3-button Optical Mice? 180
proclus asks: "Does anyone else think that scroll wheels are a clunky replacement for the middle button? Mice are supposed to have three buttons, right? It was such an improvement when the three button mice started appearing for PC hardware, but I'm wondering, where are the optical ones?"
Wheel is fine for clicking (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not sure why you want something with less functionality.
I suppose you could glue the mouse wheel so it doesn't move and pretend its just a button
Re:Wheel is fine for clicking (Score:2)
The scroll wheel is nice for general productivity stuff.
Re:Wheel is fine for clicking (Score:2)
Not really.. an Logitech MX 500 or Intellimouse 3.0 will pretty much beat any other 3-button mouse on the market.
The wheel is useful for switching weapons, in any case.
FPS without a scroll wheel? (Score:3, Informative)
Next weapon - mwheelup
Prev weapon - mwheeldown
And I have no problem using the middle button for alt fire in UT and Q3A mods that have altfire weapons. (Or otherwise for zooming).
Just get a GOOD scrollwheel that has good click action in the wheel (i.e. it's hard to accidentally scroll it.)
Any optical with a wheel made by MS or Logitech usually has a pretty good scrollwheel. I've used both brands (IM Explorer, classic IMs, and a cheapo Logitech non-MX optical), and all of t
Re:FPS without a scroll wheel? (Score:2)
Re:Wheel is fine for clicking (Score:2)
i do, and it's absolutely fine for reloading-button or any button. in fact you can just think of the scroll wheel as 3 buttons it is (press, up,down). most(all) have enough resistance on the wheel to prevent accidental up'down movement.
and if you're not happy with that there's plenty of mouses with thumb buttons/other extra buttons.
I've kinda got one (Score:2, Informative)
there is a tumb button that is useful if you think the middle mouse button on the scroll is somewhat useless. of sourse you still have the scroll, but it's worth a shot, yeah?
Re:I've kinda got one (Score:1)
Solid build, good value. The thumb button (if you're right-handed) is the same as middle-clicking the wheel, but has a more positive feel. Plus the 2 optical sensors make it very usable in games.
Re:I've kinda got one (Score:1)
there is a tumb button that is useful if you think the middle mouse button on the scroll is somewhat useless
I've got one of those - after 5 minutes of use, I promptly gave it to my wife..
The thumb button is pretty useless, as when I use it, the mouse moves 1/4 inch to the right...
Re:I've kinda got one (Score:2)
Trolling.
Joking.
Have ham sized fists.
A complete moron.
The Dual Optical is perhaps the best mouse I have ever used. Its more comfortable than a standared mouse, as I have slightly large hands ands its a bit bigger than the normal mouse. Its very responsive, especially for RTS and FPS games.
But be warned, it doesnt exist according to the sales drones at Best Buy. (both my g/f and my mother went to best buys looking for one of these for me last X-mas, and both stores told each of them tha
Re:I've kinda got one (Score:2)
Huh? How in the world do you manage that? Do you like let go of the mouse first? ;)
I've got an A4 Tech mouse a friend gave me years ago (it was in development at the time; she was working on the projcet. Yay; beta mouse!) that has two buttons, a horizontal and vertical scroll wheel, and a thumb button that acts as the middle button. I used that mouse almost exclusvely on my primary workstation for years until I
Re:I've kinda got one (Score:2)
No and no. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:No and no. (Score:2, Informative)
There are plenty of uses for the third button, even essential uses in some programs, like xfig. But you're a PC guy, and don't use X I assume. Except maybe as a replacement for Microsoft. Pity.
wrong and wrong (Score:3, Informative)
Some software apps use all three buttons and combinations of them and keys to do things.
When its button 1 and 2 with a scroll wheel, all day long, it gets uncomfortable.
-Tim
Re:wrong and wrong (Score:2)
All the artists I know... as in personally. The ones I have worked with.
I chose my words cautiously.
-Tim
Re:No and no. (Score:2)
Anyone who uses the X Window system without a 3 button mouse is missing out, and some programs require a mouse with 3 buttons, such as Maya (the SGI, Linux, and Windows version do; dunno 'bout the Mac version, but it probably requires one too).
Solaris is not the only proprietary Unix that works best with a 3 button mouse; practically any Unix system that runs X Windows will benefit from having 3 buttons on the mouse.
For the record, anyone with a scrollwheel o
blarg (Score:2, Informative)
Try just about any optical mouse over $15. They'll have a middle button, usually in the wheel (as in 2nd and 1st posts).
But then they also may have buttons for your thumb, and other fingers.
