It’s a good mouse, but since any fixed posture can worsen rsi, I wonder if it mght be better to alternate with a horizontal mouse, and since it wears out, I wonder if it might be better to split the wear-and-tear with a cheaper mouse.
I am having trouble finding 3-button+ horizontal mice though.
I use an actual middle button, and special software, for scrolling; this doesn’t tear my tendons like scrollwheels do. Some people use an actual middle button for copying. Some people use it for other things.
But most mice count scrollwheels as their middle buttons, so I would need a mouse which has other suitable buttons, and which lets users map them to button 3.
What are your problems and/or suggestions when it comes to computer mice?
A lot of scroll wheels are clickable and do double duty as a middle button – don’t reject scroll wheels out of hand (heh).
My main mouse is a little Logitech laptop cordless I bought two computers ago. It looks like it should be too small to be comfortable, but I find it’s very pleasant to hold lightly under my fingers.
I have trouble not slipping. I had to switch pdf readers, because I would slip while reading pdfs, and the mouse would move, and Apple’s Preview would take this as a cue to reformat the pdf. For a while I used Skim, right now I use Clearview for both pdfs and epubs.
So I am worried that, if I tried to use a scrollwheel as a button, I’d slip, and the scrollwheel would rip up one of my tendons.
I think 3-button mice are more-or-less extinct. A couple of options are to look on ebay for listings like this or this, or perhaps better, consider gaming mice. Even if you’re not a gamer, they have some nice features, like adjustable dpi resolution, adjustable weight, and multiple programmable buttons. They’ll still have a scrollwheel (clickable for third-button functionality) but you could set one of the thumb buttons to do what you want if you don’t like clicking a scrollwheel.
Personally, I got a 2-pack of cheap Zelotes gaming mice and I like the feel of them, but I haven’t needed to reprogram the buttons or anything. It’s two standard buttons + clickable scrollwheel + forward and back side buttons plus a double-click button and one to change the dpi. I’m not sure mine’s side buttons are reprogrammable, so check that before you buy.
I considered them, but I’m not sure if I can actually program them. Even Evolulent has trouble keeping Mac drivers up to date-- I’m waiting for the driver update before any o/s update.
Sometimes traditional mice aren’t the way to go. I used a trackball at work and it was a revelation. I also keep a Bluetooth controller around to emulate a mouse for control from the couch.
On the one hand, I love that. On the other hand, seriously, I’ve never had any trouble plugging in a USB. Micros are even easier, because it’s almost always seam side up.
