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The Computer Mouse Tale

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The Computer Mouse Tale

This electronic critter is an important tool for typing in text and data and navigating around your PC. Most are fitted with one or more buttons and curved to sit under the hand. You can choose between the Mechanical, Optical or Laser mouse.

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The Mechanical Mouse

The mechanical mouse contains a ball that translates hand movements into movements of the cursor on your screen. Aspects of the mechanical mouse to consider are:

  • They use less power than other types of mice which is particularly helpful if you have a wireless connection. A wireless mechanical mouse may use 5mA or less, whereas an optical mouse can draw 25mA. (Battery operated optical mice are unsuitable for continuous work as you would have to change the batteries often).

  • The Mechanical mouse requires more maintenance than the optical, but this may just mean cleaning or replacing the ball.

  • Some say they don't last as long as the optical mouse as there are more moving parts.

  • You can pretty much use them on any surface.

  • A mechanical mouse is generally cheaper than optical and laser mice.

    • The Optical Mouse

    An optical mouse looks very similar to a mechanical mouse, except the underside contains an LED (Light Emitting Diode) instead of a ball. The LED projects light on the surface it is on and uses it to track exact movements. Aspects of the optical mouse to consider are:


    • They are quicker than a mechanical mouse.

    • Need less maintenance.

    • Optical mice cannot track on glossy and transparent surfaces, including many commercial mouse pads, although optical mouse pads are readily available.

    • Optical mice with less image processing power have problems tracking extremely fast movement, although high-end mice track at more than 40 inches per second.

    • Their performance with multi-coloured mousepads is sometimes unreliable.

    • If the device is used with the proper surface, sensing is more precise than with a mechanical mouse.

    • The optical mouse is an asset in graphics applications, and it makes computer operation easier in general.

    The Laser Mouse

    This mouse uses a small laser instead of an LED. The new technology can increase the detail of the image taken by the mouse. Some claim that this leads to a 20 times increase in the sensitivity to the surface features used for navigation. The Laser mouse runs on batteries.

    Mice Connections: No mouse is an island unto itself

    Most types of Mice are either connected by wire through a USB port or wirelessly using Bluetooth. Some models of PC also use PS/2 to connect. A PS/2 connector is round with six pins and comes in two sizes. The smaller size is more common, but adapters are available to convert one size to the other.

    Mouse speed

    Mouse speed is often expressed as DPI (Dots Per Inch). The DPI is the number of pixels the mouse cursor will move when the mouse is moved one inch. Mouse acceleration/deceleration are software tricks that can be used to make a cursor go faster or slower than its DPI rating.

    What else to look for in a computer mouse

    Alternative mice


    • Mini-mouse - a small egg-sized mouse optimized for portability (often used with laptop computers).

    • Trackball - user moves a ball mounted in a fixed base.

    • Foot mouse - a mouse variant for those who do not wish to or cannot use the hands or the head: instead footclicks are used.

    • Camera mouse - a camera tracks the head movement and moves the onscreen cursor.

    • Palm mouse - held in the palm and operated with only 2 buttons; the movements across the screen correspond to a feather-light touch and pressure increases the speed of movement.

    Mousepad

    A Mousepad is used with most mice and particularly with mechanical versions. It provides a smooth surface for the mouse to move across and making it easier to control.

    On some surfaces such as wood grain, they are not necessary for optical mice.

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      never knew there were so many different mice, this thread is sure to help someone, good job.
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    OfficeRocket have various models of the computer mouse for sale at competitive prices. Brands include; Microsoft, Genius, 3M and Logitech.

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