What's so great about an optical mouse?

[Muse]

I bought one and installed it and don't see what the big deal is. I've read a number of threads in this forum and it seems that the posters universally declare the optical mice to be great, they'd never go back, etc. But I don't see what they're excited about. I'm used to using ordinary Logitech 3 button mice with rolling balls, and used them for years now. I use the middle button in conjunction with other keys sometimes to trigger actions in a utility I'm very fond of. That's why I traded in my old MS 2 button for the 3 button Logitech. I just built myself a new system, ATX and supporting USB, bought a USB mouse and a PS2 mouse at a computer show ($6 and $3 respectively, 3 button both) just to make sure I'd be able to use the new box, since my old mice are serial. Fact is all these mice seem to work fine. I bought an MS Explorer optical mouse at a computer show, and don't see what the excitement is about. The reason I bought it is that I figured I would get scrolling, and figured I wouldn't be able to work in my middle button support for my utility with a Logitech mouse, since they only have the 2 buttons plus the scroller/button. Of course, the MS Explorer has a couple of extra buttons, and I figure that I will probably be able to program one to use with my utility. AFA the feel and cursor action of the optical - I see no difference.

 

[Need4Speed]

well for starters they do not get clogged up like ball mice...which means smooth mousing all the time with no cleaning.

 

[Muse]

<< well for starters they do not get clogged up like ball mice...which means smooth mousing all the time with no cleaning. >>

Yeah, I know, and that's obvious. But when my ball-mice start acting up, I bust out the ball, clean it, clean the crap off the rollers, pop it back together, and it's fine for a few more months. 3 minutes maintenance max, ususally less. Otherwise, what's the big deal?

 

[Need4Speed]

they generally track better and dont ususally require a mousepad....no more running off the pad and getting you a$$ rubbed out cuz the mousy stopped workin in a good game of CS

 

[Jeff7]

Some people, companies, and organizations know so little about computer maintenance that they don't even know that a mouse does get dirty. When they get dirty and start acting up, they assume the mouse is just dead, and they toss it to buy a new one. Of course, when I went to high school, the mice were glued shut - too many @$$holes would steal the mouse ball for the hell of it. No problem like that with optical mice.

And I love the shape of my Logitech Mouseman Optical.

 

[Muse]

<< Some people, companies, and organizations know so little about computer maintenance that they don't even know that a mouse does get dirty. When they get dirty and start acting up, they assume the mouse is just dead, and they toss it to buy a new one. Of course, when I went to high school, the mice were glued shut - too many @$$holes would steal the mouse ball for the hell of it. No problem like that with optical mice.

And I love the shape of my Logitech Mouseman Optical. >>

The company I worked at until yesterday was too cheap to buy anyone an optical mouse. I kept a gentleman's knife on my keychain and cleaned many a mouse, bumped many a monitor from 60 Hz to 75+ Hz. Never heard of a glued-shut mouse. Radical. I guess games is a good reason if you get so carried away the boundaries of a mousepad are an annoyance.