So. I'm tired of my ball mouse. It's been fine, only acting up every now and then when it needs a cleaning... But otherwise, very reliable. However, lately, I've just been wanting an optical mouse. I get tired of the occasionall inaccuracies of the ball when it gets stuck when it comes to web browsing or game playing.

Anywho. I've done the whole wireless optical setup. I hated it when the batteries when dead. Just a minor annoyance, but moreso when I'm in the middle of a game and it starts to die, slowly losing performance. I really want a corded one, so here we go:

Razer Copperhead:
http://www.everythingusb.com/razer_copperhead.html

Thoughts? Sounds like a seller to me. That and its not too expensive. Any other I should consider? Most reviews just go back to the Copperhead. It's like a new standard or something.

9/15/2008 2:06:20 PM

I recommend the following:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105183

9/15/2008 2:19:01 PM

Logitech G5.

9/15/2008 2:33:58 PM

9/15/2008 2:40:43 PM

Logitech MX-518
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104178

[/thread]

9/15/2008 2:54:35 PM

^^^ The G5 is ugly imo.

[Edited on September 15, 2008 at 2:55 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2008 2:55:37 PM

quite honestly, every person i know (including myself) who gives this trackball a chance LOVES it after the initial learning curve

9/15/2008 3:00:42 PM

Haha, I've tried the trackball actually. It worked pretty okay when I was playing MW III back in the day . Which is odd, because I actually enjoy using a mouse in the MW series more so than a Joystick... Only "sim" I do that with.

Good suggestions. nothing really popping out at me Why does logitech have the need to wallpaper their mice with designs? such a turnoff

9/15/2008 3:04:53 PM

please whatever you do, don't buy a mouse based off of it's looks, that's got to be the worst decision ever.

9/15/2008 3:09:39 PM

read up:
http://www.esreality.com/?a=longpost&id=1265679&page=22

9/15/2008 3:16:23 PM

^No, I'm not buying a mouse off of looks. however, I don't want an ugly ass mouse sitting at my desk when I could by another one more asthetically pleasing that can do pretty much the same thing... (especially for ~$60) I don't need a purebred gaming mouse. But one with a couple extra thumb buttons wouldn't hurt.

Great article btw...

[Edited on September 15, 2008 at 3:39 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2008 3:26:59 PM

well if you can find 2 mice that fit your hand similarly, then i'd say yea, but a lot of mice feel completely different than others.

if you don't want a purebred gaming mouse, why buy the Razer Copperhead?

the MX518 costs less, has the same features, better fit for right handers, DPI buttons, application profiles, and better tracking than the Razer.

i mean read the review, at least get the Razer Diamondback over the Copperhead.

the MX518 is the standard for a reason.

truth be told, anything will be an drastic improvement over a ball mouse.

[Edited on September 15, 2008 at 3:41 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2008 3:32:52 PM

Get the G5's bigger, wireless brother the G7. If I needed another mouse I would buy another G7. I love mine. It was well worth the $75 I paid for it. You can get them for cheaper, I bought mine when they had a massive shortage of them. I could only find it at Tigerdirect, so I paid full price.

9/15/2008 3:52:36 PM

^^haha, what I mean is I don't want a mouse that has a bmw iDrive setup

Just a simple wired laser mouse that is ergonomic, stylish, and has a high malfunction speed is nice. I figured the "malfunction speed" was all relative to the DPI, so I needed "high DPI" to get a mouse that performs how I'd like it to. According to his calcs, I need roughly 1k DPI. But when I build my next computer, I hope to be running most applications at more than 1024x768 resolution, therefore a that leaves me room to enjoy the same mouse while not maxing out my performance too much (if that makes sense)
That article was a good read. The only time I've heard of Razor was for their copperhead. I'll keep looking, but I guess I'll just have to try the diamondback and the MX518 and see which I prefer. Those two are at the top at the moment.

^I've been down the wireless route 3 times. While it was nice not having to deal with a cable ever, I found myself having to change out the batteries more often than I did complaining that a cable was in the way. I've got a proper ziptie setup and the cord hasn't bothered me in the last 3 years... which is how long my last microsoft wireless mouse has been in a box somewhere in the closet (that damn battery eater )

God I rant a lot.

[Edited on September 15, 2008 at 4:01 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2008 3:54:18 PM

been using one of these for about 13 years:



I have a friend who loves the logitech pictured above, but I can't get used to using the trackball with my thumb.

9/15/2008 6:58:12 PM

^

Quote :

"I can't get used to using the trackball with my thumb fingers."

