ysobel: (Default)
masquerading as a man with a reason ([personal profile] ysobel) wrote2016-06-24 07:26 pm

Speak to me of mice. Mouses. Whatever.

I am in need of a new mouse; current one (evoluent vertical) is dying and also ergonomically bad for me (yes it's an ergonomic mouse, but I'm a special snowflake).

What I need:
* because of mobility restrictions, I'm looking at things that don't move -- so trackballs or joysticks. Small touchpads might work, I don't know.
* because same, dual-hand or lefthanded
* scroll wheel preferred but not required (current mouse's scroll hasn't worked for two years
* PC running Windows 10.

Anyone have suggestions, recommendations, anti-recs, advices, etc?
jesse_the_k: Cartoon of original Mac with screen displaying the "happy Mac" smile indicating successful boot (old Mac)

[personal profile] jesse_the_k 2016-06-25 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Modern touch pads are amazing things. They're super smooth & gliding. They require no pressure or pinch. Generally, you can define useful gestures. ( In my case: two fingers tap is right click; left down and right tap is open in new window behind; two-finger swim can adjust volume/brightness/etc.) final nifty feature: they can ignore palm touch, so if you anchor your hand with a palm, you won't inadvertently issue a command.)
blueraccoon: bitmoji avatar of me, a white woman wearing red glasses with a pink buzzcut (Default)

[personal profile] blueraccoon 2016-06-25 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
I would have recommended the mouse I use, which is the Sculpt Ergo from Microsoft, but it's right-handed and I don't think comes in a left-handed version.

The wireless mouse I travel with/use as a portable on my laptop is the MS Wireless Comfort mouse, 3500 or something. It's smaller than a full-size mouse, but works really well. Plus it's about $15.
twistedchick: watercolor painting of coffee cup on wood table (Default)

[personal profile] twistedchick 2016-06-25 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
Back in the 90s, I had tendinitis in both arms at once, which meant soft splints for two months or so. I could not use a mouse; it was intensely painful. So, I went to a touchpad -- and wore it out. What I loved was that I could use any finger on it, in any position, and get things done. Or use a pencil eraser. That all worked for me.

Touchpads are a major reason I went to Apple Macs after that, and I still do all my work with the one on the computer, not a separate mouse (even though I can use one now.) One difficulty with my new MacBookPro is that they have 'enhanced' motions on the touchpad -- various things using several fingers -- that might be great for someone in an office but do not help for what I do, so I have turned them off in order to be able to continue working as I am used to.

I don't know what movement limitations you have for your hands, if any, but you might consider a touchpad if you can get a good one.
weaver: (Default)

[personal profile] weaver 2016-06-26 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
It strikes me that if you were an Apple person, the Magic Mouse could do all of those things; except that last. It might be worth looking into whether it works with a PC? It is basically a mouse shaped touchpad with a click option, and the gestures you'd expect - 'scrolling' your middle finger as if there were a scroll wheel there makes things scroll.

I'm not sure that any of the fancier options would work with a PC though, which is a shame.