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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: roncore on Wed, 24 March 2010, 00:11:21

Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: roncore on Wed, 24 March 2010, 00:11:21: Anybody tried one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200452384011&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=%3F*S%3F&GUID=220891f61270a0b58fa3ab83ffff472a&itemid=200452384011&ff4=263602_263622#ht_2260wt_939

This is what I've been using for the past few years (tried a few Microsoft intelli's and combo mice (5000, etc) and a logitech Mx550). I have never used a mouse that I like as much as this thing.

It has a smooth scroll and pretty accurate point.

I've yet to find anything close, most mice have that clicky scroll, I can't stand that.

What cheap mice do you love, and do you have any suggestions for a new mouse for me?
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Rajagra on Wed, 24 March 2010, 07:03:44: There's a lot to be said for a simple design that just does the job.

Having said that, wouldn't it be nice if cordless mice came with inductive charging via a mouse mat? That might persuade me to start using them again.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: didjamatic on Wed, 24 March 2010, 07:50:32: Microsoft Intellimouse Optical.
5 button, Optical, Scroll, USB, Wired and Bulletproof.

(http://www.amaczone.com/images/image_large/Microsoft_Intellimouse_Optical_Mouse-79.jpg)
(http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemDetails/M/M17/M17-1704/M17-1704-callout1.jpg)
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: firestorm on Wed, 24 March 2010, 08:07:40: I love the Intellimouse Optical. I've been using one at home for over a decade now. It was inexpensive and it won't die. I'm looking to replace it though, since it is extremely shiny and EXTREMELY yellow. It's disgusting.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: microsoft windows on Wed, 24 March 2010, 08:18:01: I've always liked Microsoft's old serial ball mice. They get great tracking.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Wed, 24 March 2010, 08:24:46: As we already know, IBM MO28UO and now ScrollPoint as well.

Logitech M-BJ58

M-M35 or M-S35 when using older systems.

That weird Honeywell thing I presented here a while back...if only for weirdness.

The original Kensington Expert Mouse trackball. I say this is cheap because I got it for around $2.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Wed, 24 March 2010, 09:21:11: I used a few of the standard optical microsoft mice; they're pretty good. Although, I originall had to pay $50 for one (back in, 2004?).
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Rajagra on Wed, 24 March 2010, 09:25:05: Quote from: webwit;166481
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-249-1.htm

Now you mention it, my Wacom graphic tablet comes with that kind of mouse. Shame the buttons on the left/right sides are *exactly* where you grip the mouse making it totally useless. I should check if the software lets you disable those buttons.

But what I really want is a rechargeable mouse with zero lag that has an ultra thin charging mat, that you can place under your preferred mouse mat. I'm thinking along the lines of those inductive chargers for PDAs/mobiles. Not sure how slim they are though.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Manyak on Wed, 24 March 2010, 10:34:51: My favorite mouse ever:

(http://www.akendi.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/hci/images/full/Intellimouse%201996.jpg)
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: hyperlinked on Wed, 24 March 2010, 15:49:24: When I first got to this site I had a real sore spot about Logitech mice because all the ones that I tried in the past few years were oversized and overly stiff in the buttons. I developed tendinitis in my right hand to match the problems I already have in my left hand. I really hated the Logitech MX1000 and anything that resembled it (which is a lot of Logitechs).

Well, after getting my hands on a bunch of $20-$40 Logitechs yesterday at an Office Supply store, I'm letting go of my Logitech mouse grudge. I found that they made subtle adjustments that make their mice a lot comfortable for a claw/fingertip gripper... even the oversized "ergo" versions that look like odd sculptures. Most notably, they seem to have inserted more travel into their buttons so that they're easy to press.

The small $20-$30 mice were easy to grip and comfortable for the few minutes I tried them out yesterday with a variety of grips. I have pretty big hands. So I think the $20-$40 Logitechs should get some honorable mention though the $40 mice are probably trending toward expensive mice.

Other than this, I can't say much. I haven't owned any inexpensive mice in years unless you count the hokey mice that Apple bundles with their computers before their latest Magic Mouse.

Didj... add another vote for the MS Intellimouse optical though I'm not sure if I'd qualify that as a cheap mouse either... maybe to we who spend lots of dough on keyboards it is, but probably not in general.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Wed, 24 March 2010, 17:19:50: Quote from: hyperlinked;166579
When I first got to this site I had a real sore spot about Logitech mice because all the ones that I tried in the past few years were oversized and overly stiff in the buttons. I developed tendinitis in my right hand to match the problems I already have in my left hand. I really hated the Logitech MX1000 and anything that resembled it (which is a lot of Logitechs).

