Where Is My Heavy-Duty Mouse? 53
"The failure modes vary about 50/50: rollers just get too worn out to roll right (not dirty, though -- I clean the mouse often) or the cable between the mouse and the computer goes bad. I'd love a wireless optical mouse, but I can't seem to find anyone that makes one. I'd gladly spend $100 on a mouse if it would last more than 6 months.
I don't want a trackball or any other non-traditional mouse. Ergonomics don't matter. The wheel is helpful, but I'd do without the wheel as long as the mouse had three buttons (I run Unix).
Does anyone make a mouse that will stand up to the torture? Am I going to have to start manufacturing mice for people like myself?"
The best "mouse" I've found is a Logitech optical trackball using 3-buttom emulation, but not everyone likes those. So where is the mythical perfect mouse hiding? The sought-after wireless optical mouse really would be nice.
here you go... (Score:1)
Re:Logitech Optical (Score:1)
_____
Re:What in the heck? (Score:1)
Where I work (a new car dealership) we recently replaced most of the mice in the parts department with optical mice because the old mice were beginning to wear out. These cheap crappy mice had been working fine in our dusty parts department for almost three years, in which time most the CD drives have died.
If your MS mouse dies, CALL MICROSOFT! (Score:1)
Don't just toss 'em!
Re:Logitech Optical (Score:1)
Optical Mice is my choice. (Score:1)
There's no way... (Score:1)
Personally, the only mice I've had die on me are a logictec that came oem on a compaq after 4 years, and a cheap trackball after one year. Both were used heavily in dusty environments where all kinds of crap got spilled on them (college!).
Re:Non-Traditional Mice (Score:1)
Re:Wireless Optical Mouse (Score:1)
Re:I Lied (kinda) (Score:1)
Warranty? (Score:1)
Re: Peta & Cables (Score:1)
As for future problems, I just reorganized my desk so they can't get at the cable. They don't seem to care about any other cables, just the keyboard. Lucky I bought a cheap one, I guess.
-Matthead
The only thing I seen that will do that. (Score:1)
Digital made great mice (Score:1)
I have several and they're great-they have three buttons of the same sime, they aren't big and fat like some of the 3-button logitech mice, and they're built like tanks. Since they were made by DEC, i'm not sure if they are made any more, but you can probably find one in a used computer store, or on ebay. I have several, and horde them.
Good god man, how many cats do you have? (Score:1)
That's just insane.
When I need a mouse, which is generally only with a new system, I tell my local reseller "give me one of those $6 3-button jobs". They look (and feel) like the old logitech 3 button types that I just love, but they are some generic knock off they buy a crate at a time.
I've never seen one of these $6 mice die, and some are in some pretty awful service enviornments. I also have a couple of Logitech "MouseMan" mice of different types, and none of those have ever given me a bit of trouble.
I would suggest you should get rid of the cats, buy a mouse pad so you don't destroy the ball, and stop spilling soda and chips where you roll your mouse.
Kensington (Score:1)
Five year warranty. Excellent feel. Very good input. If they had a Linux driver, I'd have one on my desk now.
I'd also recommend that everyone go trackball. You adjust very quickly, and the results are insanely good. But stay away from those icky 2cm jobs Logitech pawns out. A good 6-10cm is much more comfortable, powerful and accurate.
Ushers will eat latecomers.
A really heavy duty mouse... (Score:1)
poor mouse (Score:1)
Honestly though, i love the net mouse and haven't had any problems with it.
mike
Touchpad (Score:1)
Re:So... (Score:1)
This is not exactly a typical failure mode, though, and I doubt that the guy would be bitching about needing a tougher mouse if that were the problem. He'd be asking about chew protection for cables. It might actually be a real market; I have a cow orker who has had parrot problems with some of her cables. Maybe a braided steel cable protector is in order...
Re:Non-Traditional Mice (Score:1)
That's actually not the thing that's keeping optical mice from being wireless. The optical sensor is already going at about 1500 scans per second, so that's not what's keeping you down. I asked my dad (who worked on the design of the new optical sensors at Agilent) and he says that the problem is with power consumption. They currently use way more current than conventional mice. I'll have to check mine at home but I think that they're rated at 250 mA vs. 20 mA for a standard mouse, so they'd run down the batteries too fast. They hope to be able to bring the current draw down in the next version so that cordless optical mice will be possible.
Laptop mice (Score:1)
geez (Score:1)
The indestructible mouse (Score:1)
Bird damage is certainly a possibility. (Score:1)
--Perianwyr Stormcrow
Non-Traditional Mice (Score:1)
I haven't owned a traditional mouse in years. Got one of the very first ALPS Glidepoint desktop units, and only recently switched to a plain-Jane Logitech marble mouse.
