Trackball Vs. Mouse

[botfly10]

For the record, I am not suggesting the mx518. It's not worth it for someone that didn't use one for many many years. You're better off jumping into an easier to replace grip style. Basically, if you don't know what you're missing, don't try to jump into a dead-end mouse.

Also, which grip do you use?

Finger, claw, palm are the dominant types. Also note, if you have no real preference and aren't locked into anything, then this may be your window to adapt to an more ergonomical style mouse before you develop all the bad habits.

what are these bad habits you speak of?

 

[xer0h0ur]

I honestly haven't put much time into looking at modern mice. I have only been looking at mechanical keyboards to replace my veteran ass Logitech Elite keyboard. R.I.P. That keyboard served me well for like a decade. It was my keyboard of choice for competitive gaming but its on its last legs now. I have failing switches on it that are loose and causing menu pop-ups in browsers now. Its annoying as ****.

 

[Wintermute]

I honestly haven't put much time into looking at modern mice. I have only been looking at mechanical keyboards to replace my veteran ass Logitech Elite keyboard. R.I.P. That keyboard served me well for like a decade. It was my keyboard of choice for competitive gaming but its on its last legs now. I have failing switches on it that are loose and causing menu pop-ups in browsers now. Its annoying as ****.

What type of switches are you looking at? Black,blue,brown...etc... Or were you going old school with a buckling spring?

 

[xer0h0ur]

I pretty much decided on the Corsair K70 RGB keyboard but I don't know if I want to get the Cherry MX Red switches or the Cherry MX Brown for that bump feedback. Why dey gotta have so many switch options?

 

[Crystallas]

I pretty much decided on the Corsair K70 RGB keyboard but I don't know if I want to get the Cherry MX Red switches or the Cherry MX Brown for that bump feedback. Why dey gotta have so many switch options?

Switches are like tires. Not just keyboard, but mouse switches(yes, that's a thing too) All-Season tires suck compared to ideal tires. But people don't change them for every weather and surface condition, which then make them the best all-around. An analogy that I don't believe is far off. I like all of Cherry's switches TBH, even the pre-color series, which IMO, although discontinued, are still among the best ever made.

what are these bad habits you speak of?

Hand/arm/shoulder issues. The kind of issues that those who are used to standard mice will pretty much blow off until they have wrist issues and it's too late. I'm one of those bad habit users. But then again, anything now is much better than the garbage mice of the 80s that I grew used to.

 

[Wintermute]

I pretty much decided on the Corsair K70 RGB keyboard but I don't know if I want to get the Cherry MX Red switches or the Cherry MX Brown for that bump feedback. Why dey gotta have so many switch options?

Damn that keyboard looks sweet. I got my Filco with reds just before those switches became wildly available in the US. Still wish I had back-lighting, but still happy with my rock-solid purchase.

 

[supraman]

Trackballs4life.

 

[MassHavoc]

Trackballs4life.

You just like balls

 

[Crystallas]

I just picked up the new(supposedly there is a 2015 revision that fixes the wheel mount) Roccat Kone Pure Optical.

It's improved over the past Kone Pure, and has been the first mouse since the trusty mx518 to win me over instantly. If it's reliable, then I finally found a suitable replacement, after a decade of searching.

 

[botfly10]

Its fucked up about this thread... I have had "tennis elbow" on both arms for like 3+ weeks and I am 98% convinced that its from using the computer and mostly convinced it is a repetitive motion injury connected with twisting my forearms so my palms are parallel to the floor in order to use a kb/m.

I have been away from the computer for about 2 weeks and it receded but didn't go completely away. After being on the computer again the last 2 days, it's completely back. Not really sure what I'm going to do.

 

[Crystallas]

Its fucked up about this thread... I have had "tennis elbow" on both arms for like 3+ weeks and I am 98% convinced that its from using the computer and mostly convinced it is a repetitive motion injury connected with twisting my forearms so my palms are parallel to the floor in order to use a kb/m.

I have been away from the computer for about 2 weeks and it receded but didn't go completely away. After being on the computer again the last 2 days, it's completely back. Not really sure what I'm going to do.

Hopefully you heal or find an ergonomic solution. I put an old two drawer filing cabinet next to my chair and use my mouse on a lower surface now. It has done wonders. Not saying that would work for you, but thinking outside the box.

 

[botfly10]

Yeah, I think some of the issue might be the positioning of the armrests on my chair. Hopefully. Thing is its impossible for me to avoid using a computer for work.

 

[Crystallas]

Spoiler

I just picked up the new(supposedly there is a 2015 revision that fixes the wheel mount) Roccat Kone Pure Optical.

It's improved over the past Kone Pure, and has been the first mouse since the trusty mx518 to win me over instantly. If it's reliable, then I finally found a suitable replacement, after a decade of searching.

Just wanted to give an update. Maybe hear Wintermute's feedback on what route he went, and draw him back into giving us an update on his situation.

Kone can kiss my ass as well. After two of these (and a Kone Pure Military, which had the better sensor) both had issues, both were claimed to be fixed issues, but they aren't. Kone is also going cheap-bin on the sensors/switches. Oh well, the shape and weight was mx518 friendly, but the engineering is lacking so much. Stuff that isn't apparent until after you get used to it.