9/15/2008 9:04:31 PM

yeah i actually really liked those the one time i used one..but never bought one for some reason. hmm maybe i'll get one now

9/15/2008 9:05:55 PM

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/130&cl=us,en



be warned, however

once you use this mouse, you will never be happy with a normal, plain mouse ever again.

9/15/2008 10:27:34 PM

^great mouse. 2 scroll wheels!!

9/15/2008 10:37:01 PM

i agree it's a good mouse.

but... it's something called reading comprehension:

Quote :

"Anywho. I've done the whole wireless optical setup. I hated it when the batteries when dead. Just a minor annoyance, but moreso when I'm in the middle of a game and it starts to die, slowly losing performance. I really want a corded one, so here we go:"

[Edited on September 15, 2008 at 11:16 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2008 11:16:18 PM

he stated he didn't like wireless mice because of the battery life

that is a moot point when the mouse is rechargeable and has a recharging base

9/15/2008 11:24:05 PM

i have been using a Logitech Trackman Marble+ since 1999...the old style is discontinued but they can be found on e-bay (like this one http://tinyurl.com/635l4a). last year I paid $95 for an unopened USB version and that's a steal

9/15/2008 11:31:32 PM

Yeah, the battery in my refurbished logitech MX lasts about 3-4 days with moderate use (many hours each day, I'm lazy like that). It's fun for games. The range on the receiver isn't top notch, but I've got a system down that works now (I just plugged the receiver into the top of my new case, which is where the aux USB ports are, so all is well).

If you install the uberoptions user "enhancement" for the mx revolution you can program every single button on it to do something different. I have it set up so the rocker thumb switch changes songs forward and backward and so hitting the thumb switch pauses the song. Whenever I'm on a computer that doesn't have this and I'm trying to listen to music I get grumpy about making the extra clicks. It's amazing how convenient that little thumb wheel is. The free spinning scroll wheel also is totally freaking awesome. I've got it set to click at low speeds and to free spin if I decide I want to scroll through a document quickly. So freaking useful, it makes you wonder why somebody didn't implement this on a mouse already.

The mouse is also surprisingly light, considering, and it looks like prop for a star wars movie. I'd say if you're put off by other wireless mice, this one is worth a shot. It performs reasonably well when the battery starts to die, but if that bothers you just throw it on the charging base at the end of the day and you'll never have a problem. As an example of the battery life, it's been on the last 10% of its life since I showed up from work at about 5:30pm and I've been working on the computer since then (avoiding doing HW). It's still going and the battery indicator still reads at 10%. If you watch bensbargains.net (if you want to try one of these, I mean) you can find them on there for $20-50 sometimes (instead of $100 MSRP).

9/15/2008 11:35:26 PM

Quote :

"that is a moot point when the mouse is rechargeable and has a recharging base"

I've been there, done that. If I went wireless, I'd just get one that uses 2AA so that I can recharge them myself (which my last Mircosoft mouse does). Then, when they go bad after a year or so, I can just buy some more at an inexpensive price. The ones that have "special rechargeable batteries" or "model specific" so they can be recharged on a stand suck. Been there. After about a year and a half to 2 years, they probably won't hold a charge longer than 15 minutes. Then it's either get a new mouse or spend an unreasonable amount on a new set of batteries. (now that was with the old NiMH and NiCad batteries though, so I know that Lith. Ion batteries are much better...) Now a recharging station that works with some Energizer rechargables so I don't have to take them out each time they need recharging AND can be replaced easily/cheaply would be nice, but I don't need to go down that route since I don't want to bother with recharging batteries at all on a desktop setup.

If I were to use my computer as part of a home entertainment setup, then yes, I'd go wireless keyboard and mouse all the way. I'd even use a wireless for a laptop. But I'm not using it for either of those reasons, so the wireless is an unnecessary feature for me.

^Good review. I will say that MX Revolution is a sick mouse



[Edited on September 16, 2008 at 10:43 AM. Reason : .]

9/16/2008 10:38:41 AM

if the revolutions internal battery fucks up, logitech will send you a new mouse. 5 year warranty.

I bought a revolution and the rubber ring arround the mouse wheel stretched out and ended up dragging on the bottom of its housing. As a result it wouldn't spin. I talked to logitech about it and they sent me a replacement and told me to keep the old one. I got the new one which works just fine, and cut the ring back to size on the old one. So now i have 2 revolutions for the price of 1.

9/16/2008 10:47:47 AM

^ ah ha! GG I didn't think about the 5 3 year warranty (per logitech website...) That would/might convince me to go wireless. Didn't consider warranty options. Good call

[Edited on September 16, 2008 at 11:06 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on September 16, 2008 at 11:06 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on September 16, 2008 at 11:07 AM. Reason : .]