Well, after getting my hands on a bunch of $20-$40 Logitechs yesterday at an Office Supply store, I'm letting go of my Logitech mouse grudge. I found that they made subtle adjustments that make their mice a lot comfortable for a claw/fingertip gripper... even the oversized "ergo" versions that look like odd sculptures. Most notably, they seem to have inserted more travel into their buttons so that they're easy to press.

The small $20-$30 mice were easy to grip and comfortable for the few minutes I tried them out yesterday with a variety of grips. I have pretty big hands. So I think the $20-$40 Logitechs should get some honorable mention though the $40 mice are probably trending toward expensive mice.

Other than this, I can't say much. I haven't owned any inexpensive mice in years unless you count the hokey mice that Apple bundles with their computers before their latest Magic Mouse.

Didj... add another vote for the MS Intellimouse optical though I'm not sure if I'd qualify that as a cheap mouse either... maybe to we who spend lots of dough on keyboards it is, but probably not in general.

I think most people would define 'cheap mouse' as being below or around $30ish, anything above that is moderately expensive to very expensive to stupidly expensive (say, $300...)
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 24 March 2010, 18:57:13: Logitech RX250s are quite nice for the money.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Wed, 24 March 2010, 19:31:43: Quote from: ch_123;166620
Logitech RX250s are quite nice for the money.

Looks like very similar plastic housing to the M-BJ58.

(http://www.geeks.com/imageshare/B/150x150/BLK-M-BJ58-BULK-R-unit.gif)

Obviously upgraded guts, though.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Wed, 24 March 2010, 20:32:26: I love the IBM TrackPoint L40 trackball/mouse. They were only like $10 with shipping, and they were new in box. I like the mechanical tracking ball. It tracks well.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Oqsy on Wed, 24 March 2010, 20:42:03: I have a Logitech M-M35 , as well as a box full of cheapo generic mice, a Microsoft Basic Optical, and the odd built in keyboard trackball / touch pad.

I prefer the M-M35 above all the others, but I prefer a middle button to a scroll wheel (click middle to enable scroll and move mouse forward / back to scroll, click again to disengage scroll). I don't know how cheap or easy to find one is since I got mine for free from an old closet at work full of stuff going to the trash, but the M-M35 has to be getting up there in age.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 12:41:50: Quote from: Manyak;166528
My favorite mouse ever:

Show Image
(http://www.akendi.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/hci/images/full/Intellimouse%201996.jpg)

Hey that's the one I have. Well, mine looks exactly the same, except, slightly more beigey with a blue-grey colour for the wheel and cord.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Fri, 26 March 2010, 12:58:15: The cheapest Logitech bulkware mice at ~€7 have always worked well for me. Once a year the left key will start bouncing due to plastic wear. I open it and glue a strip of paper under the key and it's fit for another year. Apparently expensive mice by all fancy manufacturers have the same problem, that's why most people buy a new mouse every year.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:06:23: Quote from: Mental Hobbit;167062
The cheapest Logitech bulkware mice at ~€7 have always worked well for me. Once a year the left key will start bouncing due to plastic wear. I open it and glue a strip of paper under the key and it's fit for another year. Apparently expensive mice by all fancy manufacturers have the same problem, that's why most people buy a new mouse every year.

Yup, been there, done that for sure.

Those microswitches degrade, and also the flexible part of the plastic which bends when the outside button portion is pressed.

Generally you'll find well-used more recent mice have the left button completely destroyed for tactility and rather rattly while the right remains crisp and firm.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:09:18: I have never had that problem before, and I have used the same mouse for years on end. I just buy new mice frequently because I get bored. I just bought this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105336) since I got its little brother for my laptop, and I was impressed. That, and it was cheap.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:15:58: Quote from: itlnstln;167066
I have never had that problem before, and I have used the same mouse for years on end. I just buy new mice frequently because I get bored. I just bought this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105336) since I got its little brother for my laptop, and I was impressed. That, and it was cheap.

That's the thing, it doesn't seem to happen to older mice (though I'd expect the one you specified WOULD have issues...but looking at the case design, the button tops are not a separate piece of plastic attached with clips, so this may be related). The MO28UO is susceptible to this, which is why I've now got a bunch of them. Logitech M-BJ58 is as well (my friend has one in way worse shape than mine because he gamed with it).

