DarrenBarefoot.com

Go wireless. Response time has not been an issue at all for me. Weight is something that I’ve never considered… certainly if you can’t comfortably manage the weight of 2 AA batteries, then you may wish to reconsider.

I also suggest going optical if you have not already. It’s smoother, cleaner, and will likely help with the weight issue.

[Reply]

The wireless mighty mouse is excellent, but it does take some getting used to. The shape is odd (I find myself holding it differently to “normal” mouse), and the right-click takes a little while to get used to exactly where on the single-button-doo-hicky to press to get it to respond properly, and the scroll button/wheel is a little odd..

Battery life is excellent though, and it seems fast, synchs quickly and since it’s bluetooth no stupid usb-dongles are necessary.

That being said, I always keep a trusty logitech wired-mouse in my bag at all times in case batteries run out - of course this isn’t necessary since the laptop, um, HAS a mouse built-in ;-)

[Reply]

Go wireless, and optical. Apart from not having to have a space for the wires on your desk (or they push the mouse back when you let go), I like that when reading a document, your mouse hand isn’t tied to the desk, and you can scroll without it being on a surface. I often read with both arms hanging down, resting, with one holding the mouse for the scroll button.

There’s no security issue with wireless mice, like there is with a keyboard. As well, I’ve had no battery problem, and my mouse works on all of my desk (no distance issues from the receiver).

Make sure you get a proper size one. I’ve seen mice sized all the way down to unuseable. Some mice have a space to hold the USB receiver, which means there’s one fewer item in the laptop bag.

[Reply]

I had one and hated it. It ate batteries. I’m glad it is gone. I use optical trackballs most of the time. They are always in the same spot when you reach for them.

[Reply]

We returned three Mighty Mouses because the right click wouldn’t work. It would work for a day, and then not at all. It was super frustrating. Sorry, but if it takes days to actually get it to work reliably then it’s not worth it. Piece o’ crap in my opinion.

We finally settled on a Logitech (Revolution??) because the USB receiver is tiny and the mouse doesn’t take batteries. You charge it in a dock. We both like it a lot, but Tyler actually had to stop using it at work because he was getting shooting pains up his arm (for days). I guess the minute muscle movements are much different than when using his old mouse, and caused him a lot of pain.

I like my trackball mouse, even though it’s not wireless. I don’t like moving a mouse, I like moving my fingers only. I have found it’s much easier on my wrist and arm.

[Reply]

+1 for the bluetooth mighty mouse - I bought 4 rechargeable batteries with it and rotate between sets of 2, but in a pinch it can run on one.

[Reply]

I’ve got this wireless notebook mouse and I love it. I’ve been using it for 18 months and I’m on my 3rd or 4th AA battery in that time. I use my computer way too much, so the battery life isn’t for lack of use.

It’s quite small, very comfortable, the usb piece snaps quickly/easily into the bottom of the mouse so you only have one thing to carry around rather than two. More importantly it works precisely on almost any surface.

[Reply]

I’ve got a Bluetooth Mac mouse, not the Mighty Mouse, and I never use it. On my laptop I just use the track pad, and when I need something better I use a wired logitec. Really I just found screwing around with battery levels and connectivity on the Bluetooth keyboard / mouse to be more of a hassle than the wires were.

[Reply]

I use a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse combo on a single USB. Battery life is amazing, especially on the keyboard unit, and the range is pretty good too. And yes, rechargeable batteries are a must — I have a 30min quickcharger for all my stepdaughter’s toys anyway.

Oddly, the PS/2 mouse connection failed, but the USB worked fine. I called to Logitech tech support and made a complaint as I can’t dual-boot Windows and Linux with the keyboard in the USB and not in the regular port. (Grub won’t recognize it.) The nice gent there shipped me a new unit.

Best of all, the keyboard doubles as glorified remote when I watch video files or DVDs from the comfort of my easy chair.

[Reply]

Darren,

I’ve have two wireless Apple mice (one mighty, one feeble), and both work well. I use rechargeable batteries, and always have spares (use the same AAs in my flash guns). The MacOS will warn you when the batteries are getting low, so a little bit of discipline will ensure minimal downtime. As you said you’re using it on your laptop, you’ll always have the trackpad.

One tip - turn off the option to have the wireless mouse wake the laptop from sleep. It seemed to help my battery life.

Cheers
Hugh

[Reply]

I had a battery leak and corrode the inside of the mouse. It was a tragedy.

The only thing I didn’t really care for was that it took up a USB port on my laptop. But so does the regular mouse.

[Reply]

Darren,

Whatever you decide to do, make sure that the mouse works for you BEFORE you head to Malta. I lived there last year while I did a Masters program at the University, and I can tell you that everything is much more difficult to do there. Supply is limited, shipping costs are high… and getting internet can be a nightmare if you live in the wrong place. So make everything as easy on yourself as possible before you go.

Why are you going there, anyways? If you need any information about the country, I’ll be happy to share.

[Reply]

Has anyone had a problem with Microsoft Wireless Mouse, not accepting rechargeable Nickel Hydride batteries. Mouse works well but chews batteries (as noted). Curiously, batteries last >20 times longer in wireless Keyboard. Any clues?

[Reply]