Huh. On my new machine (Vista x64), it's enabled by default. I don't have any custom mouse drivers installed or anything like that either. I have a Logitech G3 (i think) cordless.

Thanks for explaining the whole thing about Mac OS X's mouse acceleration curve. It always "felt wrong" to me for some reason, in that way where I just couldn't explain it...

I'm quite happy with Logitech MX500 and don't believe there would be any productivity gain switching it to anything else. Don't believe in cordless devices either.

I prefer trackballs.

I started reading your site yesterday when following a link from Digg or Reddit on SQL Joins. I thought I would make an FYI comment...I'm new to Macs (having got my first this month) after 20+ years of using computers of the Win or *nix varieties. The iMac comes with a nifty little mouse that takes some getting used to. It has one button but is sensitive to clicking on the right or left side for two button functionality. It has a trackball for scrolling vertically or horizontally. FInally it has a set of buttons on either side of the mouse which can be set to do various things.
Your site is a good catch, glad to be another reader.

@dave: I double checked, and you're right-- it seems to be on by default in a clean VM instance of XP. I'd assume it's on by default in Vista as well. Not sure what's going on with my machines, it was off at work for sure.

@alex: Of course, if you're happy with your mouse, there is no reason to switch. And a lot of it comes down to shape as well-- that's one nice thing about the G9, with the two bodies that offer different shapes. The website alludes to other shapes being available for sale at some point, but I don't see anything on that.

Still, I think the 800 DPI of the MX500 is a little low by today's standards. I use 1600 DPI as my baseline setting, and I'll drop down to 200/400 DPI for precision work in image editing. I could get the same effect by visiting control panel and slamming the pointer speed slider all the way to the left, but it's very easy to click a button on the mouse and change it instantly.

Also, FWIW, I really like the aluminum scroll wheels. Much more durable-- I've had plain rubber scroll buttons wear heavily on prior mice that I use. Lots of scrolling!

It is also interesting to try out the Nintendo WiiMote's Pointer. It is directly mapped to the direction you point. Once you get used to it is VERY intuitive but unfortunately bad for pixel-accurate clicking.

I personally have a Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0. It is the perfect shape for my hand, it can go a while without charging the batteries (a month or two), and I see no reason to change. For my laptop I almost always use the touchpad, which I have grown to love. I keep some cheap Logitech USB mouse in the bag primarily for when I let others use it.

Unfortunately, I'm now on another PC. I'm using a generic Dell that came with the system. At least it is optical.

"I think you'd need something other than a wheel to do it justice, more like a mini-trackball, and even then I'm not sure the complexity is worth it. How often do you need to scroll horizontally?"

Like Ruby is beautiful said, indeed the Apple MightyMouse has as trackball that will let you scroll up/down/left/right. Most of the time I really like it, and appreciate the functionality. It lets me keep my browser window just large enough for most sites, while giving me the ability to scroll easily to the right for sites with a bit wider layout.

I miss the functionality when I'm in Windows.

But, I think it comes down to how the application authors' implement its use. I cannot stand it in NeoOffice, where it is way too sensitive to left/right, and it's backward from the other apps I've been using it on (or at least it seems that way).

"An an enthusiast and a gamer," <-- As an? And the mouse precision check box seems to be a standard for Dell machines. Nice post Jeff.

There isn't only mouse ballistics, there is also greasymouse (X windows only, probably) that lets the mouse pointer slide a bit further when the pointing device is already at rest. Mostly for fun, though.

I'n a trackball type anyway, and hope that mine will last some time to come (including availability of PS/2 ports).

I had no idea I had precision on. It definitely feels really weird without it on, it's a great feature!

Both mice seem to have a cable. Does the old rumor that wireless mice have a noticeable action lag still hold true ? I used to hear pro gamers say that when they were new, but I haven't heard it in years. What would you say ? Is that your reason to use the much more restrictive cable variant ?

Personally, I think the lack of 'decay' that laser mice have is the most important feature - I dread to think back to the old ball mice, that somehow would always deteriorate within what felt like no time at all. My current laser one I've used so long that the print of the model name has rubbed off and it's still working perfectly (it's a MS Intelli Eye Explorer, don't ask me when they made those).

A bit of novel trivia: I bought my first mouse, which I considered a silly and useless tool before, for this game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(computer_game), Ah, the memories. Of course I was like 12 then.

Recently bought the G9 and it the best mouse i have ever used.

