Computer mice come in many shapes and sizes and allow you to control your computer quickly and easily, newer mice have better accuracy and additional buttons to improve control and speed up tasks. One of the newer technologies from Logitech is Darkfield Laser Tracking™ which allows you to use the mouse on almost any surface (even glass) Click 'read more' to see more.
Why Buy a Mouse?
A mouse (or similar device) is essential to control today's computers, and even for notebooks and netbooks which come with an alternative to a mouse (a built in track pad or other alternative), many people find that they prefer to connect a mouse as they are easier to use. Newer mice have higher accuracy as well more functionality compared with earlier mice. When buying a mouse you need to consider the following points.
Choosing a Mouse
All mice perform the same basic functionality needed to control a computer this being moving a pointer around the screen and allowing the user to select items. the differences between mice can be separated into 3 main areas. The type of connection to the computer, the buttons and how the mouse detects movement.
Connection types
Serial and PS/2 - These are used less and less often as old mice are replaced with newer USB and wireless models
USB - Most mice today use USB to connect to computers, even some wireless mice have a USB adapter to allow the computer to receive directions from the mouse.
Wireless - Wireless mice come in two basic types, RF and Bluetooth, some computers have built in Bluetooth and so Bluetooth mice do not need anything extra to connect to these computers, other wireless mice have a small USB connector to allow the mouse to send directions to the computer.
Buttons
The 1st mice only had 1 button
and today Apple Mac's only need a single button to do most tasks mice with more than one button can be used with the additional buttons being assigned to different functions. All mice for PCs come with at least 2 buttons and newer mice come with at least a 3rd button or scroll wheel. Some newer mice have additional buttons that can be set to perform custom tasks such as previous/next web page or custom commands for your favourite game.
Detecting movement
The 1st mice used a small ball
that turned when the mouse was moved, this movement would then be converted in to electrical signals and sent to the computer. Newer mice use light reflecting from a surface to detect when the mouse is moved with even newer mice using lasers which provide higher accuracy which is great for detailed work or fast paced game play, Logitech has released mice with Darkfield Laser Tracking™ which allows the mouse to work even on glass, which was a problem for mice previously.
Shape and size
Today mice come in many different sizes and shapes, it is important to find a mouse that you feel comfortable with, so that the mouse feels comfortable in your hand and is not to heavy to move, newer mice even allow you to adjust the weight of the mouse by adding and removing small weights so you can select the weight you prefer.
Which mouse is right for me?
When selecting a mouse, you need to consider the differences above and select the mouse that meets your needs. If you are only after a basic mouse then most will be fine, however if you are after a mouse for a specific function, such as graphic design or gamming then you will probably want a mouse with higher accuracy and additional buttons or one that you can adjust the weight to make long use more comfortable.
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