When it comes to choosing a new computer mouse, it is important to know which type of mouse is best suited to your daily use. Since there are a wide range options and products available, it pays to know the types of mouse and the advantages and disadvantages of each type of mouse. Which mouse should you purchase – the outdated mechanical mouse, or the optical mouse or wireless mouse? Or the sophisticated and expensive laser mouse?

Ever since the first mouse was designed by Douglas Englebart of Stanford University in nineteen sixties, the computer mouse technology has taken great strides and added lot many improvements to the design and performance of computer mice. Earlier, the computer mice were connected to the PC through PS/2 ports. Today, most mice are designed to include USB connection. The traditional, mechanical mouse has been taken over by the optical mouse and the laser mouse which use sensors instead of trackballs and do not need cleaning at all.

Today, computer mice are available in different sizes and shapes. They are no longer just an input device that is used to simply move the cursor on the screen. Their improved accuracy and ergonomic features allow the users to interact with the computer much more effectively than the older ball models.

Nowadays, computer mice come in various sizes and shapes to suit the needs of the different users. For instance, compact models are perfect for a portable computer or laptop.

Cordless Mini Optical mouse

If you are a gamer, you can find specially designed gaming mouse which has added features and greater sensitivity so you can play any game you like to play with ease. Ambidextrous mice can be used by either hand so they are great option when users share the same computer.

Racer Mouse

Mechanical mouse

Although mechanical mice are the cheapest, they are not very mouse sensitive and are often prone to failure after a short time. This type of mouse contains a small rubber ball with rollers inside a casing. When the mouse moves over the mouse pad, the rubber ball moves the roller wheels. The movement pattern of the rollers is then converted into binary code and sent to the computer which can determine the position and speed of the mouse based on this information.

The main drawback of the mechanical mouse is that its performance and accuracy is affected when the debris or dirt gets into the mouse and sticks the roller wheels. To prevent this, you need to clean the body of the mouse periodically.

Optical Mouse

The optical mouse was developed in nineteen nineties. These mice emit a beam of red light that bounces off the surface and have a sensor to track the movement of mouse. In contrast with trackballs mechanism, the optical technology is more accurate and has better mouse sensitivity. The main advantage of the optical mouse is that it is not prone to cleaning problems as it does not have a trackball inside the mouse.

Logitech MX 518 Gaming-grade optical mouse

Another advantage of the optical mice, especially the gaming mice, is that they let you to change the resolution. For instance, choosing the lower resolutions make the mouse less sensitive and slow, while setting the mouse to higher resolutions help you to play the faster movements in a computer game.

Although the optical mouse can work well on any surface, it may not work so well if the surface is too shiny or very reflective, resulting in inaccuracy and problems for the user. So, you will need to use non-reflective surface or a suitable mouse pad with the optical mouse.

Wireless mouse

Wireless mouse is great as it does not require cable to connect to the computer so provides tidier look. It can be used as stand-alone input device and looks nice (and also becomes cheaper when you buy them together) with wireless keyboards.

Wireless mice can either optical non-optical. Wireless optical mouse generally uses rechargeable batteries while the non-optical mice use standard batteries.

A few wireless models include a docking station which can be used to charge the batteries of the mouse.

When you use a wireless mouse, its receiver needs to be plugged into the USB in your computer.

Wireless mice can be prone to the problems of interference caused by certain wireless devices like baby monitors, wi-fi internet, microwaves, game consoles etc. Make sure that the mouse is away from these devices to prevent interference.

Laser Mouse

In the laser mouse, the laser is used instead of LED light. Laser mouse is the most sensitive and accurate of all the mice.

Laser mice are suitable for gamers and the graphical artists, as they are capable of tracking even the minutest movement of the mouse. Currently, Logitech and Microsoft bring out such high-end mice for a price that is as many as four times of the price of the traditional ball mice.

Bottom-line

Mechanical mice have the cleaning problems while the high end laser mice are a bit expensive and come with too much functionality for a home user. Some of the high-end mice have thumb buttons and a scroll wheel instead of a middle button. They are very useful and cater the needs of specific users. Wireless mice are ideal for those who want cut the cable and want neat look. They can choose Radio Frequency mouse or a Bluetooth enabled mouse. Finally, the best way to choose the right mouse for your needs is to assess the needs themselves before you decide on the type of mouse you want to buy.