I have a logitech 505m wireless mouse. First off, im not sure but i believe theres 2 type of mouses. One is optical mouse and one is laser mouse… is that correct? Can someone tell me which type of mouse i have? I can say that i cannot use this mouse on a wooden surface or regular service and i pretty much need a mousepad or something similar for it to work.
I was going to buy another mousepad as the one i bought a while ago which was a belkin one that cost probably 3 dollars i threw away because it pretty much deteoriated. I was going to purchase another mousepad and saw this http://www.ebay.com/itm/141243252678?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
First off, would this mousepad work for my mouse?
I then took a look for mousepad and apparently theres mousepads where it makes comfortable for your wrist such as these
Also these mousepad with the wristpad makes it look very comfortable. I move my hands quite a bit when using a mouse. Would you suggest me getting one of these as oppose to a regular mouse pad?
Is there anyone here that doesn’t use a mouse pad at all? The thing is i could use a wired mouse which works on any surface without an issue. But i like my logitech 505m wireless mouse a lot so thats why i need a mousepad as almost every surface i use it on, it doesn’t work.
I haven’t purchased a mouse pad in decades. I get mine as giveaways in trade shows or when I rummage for old ones at work when others move on. I probably have a stack of a dozen or more pads at work, plus two or three in every laptop bag.
I’ve used pads with the wrist bump. The bump gets in the way for me. My mouse I am using right now is also a Logitech wireless mouse and old as the hills. Works with any pad.
There is also a roller ball mouse. I think I still have one.
I now use an optical mouse (with the red light under it), and it doesn’t require a mouse pad at all. It works on my lap, or any surface that is more or less flat. It’s about 6 years old, and still works flawlessly, requiring no maintenance at all,…
Let’s first go over types of mouses. Wired mouses and wireless mouses differ solely in the way they connect to the computer; there is no difference with regards to the mousepad. Now, there are two types of methods for tracking movement: optical (also known as laser) and rollerball. Rollerball-type mouses are older and use a physical rubber ball inside the mouse that rolls on the mousepad. Three wheels measure the direction of the ball in each direction, converting that into directions which are sent to the computer. In contrast, an optical mouse shines a laser at the surface it is being used upon and tracks small imperfections in the surface. You should be able to use an optical mouse with most any porous surface: clothing, wood, a book, etc. It will generally not work on glass, polished steel, or a mirror. You should try cleaning your mouse–the sensor may be blocked or obscured, because you should generally not need to buy a mousepad to use an optical mouse.
Next, onto the mousepad. Whether or not you want a gel wrist pad is entirely subjective, and its very hard for someone else to make that decision for you. My best advice would be to try both of them for an extended period of time and decide which one works for you.
As for quality, my gut instinct is that the SteelSeries QcK is the best mousepad of the ones listed, based on Amazon reviews. You should note that the SteelSeries is very large for a mousepad–27% larger by size than the Belkin, 67% larger than the Innovera, and more than twice as large as the “Wrist Comfort”/Frisby model. In addition, it’s worth noting that prices on the SteelSeries, Innovera, and Belkin models have all been cheaper in the past, so you might find it worth it to wait a few months and save a couple bucks. There’s a return policy on all of the mousepads, but you have to pay return shipping, which would remove most of the cost savings. Good luck with whatever you choose.
I’d personally recommend the thin cloth “gaming”* mousepads like the SteelSeries you listed, or Razer’s line. They stick well to most surfaces and the big surface area makes them a lot easier to work with than the tiny ones that cause you to have to keep lifting up and repositioning the mouse.
In the gamer community people argue over whether the cloth or metallic/shiny ones feel better, but if you’re used to traditional mousepads, stick with the cloth.
*The feel of your mousepad affects you whether you play games or not. Basically just translates into how precisely and painlessly you can move your mouse. Most any mousepad would be fine, really, but IMO the extra $20 or so on a good, wide mousepad is totally worth if you spend a lot of time on the computer.
I don’t think optical mice are the same thing as laser mice: some use regular LEDs and only some use lasers. Some use lasers that work on glass. The sensor type is important because it affects what kind of surface you can use it on without the cursor getting all randomly jumpy.
Also wireless mice are often constrained by their batteries, so they generally feel heavier, refresh slower, and take a second or more to wake up from an unused state. If it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother you, but those differences are there.
Other reasons to consider a mousepad: 1) feel – a cloth mouse pad feels different from a plastic/smooth one feels different from your desk 2) durability, as in the mouse pad tends to be less harsh on your mouse feet and maybe 3) wrist support, if you desire it (like Duckster, I hate the bumps with a passion and they always get in the way).
And OP, the internet says your mouse uses a laser. By itself that won’t tell you mcuh though, since the sensor tech and such can have a bigger impact than the lightsource.
Unless you want some sort of wrist support, I’m surprised that people use mouse pads at all. I’m sure it depends on your desk surface, but I haven’t had or used a pad in years and years.
I do have mouse pads on my desk, but use them to rest my elbows on.
It’s funny, when a co-worker may be visiting and needs the mouse to point something out, she will move the mouse pad so she can ‘use’ it. There is no reason to do this on our desk surfaces (we have the same furniture, and mice)
My desk surface is tempered glass, and the magical laser mouse doesn’t seem to like it.
I used to use manila envelopes and the like as a surface, but recently I grabbed a thin cutting mat from the kitchen and I really like it.
Before you invest in a mouse pad with a wrist support, try this; Take a wash cloth, fold it in thirds, roll it up and use that for your wrist. You can roll it tighter or looser, depending on what feels most comfortable and move it around to where it feels like you’re getting the most support.
The table I’m currently using for my computer is a little low and my wrist started hurting after a short time using it. So I tried this rather than spend money on something I might not like. It worked remarkably well so I’m just going to stick with it.
If you decide to get a large mouse pad and have a Big Lots store nearby, check them out. The ones in my area have a huge, cushy one made by Alsop for five or so bucks. It’s so big, in fact, I’ve used them to make new insoles for my shoes.
Remember that you can go to your Control Panel, select Mouse, and set it for a comfortable size mouse area in proportion to the width of your screen. So if you have only a small area, you can set the mouse so the cursor will move all the way across your screen in only a couple inches of mouse movement. You can also change the size of your arrow, or change to another on-screen pointer, and make a number of other setting changes in the mouse display.
This is really good advice that I forget to mention. It bears repeating. Especially if you are helping people that may not have as much fine motor control. Parents for instance.