I still use a mx518, but it's simply missing some accuracy with the sensor. So I splurged and bought the Zowie EC1A. If there was only a way to combine some of the features between a number of mice into one. More than just swapping switches.

But this Zowie EC1-A is actually pretty spot on. The shape is still a little bulky if I had to nitpick. But overall, it might be the best mouse I have ever used. I still wish LEDs weren't some kind of selling point, because the scrollwheel is lit up, which is useless. I might get bored and just gut this and an mx518, make my frankenstein mouse in the winter, or find a mouse with a better sensor(IIRC there is only 1 better sensor, and it's only slightly better) and just do that instead, since I am okay with the shape of the new mouse.

 

[Monsieur Tirets]

a bit of a necro. lol

anyway, i use a logitech g602 wireless gaming mouse that i picked up on sale when building my pc. personally i dont believe "gaming" mice offer an advantage in terms of basic functionality over a decent 20 dollar mouse. and as for wired vs wireless, a good wireless mouse wont have anymore delay than a wired one, at least not anything that will have a real world impact, and i simply cannot stand wired mice with the cord always getting in the damn way. give a $150 dollar wired gaming mouse to one pro gamer and then give a 20 dollar basic wireless mouse to an even better gamer and the better gamer will still come out on top. gaming mice can offer some nice features though, even if prices are usually ridiculous, such as extended battery life, as in the case of my wireless g602, as well as numerous thumb buttons, which is the main reason i got the g602. those come in handy.

 

[botfly10]

Different quality sensors can definitely have an impact. And the cheap mice sometimes have problems with mouse acceleration which is horrible. But yeah, there are a lotta gimmicks. Like absurd dpi.


I've had a razer naga for years and I am hooked on having 12 thumb buttons. I can never give them up. Which sucks cause I don't really like how the naga is shaped and the alternatives don't look that great either. I might try the new corsair one out, idk.

 

[botfly10]

Oh btw, I took the arm rests of my chair and that solved my elbow tendonitis issues.

 

[Mitchapalooza]

I've been using a Microsoft arc mouse for years lol. I like it. I'm not a huge gamer but the games I do play I have no problem with it. Very basic mouse but the arc is comfortable.

 

[Wintermute]

Just wanted to give an update. Maybe hear Wintermute's feedback on what route he went, and draw him back into giving us an update on his situation.

Sorry gang, not much to report. Got a few non-FPS games on sale, so haven't needed a higher degree of precision against non-human opponents. Plus home expenses have been eating into my hardware fund.

On a side note, bought a re-furbished HP laptop some time ago. Of course it's buggy and I've been going rounds with HP's WONDERFUL customer service. Good thing I bought the extended warranty. It will be the last HP product I purchase. I've had an ASUS since 2012 that I've beat up, opened up, swapped the APU, RAM, and HDD for a SSD, and it STILL hums along quite nicely. Think I may go for that brand again.

Anyone have any suggestions for a good color printer? Would like to get away from the scam that are HP printer cartridges.

 

[Crystallas]

HP is slowly correcting years of using a bad model. That being said, I'm with you and agree. There is no way I can recommend HP anything to anyone. It's so hit or miss, and the good hardware is so overpriced, not worth it. People who have good luck will say they have no problems, and it's one of these deals. Objectively, the broken rates found as returns and the ink DRM has been well documented. People buy HP because they don't know better, then buy a Cannon or Epson which sometimes is worse, then goes back to HP.

Brother has been my go to brand for printers over the last 10 years, and have no reason to not recommend them. Everything works, it's not like HP where some have ink guzzling issues, or refill issues, or they wont network for shit with certain setups. And they aren't like Canons that lose drivers on a whim, or have dishonest print speed ratings. I don't know much about Epson recently. I had the worst luck with them in the 90s, maybe they are better now, but why am I going to bother when every Brother printer ink and laser I've owned, has been a workhorse. The Brother scanners are a different story though, they can be hit or miss, depending on what software you use. Might be perfect in windows, but under linux distros, I've had a few all-in-ones that wouldn't scan for the life of me and it was a common problem.

 

[AussieBear]

Sorry gang, not much to report. Got a few non-FPS games on sale, so haven't needed a higher degree of precision against non-human opponents. Plus home expenses have been eating into my hardware fund.

On a side note, bought a re-furbished HP laptop some time ago. Of course it's buggy and I've been going rounds with HP's WONDERFUL customer service. Good thing I bought the extended warranty. It will be the last HP product I purchase. I've had an ASUS since 2012 that I've beat up, opened up, swapped the APU, RAM, and HDD for a SSD, and it STILL hums along quite nicely. Think I may go for that brand again.

Anyone have any suggestions for a good color printer? Would like to get away from the scam that are HP printer cartridges.

i had an hp laptop once back in the day... the mobo shat itself.. i think i had one of those bad batteries in the mid 00s.. perhaps it was overheating and fried it???? idk... like you though.... no more hp pcs for me