Nearly all of the mice that are out on the market are bulky that require the user to "palm" the mouse. Fortunately, there are some people that like to "finger tip" hold their mice, especially your hand has a tendency to sweat.

The mouse acceleration settings (AKA "enhance pointer precision" - it's existed in various forms for years) unfortunately can apply in games, depending on the circumstances. While that's useful for god games etc. where the mouse pointer is visible on screen, for first-person shooters it's far more hinderance than help; if you're playing with these options be careful that it doesn't mess up gameplay for you.

Logitech's drivers have an option to disable all mouse acceleration whenever in a full-screen game - it defaults on, and I'd highly recommend you leave it that way. Mouse acceleration can really screw with your aim.

Personally, I prefer leaving acceleration entirely disabled, with the mouse sensitivity rather higher than normal. While it makes pixel-accurate clicking slightly slower, I find it's preferable to be able to "feel" a fixed one-pixel movement than have to move the mouse slowly until it nudges it over the pixel boundary.

@J. Stoever

Both mice seem to have a cable. Does the old rumor that wireless mice have a noticeable action lag still hold true ? I used to hear pro gamers say that when they were new, but I haven't heard it in years. What would you say ? Is that your reason to use the much more restrictive cable variant ?

Even recently I have tried using a wireless mouse and i can't stand them. I can visually see the lag between the mouse and the movement of my hand, and I tried a high end mouse (MX Revolution). Some users don't notice it all. The friend that I borrow the mouse from to try it out said he had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the lag.

I've had a Mac OS X machine as my primary for awhile and hadn't noticed the effect you mentioned, so I played with it a bit. You're totally right. And then I realized -- this is a laptop, I'm almost always just using the trackball, and what you mentioned is actually perfect for fingers on trackball... It goes back and forth between slow positioning for accuracy and "flick" scrolling to get farther across the screen.

Of course, it makes sense that it still sucks to use with a mouse :-)

I changed the left\right tilt scrolling on my mouse to be forward and back. I think that is the best use of the tilt wheel feature.

I have been using both Logitech and Microsoft mice since both released version 1 of their mices eons ago. Overall, I like Logitech's better. I am just an occasional gamer and right now I prefer using wireless mice. So far the best I have used among the lot (non bluetooth) is the Logitech VX Revolution with its flywheel equiped scroll wheel. You can set a switch in this wheel so it will scroll either smoothly or with a click.

The last generation Microsoft wireless mouse IMHO, had flawed scroll wheels... no detent, just smooth scrolling action. This was no good for games.

I too am a mouse enthusiast (Snob says wife), and I must say I did not are for the G9. I am currently using my Razor Death Adder at home and the logitech G5 at work. The Death Adder is very similar to the Habu, but IMO better in everyway. Give it a try. BTW, check out http://www.esreality.com/?a=longpost&id=1265679&page=1 for some interesting "benchmarks" of mice. Pretty interesting.

Hey Now Jeff,

Nice post, I value your opinion, I was wondering if you ever tried a vertical mouse?

Coding Horror Fan,
Catto

I'm finicky about mice as well, but in the opposite direction. I bought a PS/2 to USB converter specifically so I could attach an older mouse to my Linux-PC laptop. It has 2 buttons + click-wheel and is an old-style ball mouse instead of optical. (Optical sucks on certain surfaces, and I'm willing to clean out the ball tracker every month.)

I declined to buy this instead of a more modern mouse because it has *perfect* click-characteristics. The buttons are neither sloppy nor hard to press, and the audible click feedback matches the tactile feedback. The click-wheel is perfectly grippy, too. (The brand is "micro innovations", which I had not heard of before.)

@Catto:
I have an Evoluent Vertical Mouse. UGH. It leads to undue pressure on the side (butt) of the hand. It seems ergonomic at first, then after a few days comes a lot of pain.

I also have a Contour Design mouse which is decently ergonomic but has bad tracking.

I'm still looking for a great ergonomic mouse.

Thanks for the interesting article.

The Macintosh had some kind of mouse acceleration from the beginning, but I don't think that was the case in early versions of Windows. I just remember when going from the Macintosh to Windows in the old days, the mouse felt sluggish.

However, now I mostly use Windows XP, and the mouse feels very natural. When I occasionally use a Mac now, the mouse feels strange. I don't know if its just what I'm accustomed to, or the Macintosh remained the same and Microsoft came up with a superior method, or somehow the Macintosh got worse.

