Types of Computer Mice

Differences between standard and specialty mice

Originally, a computer mouse used a weighted rubber ball that rolled across a mouse pad. These mice still exist as an extremely low-priced alternative. Ball-mice cost between $2 and $10. They aren't reviewed, as the only reason to buy one is a low price. Mechanical-ball mice have otherwise been replaced by optical mice, which use an LED, a laser or other light-based technology to track movement and translate the coordinates of that movement to the computer. Optical mice need less cleaning, and they can be used on just about any flat surface, with or without a mouse pad. They don't work as well on reflective surfaces, but an optical mouse is much more sensitive than a mechanical mouse. Most optical mice plug into a USB port, rather than the older PS2 mouse port, and some come with a USB-to-PS2 adapter.

Laser mice are more accurate than LED mice, but reviewers are consistently surprised by how slight the difference is. Reviews say the laser is safe unless you stick it right up to your eyeball. Laser mice can work on pretty much any surface (except mirrors), including glossy or black surfaces. The potential advantage of a laser mouse is increased sensitivity -- meaning it can track smaller movements. This is expressed in dots-per-inch (dpi). While most optical mice can track between 400 dpi and 800 dpi, a laser mouse can track up to 4,000 dpi. High-end gaming mice sometimes come with a set of weights, so you can adjust the weight and drag to your liking.

Reviews say that resolution greater than 800 dpi is only a benefit for gamers, especially those who enjoy first-person-shooter (FPS) games, as well as graphic artists, 3D designers and CAD professionals who want the mouse pointer to register the smallest movements of their hand. Be aware that increased sensitivity means that the mouse moves faster with smaller hand movements. For office applications and web surfing, such high sensitivity can actually be frustrating because the mouse pointer will move with even the smallest twitch of your hand. While reviews agree that a high-resolution laser gaming mouse is overkill for general-purpose use, most gaming mice are adjustable, so you can dial down the sensitivity when you're not playing games or doing precise work in Photoshop.

Along with choosing between a gaming and general-purpose mouse, you must choose between a corded and wireless mouse. A wireless mouse comes with a receiver. It is a small radio-frequency (RF) receiver that plugs into a USB port on your computer; the transmitter in the mouse then communicates wirelessly to the receiver. Though the USB transceiver used to be fairly bulky -- about the size of a deck of cards -- some, such as the one included with the Logitech VX Nano (*Est. $70), are smaller than a postage stamp.

While going cordless can be a boon for smooth, fast mouse movement, a wireless mouse needs batteries, though some, like the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 (*Est. $60), are rechargeable. Reviewers say that in the better mice, wireless performance is now as fast as with corded mice, although some gamers remain hard-wired fans of the corded variety. Wireless mice are typically $15 to $30 more expensive, plus the ongoing cost of batteries (for non-rechargeable mice).

A variety of alternatives to mice have faded in popularity. Touchpads (as found on most laptops), stylus-based graphics pads, digital pens and trackballs each have fans for specific reasons, including personal taste. Trackballs are the most popular of those, but they command a minuscule market share. The main appeal to a trackball now is preventing (or not aggravating) repetitive stress injuries.

Manufacturers now frequently bundle keyboard and mouse sets as "desktop sets." As these sets usually include keyboards and mice that are also sold separately, we cover the separate products in our reports on keyboards and mice.