I've got a Dell bluetooth mouse that's a few years old and it just quit working today... I replaced the batteries and the laser turns on, but it won't connect/bluetooth light doesn't come on after hitting the connect button... do these radios typically just die like this?


I don't have another to test my machine, though I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with this... but:

W7 Pro x64
Dell XPS M1530

[Edited on June 7, 2010 at 1:44 PM. Reason : holy engrish]

assuming it's done for, any recommendations for a new mouse?

details of my life:
W7 & XP compatible
laptop/portable
browsing
autocad
excel/word/powerpoint
4/5 button (front,back,left,right, scroll wheel)
bluetooth (or at least wireless, but my experience with wireless USB has been horrible - bad range/signal visibility issues.

[Edited on June 7, 2010 at 1:53 PM. Reason : .]

6/7/2010 1:40:39 PM

if you need a new one and want to stick with bluetooth, i use the microsoft mouse 5000 and really like it

6/7/2010 2:24:30 PM

Quote :

" i use the microsoft mouse 5000 and really like it"

I do as well for the most part. It sometimes goes offline randomly for ~20 seconds after hours of use, and with Vista it had issues connecting initially, but overall it works well.

6/7/2010 3:20:01 PM

yeh, but it looks like it's only a 3 button mouse

6/7/2010 4:20:36 PM

most of microsoft's $40+ mice have 5 buttons now. one on each side, plus the three on top. the only one in that price range that doesn't is the Arc mouse, but that probably wouldn't be what you'd want anyway.

6/7/2010 4:22:24 PM

two + clickable wheel on top, back button on side. 4 button i guess

6/7/2010 5:19:24 PM

anybody use trackballs? how are they? what about use in cad?

hmm, maybe nevermind. can't find one that can scroll

[Edited on June 8, 2010 at 9:59 AM. Reason : .]

6/8/2010 9:33:48 AM

Quote :

"anybody use trackballs?"

absolutely...i've used a trackman on my desktop(s) for almost a decade and i've yet to find anything that's nearly as awesome...it is, unfortunately, a bit on the large side so i don't carry it around for use with my laptop

also, if you ever get one, go with the corded version...i don't really get the point of cordless unless it's going to be a crazy distance away from the tower

6/8/2010 10:20:37 AM

yeh, just saw that one. it looks like I can't get exactly what I want though (at least one that I like)

trackball
scroll wheel
4 customizable buttons

possibility: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Cordless-Optical-Trackman-USB/dp/B00006B9CR/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276006937&sr=8-6

[Edited on June 8, 2010 at 10:29 AM. Reason : .]

6/8/2010 10:21:45 AM

wow. trackball is very different. gonna take some getting used to!

6/11/2010 7:18:20 PM

i think you'll end up loving it...i've converted five or six people over the past few years

6/11/2010 11:39:49 PM

I've been using it for my work computer for about a year and can also recommend it as a very good replacement to the RSI-inducing mouse.

(Although I do a fair amount of typing more than mousing, I could definitely feel a difference in my wrists at the end of the day/week)

[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 12:30 AM. Reason : .]

6/12/2010 12:29:25 AM

yeh, I'm liking it more and more. though I haven't settled on a pointer speed/acceleration that I really like (but then, I'm still getting used to the trackball).

if anyone is wondering, I got the one I linked about, and so far I have no complaints (aside from the learning curve for trackballs)

6/12/2010 3:51:56 PM

i like the MS 5000 as well. i use it w/ my mac and it works perfectly. expose on the thumb button ftw.

6/12/2010 5:38:19 PM