The MX700 has 3 middle buttons not counting the one combined with the wheel.
(it also has 2 thumb buttons an the normal click and alt click.)
Last, could we PLEASE have more cool articles? This one is pretty much dog food.
Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:5, Insightful)
I have a friend who has a three button mouse; no scroll wheel. I find myself sitting there stroking the middle button like some sort of pervert.
The scroll wheel makes life so much easier - just checking through /. this morning I used it at least as often as the left mouse button. Why on earth would anyone want to get rid of it, particularly when you can click it as well?
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:2)
Scroll wheels may be indispensable to you, but obviously not to the poster.
What does a scroll wheel accomplish that holding down the third mouse button and dragging does not, apart from the fact that a wheel doesn't operate horizontally as well?
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:3, Insightful)
I've yet to find a browser where the click and drag scroll method isn't horrendously clunky. For a start you have to do something to stop it scrolling again. And its either too fast or too slow.
I've also seen the wheel scroll horizontally in some applications when there is just a horizontal bar an
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:1)
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:2)
I used to have one (I probably still have it stashed away somewhere), and after about half an hour of gaming I would have to stop - my thumb was just too sore to continue.
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:2)
>down the third mouse button and dragging does not,
Changing weapons in FPS games. There's no way I'm playing one on a mouse that doesn't have a wheel.
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:2)
Funny, that's the one thing I can't stand - it's far too easy to switch weapons accidentally. What's wrong with buttons 4/5 for that?
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:1)
What does a scroll wheel accomplish that holding down the third mouse button and dragging does not, apart from the fact that a wheel doesn't operate horizontally as well?
Well, considering that I have the middle button mapped to double-click rather than AutoScroll, I find that scrolling with the wheel is far better.
And especially since using the middle button to scroll doesn't work in Mozilla or any other non-Windows based browser, I can think of a lot of people who would have a problem without a scroll
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:2)
> using the middle button to scroll doesn't work in Mozilla
If you're looking for this feature in a Mozilla derived browser, try Phoenix/Firebird. It does it very nicely.
Re:Scroll wheels are indispensable (Score:1)
Far more important than its application in spreadsheets etc. is the fact that these are modern optical mouse that still have balls.
Didn't you find it really annoying that with the advent of optical mice you could no longer play with their balls. All you worries have been lifted with the "4-D optical mouse"! [thinkgeek.com]
Not only can you play with its ball but it
Scroll wheel click (Score:5, Insightful)
But I hate having it clickable as the third button.
Particularly in Konqueror, I find myself scrolling through a document, and suddenly I press too hard on the wheel and it jumps me to some random hyperlink that I hadn't even noticed let alone intended to click on. *grrrrr*
Personally I'd rather have a scroll wheel than a third button. The third button is nice, and I always liked having it, but the wheel is better, and the two don't co-exist too well.
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:2)
While the scroll wheel is up there, and i do love it, I'd have to say microsoft's application menu (aka the "start button") is the most significant UI innovation in the last 10 years.... think about it, what does X11 come with? a start button knock off... the feel of windows hasn't changed significantly since 95, it's still mostly centered around the start bar once you strip away all the candy from XP. i mean
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
That's what TigerLaunch [ranchero.com] under OS X is for. Great little free application, that.
I have to admit that I like the modern Start button/bar better than the old button/bar. The modern form finally hides unused items behind a double-down arrow. This is good for speed, but I wouldn't design an interface that hides things from the users. I'd rather write a system that doesn't allow things like text files and minor utilities under the start menu. I don't need WinRAR's console manual or help file under the WinRAR men
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
I just store applications in mine, so I have one folder called Apps. Beneath that are Graphics, Utilities, Office, Eng
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
actually no, it doesn't. the wm installed by your linux distro of choice might implement something akin to a start button but then if you look at old wm's you'll find that alot of them bring up a similar menu when you click a button on the background. and they predate windows 95. I'd say the idea is pretty simi
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:2)
I'll have to echo this poaster's [slashdot.org] sentiments, and add to it that OS/2 Warp had a "Start Menu" back in the early 90's, as did most of the window managers I can recall from that era.
If you want to get technical, the graphical application menu is merely an extension of the age-old textual application menu concept that I've
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:2)
Joke?!?
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:2)
So I might try and click on a www.slashdot.org link and it jumps to www.freshmeat.net cos that was in my copy buffer! Most confusing!!! Aarrrgh.
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:2)
I've seen the expensive mice with four buttons PLUS a wheel/button and - honestly - who is going to learn to use five buttons? Apart from Quake players, anyway.