My old Microsoft mice seem pretty good about this, one is a little worn though. The Logitech M-M35 seems bulletproof though.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:30:11: Quote from: kishy;167070
That's the thing, it doesn't seem to happen to older mice (though I'd expect the one you specified WOULD have issues...but looking at the case design, the button tops are not a separate piece of plastic attached with clips, so this may be related). The MO28UO is susceptible to this, which is why I've now got a bunch of them. Logitech M-BJ58 is as well (my friend has one in way worse shape than mine because he gamed with it).

My old Microsoft mice seem pretty good about this, one is a little worn though. The Logitech M-M35 seems bulletproof though.

Those new wireless microsoft mice have a terrible USB adapter (the metal likes to come loose), my friend is at his third replacement! They even increased his warranty for it. So, I guess even though you pay $80 for a flashy piece of crap, manufacturers would just rather keep replacing it than give quality (kind of like the iPad; once the battery wears out, they give you another one for $100 and toss out the old one -- very environmentally friendly!).

The MO28UO never seemed to have bad buttons to me. I got an old ball one that's compatible with the MO28UO... it's just missing the red wheel, the logo is higher (I think), and it has a ball. But I bet you could swap the innards. And, it's more of a grey than a black.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 17:13:06: Quote from: EverythingIBM;167077
manufacturers would just rather keep replacing it than give quality (kind of like the iPad; once the battery wears out, they give you another one for $100 and toss out the old one -- very environmentally friendly!).

There must be some republicans over there at Apple then.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: hyperlinked on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:06:05: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167464
There must be some republicans over there at Apple then.

LOL, more likely it's some manufacturing/repair process geeks who figured that it's more efficient to ship back an identical replacement unit than to deal with having to refurb your specific unit.

Nobody's really going to know what actually happens until this starts happening, but supposedly they're not actually planning on tossing out the old iPad. It'll just end up going to someone else who shipped their iPad in for battery replacement and you in turn get something that's been through the reburb department for fixing, cleaning, and battery replacement.

If these batteries are like their current batteries, this is probably not going to be a big issue. Whoever's supplying the Apple batteries these days is doing a good job. My Macbook Pro is half a year old and still getting 7+ hours a charge though it's only been through around 25 charge cycles. We use it plugged in most of the time and it takes a while to burn through a 7 hour cycle. There are people online who claim to still be at near full capacity after a hundred charge cycles.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:08:56: Wow, if only my laptops batteries lasted that long, my Dell Latitude D600 has about 1.5 hours of life per battery.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: hyperlinked on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:30:18: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167482
Wow, if only my laptops batteries lasted that long, my Dell Latitude D600 has about 1.5 hours of life per battery.

I assume that you're getting that off of an old battery, right?

I have a D600 too. That thing is down to 30 minutes a charge, but the battery is dog years old. Those older laptops just suck power.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:41:10: The batteries are original batteries as far as I know. If I even used my laptop away from my desk enough it would be worth it to get a new battery, but I just always use it while plugged in. It just works better like that. Those D600s are good laptops, I never have any issues with mine. Mine has a little quirk with it though. Sometimes it won't start up unless you push down lightly on the center of the keyboard. Really odd, but it has no other issues. I guess that is why they threw it out at school for MS Windows to grap out of the trash. I traded him a Dimension 2400 and The Cursed Dell E172FPb (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=9283) for it, and it was the best deal I ever made with him.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 28 March 2010, 02:43:32: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167498
The batteries are original batteries as far as I know. If I even used my laptop away from my desk enough it would be worth it to get a new battery, but I just always use it while plugged in. It just works better like that. Those D600s are good laptops, I never have any issues with mine. Mine has a little quirk with it though. Sometimes it won't start up unless you push down lightly on the center of the keyboard. Really odd, but it has no other issues. I guess that is why they threw it out at school for MS Windows to grap out of the trash. I traded him a Dimension 2400 and The Cursed Dell E172FPb (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=9283) for it, and it was the best deal I ever made with him.

Yuck! You know how many dells I could have salvaged and traded MS? It would look fairly odd if I was carrying a dell under my arm each day on the bus. When I was carrying my wonderful Model M home on the bus, the bus driver looked at me odd. What? Didn't he ever see a model M before?
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: keyb_gr on Sun, 28 March 2010, 14:47:01: Quote from: kishy;167070
The MO28UO is susceptible to this, which is why I've now got a bunch of them. Logitech M-BJ58 is as well (my friend has one in way worse shape than mine because he gamed with it).

