# Recommend a "quiet" mouse **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352 "2006-12-08T16:37:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/1 "2006-12-08T16:37:56Z")
My wife and I have our computers together in the same room, and we often are working/playing at the same time. She claims that when I am web browsing, or playing a game that the clicking of my mouse drives her crazy. I know it isn’t very loud, but sometimes little things get on her nerves. Is there such a thing as a mouse that “clicks” silently? Preferably an optical mouse rather than one with a ball. Thanks, Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/2 "2006-12-08T17:04:20Z")
[Thanko](http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/thanko-silent-mouse-kills-the-click/) makes a silent mouse. About $21. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/3 "2006-12-08T17:51:21Z")
Tell her to get noiseless headphones. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/4 "2006-12-08T17:57:23Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] [Thanko](http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/thanko-silent-mouse-kills-the-click/) makes a silent mouse. About $21. [/QUOTE] I’m surprised that article was so negative. I’ve often thought a silent mouse would be great. The clicking annoys me, let alone anyone else in the room. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/5 "2006-12-08T19:20:42Z")
People constantly click elevator buttons and crosswalk buttons because those don’t always make a confirmational click. Noisy mouses is a design feature, not a flaw. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/6 "2006-12-08T21:00:11Z")
I used a touch pad similar to [this one](http://www.cenmi.org/uploaded/2004/MAY/18261753216_1303large.jpg) for years, and was generally pretty happy with it. The buttons, while not silent, are less noisy than a standard mouse. Tapping the touch area once is the same as a left mouse click; double tapping is the same as holding down a left click. Just like laptop touch pads. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-quiet-mouse/383352/7 "2006-12-08T21:45:33Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] People constantly click elevator buttons and crosswalk buttons because those don’t always make a confirmational click. Noisy mouses is a design feature, not a flaw. [/QUOTE] Tell me about it! That’s how I know one of the mice I use is broken. If there were a silent mouse, it’d take a while to get used to, methinks.