Have you tried the MS Natural?

http://tinyurl.com/3x5x45

To me it is the most interesting choice out there and I have some friends who swear by it. I still haven't made the switch though.

Anyone know how to get the windows pointer speed past maximum by a registry edit or something.

I have a laptop with a trackpad and with it set at maximum pointer speed and enhanced pointer precision enabled it's still not quite quick enough for my taste compared to how much I move my finger.

I have a MX500, bought it around 4 years ago I think. It's great, but I'll probably switch to a MX Revolution because I'm trying to get rid of all the wires I can.

Are there wireless versions?

I think I may be far too attached to my MX1000 to go back to wired mice...

I just recently switched to a wireless Logitech G7 and it is absolutely the best mouse I've ever used. I've always been wary about wireless lag, but this mouse is absolutely incredible and I can't notice any lag whatsoever.

It also uses two rechargeable battery packs so you're not constantly buying batteries, which is really nice. It comes with two packs and one sits in the wireless receiver and charges while you use the other. When the batteries are running low, I can swap out the fresh pack in about 3 seconds flat.

I've had the logitech MX 500 in all its flavours (currently using the 518) and for me its the perfect mouse.

There are situations where horizontal scrolling might actually be useful, a heavily zoomed in image in photoshop being one example, but then again it would have to be a trackball like you pointed out.

I decided to turn pointer acceleration off in favour of a higher mouse speed.

Quite interesting article.

Maybe that's why I like a LOT more to use the trackpad than the mouse (mini logitech tilt-wheel) in OS X.

The pointer movement with the trackpad certainly feels very different and way more comfortable than with the mouse. I even don't care that the tp only has one button (is easy to get used to this, but then I'm no gamer or anything alike).

Any recommendations for a new keyboard? My old PS/2 Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite is a bit dated and is nowhere near the white color it once was.

Thanks!

A short trip to the dishwasher should return your keyboard to its former colour, and even a braindead monkey could take out the electronics.

I FPS-game with my mice, but I don't have the latest hardware. I'm still rocking with a IntelliMouse Optical (2001, 5 buttons).

I use at work my Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 (2006, mouse with a fricken laser pointer), but I wouldn't use it for gaming, because it has "startup lag". I even set all the "drain battery faster" options but no dice. Its as if the mouse, if idle for more than a minute or so, "disconnects" from the PC. I suspect battery life preservation and this mouse wasn't designed for gaming.

Both mice are symmetric, even though I'm right handed, I like the style.

Get the most out of your mouse! If you have the problem of trying to define more keys that the MS IntelliPoint software allows you to (for example, Backspace to Mouse 4), you can try a Registry trick:

http://www.terravirtua.com/index.php?idx=139

I look forward to a follow up articles on "best mouse pads", "replacing mouse feet", "mouse key binding", etc.

It's always interesting to read opinions on new mouses, being kind of a fan of "high performance" mice myself.

There's one thing I have to disagree here, though... Namely, the pointer precision thing.

I really, really, dislike any mouse acceleration. You say it will make for more precise mousing - How exactly does making the mouse move more when moving the mouse fast than when moving it slowly will enhance precision? If you accidentally move the mouse slightly faster than usually, your cursor will end up in some other place than you wanted.

Also, like a commenter before me mentioned, it's a hinderance in FPS games, mostly because of the fact I mentioned above.

The only time I would use mouse acceleration is with laptop touchpads (or perhaps with crappy mice). That's where it helps a lot because you don't have much space to move around and if you increase overall pointer speed, you won't be able to do precise movements.

Just to put in a word about mouse acceleration curves; as a competitive gamer, they are the bane of your existance. I understand, and even agree, that they make your regular mouse usage (ie, navigating windows and dialogs) feel smoother, but it absolutely ruins your ability to aim in FPS games.

You might completely disagree with me. I did when I was first told. But just try it (and the little checkbox doesn't do it, there are acceleration values embedded in the registry that must be changed, at least in XP, I don't know about vista. A quick google will give you a reg file containing the fix). I thought I was a half-decent shot before, but I always played a support role because I knew I wasn't the best. After I fully disabled it, and gave myself time to get used to it, I was doing far better and was able to hold my own against the best in my bracket.

For any serious 'competitive' gamer - I advice switching OFF mouse acceleration. As a long time CS player, this concept is drilled into you over and over again. There are even registry mouse fixes available from the CPL to ensure all forms of in-game and windows mouse acceleration settings are disabled.