I've also seen these with worn-out left buttons in PC pool usage (that, and the feet seemed to be gone more often than not). Mine is still doing fine, seems I'm not too heavy on the mouse...
Title: Re: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: HaaTa on Sun, 28 March 2010, 19:55:13: Quote
Quote
The batteries are original batteries as far as I know. If I even used my laptop away from my desk enough it would be worth it to get a new battery, b

Yuck! You know how many dells I could have salvaged and traded MS? It would look fairly odd if I was carrying a dell under my arm each day on the bus. When I was carrying my wonderful Model M home on the bus, the bus driver looked at me odd. What? Didn't he ever see a model M before?

Those bus drivers give anyone strange looks. The worst is when you have a loaded full size steel AT case in arm. I've also carried CRT monitors on the bus.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 28 March 2010, 20:52:01: In 2010 the schools are throwing away their stuff from 2003.
Title: Re: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: HaaTa on Sun, 28 March 2010, 21:00:32: Quote
z
Isn't this 2010? The GoRide for GPS addicts. (http://bicio.com/)
Show Image
(http://bicio.com/images/product_images/gallery/ibikemount7-grey.jpg)

Hey, I need me one of those holders for my Android phone.
On second thought, nah, I
don't, too distracting.

There hasn't been a new proprietary mouse connector in a while. Come on Apple and Sun get your acts together. :P
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Otterclock on Sun, 28 March 2010, 23:33:51: Never had a mouse less than $40 I enjoyed. I wanted to like the Intellimouse but the primary buttons engage so easily that I need to hover over it.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 29 March 2010, 16:08:33: I like the trackball on my Unicomp On-the-Ball. Really smooth, but probably not that ergonomic.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: microsoft windows on Mon, 29 March 2010, 17:15:31: (http://www.usm.edu/itech/hardwarePurchase/images/dellmouse.jpg)
Here's a good cheap mouse. They're so common you can't throw a stick without hitting them, but they're some of the best mice I've ever used. They'll last forever and the buttons will never wear out.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 29 March 2010, 18:12:26: Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Mon, 29 March 2010, 18:21:35: Quote from: microsoft windows;167892
Show Image
(http://www.usm.edu/itech/hardwarePurchase/images/dellmouse.jpg)

Logitech OEM.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Mon, 29 March 2010, 18:40:16: Quote from: Mental Hobbit;167917
Logitech OEM.

Really? That might explain why I find them decent then.

Certainly more disappointing than other mice I've tried, but they're not terrible.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 29 March 2010, 18:44:25: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167913
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.
Title: Re: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: HaaTa on Mon, 29 March 2010, 19:51:04: Syntax Error: 'forever' is not defined.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 29 March 2010, 21:27:53: That reminds me of my TI-83+ Silver Edition graphing calculator. When I would make programs on it, if there was an error in the code it would say "ERR:SYNTAX". I actually made a program that was like a useless version of Windows for a graphing calculator. It was pretty funny.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: HaaTa on Mon, 29 March 2010, 22:25:53: I eventually got a decent typing speed on my TI-83+ Plus Silver. Maybe 20 WPM or so.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Bullveyr on Tue, 30 March 2010, 01:46:28: Quote from: microsoft windows;167892
Show Image
(http://www.usm.edu/itech/hardwarePurchase/images/dellmouse.jpg)

My mouse here at work, nice shape, would be nice for gaming if the sensor wouldn't suck for that. :D

Oh, and the coating on the buttons is peeling off.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 30 March 2010, 15:21:01: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167930
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167913
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167930
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167913
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167930
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167913
Trackballs are better. They last longer than forever.

Trackballs are better! They last longer than forever!
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Trackballs are good. Trackpoints too.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: keyb_gr on Tue, 30 March 2010, 15:43:37: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;168107
Trackballs are better! They last longer than forever!

Why do I have to think of the sucky cheap bearings on certain models now?
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 30 March 2010, 15:51:49: I am merely stating my opinion. I think people have figured out my views on mice. I think I will stop quoting myself now...