Logitech, Logitech, Logitech.... (Score:1)
I will NEVER buy a non-logitech mouse ever again.
I used to successfully destroy a mouse about every 2-3 months. It was kinda like this....
1) Go buy the cheapest mouse you could find.
2) Accidentally drop and/or just simply use mouse for 2-3 months.
3) Determine mouse is in fact dead, usually at the worst possible time.
4) Repeat #1
Finally I got pissed and "splurged" and bought the $20 logitech. This was at least 8 years ago and that mouse is still going strong. It has been through at least 6 moves (being thrown in boxes with other computer crap) and has outlived numerous MOUSE PADS (they just get too caked with that wonderful grungy dirt)....
The one on my desk (a different mouse) gets it's "tail" yanked fairly regularly as when I move the computer around, it often gets tangled with the other cables. I just grab the mouse and pull - although fairly gently - to free additional cable.
I have at various times on other machines ended up with other varieties, including expensive microsoft mice, and they have all died within a year or so. The microsoft ones tend to die when the grunge builds up on the rollers and they're almost impossible to get clean once that occurs.
I can't however vouch for any of the optical varieties. I suspect they would solve some of the physical roller problems. I would be buying a logitech one though if I bought one.
Oh, did I mention that I really Like Logitech mice?
Re:Old-School Logitech (Score:1)
Still works after all these years too. I love it.
Although I use a MS optical mouse on my main machine.
Nathaniel
Re:A really heavy duty mouse... (Score:1)
You don't move the durapoint around on your desk, you actually move the pad thing ontop of the mouse with your finger.
Touch pads (Score:1)
I haven't had any problems with it since I bought it (except lack of Win 2000 drivers for the cool extra stuff, they're finally beta testing them). If you're using it with Linux, just get the cheapest model touchpad they have and it will emulate a regular old mouse. You can wipe it off with a damp rag if it gets too dirty, but dirt doesn't seem to affect how it works.
It's really great for internet browsing because along with being able to scroll pages like a mouse w/ a wheel, you can also go back and forth between pages with out having to cursor up to the arrow keys at the top of the window.
I know it's not a mouse, but it's a pretty indestructable pointing device and it's really nice to use. It takes up way less desk space than a mouse too.
Another cool feature is (from the web site) -- And that's not all... a fourth hot button on the touchpad allows access to many other shortcuts including copy, paste, minimize, maximize, close application and more. These easy, fast-action commands are like nothing you've every seen in a pointing device. Touching the button brings up Cirque's new "Touch Gestures" feature, a unique benefit in our 5th Generation touchpad that lets you quickly "draw" any letter or symbol on the surface with your finger to activate a command. Drawing an "X", for example, might close an application; "F" might open your financial spreadsheet; "Hi" might bring up the last version of your letter to Mom; and so on. You can build on Cirque's default Touch Gesture settings or create your own.
Belkin USB (Score:1)
Re:Wireless Optical Mouse (Score:1)
KLRNSDME
(Killer Inside Me)
Wireless Optical Mouse (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
MS IntelliMouse (Score:1)
Not quite right... (Score:1)
guess the encryption! "spmr upi jRW RU[OMF PM
Re:Two things (Score:1)
In other words, I wore it out in that the buttons wouldn't pop back up again because the "spring" had become too flexible
Old-School Logitech (Score:1)
wacom graphire tablet (Score:1)
Logitech Optical (Score:2)
I have the smaller variety [logitech.com] (more of a "normal mouse" shape than the larger "tank" style [logitech.com]) and have had no problems. Works great in X too.
Re:Two things (Score:2)
Re:So... (Score:2)
--
I'd LOVE to see.. (Score:2)
However, I wouldn't mind dropping my mouse on a charger at night to restore battery power, à la wireless phone. I should patent the idea (-:
kidding.
Re:I Lied (kinda) (Score:2)
http://chic.com.tw/mice/MBOT/OPTICAL/all-opt-mice
I looked before posting, I swear. (-:
What? (Score:2)
My own mouse history:
- Microsoft IntelliMouse at home--3 years old, still works fine
- Microsoft IntelliMouse at work--2 years old, still works fine
- Macintosh Mouse--12 years old, still works fine
BTW, I play Quake III with my mouse, and do other "mouse-intensive" activities. The only mouse I've ever had problems with was the really cheap one that came with the original PS/2's.
