Opinions on best mouse for using Studio
Neoblay
Posts: 4
in The Commons
Looking to purchase a new mouse for my Mac. Been struggling for a couple of months now using the "magic" mouse that came with it. And its starting to drive me crazy. So, I am looking to buy a new one. What are some of the things to consider and what do you use?
TIA!
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Comments
What, specifically, is the deficiency in your "magic mouse"?
I, and I suspect most, of us, use whatever generic mouse that came with the computer. So, as long as it doesn't squeak and try to bite you when you press the buttons (or ears) it makes little difference. I did, for a time use a rollerball (like an inverted mouse). It took some practice to improve the fine-motor skills of my right thumb, but I found the accuracy to be superior. Scrolling, like zooming in/out, was a pain, but I didn't have to lift the mouse and hope I could keep pressure on the button. The only downside is that my right thumb muscles are bigger than my left.
on my mac I use a Microsoft USB wired mouse. I prefer working with them over the precision mice for ease of use. I don't think DS was written to optimize with one mouse or another, it's just what you like to use.
In the mean time you can fine tune the Magic mouse from the >System Preferences...>Mouse
My mouse of choice for the past few years has been the Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball. I get so much more precision out of the trackball than a regular mouse. I even bought a couple extra for future use.
Every time I use the computers at work I am reminded on how clumsy basic mouse work can be.
I am using the Magic Mouse and would not like any other for DS. Google maps is what's driving me crazy with the MM.
A little over-kill with the number of clickable tabs on it, but the best mouse I've tried so far is a heavy wired job intended for serious "gamers" to use.
Here is the humanesocieties recommendations on mice - http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/mice/tips/mice_as_pets.html
But in all seriousness, a corded laser mouse would be best. I have a Logitech G5 which fits my hand well and I find to be comfortable. And comfort is a key thing.
Same here - will never buy a mouse again. And trackballs don't cause "Repetitive Stress Injuries" in your hands and arms, like mice may do.
I use a Cyborg Rat 7. It looks about as ugly as a mouse can get and has a few annoying issues, but I can't deny it's comfortable to use. I'm also one of those people who has the sensitivity turned up really high, which confuses the heck out of anyone who uses my PC as they keep losing the mouse cursor every 5 seconds. I think they just lack my finesse ;)
Edit: To elaborate on those issues. Every know and then, for some unknown reason, my mouse will lock movement on one or both of the axis, requiring some light smacking on the mouse or, in the worst cases, unplugging the USB cable and plugging it back in. No idea why this occurs, but it's thankfully not common enough to bother me too much, and it's been happening ever since I started using it so I'm used to it.
I am a glutton for pointing devices, keyboards, knobs, dials, sliders, switches, touchscreens, and doodadds.
I have a Logitech Marblemouse on my left (at about 9:30). I use this most.
I have a Logitec cordless mouse on my left (at about 10:30). I use this for navigating in Blender and Civilization games.
I have a 3DConnexion at my right (1:30). I don't use this yet.
I have a Bamboo to my right at about 2:30). I use this for scrolling web pages with a different UI so that fingers don't get repetitive stress.
I need to get the latest drivers for the 3D connexion and I still need to try to get it working with Blender and DS. One or both may not work; in which case I may need to do some research into their API. But this is a powerful 3D mouse and I think it will be worthwhile for me to get it going.
I also just purchased a Razer Ouroboros ambidextrous gaming mouse, which I mostly got for the added (and programmable) buttons (it has left, right, wheel+wheel button, two up/down buttons south of the wheel, and three buttons on each side, for a total of 11 buttons plus wheel, whoohoo! And it has the ability to create macros for use in any application.
I just received it, and have only had time to install and charge it; not had time to use it yet. If I have time to play this weekend, I'll come back here and let you know how it works for me.
I use a G5 gaming mouse, that I've had to repair twice now as it's getting old. I'm not looking forward to the time I can't repair it. So far, no matter how expensive, they all suck - I've been looking just in case.
Find one that is comfortable for long use or it will affect your health - the same for monitors and keyboard.
Speaking of repairs, every one of my "marbleman" trackballs eventually gets wiggy with ball/cursor behavior or button behavior. Ball is hard to turn (most common) or cursor moving when you're not touching the ball (rare). Sometimes engaging buttons when you didn't press them, and at other times when registering double-clicks or no clicks at all when you do press them.
The ball never really gets dirty, but it does collect your skin and oils, and these will build up around the 3 ball bearings. You can clean the ball with a damp cloth but be careful not to scratch it or drop it. Once the ball has acquired even a little imperfection, it hang up from time to time on one of the ball bearings and this will annoy you to hell and back.
So carefully pull the ball out, wipe it, and set it aside where it won't roll into danger. Next, clean out the detritus that has built up on the three little ball-bearings. Yep, that grey uckus around those bearings is your skin and oils and dirt that sloughed off while you were using that ball for the last few weeks. Yes, humans are made of some kind of grey syrup; I'm certain of this. Say "ewww yuck" with me, then clean it out (you can use a clean dry Q-tip or even your thumb for this). If it gets too oily in there, you can probably use some isopropyl alcohol, but I've never done this in 10+ years of using these marbleman devices (I have 4). Take care not to damage the little scanner window; that's how the device sees the dots on the ball and registers movement as you rotate the ball. Discard the nasty, put the ball back in, and both ball and cursor should behave normally again. You don't need to unplug the mouse for this operation.
Button clickers are a little more involved to fix, but still easy. Unplug the mouse for this one, remove the ball and set it to a safe place. Unscrew the 4 screws. Yes, there are 4; one is hidden behind the label on the underside of the device. The label is perforated so that it will split to make room for your screwdriver. And will probably void any remaining warranty, so proceed with your eyes wide open. Unscrew the screws, lift the top chassis off, then squirt some contact cleaner. Avoid WD40 for this one. Contact cleaner is better. It's sometimes called "electronics cleaner" and usually comes in a can with a straw for targeted application. Squirt the contact cleaner into the button-clicker mechanisms, which are basically little grey boxes with a white nubby that sticks out. There's no real gap to speak of but contact cleaner can get inside of just about anything. So just squirt the contact cleaner onto the nubby and then click-click-click it with your thumb or a fingernail a few dozen times to work the contact cleaner inside. Then repeat. Wipe up any excess with a clean, dry Q-tip, then screw everything back together and you should be good to go.
These trackballs are fabulous; accurate and dead-reliable. The moving parts do need some TLC from time to time, but worth it to keep these devices working well. The ball collects grey nasty about once every month or two, while the button clickers seem to need some contact cleaner about once every 18-24 months.
Sheesh, that was a lot of typing...
To keep it frictionless I use to wash the ball once a week in hot water with a little dishwasher detergent and then wipe it dry it with a paper towel. Then I spray it with silicone and wipe it again gently with paper towel (for some reason, if there's too much silicone on it it seems to increase friction rather than decrease it, so it's important to wipe off any excess silicone after applying it).