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement
Trackpoints are also good. Better than trackpads.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 30 March 2010, 16:12:28: M5-2 trackball lasts nowhere near forever. Fragile little thing it is.
Title: Re: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 30 March 2010, 17:30:55: Quote from: kishy
M5-2 trackball lasts nowhere near forever. Fragile little thing it is.

I like my Unicomp On-the-Ball trackball, I like the placement. Also, anything will last forever if it is properly cared for.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: MarkWilliamson on Tue, 30 March 2010, 20:47:29: I've been using a Logitech Marble Mouse (which is actually a trackball) for the past few years. It's not super cheap but I would still say it's pretty cheap for a reasonably decent pointing device. Apparently they last well, mine has certainly served well so far. It does occasionally benefit from cleaning but isn't too bad. The only moving part is the ball, it's tracked optically and it sits on little low-friction nubs, not real bearings.

It's symmetrical so not biased to left or right hand use and it has four buttons (though I only find three of them convenient to get to). I'm using Linux and configured (using Linux software, the device itself isn't programmable) one of the buttons so that the ball acts as a two-axis mouse "wheel" when it's held. I think that's better than having a dedicated scroll wheel - the ball is larger and easier to spin quickly, plus it can scroll sideways. A single click of that button activates the "back" button in browsers. I configured a click of the 2 main buttons simultaneously to emulate a middle button click (an operation I need rarely). The 4th button is also mapped to the "middle" button but I don't really use it. I imagine you could do at least some of this configuration under other OSes but I wouldn't know about that.

One of the major benefits of the trackball is that it's much more efficient in terms of desk space than the mouse. It can sit right next to the right hand edge of my keyboard and it doesn't need a wide open space surrounding it. My desk is cluttered and when I used a mouse I kept pushing things off!
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 31 March 2010, 12:01:15: I just got the MS Explorer Mouse (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105336). Avoid it. It's very large, very flat, and the Teflon feet drag on a fabric mousepad. It is so large that I have a hard time pressing the buttons because my fingers can't reach. It does track very well, however. That said, it's little brother (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105252) makes a fantastic portable to haul with your laptop. The MS Natural Wireless Laser Rubblerized Ridiculously-Named OMGWTFBBQ Epic-Win Mouse 6000 is still the top of the heap for me.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 31 March 2010, 12:24:56: The scroll wheel is fantastic on both mice (the regular and the mini). It was one reason why I wanted to check it out. I'm a "palmer" (rosy, at that), and the Explorer Mouse is just too damn big and flat. I really don't see how a "clawer" would use it, either.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Wed, 31 March 2010, 12:48:10: Quote from: itlnstln;168347
Teflon feet drag on a fabric mousepad.

Reminds me of a Logitech RX1500 I had ordered a couple months ago, my last attempt on more-than-10-bucks mouse. Turned out it had perfectly skid-proof feet. That thing sat on my desk more securely than a Model M. :madgrin:
Obviously I returned it.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Brodie337 on Thu, 01 April 2010, 05:57:58: I just made a new purchase, a Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse.

It's a big, expensive heavy bastard, but tracks almost telepathically, and has on the fly macro recording. I'm a happy man!

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/productdetails.aspx?pid=103

The real killer feature for me is that play and charge cable, which alleviates the one problem I have had with wireless peripherals in the past.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 01 April 2010, 09:49:43: I do like the "Play and Charge" feature. That is how to do rechargeable mice
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 01 April 2010, 17:34:20: Quote from: kishy;168119
M5-2 trackball lasts nowhere near forever. Fragile little thing it is.

Mine's withstood over 16 years of heavy use and it still works fine. It's a little creaky sometimes since it's missing a couple of ball bearings, but that's the only problem.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: hyperlinked on Thu, 01 April 2010, 17:39:24: Quote from: itlnstln;168347
I just got the MS Explorer Mouse (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105336). Avoid it. It's very large, very flat, and the Teflon feet drag on a fabric mousepad.

Did that mouse come with clown shoes and a book on how to do magic tricks?
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 02 April 2010, 07:45:08: No, but I did get get a squeaky, red nose out of the deal. The co-workers love it! HONK, HONK!!
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: smuvmoney on Tue, 20 April 2010, 14:18:48: Quote from: didjamatic;166489
Microsoft Intellimouse Optical.
5 button, Optical, Scroll, USB, Wired and Bulletproof.

