Using higher DPI mice does require some practice, but at 2000 DPI I can sweep across three monitors just by pivoting my hand at the wrist not actually moving it left/right like I normally do. My actual mousing area is on part with the smaller mouse pads I used back in the 90s. At the same time I still can move with pixel accuracy when I need it for editing images/etc.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius
Again with the caveat that I haven't used a trackpad on a desktop, I doubt that they have the same resolution as a gaming mouse. On my desktop I use a Logitech G305 at 3200 dpi and, unsurprisingly, takes less than 2 inches to flick it across 2 screens (1920 x 2 / 3200 = 1.2). On my laptop the trackpad is 3 inches across and takes the whole trackpad width to move the mouse from left to right. I'd figure a resolution of 1920 / 3 = 650 dpi. I couldn't easily find dpi specs for trackpads so I might be very wrong in my back of the envelope calculations.
Mircea
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I've been using a notebook for so long that I am completely used to using the standard touchpad on a notebook, whether it's one that has buttons or allows for depressing the bottom left or right on a buttonless pad. Of course, the last time I used a desktop system, I used a mouse with a rubber ball that would be moved along the top of a mousepad. But it seems that there is now a (laser? optical?) moving mouse that does not have a rubber ball but that is moved like the one with a rubber ball (does that require a mousepad?), and even a stationary mouse that has a trackball on top the is moved around with a thumb, or perhaps with any finger. Looking around Amazon, I didn't see too many touchpads that resembled one that would be on a notebook (although maybe I don't know what I am looking for). As for the non-ball moving mouse, it seems that they draw a lot of power, and thus automatically turn off after some time of non-use, necessitating that the mouse get turned over and switched back on - this would be a big turn-off (pun not intended) for me. Everyone seems to say that once the hang of it is garnered, the trackball is the best; I guess that in the way that I have mastered the notebook touchpad, I will be able to master the trackball (Evolution has done a wonderful job in crafting the human eye-hand coordinating system). So, I guess I would like some opinions from folks that regularly use all these different systems, especially anyone that uses a touchpad for a desktop.
I prefer wireless mice and just to clarify. I never turn it off and it lasts about a year before I have to change the battery and I use it a lot. Hours a day.
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Cpichols wrote:
It lasts a good 3 days on a single charge
Comments like this are proof that team battery has succeeded in beating people until their morale improved. Wake me when wireless mice can go the same several years/charge that's the minimum useful lifespan for a non-junk corded one. Until then I need more pieces of crap that needs hooked to a charger every day like I need additional holes in my head. X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| &nb
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Cpichols wrote:
It lasts a good 3 days on a single charge
Comments like this are proof that team battery has succeeded in beating people until their morale improved. Wake me when wireless mice can go the same several years/charge that's the minimum useful lifespan for a non-junk corded one. Until then I need more pieces of crap that needs hooked to a charger every day like I need additional holes in my head. X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| X| &nb
My Logitech wireless laser mouse goes for week without needing to be recharged. No batteries to replace, just pop it in the charging unit overnight. It is model MX-1000. Unfortunately, it is no longer available. I've had to replace the left-click micro switch a couple of times, but it isn't difficult to do and more recent versions (MX Revolution) of the mouse are not as versatile.
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I've been using a notebook for so long that I am completely used to using the standard touchpad on a notebook, whether it's one that has buttons or allows for depressing the bottom left or right on a buttonless pad. Of course, the last time I used a desktop system, I used a mouse with a rubber ball that would be moved along the top of a mousepad. But it seems that there is now a (laser? optical?) moving mouse that does not have a rubber ball but that is moved like the one with a rubber ball (does that require a mousepad?), and even a stationary mouse that has a trackball on top the is moved around with a thumb, or perhaps with any finger. Looking around Amazon, I didn't see too many touchpads that resembled one that would be on a notebook (although maybe I don't know what I am looking for). As for the non-ball moving mouse, it seems that they draw a lot of power, and thus automatically turn off after some time of non-use, necessitating that the mouse get turned over and switched back on - this would be a big turn-off (pun not intended) for me. Everyone seems to say that once the hang of it is garnered, the trackball is the best; I guess that in the way that I have mastered the notebook touchpad, I will be able to master the trackball (Evolution has done a wonderful job in crafting the human eye-hand coordinating system). So, I guess I would like some opinions from folks that regularly use all these different systems, especially anyone that uses a touchpad for a desktop.
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I've been using a notebook for so long that I am completely used to using the standard touchpad on a notebook, whether it's one that has buttons or allows for depressing the bottom left or right on a buttonless pad. Of course, the last time I used a desktop system, I used a mouse with a rubber ball that would be moved along the top of a mousepad. But it seems that there is now a (laser? optical?) moving mouse that does not have a rubber ball but that is moved like the one with a rubber ball (does that require a mousepad?), and even a stationary mouse that has a trackball on top the is moved around with a thumb, or perhaps with any finger. Looking around Amazon, I didn't see too many touchpads that resembled one that would be on a notebook (although maybe I don't know what I am looking for). As for the non-ball moving mouse, it seems that they draw a lot of power, and thus automatically turn off after some time of non-use, necessitating that the mouse get turned over and switched back on - this would be a big turn-off (pun not intended) for me. Everyone seems to say that once the hang of it is garnered, the trackball is the best; I guess that in the way that I have mastered the notebook touchpad, I will be able to master the trackball (Evolution has done a wonderful job in crafting the human eye-hand coordinating system). So, I guess I would like some opinions from folks that regularly use all these different systems, especially anyone that uses a touchpad for a desktop.
