Best mice for heavy PC users?
 

I use a cheap standard optical Logitech, with a cord, a scroll wheel, two buttons, plus scroll click.

I'm afraid of wireless because I don't want to change batteries. I think two buttons is enough.

Higher precision might be good. I'm not sure if that's needed outside of gaming. Sensitivity switches sound cool, but not all that useful. A horizontal scrolling ability would cool, but could potentially make the mouse too tweaky.

Opinions? Wireless? Is there a better workhorse?

You're sort of looking for opinions? :)

Me too, exact same mouse. Been using the same mouse since 2003, and I like it better than all the other mice I have here, including a wireless one.

The wireless one I have is heavy and hungry for batteries, both of which I find annoying.
It also has horizontal scroll, which is a little bit handy at times, but also a bit awkward to get the action just right without generating unwanted other clicks/scrolls; plus, it's not all that useful when I can do the same thing (i.e. on a webpage) by middle-clicking the page and moving the mouse left/right.
The wireless also has some buttons on the side -- I never used them at all.

Really depends what you mean by "heavy PC user", and what you do much of the time. I wouldn't think a mouse is very ideal for gaming anyhow, but I don't play games so I may be wrong there. And, I've never tried any of those crazy trackball/mouse do-it-all gizmos, though they *look* nice and fancy.

Maybe a mouse isn't the solution you really want? How about intuitive keyboard bindings instead, for much of the usual mouse tasks? I find "less mouse" == "more productive".

Sasha

I used to use a Logitech Cordless Desktop setup, where the keyboard and mouse use the same receiver. I've since moved it to my Arch machine, though, since the way I've got that machine set up is kind of awkward, and IMO that's the only time you should even bother with wireless. If you're not going to be moving the keyboard/mouse far away from the computer a lot, then don't bother. Like you said, it means changing batteries periodically, and it also introduces a latency in the response time (albeit small) in between physical mouse movement and cursor movement on the screen. I now use a wired PS/2 keyboard and a wired USB mouse; 2 buttons, scroll wheel, scroll click, just like yours, only it's a MS mouse. ;)

Just my :twocents:

EDIT: Just try playing a FPS without a mouse (i.e. with a joystick or gamepad)...it's much more awkward! ;)

I also have a cheap optical PS/2 Logitech mouse with a clickable scroll wheel, and I like it more than some other mice I tried.

IMO a 3-button mouse (a "clickable" scroll wheel counts as a middle button) is very important if you want to use Linux or a tabbed browser.

You can select text normally and click the middle button to paste it, without actually using Copy and Paste menus or key shortcuts.

Also, clicking on a link in a tabbed browser with the middle button opens it in a new tab.

I know I wouldn't like using a 2-button mouse!

Nope, definitely not fun! I have a *really* old 2-button non-optical mouse, and trying to click both buttons just right, to produce a simulated middle-click, is awful :/

(I used it for a spell on my firewall machine.)

:p

I rarely even use the middle button so i could live without.
If you can repair cords go with corded.
If you are willing to replace batteries go with wireless.

If you use Windows it's not so useful.

But it opens up a whole new world of possibilities in Linux! :)

I still dont use it in linux.

How much you weigh is irrelevant. If you can get your fat, grubby, paws around it, and if it's not a super el-cheapo and you use a reasonably gentle touch, most any mouse will work fine for you.

Try pushing away from the computer/dinner table and get some exercise. Take the mouse with you if you'd like.

Please mark the headline "solved."

^ funny.

One that is not made of chocolate, so that they won't eat it.

Kind of like a chocolate CD...? :p

I've had my Razer mouse for 5 years or so. All the buttons still work just like they did on day one, but most of the coating has worn off. You can still see the "R" from "RAZER".

If you want a cheaper and better mouse, get an A4Tech. For a while I bought Logitech, because that was the only reasonable brand that was in the store (I tried Genius, but it sucks, and is also expensive). But, Logitech mice are particularly expensive, and I'm not even sure why, what do they offer that other mice don't ? Reliability ? Not really, I've had a few break down rather prematurely. Only recently have I found some different brands, there was actually only one A4tech mouse in the store, so I bought it cuz it was cheap, very cheap, like 1/4 the price of a comparable Logitech. And, it's great, has variable DPI up to 2000, back and forward buttons, and it's still working.

Saitek, Razer, and Microsoft.. They all make everything you need, and each one does its job well.