Show Image
(http://www.amaczone.com/images/image_large/Microsoft_Intellimouse_Optical_Mouse-79.jpg)

Show Image
(http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemDetails/M/M17/M17-1704/M17-1704-callout1.jpg)

Even though I am a trackball user, I have two of these mice - in black no less - as backups. Before I went to the trackball side, this was the last mouse I swore by.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Rajagra on Tue, 20 April 2010, 15:04:31: My neighbour really should get a new mouse. His current balled one keeps sticking. I could have offered to clean is for him, but decided not to. :smile: He mentioned cordless mice, so later I had a look on AmazonUK and they are doing the Logitech M505 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-M505-Wireless-Mouse-Black/dp/B002L3TSKM/ref=pd_ts_ce_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics) for £18 all in. Seems good, has anyone tried one?

The Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Wireless-Notebook-Optical-Mouse/dp/B000AATBDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1271793220&sr=8-1) is an alternative, though possibly too small and with inferior wireless performance.

Any opinions on these?
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Pylon on Thu, 22 April 2010, 20:04:05: This cheap mouse in all its cheap JPEG-compressed glory:
(http://imshopping.rediff.com/shopping/pixs/4242/i/ibm1.jpg)

Seriously though, for what little mice I've used I love it. The scroll wheel just feels right and the texture of the thing is very nice.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Thu, 22 April 2010, 20:41:56: That looks familiar...
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Xuan on Thu, 22 April 2010, 22:30:00: Quote from: webwit;166481
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-249-1.htm

Looks interesting. I think it would be a better design if the mouse actually had a small battery and a bigger mat with a reduced area that charges the battery when the mouse is over it.
That way you get a decent surface and no dead charging times if you let the mouse on the "power area" when not using it.

Well, it would be ideal if it becomes a standard and different manufacturers sold mats and mouses compatible.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ricercar on Thu, 22 April 2010, 22:35:52: (http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemDetails/M/M17/M17-1704/M17-1704-callout1.jpg)

I've had this mouse for 7 years and never figured what the side buttons are good for.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Arc'xer on Fri, 23 April 2010, 00:41:43: Quote from: ricercar;174739
I've had this mouse for 7 years and never figured what the side buttons are good for.

Forward and backward for your browser and a few other settings if you use the software in other programs. Though they are not ergonomically placed, two on one side like other mice.

My guess is most people with the IO 1.1 don't bother much with the side buttons.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 23 April 2010, 01:35:56: Ah, hardware browser control. I think I used ALT + Left Arrow once for back.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 23 April 2010, 05:59:23: Quote from: Pylon;174706
This cheap mouse in all its cheap JPEG-compressed glory:
Show Image
(http://imshopping.rediff.com/shopping/pixs/4242/i/ibm1.jpg)

Seriously though, for what little mice I've used I love it. The scroll wheel just feels right and the texture of the thing is very nice.

I just got the Scrollpoint version of that mouse and it's excellent.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 23 April 2010, 06:49:47: Quote from: Arc'xer;174764
Forward and backward for your browser and a few other settings if you use the software in other programs. Though they are not ergonomically placed, two on one side like other mice.

My guess is most people with the IO 1.1 don't bother much with the side buttons.

Opening new windows and hitting the Enter key are two excellent ways to apply extra buttons on a mouse. Just those two little tricks can save you a ton of time.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 23 April 2010, 07:24:33: Quote from: ricercar;174739
I've had this mouse for 7 years and never figured what the side buttons are good for.

Quote from: Arc'xer;174764
Forward and backward for your browser and a few other settings if you use the software in other programs.

These days, I pretty much throw any mouse without the side buttons in the trash.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 23 April 2010, 10:14:19: That's what Alt+cursor keys is for.

I could absolutely not care less about the number of buttons on my mouse as long as it's got 3 of them, and the one that functions as middle click is somewhere in between left and right (and after using the Scrollpoint, I'm inclined to say preferably separate from the scroll device itself).
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 23 April 2010, 10:43:01: I'm such a luddite. Hardware buttons for Forward and Back? I think I may have used ALT + arrows a couple times.

Funny I never tested the buttons on a web page with forward or back history in seven years. Not only am I a luddite, I'm not very experimental.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 23 April 2010, 13:19:52: That's... meta.

(Just saying that makes me cringe a little.)
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: sethstorm on Fri, 23 April 2010, 16:46:20: Quote from: didjamatic;166489
Microsoft Intellimouse Optical.
5 button, Optical, Scroll, USB, Wired and Bulletproof.

