Author Topic: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?  (Read 8541 times)

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« on: November 19, 2014, 09:41:21 PM »
Dear WeatherCat disciples  of da' Mac way of doing things . . . .

My 20+ year old Kensington PocketMouse is finally starting to have trouble with the buttons, so I'm looking for another mouse.  There was an Apple Magic Mouse in the house that had been abandoned, so I gave the a try.  However, it just doesn't work very well.  Tracking is surprisingly jerky and the lack of well-defined surfaces makes it very easy to accidentally move things around.  It isn't awful for computer operation, but for graphic design it just isn't precise enough.

I started doing some research and am surprised that most wireless mice aren't using Bluetooth.  Is the reason something to do with the jerky motion I'm finding with the Magic Mouse?

What are you'all using when it comes to rodents?  Are these other wireless systems as good as people claim?  Would I be better off to get an old reliable USB mouse?  I'm certainly used to the cord.

Opinions solicited!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Steve

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 1555
    • DW8454
    • KOHAVON11
    • Avon Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Wireless VP2 Plus w/24 hr FARS, Leaf & Soil Station, 2023 Mac mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, Mac OS 14, WeatherCat 3.2
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2014, 03:06:58 AM »
Edouard,

I'm still using the Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboard and wireless Magic Mouse. I've been using them on my iMacs for about five years without any problems. I don't do graphics with it other than some photo editing. On two different macs and two different Magic Mice, I've never seen any jerky motion. Are you using it on a glossy surface? I use mine on an old thin mousepad. Give that a try.
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


CWOP: DW8454 - WU: KOHAVON11 - AWEKAS - CoCoRaHS
PWSweather - WeatherCloud - Twitter - Facebook

Mtn.Marty

  • Gentle Breeze
  • **
  • Posts: 91
    • EW4707
    • KNCASHEV25
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Vue
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2014, 03:17:19 AM »
I love my bluetooth trackpad. So many gestures are possible and I find it very comfortable.

Felix

  • Gale
  • ****
  • Posts: 439
  • Station Details: Davis VP-2 Plus, FARS, WeatherLink IP. Sharx cams.
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2014, 04:26:20 AM »
Apple Magic Trackpad. No complaints except that it goes through AA batteries fairly quickly but that's to be expected I suppose since the computer runs 24x7 and I don't turn off the Trackpad.

Predictably though, (as of this post) 82 of 965 reviewers on the Apple Store thought it stinks and awarded a 1-star rating.

Bull Winkus

  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 782
    • EW0095
    • KARHORSE2
    • WU for Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas
  • Station Details: Davis Wireless Vantage Pro 2, iMac 24"
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2014, 04:30:03 AM »
 ;D I'm using the Magic Mouse on my web browser computer. That is the older 2008 model iMac. On the 2011 model iMac serving as WC runner, I'm using a Diablo mouse that I recently purchased as a gaming mouse. It is wired. It has proven to be very accurate and satisfactory to my use with WC and gaming, however I should note that it doesn't have a scroll left or right function in the finger wheel, and the location of the side buttons make them easily bumped unintentionally.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005L38QK2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Herb

awilltx

  • Guest
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2014, 12:04:36 PM »
I've been using the Apple Trackpad for years and love it. Would never go back to a mouse of any kind! Get one - it will change your life!

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Thanks (Re: cyber-rodents?)
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2014, 08:01:58 PM »
Howdy Steve, Mtn.Marty, Felix, Herb, awilltx, and WeatherCat hardware experts,

I'm still using the Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboard and wireless Magic Mouse. I've been using them on my iMacs for about five years without any problems. I don't do graphics with it other than some photo editing. On two different macs and two different Magic Mice, I've never seen any jerky motion. Are you using it on a glossy surface? I use mine on an old thin mousepad. Give that a try.

I am using two fabric mousepads.  That could be the problem.  I'll try something else.

Thanks for the trackpad suggestions, but that really doesn't work well for drawings and image processing.

;D I'm using the Magic Mouse on my web browser computer. That is the older 2008 model iMac. On the 2011 model iMac serving as WC runner, I'm using a Diablo mouse that I recently purchased as a gaming mouse.

Thanks Herb, that's something to think about.

Okay, time for me to do some more research - thanks again!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Steve

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 1555
    • DW8454
    • KOHAVON11
    • Avon Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Wireless VP2 Plus w/24 hr FARS, Leaf & Soil Station, 2023 Mac mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, Mac OS 14, WeatherCat 3.2
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2014, 09:50:47 PM »
No complaints except that it goes through AA batteries fairly quickly

This is another of the dozens of places around the house that I use Sanyo Enveloop pre-charged batteries. I rarely use alkaline batteries indoors anymore.
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


CWOP: DW8454 - WU: KOHAVON11 - AWEKAS - CoCoRaHS
PWSweather - WeatherCloud - Twitter - Facebook

JosBaz

  • Strong Breeze
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
    • INBRSON2
    • Weatherstation Son en Breugel, The Netherlands
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro2 Wireless, WeatherCat on Mac OS X 10.13.6
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2014, 07:54:56 PM »
Hi Edouard,
I like Apple products a lot, but the Magic Mouse is an exception. I may be old school, and because I always sit very close to my computer anyway, I moved to a Logitec M500. Cheap, very accurate, good size for my hand, and 200% reliable. And never any more messing around with batteries or loss of control in case of bluethooth issues (rare, I admit).
Same for the keyboard by the way: the extended keyboard (wired) may not look as good as the small wireless one, but much nicer to use imho.
Jos

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Alas no left-handed version (Re: What you guys like in cyber-rodents?)
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2014, 09:49:16 PM »
Dear Jos and WeatherCat traditionalists,

I like Apple products a lot, but the Magic Mouse is an exception.

