>08/06/2011 13:16, Camaleón:
>> On Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:28:05 -0500, Ron Johnson wrote:
>
>>> On 06/07/2011 01:40 PM, Camaleón wrote: [snip]
>>>
>>> I still see some disadvantages for laser or BlueTrack based mice:
>>>
>>> 1/ They do not work on crystal or clear surfaces
>>>
>>>
>> I can't remember the last time I put my mouse on a clear (glass?)
>> surface. But if I did, then I'd use a mousepad.
>
> And what happens if you are on a conference room (or any other "hostile"
> environment) with no mousepad at all? Only you, a pristine clear surface
> and your hi-tech laser mouse ;-)
I don't want to advertise a particular brand (that you'll guess anyway)
but I bought a cordless small mouse to go with my laptop, it has a newer
(or re-branded ?) technology ("darkfield") and works on mirror, glass,
all shiny surfaces I have tried it on (except the laptop screen itself),
on the lap, sofa ...etc. Plus the batteries last a long time, and the
receiver is really tiny.
I used to be an "anti" cordless, because of battery consumption,
excessive weight or bad weight distribution due to batteries, bulky
receivers, poor signal range, bad Linux support. I have to say all those
annoyances are gone for my use cases. I now love "spaghetti-free" desktops.
>
>> Disadvantages of ball mice:
>> 1) The ball gets dirty and sticks. Yes, you can clean it, but laser
>> mice never get dirty.
>
> Doesn't need to be re-calibrated? Never?
I never had to recalibrate any of my optical mouses, and some of my
activities require precision (photo and video editing).
>
>> 2) The ball doesn't roll well on some surfaces. The laser works on
>> more surfaces.
>
> I can live with a corded laser/bluetrack mouse but not with a wireless
> one.
>
> Greetings,
>
For my desktops I use exclusively "trackball/trackman" pointing devices,
my current is cordless, optical (the sensor "reads" the movements of the
ball), works on virtually any surface since it doesn't rely on it to
work. As a bonus it saved me from carpal canal surgery. Now I can't work
for a long period with anything else. The single battery lasts for a
really long time (over a year).
Those devices are all Linux friendly, and work out of the box (including
buttons) on my Linux's (Debian, Kubuntu, Fedora).