I don't think anyone has said why as yet, so I'll attempt to explain.

Over time you develop a natural reflex in games - especially first person shooters. You want this natural reflex to map to the game exactly the same way, every single time. With mouse acceleration enabled, this reflexive action is hindered by software adjustments to the mouse input.

Your cursor should move to the same position on the screen each time no matter how fast you move the mouse. You should only be relying on distance of mouse movement - not the speed - for determining where your aim goes.

Let me try to visualise it for the readers.

There is a corridor 10 feet wide (in-game) which maps to say 10inches on your mouse pad. If you have your sites set to the corner of the left wall and someone appears at the right corner, you move your mouse 10 inches to the right and fire.

If you have mouse acceleration turned on - how far and how fast do you move your mouse? It's an added element of complexity added to the processing your brain has to do - and usually it's a best guess attempt only improved (but never perfected) with constant practice.

> A short trip to the dishwasher should return your keyboard to its former colour

Now that's an interesting idea..

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/05/30/clean-your-keyboard-.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11029793
http://plasticbugs.com/index.php?p=263

Most people are doing this with no disassembly, just slapping the entire keyboard in the dishwasher, using plain water (no detergent) and no heat drying cycles. Then wait a few days for it to dry 100%. Sounds like it works, too.

HURRAY FOR MOUSE INNOVATION!

Does the G9's "frictionless" mouse wheel actually provide inertial scrolling (as simulated on the iPhone scroll) or does it just turn the wheel 'ticks' off?

Inertial wheel scrolling would REALLY come in handy when I have 5000 lines of code or a really long webpage/document and I want to quickly (but smoothly) cruise to the bottom without giving my index finger an extreme workout.

In the spirit of this post, I did a test: At the default "3 lines per tick" Vista mouse wheel setting, it took me 21 finger scrolls of the wheel to go from the top of this web page to the October 14th, 8:36PM comment entry. For older, more commented posts, I am forced to resort to the ancient practice of actually drag-clicking the scrollbar.

If the G9 truly provides inertial scrolling, I think it's a HUGE advancement.

Other Commentary Kudos:

Thumbs up:
-Finger-touch mouse movement (as opposed to palming the mouse).
-Mouse Acceleration ENABLED in Windows (especially with large multi displays)
-Mouse Acceleration DISABLED in FPS games

Logitech mice used to come with a program/driver called MouseWare, which, among other things, offered configurable accelleration. There was only one decent setting, if I remember correctly, so it's no problem that Windows lacks this configurability.

A thing that bothers me a lot is that XFree86/X.org do not have decent pointer acceleration. You can set a threshold and a multiplier for speeds above that threshold, so it's similar to OS X, if I understand you correctly. (But considering that Mac people actually do usability testing, their method is probably better than X's.)

Strangely, when I switched from Gentoo Linux to Ubuntu this problem disappeared, and my pointer now moves quite perfectly even in Linux. In fact, this was a major factor for me when deciding whether to switch distributions! I don't know how Ubuntu does it, and why this has not been backported to X.org, though.

The Sidewinder is a nice mouse overall but it has a gigantic "hump" near the base of the mouse. It's supposed to fit your palm but you need gorilla hands for that to work. It's like the mouse was designed by the people who made the original Xbox controller!

Interesting read...but I'm still never giving up my Wacom tablets. I've been using tablets -- in absolute mode, not relative pointer positioning -- for 10 years, and I'm fairly certain it will take a miracle for me to ever go back to using a mouse.

Tablet is a really nice mouse replacement. I've used one of them as well and it's amazing how natural it felt to just point and tap things with the pen. Two problems, though: how does it work with a three-monitor combination like Jeff has? I don't think very well, because you'd need a *very* wide tablet. The second thing is that if your tablet is of A4 size, it can be annoying to reach around it to type on the keyboard.

There have been some changes in my mouse preferences over the last 8 months.

- middle (wheel) click is becoming very important. The way you can middle click to close windows / tabs is an emerging standard I like a lot-- and I use it all the time now. Most PC games actually assign something significant to the middle button now. It's presumed the middle button is there, and will be used.

- The forward button is slightly more important. It's still uncommon, but I missed this button terribly on the original Logitech G5. Logitech released a later version of the G5 that re-included the forward button.

> It's like the mouse was designed by the people who made the original Xbox controller!