Alas, I have lost all our old mousepads . . . so another test of the Apple Magic Mouse has been delayed while I tried to clean one of the two pads I had around my computers.  However, I can see that it has some bad habits that cannot be attributed to tracking.  What Apple would call high-functionality is a flaw in my point of view.  The entire top surface appears to be active.  That sounds like a good idea, but where can you simply rest your fingers?  I was finding that my fingers would move ever so slightly and the Magic Mouse would interpret that as a scroll gesture.  I think I prefer to have known locations for buttons so that I can be sure when I'm causing something to happen, but also have a way to hold the mouse without any risk of having it do something unexpected.

I may be old school, and because I always sit very close to my computer anyway, I moved to a Logitec M500. Cheap, very accurate, good size for my hand, and 200% reliable. And never any more messing around with batteries or loss of control in case of bluethooth issues (rare, I admit).
Same for the keyboard by the way: the extended keyboard (wired) may not look as good as the small wireless one, but much nicer to use imho.

Odds are that I could go with another USB mouse without any problems.  After all, that's what I've used for decades.  I am a bit disappointed in that style of Logitech mouse.  It is clearly designed for right-handed people only.  I may go even more minimalist and find something with a conventional 3 button layout.  That's what I'm used to and it doesn't discriminate against left-handed people.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

WCDev

  • WeatherCat Developer
  • Administrator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 2911
    • CW9739
    • ISCOTLAN25
    • Trixology
  • Station Details: Main Station: Vantage Pro-2, 24hr fars, solar, soil/leaf station, extra temp stations, no U.V. WeatherLink IP.
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2014, 12:50:48 PM »
Microsoft trackball optical here (the thumb driven one) difficult to get these days, but run for ever.


elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Ordered another Kensington. (Re: What you guys like in cyber-rodents?)
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2014, 11:00:27 PM »
Howdy Stu and WeatherCat cyber-rodent managers,

Microsoft trackball optical here (the thumb driven one) difficult to get these days, but run for ever.

 ;) . . . . Stu, how could you!!  Something from the da' evil empire? . . . .  [lol2]

Actually I really need a mouse for the graphics work I do.  I've tried doing that with a trackball and it is just not intuitive.

This morning I decided to order what appears to be the modern equivalent the Kensington mouse I have now.  I remembered that I control two computers with the same keyboard and mouse via an A-B switch.  So the Magic Mouse was going to be a real hassle.  I bought was of those wireless mice with the USB receiver.  I assume that will work just like a tethered mouse.  I find out on Wednesday!

Thanks for all the feedback everybody!  [tup]

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Mouse is here (Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?)
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2014, 08:51:42 PM »
Dear WeatherCat caretakers of cyber-rodents,

Okay my new Kensington mouse arrived this morning and is already in "revenue service."  I picked up this model:

http://www.kensington.com/us/us/4522/K72366US/pro-fit%C2%AE-mobile-wireless-mouse#.VHY8Udauj2E

As advertised it is a wireless, but is treated by your computer as a USB mouse.  So that means I could use my A-B switch to control two computers and the wireless mouse functions perfectly on both computers.  The other good thing for me is that I use USB Overdrive software to configure my mouse and that software works perfectly with this new mouse.  So minimum changes.  I just have to tweak the speed and acceleration settings so that this new mouse behaves like the old.

As painless a transition as you can get for a 20 year old component!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Randall75

  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 1332
  • CWOP-CW6734 WeatherUnderground-KOHNEWAR6
    • CW6734
    • KOHNEWAR6
    • Randy's Weather On The Hill
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro 2 Plus.iMac i5 OS High Sierra 10.13.6 8GB Ram, WeatherCat 3,Logitech 9000 Pro Web Cam
Re: What you guys like these days in cyber-rodents?
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2014, 10:07:33 PM »
Hi Edouard
 Well I'm using a Kensington Track ball for mac
My 21" iMac is a late 2011 model came with wireless mouse and keyboard but I have never used them
I am using the old key board off my old emac which is still working but sitting in the closet
and I have a extra trackball i bought 2 of them on eBay for a very good price
Maybe one of these days I'll try the new wireless ones that came with the iMac


cheers


 [cheers1]

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Just can't handle trackballs (Re: cyber-rodents?)
« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2014, 06:21:52 PM »
Howdy Randall and WeatherCat accumulators of classic Mac "stuff" . . . . .

Well I'm using a Kensington Track ball for mac

I'm the only one in the house who still uses a mouse.  If you don't make drawings or image touch-ups a trackball is convenient, but it is really hard to do go graphics work with them.

I am using the old key board off my old emac

My keyboard is an old Macally iKey keyboard that is about the same age as my old USB mouse.  It is plenty dusty, but still working fine.  I sure don't want to replace that!

If it ain't broken, don't fix it!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

P.S. Strangely enough, I'm still have problems with the standard click button not activating all the time.  So the problem wasn't just a worn switch.  Perhaps a USB Overdrive incompatibility with Yosemite?