New mouse suggestions?

[rock5]

I'm looking for suggestions for a new mouse.

I'm currently using the Logitech K520 and M310 combo. The keyboard is great. Thin and light, perfect for using on my lap (no not my laptop, my lap ).

The mouse, though, started being difficult to move. After struggling with it for some time, I bought a new M310 thinking the old one was just a lemon. After a few months this one started playing up too. The problem seems to be the laser hole is open and seems to let dust into the mouse. So it looks like poor mouse design. It still works but it takes too long to move the mouse from one end of the screen to the other and is useless for playing any action games.

So the things I'm looking for in a mouse.

• - Not too expensive like some of those over the top gaming mice.
  - Durable so it will last. Preferably without holes that let the dust in.
  - Full sized mouse.
  - Wireless
  - Can be used with both hands. It can be a right handed mouse but should be usable in the left as well.

Optional

• - 1 or 2 extra buttons would be nice.
  - Less rubber and more plastic. The rubber on the M310 is deteriorating over time.
  - Never had one before but I'd like a left/right toggle scroll wheel.

Here are the ones I like the look of so far.

• - MS Mobile Mouse 4000 Could be a bit bigger. Only 1 extra button I think.
  - Logitech M510 There doesn't seem to be any in Australia. I like the unifying receiver. I already have one but it's still a nice feature.
  - Logitech M515 I like this one because it says it has a sealed bottom.Probably too expensive for a mouse with no extra buttons.

I appreciate any suggestions on similar mice. Especially from people who have had their mouse working for some time. Thanks.

[Administrator]

I don't use wireless mice (or keyboards), but if you want a cheap, reliable gaming mouse, I can offer some advice.

I generally have to replace my mouse about once a year because the switches wear out from all the clicking. The one I have now, I've had for about 2.5 years now. It shows no signs of giving up on me yet. It is a A-JAZZ Rayeagle. You can find similar mice on Newegg, but they aren't in stock of the Rayeagle right now. It has a braided cord, good weight (actually more important in gaming than you think), and two extra side buttons. On top, you've another two buttons to dynamically change your mouse sensitivity, and they were even smart enough to put them where you won't hit them accidentally. I think this mouse only cost me $17 when I got it and has been much more reliable than the more pricey gaming mice I've used.

The way I see it, I don't bother spending a lot of money on these kinds of things anymore. You just end up paying for the namebrand, not actual quality. And, just because it is from China, it doesn't mean it is "cheap garbage," just "cheap."

Browse around Newegg and find things you might like and check the reviews. Specifically, look what the reviewers listed under "cons." They will definitely point out when a product fails unexpectedly, or feels like it is made of cheap parts, or just wasn't quite up to par with expectations. Even if Newegg won't ship to your country, you can still buy the actual product somewhere else.

[rock5]

I think your advice is relevant for wired mice because they are so cheap. I did used to use cheap keyboard and mice and wasn't to fussy. But I play on a couch with the keyboard on my lap and the mouse on the armrest. It just became too much of a hassle dealing with the cables getting tangled when putting them down and picking them up again.

Eventually I got fed up and bought my wireless gear. Wireless, especially back then, was too expensive to buy without putting some effort to getting the right one. The same applies now to a lesser extent as wireless mice are a lot cheaper these days.

I like your idea of checking neweggs reviews. Of course I've heard of newegg as it's mentioned in many posts but I never though of visiting it for reviews. I'm having a look at it now. It seems to have a great range and lots of reviews. And it does post to Australia although I'd purchase locally if I can.

[lisa]

When it comes to mouse the most important thing is comfort, many years ago I bought a mouse and after an hour of gaming my hand was in pain and I had to stop gaming, very sad day.

So I no longer buy a mouse unless I can put my hands on it and get a feel for it.

Currently I have a logitech G700 (wireless) it has like 10 buttons and never had any issues with it, I think most I have gone without it plugged in to laptop is around 8 hours but that isn't non stop use, I was mostly away from the laptop.
It uses 1 single AA battery so if you do run it down it is very easy to pop in a new battery and just keep going.

[rock5]

Nice. A bit pricy for me though. And it looks like it's a bit too right-hand-centric. I mean I need to be able to use it in both hands.

I was out today and decided to pass by a couple of computer places to see what they had on offer. I only saw 1 that was of a decent size and quality. The Logitech m705. But even that could have been a touch larger but it's definitely a possibility. It has 2 extra buttons and it even has one of those fast scroll wheels I'd like to try out. From the wording on the package I wasn't sure if the buttons were programmable but it looks like they are.

[lisa]

yeah g700 is very much right hand based, I wouldn't try to use it with my left hand.

[rock5]

I'm also liking the M560 which is also about 11cm like the M705. I don't know anywhere where I can see one in person though. At least the M560 is cheaper.

Why can't I find a mouse in this price range as big as your G700? Grrr...

[lisa]

I got mine on special from Dicksmith, I think it was around $40 but you know what my memory is like lol

Normal price was $90 or something like that anyway.

I am very big on buying things on special, I very very rarely pay full price for anything.

[Administrator]

Dick smith? Better than a poop smith, I guess.

[rock5]

The problem with specials is you have to know when and where they are. Also if you're in a hurry you can't wait for specials. If you are the sort of person who regularly visits stores then you might see a special you can take advantage of. I pretty much spend all day, every day at home and only visit stores when I need to buy something, at which point it's already too late to wait for specials.

[lisa]

If you are the sort of person who regularly visits stores then you might see a special you can take advantage of.

Pretty much every major store has an online presence and post their specials on their webby, you can even get the junk mail from woolworthes and coles online, you just need to know where to look

[lisa]

Dick smith?