Show Image
(http://www.amaczone.com/images/image_large/Microsoft_Intellimouse_Optical_Mouse-79.jpg)

Show Image
(http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemDetails/M/M17/M17-1704/M17-1704-callout1.jpg)

Used two of them, and both suffered from "divine intervention", given when it's happened in FPS's and GTA III-style games. That is, the plastic under the outside mouse button(that pushes the mechanical button) had a tendency to want to break a bit too easily. But if you're not a heavy user, they're fine otherwise.

Personally, I favor some of Logitech's multi-button opticals(such as their mx410) with that said.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: Nonmouse on Fri, 23 April 2010, 17:54:13: I'm pretty happy with my Logitech V220.

(http://i.expansys.com/i/b/b155002.jpg)

(Mine's actually blue.)

The scrollwheel/middle button/side scroll works well- very positive action on the button, and it doesn't (for me at least) scroll when pressed. I also like the short form factor- I can easily rest my hand on the desk behind it and control it with just my fingers, without having to move my hand. I'm also impressed with its durability- it got flung to the ground in a prednisone-inspired fit of rage, and after opening it up to set the scrollwheel back in position, popping the left button back in place and putting the battery and battery cover back it works just fine. I was quite surprised- I really flang it at the floor, and expected it to have exploded into component pieces (not that I've ever done such a thing to a mouse before <.< >.> <.<).

For $23, hard to beat.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 23 April 2010, 18:00:28: FWIW, the Logitech RX250 M-BAD58B is a decent cheap mouse, but feels excessively cheap. Button clicks seem to echo through the very hollow feeling case that seems to be paper thin.

It does however claim to be 1000 DPI and tracks very nicely, and has forward/back functionality implemented in a scroll wheel that clicks left and right. It looks "stealthy" too, which is always fun.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Sun, 02 May 2010, 17:32:26: Mx518!
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 03:15:06: At €30 and up, I wouldn't call an MX518 cheap...
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: ironcoder on Mon, 03 May 2010, 07:50:41: I have a 5 dollar special I mentioned before, and it will run circles around all your cheap mice. If I could remember where I bought it I would go back and buy a case. The damn thing works great, won't die, doesn't get clogged from the horrible dust we have here and best of all has a handy dandy double-click button built right in. No more hand pain.

My Trackman seizes up 10 minutes after cleaning. But damn it's nice during those ten minutes. Sigh.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Mon, 03 May 2010, 08:21:47: Quote from: ch_123;178374
At €30 and up, I wouldn't call an MX518 cheap...
Well, not as cheap as a 10 Euro mouse, but much cheaper than the 50-100 Euro top models...
Thing is, Imo it performs better than the 10 Euro ones, but not worse than the 50-100 Euro ones, so it's kinda sweet spot! :)
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: kishy on Mon, 03 May 2010, 10:21:27: The cheap feeling RX250 is growing on me.

However, I'm bothered by the fact that it totally disregards the OS setting for scrolling...each notch scrolls one line, regardless of what it's set to.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: washuai on Thu, 06 May 2010, 22:26:12: Well, there's nothing cheap about the trackballs, but they're worth it.

If we're going to allow $30 mice, then my $29.99 Fry's sale 3500 DPI Razer DeathAdder is my favorite cheap mouse. Very comfy, no signs of wear despite being near a year old, better tracking than my optical trackball, two extra buttons, doesn't require lift - even though it has very little room to roam, and its black and blue like my rig. I don't use a mouse pad with it and until I get an L-Trac, its my primary mouse at home.
(http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8987/da3500dpi.jpg)

My former mouse, a cheap optical ($10
(http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4534/cheapo02.png)
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4659/cheapo01.png)

It is not as shiny as it looks in the pictures. Also, its red, not pink. .
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: InSanCen on Mon, 10 May 2010, 04:43:31: Still using my MX-518. While it wasn't a cheap mouse as such, I swapped someone for a £7 optical mouse that I didn't actually like. Flawless service so far, my hand fits over it perfectly. it is getting a bit icky looking now though, may need to buy a dead one and re-shell it.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: vils on Mon, 10 May 2010, 05:01:21: I like my MX510, used it so much that its impossible to see any traces of the feets on the right side. Completly worn down.
Title: Cheap mice that you love?
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Mon, 10 May 2010, 08:30:27: Get some teflon-sheet from ebay for like 5-10 Euros...
Cut it in shape, add some glue, and you have enough replacement feet for the rest of ya life!