I was thinking the same thing. It is a large mouse, for sure.

> actually provide inertial scrolling

The mouse wheel hardware itself is great-- yes, it is truly frictionless in that mode. The problem is that Windows can't quite deal with this mode. Even setting the mouse scroll to the minimum, 1 line at a time, the software can't quite make this feel natural.

I think they both look ugly :-)
Razor mice are still my favorites for gaming.

I'm still waiting for a mouse which has ctrl & shift keys on it, for operation with the thumb. This would provide true one handed operation for a lot more applications.

Matt Lacey -
Just map the mouse buttons to the function keys? I'm sure there's profiles for some mouse software.

I think I'll stick with my Microsoft Habu Mouse / Logitech G15 Keyboard for a little while.
The Habu left-side buttons (with different positions) are still unbeatable for me.

Now we know why Jeff built his coding box like a gaming machine...

Horizontal scrolling support is pretty useless, it's true. And that's why the Logitech mice that support side scrolling are better than their MS equivalents. The side wheel flicking is an intuitive and effective way of navigating forward and back while web browsing, and it's easy to remap it this way with the Logitech software. There is NO support for remapping these functions in Microsoft's drivers.

Since we're talking about mouse configs, has anybody tried configuring their outer buttons or left/right wheel click (for the Logitechers) to copy/paste? I've done this and my programming/browsing/misc productivity has shot through the roof!

As a sidenote, I'm using a trackball for my desktop, but have fallen in love with the Logitech VX Nano that I bought for my wife's new laptop. Heck I might even get it for my desktop!

I love my Logitech MX Revolution.

Laser, Wireless, Rechargable with Cradle. Best mouse I've ever owned.

I used to hate Wireless mice, but since trying this once, its been awesome. So much I bought another one for work. So I own two. I notice no lag, but I also use them on a mouse pad, a large desktop size one.

In case you're wondering, as I was, what the three types of feet are that come with the Sidewinder Mouse: Teflon (white), a Teflon mix (gray) and non-Teflon (black).

I blindly used the "slickest" feet which I *thought* were the white ones, but I was never quite sure. Looks like I chose correctly.. this is from the "Things to try when reviewing the MS Sidewinder Mouse" document, here http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/d/8/6d849c30-a602-4825-bf6a-1db9a6353439/SideWinderRG_Things%20to%20Try.pdf

Jeff, have you looked into how the driver software that comes with the mice interacts / overrides / affects the "Enhance pointer precision" setting in the basic Windows driver?

For instance, Logitech SetPoint (I have an MX1000) has settings for selectable acceleration. None, Low, Medium, and High. All 4 of these behave entirely differently depending on whether the "Enhance pointer precision" setting is enable in the control panel, not to mention that each one has it's own slider for pointer speed! It makes one wonder if the two are counteracting each other, or the opposite, exaggerating.

I would have thought that when one installs an "advanced" mouse driver, it would disable the basic mouse driver settings in the Windows control panel to avoid this confusion and overload of possible settings combinations.

How did your testing fare using the MS and Logitech software along with the basic Windows settings?

Horizontal scrolling is extremely useful for visual designers, who consistently work with images or documents that do not fit 100% in their screen resolution.

I use it all the time with my Mighty Mouse (using a mini-trackball, as mentioned in a previous comment) at home if I have multi-page booklet-style documents I'm working with in InDesign or if I am zoomed into a document in Photoshop. It can also be somewhat useful in browser windows that have are not maximized.

Hi Jeff, cool entry you have.

However, there is something strange with mouse ballistics, that is: even when you uncheck the "enhance mouse pointer precision", there still is no linear relationship to mouse movement and pointer speed. This can be shown by two things: start on a vertical line somewhere on the left of your screen, move your mouse to the right fast (but don't hit the right edge), then go back to the left the same distance on your desk and see whether your pointer ends up on the same place. With my logitech no-name mouse it doesn't. With my Wacom tablet it does for the pen, and too for the mouse when I set it in absolute mode (in linux / X, forgot what the name for the mode is in windows) - when in relative mode (which the mouse normally is in) it behaves as the logitech does.

A less scientific test for this is trying to write your autograph - The bank still won't accept it as yours with a mouse set to absolute, but it is recognizable as autograph, which it isn't with a "normal" mouse even with the pointer precision off.