9/16/2008 11:05:35 AM

yeah, logitech is pretty awesome when it comes to warranties

9/16/2008 11:49:11 AM

oh it is only 3 years. Older stuff was 5 :-P

9/16/2008 11:49:23 AM

Quote :

"Logitech MX-518 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104178"

I got this one, love it.

9/16/2008 12:57:31 PM

I would wait until mail in rebates went back on before I bought another Logitech mouse. They have some really good mail in rebates, especially on the G5. Newegg is almost the only place that I buy any electronics from because I can get my stuff in 3 days, no taxes, and cheap shipping (most of the time I get free shipping).

9/16/2008 1:13:58 PM

FWIW, I think I'm going to go with the mx518. Now to hold out for a rebate/sale and it'll be case closed. Thanks for the input guys. I hope that this maybe helped some other poor sap confused about which mouse to get, as there were several good suggestions made.

9/16/2008 1:17:57 PM

be sure to read the reviews on the MX518 before you buy, I just want to forewarn you so you aren't let down:

Quote :

"Cons: It doesn't wash my dishes."

Quote :

"Cons: Did not shoot out confetti when I opened the box."

Quote :

"Cons: The laser is really bright, don't stare into it."

Quote :

"Cons: I like the finish, but my girlfriend doesn't. That's a con about her though, not the mouse."

Quote :

"Cons: It doesn't plug itself into the USB slot."

Quote :

"Cons: Can't handle its alcohol. Especially rum."

Quote :

"Cons: Doesn't make bacon and eggs."

Quote :

"Cons: It doesn't give me invincibility in Team Fortress 2."

9/16/2008 1:29:26 PM

I've got this Logitech MX310 and its great:

- Simple design
- Not expensive ($25 plus shipping)
- durable, holds up well
- not one of those 'extreme' mouse designs that makes it so you can't use a normal mouse
- has side buttons which work great for going back/forward in a web browser



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104136

9/16/2008 3:08:49 PM

Bookstore's having a 30% off sale that includes mice, keyboards, speakers, iPod accessories, and some other random stuff.

http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/ncsubookstores/newsletter/09172008.html

Some of the mice mentioned in this thread end up being:

MX518 - $33.57
G5 - $40.57
G7 - $53.89
G9 - $61.57
MX Revolution - $62.97
MX5500 Desktop Set - $111.97 (wireless mouse+keyboard)


Very Limited Supplies, but good deals:

G15 Keyboard - $66.49
Klipsch Promedia 2.1 THX Rated Speakers - $96.57
Logitech z-5500 5.1 THX Rated Speakers - $209.97 (think there's only 1 or 2 in stock though)
Logitech z-2300 2.1 THX Rated Speakers - $82.59
Logitech MX Air Mouse - $104.99

Plenty of these:

Logitech x-240 2.1 Speakres - $33.57
Targus Notebook Rechargeable Laser Mous - $25.87
MS Notebook Optical Mouse 2000 - between $17.47 and $20.99
MS Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 - $12.57
Logitech Z-Cinema 2.1 Wireless Speakers - $164.49


[Edited on September 18, 2008 at 9:06 AM. Reason : bolded the relevent part.]

9/18/2008 9:06:18 AM

wish i was still a student, i paid about $10 more for each of these AR or on sale even....

Quote :

"MX518 - $33.57 Logitech z-2300 2.1 THX Rated Speakers - $82.59 Logitech x-240 2.1 Speakres - $33.57"

9/18/2008 12:20:41 PM

Quote :

"wish i was still a student, i paid about $10 more for each of these AR or on sale even...."

Well, you can show up at the bookstore and buy them like you would any other store. I don't see anything on there saying they're checking ID's for this sale, and they don't usually require them.

9/18/2008 12:30:49 PM

Getting my mouse this weekend. thanks for the heads up

9/18/2008 12:59:12 PM

They'll run out of particular items I'm sure, but they have a fairly large variety of mice that's going to be on sale so you should be able to find a good one even if a particular one runes out.

9/18/2008 1:06:18 PM

Today's shellshocker at newegg is a "recertified" G5 for $23 w/free shipping.

9/19/2008 11:33:49 AM

I want a wireless mouse and keyboard setup that will work over a distance of ~30 ft. Needs to be a good mouse, because it may be used for gaming in the other room. The setup: computer in my bedroom with an hdmi cable going to the tv in the living room. I'll have a monitor and another keyboard/mouse in my bedroom to use. I'm thinking I'll have to go with bluetooth?

