Treat yourself and celebrate the birthday of the PC mouse

Tuesday 9th December, 2008

It's been forty years since Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute demonstrated the first PC mouse, which in 1968 didn't look all that different to the mice (mouses?) we use today. The mouse is still with us today probably because it has consistently helped us to get around the exponentially increasing amounts of data that we face on our computer screens.

Engelbart claimed that the name "mouse" was one they began using which simply "stuck". Not too surprising given the appearance of the device. His original design had two wheels instead of the ball which later became popular. However, if you are still using a ball mouse (and can still move it for all the gunk that's got inside it!), it's probably high time you moved to a optical mouse or laser mouse, modern designs that use light to track your movement and are smoother, more accurate and less prone to gunking. Also, if you find the cable of your mouse restrictive, or you want to sit much further away from your screen, you are probably ready for a cordless mouse.

Here are the top-selling mouses, er, mice on Storeminator right now (prices correct at time of writing) - by the way, don't be surprised that one brand keeps coming up!:

Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse

(pictured above)

Price: around $60

Manufacturer says: "...scrolls through long documents at lightning quick speeds with the nearly frictionless alloy scroll wheel."

Users rate it: 4/5

Bit pricey, and seems to have some of the limitations that are common to cordless mice, but thousands of customers can't be wrong.

Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks

Price: around $48

Manufacturer says: "Simplify life on the road with the ultra-portable Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks. It's always ready for use, thanks to the world's smallest USB receiver."

Users rate it: 4.5/5

Probably the mouse of choice if you need to use a "real" mouse with your notebook. The USB receiver is really small so you can get away with leaving it in the notebook USB port. Saves destroying your joints with the horrible touchpad on your laptop.

Logitech Cordless Trackman Wheel

Price: around $37

Manufacturer says: "A unique, optical, cordless trackball that works within a 6 foot range."

Users rate it: 4.5/5

In case you haven't considered the alternatives, trackballs are a great option, especially if you don't have much deskbase or you need to move around the screen quickly, without great sweeps of the mouse knocking your coffee over. Trackballs are especially used by graphic and 3D designers for the freedom of movement they allow. Worth considering.

So if you are still wondering where to start, try browsing through all the mice and trackballs on Storeminator, see what's best selling and celebrate the birthday of the mouse with a shiny new one. Oh and by the way, "MOUSE" is supposed to stand for Manually Operated User-Selection Equipment, so the plural should be "mouses"!