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Windows 7 - using two mice at the same time?

Chiefcrowe said:
just curious what would you use that for?
Never heard of anyone wanting this.
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Clients ask, I research. 😉

I'll update if I find out what they're using them for. I can see if someone is collaborating with someone together on the same screen(s), but don't know if that's the case here.
 
jjsole said:
Is there a utility, windows 7 compatibility and preferably free, that offers support for using 2 mice at the same time?

Googling I came up with Pluralinput, @ $20eur.
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Why would someone need two mice at once?
2 mice hooked up at the same time is no problem.

I have two wireless mice\keyboard combos hooked up to my PC right now.

Any laptop with a mouse plugged in has two mice at the same time.

Are they trying to do a virtual etch a sketch machine?
 
Yes, you can have two mice attached at the same time. I sometimes have my Logitech gaming mouse plugged in simultaneously with my wireless mouse; Win7 simply responds to whichever device is being used at the moment. Likewise, I have a portable wireless mouse connected to my laptop, but it will respond to the touchpad as well.
 
I have a wired mouse and a wireless trackball hooked up at the same and it works fine on Windows 7 and has since at least Windows XP when I first tried doing this.
 
jjsole said:
Googling I came up with Pluralinput, @ $20eur.
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Interesting.
I was looking for ways to do this a couple of years ago and I've been told it's impossible.
More exactly, I was asking for ways to assign a keyboard to a specific program, don't know if Pluralinput or any other program can do that. Does anyone know?


Chiefcrowe said:
just curious what would you use that for?
Never heard of anyone wanting this.
Click to expand...
Imagine two (or more) users using the same computer, perhaps with two screens and two separate audio devices. You could easily handle lots of simple tasks without using two computers.

Here's a video of Pluralinput in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2mbZLPOCDw
 
Lenovo Thinkpads can come standard with two functionsl HIDs on at the same time. Add a mouse and you have three. For me, the answer to the question is a simple 'yes.'
 
I think the important question here is whether they want to USE two mice (with two separate mouse pointers) at the same time, or simply have two plugged in but only use one at a time. As others have said, the second option is simple - just plug both in. The first option is significantly more complicated.
 
The reason I would use two mice is to use one for general navigation in my 3D or graphics software and having the second mouse for the intricate editing and manipulation work.

One mouse for low-resolution mousing and the other for high-resolution. That's what I'd be interested in. Unless buying software is the only option, another one is a good quality pen tablet, but that's a little expensive.

Having two mice working at different resolutions would be a very helpful option.
 
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Interesting, a buddy and I were talking about this a couple weeks ago. When we are working together on a project using one laptop with two screens, it would increase productivity if we could use two mice separately. In Microsoft land, you can have as many physical mice/touch pads as you want, but the OS only has one mouse.
 
By that, you mean there is only one pointer. Both mice can work it, but there is only one. That is true!
 
corkyg said:
By that, you mean there is only one pointer. Both mice can work it, but there is only one. That is true!
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Yup. I think normally windows will allow both mice to manipulate just one pointer.

I was also thinking that I wish some software programs would allow a user to switch the mouse's resolution with key combinations. For the more delicate work, like when manipulating nodes in a vector graphic. At a fixed mouse speed/resolution it can sometimes feel like using a sledge hammer on a finishing nail.
 
As a PC gamer, i would be very interested in multiple (differentiated) mouse inputs to control my avatars.

Game controllers typically used on consoles have a left and right thumbstick.

Typically, the left thumbstick is used for movement, and the right for looking.

I realise these controllers can be purchased for PC, but i find them less precise than computer mice / track-balls.

As such, i would like a track-ball & button array for my left hand (to control movement & weapon/accessory selection), and a right mouse /hamster (to control aiming & firing).

Any help in this regard would be much appreciated.
 
Fardringle said:
I think the important question here is whether they want to USE two mice (with two separate mouse pointers) at the same time, or simply have two plugged in but only use one at a time. As others have said, the second option is simple - just plug both in. The first option is significantly more complicated.
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I was thinking of the first option which could be quite useful with one pointer in a separate monitor.
 
John Connor said:
I've had a PS2 mouse and a USB mouse plugged in at the same time with no troubles.
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Multiple mice can be used. However Windows only supports one pointer. A delta movement by an input device gets translated into an X/Y movement of the pointer.
 
I wasn't concerned with multiple pointers. I just so happened to have a PS2 mouse connected when I couldn't access BIOS with a USB mouse.
 
I have a USB rodent and track pad on the laptop. I have to be careful that my wrists do not touch the pad when typing. Doing so, translates to a reposition of the cursor and text entry point 🙁
 
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Virgorising said:
Maybe he wants to breed them!😎

I think if you just hook up two USB mice, they will both work.
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Multiple mice will work; just that using them at the same instant time will produce finny results; you still only have one cursor.
 
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