9/19/2008 10:05:51 PM

^ I just thought I'd say to make sure you don't pick the MX revolution, lol. This thing's range is lousy, but it works if it's on the desk.

Bluetooth would be a good way to go. At least it would be if you get a decent bluetooth mini-pci card or actual pci card for a desktop (whatever you're hooking it up to, I'm too lazy to read das post again). If you go bluetooth and need an adapter, I'd stay away from those tiny ass little USB adapters if it's possible. 30' is pretty long distance for most consumer grade keyboards/mice I think.

9/19/2008 10:18:00 PM

^^ pretty much...i can vouch for the microsoft 7000 combo being pretty awesome (got i new off ebay for $65 after shipping)

the keyboard actually has a touchpad on it, which is surprisingly nice for when you don't really need to use the mouse for anything but opening up a movie or something (which is primarily what i use my comp for, since it's my HTPC)

i sit about 12 feet away, so i can't comment on anything farther than that

[Edited on September 19, 2008 at 10:20 PM. Reason : arrows]

9/19/2008 10:19:30 PM

Help me. I'm looking for a mouse or trackball where the left and right click buttons are operated with the thumb. Ignore the price tag and just tell me whatever you've seen.

I wanted to get another Microsoft Trackball Explorer, but they're discontinued and used ones sell for hundreds of dollars. Another was the Logitech Trackman Marble FX, also discontinued. 3M makes an ergonomic mouse, which is an option but I'd prefer something with a scroll wheel.

The joint on my index finger gets swollen if I use a regular mouse for long (from clicking, but especially from using the scroll wheel).

If worst comes to worse, I think I might bite the bullet and get another Trackball Explorer off ebay.

[Edited on September 20, 2008 at 5:21 PM. Reason : ]

9/20/2008 5:19:59 PM

one of the best mouse's i ever had was a $5 corded cheapo from k-mart lol.. used that thing for 3 or 4 years without any problems

9/20/2008 6:12:18 PM

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/187&cl=us,en

I highly recommend it.

[Edited on September 20, 2008 at 6:16 PM. Reason : Way to fail at linkable images, Logitech.]

9/20/2008 6:15:55 PM

Got my mx518. VERY nice mouse by far. I am totally pleased with my $35 OTD price.

Quote :

"Logitech z-5500 5.1 THX Rated Speakers - $209.97 (think there's only 1 or 2 in stock though) "

There were 3 sitting on the floor sunday morning. I was so tempted... But I didn't go there for the speakers, so maybe next year... Thanks for the suggestions guys, extremely helpful. And the mx518 doesn't look bad (it grew on me )

9/22/2008 8:46:57 AM

Need some suggestions based on a few criteria.

- Must be wireless.
- Must have high DPI, as I am going to use it with a converter for Xbox 360 key mapping.
- Must be right-handed.
- Must have at least 2 buttons on the left side.

I've been using a MS Wireless Optical 5000 for over 2 years now, and it's so simple that I love it. The only bad thing about it is that I need something with substantially higher DPI for a program which converts mouse movements into joypad motions for the 360. While my mouse works OK with it, everyone claims that the software performance increases 100 times over with a mouse which has around 1600 DPI. If I believed it was possible to do so, I'd even consider swapping out the internals and shells between 2 mice so that I could keep the 5000 but give it better optics. Suggestions?

9/22/2008 3:35:57 PM

Why do you need a wireless mouse? They're actually worse for gaming than wired opticals for the most part... unless it's just an issue of Xbox 360 location.

If you can somehow make a wired work, I recommend ^^^ (MX518 from Logitech)... the cord should be plenty long enough to reach from a 360 to whatever you're playing on, too, unless you're most of the way across a room from the system. Even then you might be able to get an extender.

If you absolutely have to have wireless, you best option is probably going to be http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/163&cl=us,en
It's a laser mouse but it had the best gaming specs of any that I saw in the wireless category. Gets up to 2000 DPI. (just now noticed it only has one button on the side, though... don't know why they'd put that on a "gaming" mouse...)

[Edited on September 22, 2008 at 4:20 PM. Reason : .]

9/22/2008 4:17:25 PM

The g7 is the mouse that I have. I love it. The rechargeable batteries last a like 6-8hours. Make sure that you fully charge them. The mouse will show a full charge when they are more than 60% charged.

9/22/2008 4:47:30 PM

Quote :

"i have been using a Logitech Trackman Marble+ since 1999...the old style is discontinued but they can be found on e-bay (like this one http://tinyurl.com/635l4a). last year I paid $95 for an unopened USB version and that's a steal"

best mouse ever btw.

9/22/2008 5:11:18 PM