Best computer mouse.

Could it be because I’m on the computer pretty much all day everyday?

It also depends on what you are doing with the mouse. How hard you click onto buttons will determine their life before they no longer work reliably.

Most mice that I have had have lasted me several years.

Should I get a new mouse if the one I have sometimes scrolls up and down when I scroll?

I think I click on the buttons hard enough, but not too hard.

You’re doing something wrong. I get longer than that out of cheap mice (not that the Logitech M705 is expensive, but mice where price is the only good thing about them) and I am, indeed, on the computer many hours out of my day.

Dirt.

Take it apart and clean it.

How do I do that? My current mouse is optical.

What do you think I’m doing wrong? I also eat in front of the computer.

I’ve had my (glorious) trackball for some twenty years now. It needs to be cleaned pretty regularly - my model at least has a ring around the ball that can be removed so you can get at and remove the ball and pick the hairs and grime off all the rollers and internal workings.

I have this Logictech and I love, love, LOVE it. The hand position is very natural, and a stationary device where the ball is the only thing that moves is perfect for the way I like to mouse. It’s radically different from a more traditional trackball which is in the middle of the device, like this one. There’s a newer Logitech offering that’s very similar but a lot spendier.

Two downsides:

  1. They only last a couple of years. My first one started acting as if I’d double-clicked when I was trying to single click, and this caused problems, so I bought a second one. After a year or so, that did the same thing. Evidently this is a known issue; one suggestion (that I implemented) to extend the life is to use the software to switch the buttons - so I “left click” with the right button and vice versa. Causes no end of merriment when I have to use a different computer for a bit :smiley:

  2. THEY DON’T MAKE A LEFT-HANDED VERSION. Utterly ridiculous. 10% of people are lefties, and even right-handers need to mouse left handed occasionally - like me: I’m having some significant wrist pain on the right, and need to mouse as a lefty for a bit. I just bought two different ones to try to use lefthanded and am having to really retrain myself.

There are some vertical-style mice that are handed (and which have both left and right versions). I bought on of those the other day and don’t like it much, because I really have to move my whole arm to make it move. At the moment, I’m using a basic Logitech regular optical mouse, where I can do what I need without having to lift my arm.

Avoid the ones with a kajillion different buttons. I literally NEVER use them.

That’s the one I have, too! I actually didn’t know – all I knew is that I had some Logitech mouse I liked from Target – and, sure enough, it’s the M705, so another vote for that one!

I have a Mac, and I’ve tried all sorts of Apple mouses, and I hate them all. I also can’t do the trackpad thing, as I hate trackpads (constantly swiping on a pad makes my fingers weird and tingly.) This Logitech mouse feels great under my fingers, is responsive, and apparently has six buttons (which I didn’t even realize until now, since I only use two. :slight_smile: )

Another vote for the M705. Both my desktops at home have them. Very comfortable and dependable. (well, going on five years now)

Cruft still gets into it. There’s usually 2-3 screws on the bottom. Often hidden under the pads on the bottom of the mouse or maybe under the label. If you have a popular model mouse there might be a YouTube video on how to take it apart and clean it. If not there should be some for similar ones from the same brand.

I clean my mouse about once a year.

Would you use the extra buttons regularly? For most people a two button mouse with a clickable wheel is going to do the job and changing the dpi is something people browsing and doing emails aren’t likely going to do at all. Even the side buttons on a mouse like the M705 (which I’ve used and quite like) get ignored by many people. The advice on cleaning is good and worth keeping in mind.\

Only you can decide on your needs and if the Lingyi fits the bill then more power to you. Keep in mind that as a general rule price and quality tend to go together up to a certain point, but if you’re that hard on mice maybe swapping mice once or twice a year is the price you pay…

My favorite mouse for a long time has been the Microsoft wireless USB mouse, but I really hate the change they made to where the USB wireless plug-thingie gets stored.

Old: It snapped into a hole; there was a little “eject” button to make it pop out

New: You have to pry the lid off the damn battery compartment; the USB receptable is under the battery compartment lid now. I don’t have fingernails so I have to find a tool that can pry the lid off, which is something I could live with about as often as an AA battery needs replacing, but not each and every time I want to use the mouse while I’m out & about traveling.

Logitech’s mouse is well made but the mouse cursor is a bit hyperactive. I’ve mostly switched to a Logitech (due to the above issue with the newer Microsoft mice) and gotten used to it.

Fan of M570 myself. I have noticed the tendancy to double click, but I have adapted to it, and almost never doble click unless I want to. OTOH, being able to double click with only one actual finger press is actually useful.

I do wish they made a left handed version myself, the best I ahve found is this guy. Not really the design choice I would go with, but it is useful to take some of the strain off my right hand from time to time.

I also find myself using my right handed trackball with my left hand from time to time.

The Logitech mice also have a place to store the USB receiver under the battery-compartment cover but it’s easily removed (no tools needed). The receiver is small enough that I just leave it plugged into the computer even when travelling, though.

A cheapo left-handed vertical mouse (the one I got was labelled Jelly Comb but the identical unit is marketed under other labels) stores it in the mouse similar to the link you posted, but it does it badly: it’s not secure and could be knocked out by accident fairly easily. I prefer Logitech’s approach.

k9bfriender, I saw the same mouse you linked to, AFTER I’d ordered the other one. It’s on my wish list. From what I read, it’s a good dea to swap out its trackball for an actual Logitech one (I have a spare, as I still have the old one that died as well as the current one).

The Logitech 525 I have at work is symmetrical and can be used by either hand. All you need to do is swap the button allocations and Bingo! Left handed Mouse!

Stop right there and don’t do it! If you’re getting pain in one hand, you’ll get pain in the other. I speak from experience. Go get yourself a Kensington Trackball. Either their Orbit Elite or Expert Mouse. They’re symmetrical.

If you use a single screen, take a look at a Wacom pad and pen.

None of the options are particularly cheap but they’re a lot cheaper than surgery!

I’ve stopped using a computer mouse years ago and replaced them all with the Apple trackpad. It is bluetooth and I replace the AA batteries in it about every 3-4 months would be my guess.

I no longer have problems with my hand from moving a mouse around. They also don’t make any sound too which is great. It takes up far less space on the desk than a mouse and you don’t need a mouse pad.

I had this concern when I bought my apple computer, but I’ve found it to be just fine. I get weeks of use out of one charge and there’s plenty of warning when the battery is low.

I note that it has low power, finish my work, and then plug it in overnight. Bam - several months of worry free mousing.