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:1)
I usually don't support [censored], but I tried several mouses at my hardware store, and I felt the [censored] would fit best for me. You should have done that.
Result: The problem you are describing never happened to me.
(Besides you could simply deactivate the 3rd mouse button
Re:Scroll wheel click (Score:3, Informative)
Inside there you'll see that the button under your mouse is just a metal spring that brings two contacts together. Tape over, or break off one of the tabs so they don't connect any more and you're done. No more middle clicking for you. I've looked at three scrolling wheel mice (one was optical) and they all worked the same.
Mouse Systems (Score:4, Interesting)
Here [idg.net]'s a picture of the actual three-button optical mouse.
Optical as in opto-mechanical? (Score:2)
Almost all the old mice were "optical" too, they used plastic rollers on the balls which sensed movement with LEDs... optically.
Finer grained detents. (Score:1)
The one thing I would like is a finner grained detent on the wheel. Two to four time greater resolution would be nice. I'm not talking about the distance (number of lines) scrolled with each detent/click of the wheel. I want a greater number of clicks/detents per revolution of the actaul wheel.
Re:Finer grained detents. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Finer grained detents. (Score:2)
Uh, NO! The scroll wheel turns a rotary encoder, either optical or mechanical, which, depending on design, can be almost impossible to modify to add more transitions per revolution. The physical detents that click the wheel into place have nothing to do with the actual electrical state transitions. Adding more detents will simply make your wheel click two or more times for each logical state transition.
Re:Finer grained detents. (Score:2)
Three buttons are not enough (Score:1)
Re:Three buttons are not enough (Score:1)
4 buttons, and a ball you could move around with you thumb (like an upside down mouse).
Real functionality for mouse buttons (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Real functionality for mouse buttons (Score:2, Interesting)
I sometimes use the computer with the mouse only. The thing that makes me reach for the keyboard is usually a need press shift or ctrl to add files to a selection.
Then again, the whole selection mechanism, as commonly implemented, is not perfect to begin with. Selections are too ephemeral. A single wayward click can undo all your selection work. A "toggle persistent selection" button in the UI would be a general improvement and solve my
Re:Real functionality for mouse buttons (Score:1)
Re:Real functionality for mouse buttons (Score:3, Interesting)
The mouse interface feels particularly natural once one is used to it and not only do all three buttons have distinct (and consistent) uses, combinations of buttons do too!
Re:Real functionality for mouse buttons (Score:2)
In Mozilla, clicking a link with the middle button opens it up in a new tab. I find it quite convenient and use it often.
With rxvt, xterm, and gpm the middle button is used to paste a selection, though I don't use the right button feature--click the start of a selection with the left, and the right marks the end of it. I just drag the left button or sometimes double click it to select a word.
In fact, several X applications seem to use the middle button in a similar way. Nedit (a text editor) does. The t
Cut and paste! (Score:2)
I thought this was what MMB was always for.
Kensington MouseInABox (Score:2)
A4Tech (Score:1)
I am not affiliated in any way with the company, just fan of their products.
Re:A4Tech (or Hate Replying to Myself) (Score:1)
Nope. (Score:2)
And once again it's got the fsking scroll wheels right where there should be a button. ONLY a button.
It's great that all you folk out there like your scroll wheels. I've no desire to take them away from you. But I've been up and down the rows at the various stores, and I've STFW, and real three-button mouse have become pretty much impossible to find at a reasonable price - for the very obvious reason that MS Windows supports wheelies and doesn't have any use for the third button.
Oh, and by real I mean on
Ask Slashdot (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Ask Slashdot (Score:2)
The different direction of the water in either hemisphere is an urban myth -- the effect is too small to impact the thing when compared to the hydrodynamics of the toilet. Given an appropriate basin, drain, and water insertion device you can get the water to spin either way in either hemisphere.
Re:Ask Slashdot (Score:2)
--trb
My preferences (Score:1)
While optical mice are nice, I've also not seen any that are just three simple buttons. I was, about a year ago, able to find a plain three button non-optical PS/2 mouse. If it were
Re:My preferences (Score:2)
> wheel-less. My solution was to disable support for scrolling
I guess the first thing you do after buying a new car is to disable ABS, power steering and braking, and the A/C. Because after all, you don't want to get used to features that might not be available in another car that you might drive someday. Sheesh...
Re:My preferences (Score:1)
Sun (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Sun (Score:2)
eBay might be a better option.
www.logitech.com (Score:2)
www.logitech.com
MX700: 7 buttons with scroll, wireless, and optical. All the features that you don't need in one small package.
