Logitech PC Mouse on Snow Leopard Motion Trouble

[RookGodzirra]

A year and a half ago, I finally got a mac after having to deal with my family's junky computer for almost four years. I'm not new to macs, I understand them fairly well as a consumer. Recently, we stopped using the newer wireless Magic Mouse due to its consumption of all our batteries. We used our old mouse for a while, but then a kid was clicking it too hard and broke it, so today I just started using an old Logitech "Premium Optical Wheel Mouse." The pc mouse we used wasn't exactly trouble free, but it worked better than the Logitech one we are currently using. The mouse itself works, but it has terrible issues with the motion. When we try to move it slowly, the cursor jerks around, sometimes not in the direction we are steering it. I've also tried the mouse's speed on System Preferences, which did nothing to help. My theories are:

1. That the problem could be related to the long wire, which doesn't have adequate space and tends to be basically thrown all over the desk. This theory, I think, is not as credible as the next.
2. The mouse's issues are related to the its surface. When used on our glass table, flat books, and our mousepad, it has the jerking problem. However, I tested how the mouse worked when used on my leg. I was wearing gym/athletic/basketball shorts, and the mouse felt smoother (physically) and did not have the jerking problem with the cursor.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I'll be online and ready to communicate/provide additional details for a while

 

[spidey3]

2. The mouse's issues are related to the its surface. When used on our glass table, flat books, and our mousepad, it has the jerking problem. However, I tested how the mouse worked when used on my leg. I was wearing gym/athletic/basketball shorts, and the mouse felt smoother (physically) and did not have the jerking problem with the cursor

A lot of the older optical mice are very sensitive to the texture and color pattern of surface upon which they are used. I am not surprised you are encountering issues. Glass and solid colored materials are often problematic. Textured materials [like fabric] generally work pretty well.

Also, you should check that the optical port on the bottom of the mouse is not occluded by dust...

Spidey!!!