Help me pick a new mouse!

[Dire Bare]

I'm looking to get a new mouse, and any suggestions you guys have would be very appreciated!

I own a Windows XP Dell laptop, and will eventually upgrade to a Windows Vista PC.

I am a gamer, but I primarly play RPGS and MMORPGS with the occasional FPS or space sim game (I suck at these, regardless of mouse technology). I have a lot of good experience and trust with both Logitech and Microsoft mice.

Should I look at a gaming mouse? Or just stick with a "normal" mouse?

I currently have a MS cordless that uses standard batteries (alkaline or rechargeable) and I'm sick and tired of replacing the batteries. If I get a new cordless (and I do like the idea of no cords) it has to have a charger included.

The Logitech MX Revolution is looking nice, or should I consider the Logitech G5 or G9?

I've heard the MS 6000 is pretty cool, and soon the MS 7000 will be out. Or maybe I should look at the MS Sidewinder?

Soooo many choices!

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dire Bare]

Keyboard too!

I'm also considering a new keyboard with backlighting.

I'm looking at the Logitech G15, Saitek Eclipse II, or new MS Reclusa. They all look good, I can't decide? I really don't use macros, and probably don't need a "gaming" keyboard, but really want the backlighting feature.

 

[Thanee]

I love cordless mice and as you hate to have to replace batteries all the time, therefore I have chosen the MX Revolution and am very happy with it. Only thing you need to watch out for is to put it into the charging station every now and then. I'm not a pro gamer who would probably want a mouse with cord for the more stable connection, but unless you have lots of interfering wireless signals nearby, it really shouldn't be much of a problem. The mouse is very responsive and works totally fine in gaming.

As for the keyboard, no idea, don't have one with backlighting (using the MS Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000).

The G15 is very good, apparantly.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Just looked at the Saitek and it seems to be a little more for the casual user and not so extremely gaming oriented as the G15. Might be worth a closer look.

Bye
Thanee

 

[jonesy]

Cordless schmordless. I've never liked those. I don't get how the cord could possibly be a hassle. I like not having to worry about charging my mouse.

Having said that my advice might not work for you if you really do want a cordless mouse, but I've been using a G3 on my laptop and it seriously works for anything. Regular work, browsing, first person shooters, simulators, I love it.

 

[RiTz21]

At staples, I found a Logitech LX-7 mouse on sale for $10 instead of the regular $60 price!! It is a cordless mouse, which you just plug a small received in a free USB port at the back (If you have no free USB ports, you can use the 6 pin mouse adapter to plug the USB receiver in!)

It is my first time with a cordless mouse, and I am finding it totally amazing! No stupid mouse-cord in the way! The mouse even has a Back/Forward button shortcuts to avoid going in the upper left of your browser!...

For $10 ($60 - $20 rebate - $30 manufacturer rebate), it was a total steal!

RiTz21

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Have you considered trackballs? I've found they're easier on my wrist than mice and can be used even in confined spaces. Logitech has some good trackball mice using an offset trackball under the thumb and mouse buttons for the fingers. Both cordless and corded versions.

 

[wenoc]

Cordless schmordless. I've never liked those. I don't get how the cord could possibly be a hassle. I like not having to worry about charging my mouse.

Couldn't agree more. The cord has never bothered me in the least, especially since I bought my Razer which has a coating with less friction. Cordless mice have to be charged but that's not such a major hassle. The speed of cordless mice however leaves much to be desired. At least, last time I tried one.

You're saying you play some FPS games sometimes. Don't buy cordless. Having said that, my personal favourite is the Razer Diamondback. The extra buttons aren't all that useful but it's amazingly light and the presicion is just mindboggling compared to normal mice. You can easily point at exactly the right pixel no matter what your sensitivity setting is. You probably think that's a non-issue (I did) but after you've tried one you'll see what I mean.

Also, those bulky Logitechs shaped like your hand are difficult to move around fast when you have to rest your whole arm on them. I prefer to keep my wrist on the mat and move the mouse with the tips of my fingers.

That's just my few cents. I guess there's as many opinions about this as there are books in L-space.

Edit: I wouldn't use a Razer at work though. The buttons are very sensitive and you tend to click them by mistake if you relax too much.

Edit2: Agh, you said laptop? Yeah, cordless it is. Logitech has a nice small cordless bluetooth mouse. You'll want a small one if you're going to carry it around. Moreover, its "invisible" optics don't need much power. I have the older USB version on my laptop and haven't changed the batteries since last summer. I can't find the version number on it anywhere though.. It has two buttons and a scrolling + sideclicking wheel.

 

[Thanee]

...but it's amazingly light...

That's probably just a matter of taste, though. I really like a mouse to have quite some weight and strongly dislike those that weigh almost nothing.

Some of the high-end gaming mice even have extra weights to put inside... so I'm apparantly not alone there.

Bye
Thanee

 

[azhrei_fje]

As a frequent flier, I can't use cordless mice on an airplane. I bought a Targus laptop mouse and I love it. It's very small ("Gee Frank, that's such a small mouse. Confident in your manhood, eh?" -- yeah, get those jokes from friends occasionally ).

My wife's mouse just went kapuut on her, so I gave her the older wireless mouse that I used on my desktop when I'm at home. I'll never do that again! I really miss the fact that the middle button (or mouse wheel) could be pressed left or right to act as a left/right scroll function. I used to use that all the time on web sites with static width pages (don't get me started on that topic!) and I'm going to have to buy another mouse with that functionality just because I miss it so much. And I have three spare mice sitting around my office...