Does anyone still use "ball" mouses?

[Eraserhead]

It's not even that much. We are probably talking a matter of cents more to make an optical mouse. I didn't know anyone made ball mice brand new anymore.

It might even cost *less* to make the optical mouse 😱 it's just dell can make an extra few dollars on getting people to upgrade to optical so offer both...

 

[SkyBell]

I have owned This ball mouse for 11 years, my dad bought it at wal-mart for $15. (This was when they were all the rage🙂 ) I'm using it right now. I have never cleaned it, never had anyproblems with the cord, and it still works like the day it was bought. I have an optical mouse. In fact, if I look over to my left it sits about half a foot away. I don't use it. It just didnt feel right. eventually, when my 5 other ball mouses all give out, I'll use it.😀

 

[Zwhaler]

I really don't like ball mice... and don't see how anyone else can. Go with optical, or better yet, laser. There is no benefit to having a ball mouse... other than being able to brag that you are "old skool"

 

[nplima]

No more opto-mechanical mouses for me since last year. they're not very effective when the desk is as messy as mine 🙂

Now the challenge is to find a simple, inexpensive, usb, wired, solid-looking mouse when you go to a store. These days they're pushing hard all those fancy 18-buttoned, 4-way-scrolling, battery-consuming wireless rodents. I say if it doesn't have a cord, it's a hamster, not a mouse 😛

I have two right now. one is Microsoft "basic optical mouse" and a Logitech pilot optical mouse. The logitech moves better.

 

[SkyBell]

Ya, I have a Micro Inovations optical mouse. It's comfy, but I don't like the way it moves.

And a question: What's the differnce between an optical and a laser mosue? and what advantages do they have over one another?

 

[x704]

Ya, I have a Micro Inovations optical mouse. It's comfy, but I don't like the way it moves.

And a question: What's the differnce between an optical and a laser mosue? and what advantages do they have over one another?

My post on page 1 I briefly describe the differences between the two.

 

[Foxglove9]

I still use my Logitech ball mouse I got in 2000. It was the cheapest 2 button mouse with a scroll wheel I could find at the time. Thing works great even 6+ years later.

I have a MacAlly Trackball also, but I don't use it that often.

 

[portent]

I thought I would post a few interesting things I found out about mice...

The "Laser mice" are actually use a tiny pinhole camera with a red pulsing LED. My cousin and I stayed up late one christmas and figured out what they were. We think it's a gray scale camera so the picture size would be smaller and easier to deal with.

I think there are two different "ball" mice... One is an optical ball mouse the other is mechanical. The first one uses 2 small LEDs for one of the two axes to infer motion....

Sorry, but not exactly.

Opto-mechanical mice use two slotted wheels and two LEDS for two axes. The slotted wheels make the light from the LEDs "wink" as they turn, and motion is calculated by observing the rate of winking.

Optical mice use a LED and a pinhole camera. Motion is calculated by observing the frame-by-frame change in the image from the camera.

Laser mice use actual lasers to provide a more fine-grained image. They don't flood the surface with light; the laser is more focused. If you can see the red glow under the mouse, it's not a real laser. For example, the wired Mighty Mouse is not a laser device, nor was any Apple mouse before it. The wireless MM is supposed to be.

Many people use the term "Laser" to refer to ordinary optical mice; hence the confusion. Too many people think "Laser" is a fancy term for "red light."

 

[kondspi]

This guy gave me a whole box of trackball mouses... I'm into them. What do you think about Puck mice?

 

[Cameront9]

I've had laptops as my personal computer exclusivley, so I usually just use the trackpad.

However, given the choice, I would prever the old fashioned ball mouse to optical or laser mice. I just like the way that if feels rolling around better than sliding it around.

 

[sunfast]

I use one at work. It really sucks.

 

[Kernow]

At home, no. At college, we still use those bloody hockey puck mice. Grrr 😡

 

[nbs2]

At home I use a trackpad. I have a mouse, and it's optical, but it sucks, so I don't use it.

At work, I have my ball mouse. It matches my not very old HP. I think it came with it, since the hp logo on the palm rest is still nice and sharp with no wearing.

 

[aquajet]

I've used laser mice since 1995. My first one required a special metallic mouse pad with a fine grid pattern printed on it.

 

[Surf and Turf]

i do not use ball mouses any longer, i actually find them gross. you can find all sorts of stuff lodged in them

 

[Sesshi]

I like ball mice better, or failing that a wireless optical mouse - but not for the obvious reason. I figured out that I like heavier mince.