And about the scroll wheel: I'm no gamer at all, so I use logitech OEM mice*. They have a nifty feature, when you open them up and remove the spring, the mouse wheel is almost frictionless. You can then on long webpages just give the wheel a whack and it'll keep scrolling until you stop it, while not giving any problems with precision scrolling. Since I've discovered this I've performed this operation on all my mice (except the Wacom), but not all mice (no-names, microsofts) will work: some will "flicker" up and down when they are exactly inbetween two stops.

And about cleaning keyboards: I about yearly remove all the keys and put them in a bra-net (get a girlfriend if you don't know what it is) and just put it in the washer, including detergent (nonperfumed). Pop 'm back up (good blind typing practice) and your keys are as good as new.

Just two nostalgia questions:
1: Who still uses mouse mats? I just saw one today (unused) when I realised it must've been years ago I saw one. However, I don't miss cleaning mouse balls and especially the contact wheels.
2: Any linux users still remember the difference between color and black/white mice? There was a time when the logitech OEM mice of the same model came with the Logitech logo either in color or in b/w print, and only one would work. I actiually did go to the store to ask for a color (or B/w) mouse, but fortunally they didn't laugh at me (not in my face, at least).

Tijmen

Two replies to comments:
- In linux it's pretty standard that "select" is copy, and "middle click" is paste. In fact, usually it's a separate paste buffer from ctrl-c/v/x (or ctrl-ins/shift-ins if you prefer) so you have two paste buffers
- Also in linux, horizontal scrolling is done by scrolling (vertically) on the horizontal scrollbar

And one for myself:
- What I REALLY miss in the wacom PEN is the scrolling function and actually the reason I still use the mouse. Is there any pen that has a scroller that's not button-based? This can be a synaptics device (Ipod scrollwheel but linear), a real scrollwheel or a 1-D analog joystick button (that increases scroll speed when you hold it further)???

Two replies to comments:
- In linux it's pretty standard that "select" is copy, and "middle click" is paste. In fact, usually it's a separate paste buffer from ctrl-c/v/x (or ctrl-ins/shift-ins if you prefer) so you have two paste buffers
- Also in linux, horizontal scrolling is done by scrolling (vertically) on the horizontal scrollbar

And one for myself:
- What I REALLY miss in the wacom PEN is the scrolling function and actually the reason I still use the mouse. Is there any pen that has a scroller that's not button-based? This can be a synaptics device (Ipod scrollwheel but linear), a real scrollwheel or a 1-D analog joystick button (that increases scroll speed when you hold it further)???

"It is possible to edit these curves via the SmoothMouseXCurve and SmoothMouseYCurve registry settings, but there's absolutely no documentation I could find on these settings, so be careful."

I realize I am being lazy - but did you dig into this at all? I have just this week been thinking about creating my own curve. I was trying out an MX Revolution (already looks hopelessly outdated in comparison to the G9) and finding I couldn't match the "feel" of my MX 5/700 regardless of what acceleration level I chose. I'd read the MS article on pointer ballistics - but there was nothing anywhere within Google's reach defining the details of SmoothMouse?Curve.

@Sean Patterson:
I set my mouse 4 button to Enter and mouse 5 button to Backspace, since my left hand is always around the Control-Z,X,C,V area. Enter is for those pesky MsgBox with the one OK buttons. Backspace is for Internet Explorer/Windows Explore "Back" function and normal editing.

Unforutnately, the other buttons on my mouse can't seem to be redefined. Is this Intellipoint's fault?

Mentioned by Tijmen Stam/IIVQ:
"Also in linux, horizontal scrolling is done by scrolling (vertically) on the horizontal scrollbar"
I could have sworn you can do the same thing in windows. Testing out in Windows Explorer reveals that there is the same functionality. However, if there's a vertical scrollbar at the same time, then that takes precedence. Who decided that?

> And about the scroll wheel

I will say that after using the finely tuned metal scroll wheels ( even in gear mode), it is very difficult to go back to the rubber ones. I feel like I'm scrolling through molasses.

> I have just this week been thinking about creating my own curve

Some of the mouse driver software will let you make fine adjustments to the acceleration, but I have yet to see any software that allows you to set up an acceleration curve per se.

> How did your testing fare using the MS and Logitech software along with the basic Windows settings?

I try very hard not to install additional mouse software, and stick with what's in the base OS. It's simpler that way. I find I almost never *need* the crazy additional features in the OEM mouse software drivers. However, as the settings for these mice are stored permanently in firmware, I did install the software once, used it set up the mouse to my preferences (DPI, LED color, things like that), then uninstalled it.