Hmm you never heard of dick smith? Maybe only aussies know his name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(entrepreneur)

In this case I am refering to one of his businesses.
https://www.dicksmith.com.au/

[rock5]

I'm reassessing the size issue. I was thinking bigger is better but I think my current mouse size is perfect and it shouldn't be bigger. If I place the heal of my hand on the mouse mat and pull the mouse snugly in the palm of my hand and reach forward with my index and middle finger, they just fall short of the front of the mouse which is perfect. So the M560 or M705 are the right size. If the mouse was bigger I wouldn't be able to reach the front of the mouse without lifting the heal of my wrist off the mat. The only thing that would be better is if it was wider. If I have to pick up the mouse I pick it up with my index and 3rd finger. They have to come too close together I think. The M560 looks the same. The M705 is looking better and better as it is an obviously fatter mouse.

Looking at images of your mouse Lisa it occurred to me that those buttons on the top left would be easily accessible when used left handed. So maybe it would be worth the expense to buy a mouse with buttons like that because I could make use of those buttons left or right handed. I've yet to find one like that yet. I thought the G602 was good as it was nice and straight but is HUGE at nearly 140mm. I'm still looking but so far the M705 is at the top of my list.

Something I'd like to ask you Lisa. I saw that the G700 has the fast scroll wheel. What's it like?

Pretty much every major store has an online presence and post their specials on their webby

Which means you need to keep checking various web sites on a regular basis until you find someone selling what you want on special. I don't think I'd have the patience for that. I pretty much buy some thing if it's on special otherwise I pay full price.

[lisa]

Something I'd like to ask you Lisa. I saw that the G700 has the fast scroll wheel. What's it like?

I didn't like it, I mean it is super fast, it would just scroll to bottom of web page like instantly, it has a button which turns the fast scroll on and off and I just make sure it is off, to be honest though I never really tested it much I like what I like and a wheel that spins so fast didn't interst me, also it had a turn back issue for me, I would spin the wheel and when I stop it then it would scroll back a little because of how my finger would stop it. I guess if I played with it more I might get used to it but end of the day I like what I like =)

To give you an idea of how it works, normal wheel mouse has holes or ridges in it and something that pokes into those holes/ridges which gives you the click click as you turn it, the fast spin just takes away that and so it has 0 resistance when turning and it spins superfast and doesn't slow down much so you pretty much have to stop it from spinning, which is where you get that little back spin.

I just gave it a spin and it kept spinning for 8 seconds before it stopped.

Which means you need to keep checking various web sites on a regular basis until you find someone selling what you want on special. I don't think I'd have the patience for that. I pretty much buy some thing if it's on special otherwise I pay full price.

Well you need to buy food regularly, unless you have take away I guess but I cook my meals 99.999% of the time, might get take away like twice a year, I even cook my own pizzas. So yeah I buy food from the shops 3-4 times a week, I prefer my food fresh. So yeah I always check the woolies and coles junk mail for whats on special, not a big stretch to also check big W aswell and for me those 3 shops are all in the same center which is where I do my shopping. I also like to window shop with the kids, walking around just looking at stuff and seeing what interests them and what doesn't.

[rock5]

I got really exited when I saw the Logitech G300 ambidextrous mouse with 2 buttons on the top left and 2 buttons on the top right. That's 4 extra buttons that would be usable left or right. And it wasn't overly large. At 115mm it's probably perfect. I was getting really excited when I noticed the wire coming out from the front. DAMN IT TO HELL!

[rock5]

In frustration I had another go at cleaning my mouse. It can't be cleaned from the outside and I could never get it open. Still couldn't get it open but this time I had a look online and found some info that helped me get it open. Then cleaning it was easy. Now it works like new again. Time to play some more Neverwinter and see what it's like.

So I think I'll put buying a new mouse aside for now.

Edit: Now the problem is I'm not used to such a responsive mouse, LoL.

[rock5]

A recap.

Recently I accidentally dropping my mouse in my coffee. Even after giving it a good clean I couldn't get it to work like it used to. So I finally ended up buying the M705.

Firstly, I LOVE the free spinning scroll wheel. Until now I've been using an autohotkey script to accelerate scrolling. It's better than nothing but not ideal. The scrolling with the new mouse is awesome!

The only issues I've had are;

• - The Back button is a bit too easy to click by accident when picking up and moving the mouse. I've disabled it for now, I don't use the back button. I might still program it for things like games.
  - Some strange dragging issue when moving my GetDiz program (my Notepad replacement and nfo viewer). It lags behind when moving the window by a number of seconds. It only happens when I attach WindowTabs to it. I could have disabled GetDiz in WindowTabs but really want to group opened text files. I wasn't too keen on GetDiz anyway so I changed to NFOPad.
  - It's really noticeable that when I scroll in Firefox there is about a .5s lag between me scrolling and the page scrolling, well sometimes. It is possible it was always there but only now more noticeable because of the mouse sensitivity. I haven't found any way to improve it but maybe I'll get used to it.

[Administrator]

- It's really noticeable that when I scroll in Firefox there is about a .5s lag between me scrolling and the page scrolling, well sometimes. It is possible it was always there but only now more noticeable because of the mouse sensitivity. I haven't found any way to improve it but maybe I'll get used to it.

Type about:config into the address bar. Now search for mousewheel. Try modifying some values such as general.smoothScroll.mouseWheel.durationMinMS and general.smoothScroll.mouseWheel.durationMaxMS. Values 0 and 300 should do quite nicely.

[rock5]

I just disabled it altogether. Much more responsive. Thank you.