Re: MX700 (Score:1)
Re: MX700 (Score:2)
Is it THAT much of a slow news day? (Score:1)
--End missquote
Self absorb much? Your working on some serious assumptions and opinions that you are taking as facts. Why is this a front page item?
Logitech MX300 (Score:2)
Quite frankly, I'm overjoyed that PCs now come standard with scrollwheel mice that can be used as a three butto
efficiency (Score:3, Informative)
FWIW, I used to prefer a 3 button mouse over a mouse w/wheel, until I actually started using them.
Of course, YMMV.
Re:efficiency (Score:2)
Ever tried arrow keys (or pgup/pgdn/home/end) for scrolling the page? I find the most efficient way of surfing (and some other computing tasks) is using the keyboard and the mouse together. I use my left hand for the mouse, and the right for the keyb. And yes, I prefer a three button mouse.
I've got one (Score:3, Informative)
How the hell.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Christ, no wonder the lot of you have RSI.
Here's a tip - Don't hang on to your mouse for dear life. It isn't going anywhere.
The best mouse ever! (Score:1)
.:Jon:.
Re:The best mouse ever! (Score:2)
I'll bet it is. As long as you're right handed.
But more importantly... (Score:2)
Sigh (Score:2, Insightful)
I have eight Logitech three button mice. I like them a lot. I reprogram the middle button to double-click, because I don't like RSI and I think the double-click idea really sucks. I use the keyboard 95% of the time and only reach for the mouse when some lazy application programmer couldn't be arsed to take the 5 microseconds needed to put a keyboard shortcut in for a specific function.
I hate the scrolly wheel. I do
Simple mouse mod (Score:4, Informative)
Parts Needed:
3 button optical mouse with wheel [target.com]
Set of screwdrivers [target.com] (prolly just need a #0 and #1 phillips)
X-Acto Knife [officeworld.com]
McDonald's Straw [mcdonalds.com]- I am not sure if other straws will work it needs to be thermo softening while being thick enough for wear and pliable enough for use.
Personal flamethrower [bonefire.com] or lighter [thinkgeek.com] or soldering iron [walmart.com]
krazy glue [krazyglue.com]
about 30 minutes of your time.
Heres how to do it:
Hnady dandy tip wile on the subject (Score:2)
Re:Hnady dandy tip wile on the subject (Score:2)
How about a thumbwheel? (Score:1)
IBM (Score:4, Informative)
Re:IBM (Score:2)
Link, please. I just looked on www.ibm.com->products->accessories->mice, and there were no plain 3-button mice, optical or otherwise.
Re:IBM (Score:2)
Re:IBM (Score:2)
Ah, probably old stock of a discontinued model. Don't bother...
Re:IBM (Score:2)
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/ [gnu-darwin.org]
Re:IBM (Score:2)
Shamless self plug Though i do still think my mouse mod would work also and of course you could make the button any size by using a different wear media I just love finding uses for McD's straws since they saved my butt on teh road one time
MouseMan+? (Score:2)
Wheel-as-button has its limitations (Score:2)
While the wheel is a great feature, it isn't suitable for applications which require the third butto
I second that thought (Score:1)
Re:Um... (Score:4, Interesting)
To the asker: Sorry, but it's not going to change. People are used to clicking their mwheel as the third mouse button, and it seems a waste to add a third button and remove the mwheel's click.
If you really don't want to use the mwheel to click the third button, perhaps you can get an Intellimouse Explorer and remap the fourth or fifth button to the functions the third button typically handles, and use those instead? Otherwise, I don't think it's going to happen, unless a company brings out an optical mouse without a wheel. And some things are too useful to discard - How many keyboards don't have the numpad? Not many, if any at all. It's a lot more useful than ScrlLock.
Re:Um... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Um... (Score:2)
Anyhow, my mouse, the Logitech MX 700, doesn't have any glowing, the entire thing is solid coloured. I'd assume the MX 500 is the same.
Re:One Button (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:One Button (Score:1)
OS X has native multi button support, including scroll wheel and 3rd button, and in classic most companies make an extension for their mouse that lets you add multi button functionality to the finder
To address the original question thow, I also find the scroll wheel to be clunky, useful, but clunky. I however found the Kensington wireless studio mouse [kensington.com] which has a 3rd middle button and
Re:One Button (Score:1)
I should have mentioned this. Yes, OSX does indeed have multi-button support built-in (it was based on Unix; why wouldn't, it, right?). But unfortunately when I was in college and working with a multi-button mouse on our school newspaper, we couldn't use that third-party utility in OS9 (couldn't use OSX beca