Information on Mice
Lesson 7
This should be a pretty short lesson, as mice really are about as simple as it gets. It's something we use most every single time we use our computers, and often times most people don’t pay much attention to them unless they stop working. There are a lot of different types, different interfaces, but the most important thing is comfort and usability.
To cover the first two should be easy. It used to be, several years ago that there would be a lot of different ports you could use for mice; 9 pin serial, ps2, and usb. Repairing computers would be a pain, because we had to leave 2-3 different kinds of mice on every techs bench at all times to make sure they could actually use the customers computer. Nowadays, there is pretty much only one type out there, which is usb.
The different types are really easy to determine; the first is the typical mouse, the one we all use. There are ergnonomic upgrades available, which we highly suggest if you are someone who uses their computer for extended periods of time. Some mice have loads of extra button,s which you can bind to actions on your computer if you like (for example one of your mouse clicks might open a web browser). Regardless of what features or design you choose, the mouse operates in the same overall way - you slide it around, and click away.
The other type of mouse (the type we really like) is the trackball. This mouse stays in one place while you roll around a ball on top of the mouse. It's a lot easier on our wrists, and we can really notice the difference at the end of a long day. That said, they are not for everyone - some people are really uncomfortable with them, and that’s ok.
A Quick Word on Mouse Pads:
If you have a newer mouse with the optical reader instead of the trackball in the botton, you don’t need one. That said, we still suggest one for comfort, and if you happen to care about the desk underneath. We have seen some pretty wicked wear markes in our day, and its something a lot of people forget.
The only other real thing to consider is whether or not to go wireless. There really aren't any drawbacks to going wireless, except the thought of running out of batteries. It's important to remember that, without batteries, you’re not going to be able to use your computer at all - so if you want to go wireless, you need to make sure you either get one of the nice rechargable ones by Logitech, or have spare batteries around all the time, or have a spare mouse just in case.
If you have any questions at all, shoot on over to our forum and ask away.
Thanks so much for joining us in Lesson 7: Information on Mice. Please submit any and all questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - we will be happy to answer!
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