I do use a mouse pad. Maybe that helps?
Well, here's a SlashDot article on ... (Score:2)
Quoting:
Seumas writes "Check out the Durapoint stainless steel industrial mouse which has bee thrown off a five-story building, submerged for hours, run-over by an 18-wheel truck, beaten with a hammer, used as a hockey puck, thrown across a room and stepped on countless times. It's even theft-proof. Even the pentagon is considering using it. At $279, it isn't cheap -- and it sure isn't an ergonomic wonder, but it might be your ticket if you do your computing strapped to the underside of a Mac truck." If only it had 3 mouse buttons!
I Lied (kinda) (Score:2)
Re:So... (Score:3)
So... (Score:3)
I would still reccomend a trackball, especially for gaming. With a little practice, turns can be executed more quickly and (I think) more accurately than with a mouse. I know my play improved quite drastically (alas, I haven't had the time in the past year or so... my skills are probably worn down). Easier to keep clean, doesn't mind getting dirty nearly as much as a mouse... My Trackman Marble (three buttons - pre-scroll wheel) was of great benefit to me ergonomically as well... Don't know why you wouldn't want a trackball, and I certainly wouldn't dismiss the importance of ergonomics - it pays off in the long run.
Oh well, just my $.02 (that was before the jump in the CPI, of course).
--
Try using your web browser. (Score:3)
Step 2: follow link [arstechnica.com]
Step 3: Read page, says company named Chic has one
Step 4: Search google again for Chic + Wireless + optical: [google.com]
Step 5: Click on link: all your mouse are belong to us [chic.com.tw]
Two things (Score:3)
Second, how about just getting a new mouse pad? I don't mean to insult, but is there a chance that you're cleaning the mouse so much that the rollers are wearing down from YOU scraping them all the time? Keep the surface under your mouse clean, and you'll probably have better luck. It also wouldn't hurt to dust your desk off a little every week or so.
Finally, if you get an optical mouse you'll probably eliminate the roller problems. Admittedly, I've had the BUTTONS on a mouse wear out on me, but I can't say that I've ever seen a cable go. That's some strange stuff. Unless...
...get your work area inspected for static. Lose the wooly carpets and see if you can get yourself grounded. There's a good chance that your "cable problems" are caused by a discharge that perhaps you weren't aware of. I'm not an expert, but I don't expect this stuff to be particularly resilient when it comes to electric shocks.
In any case, if you're consistently killing your mice, you really should check out the above. I've never heard anyone have these kinds of problems. I would think that I'd have them - I write software for a living and spend my days behind the monitor, so I should go through them at least as fast as you.
Sometimes the simple solutions will work. I hope this helps. Good luck!
Bill Cosby (Score:4)
Har har har. The punchline is of course a bit easier to deliver out loud rather than in print, but that's not the point.
The point is -- what the hell are you doing to these mice! I've had the same mouse on my PC since the day I got it, and the only reason I replaced the mouse on my Mac was because it drove me nuts to shuffle a hockey puck around the desk (that & the clear LCD mouse just seemed really cool... :).
What could you possibly be doing that wears out a mouse after only a couple of months? You say you clean it regularly -- with what, a good hard scrub with a steel wool pad followed up by a sulfuric acid bath? It's inconceivable to me that anyone could be destroying their equipment so quickly. <parent>Don't you realize that this stuff is delicate & expensive equipment? What's wrong with you?</parent>
My suggestion to you would be to look into whatever mice Fisher-Price might be offering these days. With any luck they'll have a nice durable hard-shell plastic model (in shiny red, yellow & blue) that you can chew on all day without breaking. If they're not in the PC market -- and I really don't know if they are or not (though I doubt it) -- then you're pretty much out of luck. All I can say in that case is you really need to learn to take care of this stuff better. Sheesh...
What the heck!!!! (Score:4)
1. In a fit of rage over being killed for the umpteenth time in Quake3 with no frags to your credit, you grab the cord, begin whirling the mouse over your head and in a loud Confederate rebel yell, launch it out the window, thereby causing cord and/or general mouse failure.
2. Licking the mouse ball is not considered 'cleaning it', especially while sucking on a lollipop.
3. Soaking the mouse in bleach, is also, not 'cleaning it'.
4. Do not use the mouse to 'pretend you're shaving'. You'll pick up lots of facial hair and grease (and possibly some zit puss) which isn't good for it.
5. Do not operate the mouse while your computer is in your sandbox.
6. Lastly, Do not chew on happy mouse ball, do not look at happy mouse ball, and do not taunt happy mouse ball.