Don't Back Down

For some time now, I've been trying to find the perfect mouse. Please realize that I know it's not going to be completely perfect for everyone. It's more like the one that's just right for me. If you're busy and just want to get to the result, I'll tell you now: I'm still looking.

If you have any ideas, I'm all ears. I just can't seem to find the one that does what I want. I've gone through a wide variety of them over the years, and I just can't seem to find the one that's right for me. So I continue my quest. Maybe one day I'll find what I'm after. In the meantime, let me tell you what I have found.

First Came the Wheel

In the beginning, I used an old corded Microsoft mouse. I can't tell you the model number, because I don't think that it had one. I'm sure that it had some model number, but it was probably only known to a few uber-geeks who are even more introverted than myself (and that's saying something). This really wasn't a bad mouse. It did the job, because it was about all we knew. It had a somewhat gummy gray scroll wheel on it that didn't turn very well.

And yes, I realize that means that it means it wasn't really "in the beginning". What it means is that it's when I really started to notice how things could be better. The problem is that little gray wheel worked okay sometimes and not okay others. Some days it would turn and others it would lock up like it had never turned a day in its life. Or maybe someone was screwing with me.

At least it was a wheel. I worked with people who didn't even know how to use the wheel, but I rapidly determined that life was better with the wheel than without it.

Losing the Tail

Actually, prior to the wheel, I had used a trackball, and I still long for it sometimes, because I really hate having to move the mouse. It's just so un-natural. But because there aren't that many trackballs out there, I've learned to compromise by moving to a wireless mouse. At least that way I don't have to deal with that stupid cord. When I get to the end of the mouse pad, I can simply reposition, and not have to worry about getting all tangled up.

I realize that there are people who don't like the cordless variety, and that's okay. I really don't mind, because I'm not a heavy mouse user. If I used it for gaming, I might complain. But I don't. I've tried those that have a little anchor that gives you slack in the cord, but they don't work. So now I just go wireless.

As a slight aside, I can't deal with a wireless keyboard, because I invariably get caught typing ahead of myself and the keyboard can't keep up. I imagine that this is much the same as what people feel about their wireless mouse experience. I just don't have it, so it doesn't bother me.

Those Alluring Buttons

I'll admit it. I love buttons. When I see a package that tells me about seven, eight or even ten buttons, I'm all but hooked. But these days, I've determined that I really just need four - left, right, back and forward.

Logitech... or Microsoft

I tried the Logitech MX Revolution. I really liked that I could set the side scroll wheel to change the volume (or click to mute). I liked the search button. But the thing I liked best was the free-scrolling wheel. That is sweet. I'm undecided about whether I like the charging stand. On one hand, it's nice because it doesn't use up other batteries. On the other hand, if I forget to charge it, I can't use my mouse.

Unfortunately, the rubberized grip started giving way after a short while of using it. It's not bad, and the mouse is still usable. So I decided to go back to my trusty Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 5000. It's nice because it's a lot cheaper than the Logitech, and I can pop in a couple of batteries if I need to do so. But I don't have the fancy buttons (I think I've decided that I really don't care about that). What I miss is that wonderful Logitech scroll wheel, and I also miss the laser tracking system. The optical isn't bad, but it's just not quite as good. I could live with it if I had that scroll wheel back.

Now What?

I'll admit it - I'd leave Logitech at the altar if Microsoft could drop the Logitech scroll wheel into the next iteration of their product. But thus far, they haven't. I guess I'll just keep looking. Unless you have any suggestions.

Update: Ultimately, I gave into the pure awesomeness of the Logitech scroll wheel. It's just too sweet. Though I had to do something about the peeling rubber grip, so I took a fine grain sandpaper and got rid of it. I don't know if it looks any better, but at least it's not peeling off any longer.

Unfortunately, I ran into another problem - the Logitech SetPoint software. Version 4.7 has an issue with an error message. So if you see one that says: VC8 library was not installed correctly, please restart the machine and reinstall, then you found what I did - Logitech sucks sometimes. While there are multiple solutions (that I tried), I eventually just reinstalled 4.6, which downloaded 4.7 itself. Problem solved.

The nice thing is that the scroll wheel is now even better, because they added an auto-detect option, so you don't have to click-to-scroll. If you're scrolling through long documents, it will automatically flip into the free-scroll mode. Love it.