About Daniel's comment about the Wiimote above.

I recently acquired the Logitech MX Air for my living room media PC (really for using regular desktop apps on the same system) and I love it!

It took my 5 minutes to get used to it, it supports using it in "regular" mouse mode with quite high accuracy, its pixel accuracy in "air" mode blows the Wiimote out of the water and it looks good.

See: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/3443&cl=us,en

I've had an Evoluent Vertical Mouse for over a year. Actually, I have three: I alternate between a right-handed one and a left-handed one at work and have another right-handed one for home. This is the best nest of mice I've ever had.

The right one was a bit difficult to get used to since I had to retrain myself to hold the mouse the new way. With my left hand, this was not needed. My CTS symptoms have all but disappeared.

Talking about mice...
Windows OS has an option "snap to"...to automatically move the mouse to the default button.
I use this feature, but sometimes I have a little problem: my intention is to click a certain button, but because a pop-up/dialog box/confirmation request window/etc appears just before I want to click, the mouse automatically moves to that window, so I click there even if not this was my plan. Do you know a way to set the OS to ignore the click on a window if this click comes too early for a human being to be able to see that window and to decide to click on that window. I mean, if a click comes after less that (let's say) 250 milisec the window appeared, that click is ignored.

So, this in is contrast to the "Put the mouse down" article ? :)

huh? any mouse works for me. Like BB King once said to a friend of mine: "if it has 6 strings I can play it".

Well, yeah, but I don't think BB would have been too happy with a Playskool toy guitar, either. Real artists require quality equipment.

I'm always in search of the perfect mouse, but I find so few. I've been with my Logitech MX1000 for awhile now and really like it - but the wirelessness kills me. It isn't the weight, it's the flaky reception the rf gets for some reason. I guess my keyboard try is below desk level and so if my desk gets messy, or my cat lies down too close to the receiver, all of a sudden things get jerky.

The problem is, I'm now addicted to the three thumb buttons. Mapped to a couple expose modes and my dashboard, it's reflexive. Sigh. The search continues.

What I've always wanted to see was either a mouse or a keyboard with an integrated mini-joystick like those found on Playstation controllers, or even smaller.

There are times when I want precision (e.g., sniping in an FPS) and times when I want to be able to very quickly move with no precision (e.g., rotating a sluggish turret, where a mouse requires you repeatedly pick up the mouse and move it to get to the desired target).

I've tried using a joystick to the side of my mouse and switching to it quickly when I need to move in "turret mode", but that's also very tedious.

I'd love a small integrated joystick to fill this gap -- has anyone ever seen something like this?

The G9 does have left/right mouse wheel action. I purchased after this review. It's hot.

non-linear response scared me away from EPP option: i was afraid it would continuously vary the ratio of response to my speed giving me no linearity whatsoever making it so that i was unable to be the primary actor, only able to respond to whatever the instantaeous ratio was. your graphs, with two inflection points, makes me much more comfortable with the notion assuming they are accurate, but i still somewhat lean towards fixed response on principle.

then again my primary is a overclocked trackball set to twitch and my secondary is a fairly slow clit.

Thank you for mentioning the bit about Macs, with the link to the other guy's article on Macs and mice. I've been playing around with a Mac here at work and couldn't figure out why the mouse was so crappy feeling compared to all of the Windows machines in the lab. Now I feel better knowing about the name and the concepts for this experience (the whole mouse acceleration ballistics thing).

I'm using the Sidewinder right now, and I must say this has been the best mouse I've ever owned so far. It was on sell for $50 at Circuit City so I couldn't pass it up. The Sidewinder is great for my large hands. It's wide enough to accommodate every finger including the pinky. As far as I can tell the only major failing would be the lack of customization for all the buttons. I'm sure that some persons outside of Microsoft will eventually fix that problem soon enough.

This is a Good One...

You are hereby bookmarked!

I was searching for a good source for the definition of Mickey as in Computer Mouse and found this one!

Good Writing.

Keep it up.

Ra.

P.S. 13th O' October is my Birthday! Guess this is a goody present... Thank You! :-)

I do notice after I enable enhance pointer precision, I get smoother pointer from my Logitech Marble Mouse. However, enhance pointer precision not staying checked after each reboot. Every time I need to go to Control Panel to activate it after every PC reboot or start PC.
How do I enable this feature all the time.