problems with mouse

[alegna#45]

Hi, i am using an ordinary ball mouse at the moment, which is a pain, needs cleaning every day, also mouse mat seems to pick up a lot of gunge, i have heard about an optical mouse which doesn't seem to have this problem, anyone using one to give me some help?

[GoWest]

Hi
I got an optical mouse for christmas and it is wonderful! It has a red light on the underneath and is much smoother than the ball, as it just glides across the desk. You can pick them up most places, I know mine came from Argos.

[webdude]

Optical mice have an LED source which works off practically any surface, even uneven table tops etc. You won't need a mouse mat, and they have no moving parts whatsoever, so go ahead and buy one and forget cleaning!

[rojash]

I have a bald patch on my desk from using my optical mouse without a mat! But I wouldn't use any other kind. Although optical mice will work on most surfaces, bold patterns and pictures confuse them, as do glass- or transparent plastic-topped desks.

[zinnie]

Hi 'alegna45' as has already been theoptical mouse is by fae better than the old style 'ball mouse', and if you want a further improvement buy a cordless one.! The improved freedom of not having to drag a cable about, is dramatic

[SRH]

I'm a graphic artist and wouldn't go back to the old style mouses (mice?). Optical ones are dead cheap in PC World and you don't need a mouse mat, which is great if, like me, you find the size of traditional mats too small. They are also great for doing more precise work on the screen on PhotoShop, Quark etc - much better than an old mouse.

[Buenchico]

I'll add my support to everything that has already been said in favour of optical mice. However, although you theoretically don't need a mouse mat with an optical mouse, I find that I get better control over my mouse (for detailed work in Photoshop, etc) if I still use a mat. (Different desk surfaces can produce different results).

Also, unless PC World have suddenly dropped their extortionate prices, I can't agree with SRH that the products they sell are 'dead cheap'. I've used several makes of optical mice and the one I'm using now is probably the best of the lot. It's �5.47 in most branches of Tesco:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-1642.aspx

Chris

[alegna#45]

Thank you ALL for your very helpful replies regarding my mouse problem, I will definately be getting an optical one now.