Mouse for Photoshop

I STRONGLY recommend a trackball over a mouse. Mice really aren't designed for the kind of work you described, whereas trackballs excel at it. I'm using a Kensington Expert Mouse (don't know why it has 'Mouse' in the name when it's a trackball!) & heartily recommend it.

Have a look at getting yourself a Graphics Tablet ,beats a mouse hands downs especially for those tricky tiny details in some images that the mouse just isn't good for

if you dont go for a trackball mouse how about the mighty mouse? its great for Photoshop and a lot of designers use it with their stock Mac albeit some probably use different mice if they have a preference.

carlgo said:

How about a mouse with a trackball? That way one would get maybe the best of graphics and general use? One good thing about the trackball is that having a cable connection would not be a liability since it doesn't move.

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I'm not entirely sure what you mean, a mouse with a trackball, have you got a link to an example product?

if you dont go for a trackball mouse how about the mighty mouse?

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Do you know what the resolution of the Mighty Mouse is? Apple don't publish the spec for either the wired one or the wireless one, but as the wired one is only optical not laser/IR I can't imagine it's very good. The wireless one is laser so might be okay, but really it's extortionately priced compared to a good trackball.

I use Photoshop daily and use a BT mighty mouse ..
Although when there is a lot of "Patch Tool" work needed, I reach for the Wacom Graphics Tablet ..

Tablets are really good to have, essential for any type of drawing or painting (including masking). But I dont know if they are good substitutes for a mouse. Ive used a tablet for years and am very comfortable with it, I can draw just as well with it as I can with pencil and paper, but I still hate using it for regular point and click stuff. 90% of my graphic design stuff is done with a mouse since its just easier and more comfortable, I mainly only use the tablet for masking (I can cut out a detailed picture 100 times faster than I could with a mouse and still have better accuracy) and any type of brush work. If I didnt do digital painting as a hobby then I probably wouldnt need a tablet since a mouse is good enough for graphic design. You can pick up a Wacom Bamboo for under $70 which is fine for graphic design and standard painting, a serious painter would want an Intuos.

Mouse accuracy is not that big a deal. Comfort by far is. Today's mice are accurate enough for design as long as you keep the tracking speed around medium, the only mice I ever have problems with are apple mice since they spaz out every now and then and teleport to one of the corners of the screen (every mighty mouse Ive used has done this, and Ive used probably 30 of them at school, same with the clear pro mice and the opaque ones, apple is a horrible mouse maker). I also find that wireless is important, you dont want to have the cord snag on something when in the middle of trying to select something.

The 2 most comfortable and best mice are probably:
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wir...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1208507857&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Revo...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1208507877&sr=1-3

Its just graphic design, dont over think the mouse features, just get a nice comfortable mouse. Even the mighty mouse is fine to use (but I sure as hell wouldnt BUY one).

Oooh. Pet Peeve time.

I would like to go back in time and stop the move from under the finger to under the palm ball/laser location. I cannot fathom why it was moved away from the fingertip location. It completely changed how I worked in PS. Detailed work became a huge chore and my wrists began to cramp as I attempted to work without twisting my hand as it moved.

My current wireless Logitechs have the laser under the end of my pinky. I just don't get it.

I have yet to get comfortable with a trackball, same same with a tablet.

If anyone knows of a quality mouse with the "pointer" under the fingertips, I would LOVE to hear of it.

Microsoft is a subpar mouse maker at best. I probably have been using Microsoft mice for my whole life, until recently. I thought it was normal for Mice to run out of juice in 10 hours of usage, or not respond for four seconds.

Perhaps I have a few bad mice but I was also quite unimpressed that the particular Mouse I bought said "made for MAC+windows" so I bought it for my mom's mini. She installed the software and it locked up her mini and even after doing all the troubleshooting, she had to bring the computer to the apple store to get fixed. I am thinking there should be a warning "do not install the mac software or it locks your mac."

Logitech imo is the one mouse maker that does a darn good job. I have a 2 year old MXlaser mouse that still works like new. When I replace it one day, I'll definitely go with logitech again, and they are made to be comfortable along with precise.

I just thought i'd add my 2 cents

Mice - I was an avid mouse user for years, and have used countless mice. I agree with carlgo, Logitech make a damn good mouse. I have a wireless MX keyboard/mouse combo which i have used for about 5 years and i love it. I've used it so much over the years, I am starting to wear through the outer casing, so now you can see exactly where my hand sits. Battery life is ok in the mouse, i get about a week out of the batteries, but i have never had to replace the keyboard batteries. I used my mighty mouse for about 5 mins before throwing it across the room into the wall facing my desk, needless to say it doesn't work anymore. It was just uncomfortable and just annoying to use.

Trackballs - I've never used a trackball extensively enough to comment.

Graphic Tablet - This is defiantly my tool of choice, and i have used a number over the years. I currently use an A5 wide Intuos 3. I rececnty bought my sister-in-law an A5 bamboo for Christmas + her Birthday, as she loves to play around in photoshop, both drawing and photo manipulation. Its a good tablet and the one i purchased included a mouse. While it doesn't feel as refined as the Intuos, i would still highly recommend it.

The best input i can give you is this, go with whatever solution works best for you. I use a tablet, i find it hard to go without it, but you might hate it. Go into a shop and just try them out, play with them, and decide what you are going to be comfortable with.

I use Photoshop all the time, and my mouse of choice is the Microsoft wireless laser 6000 - very precise for me...I also highly recommend getting a Wacom tablet.

I don't use the wacom all the time - primarily just for any kind of dodging/burning, painting, or anytime I use the pen tool (I *cannot* use the pen tool with a mouse anymore...)

-Bryan