Whether you use it for work or play, our hands grip a computer mouse almost every day. What is the difference between optical and laser mouse?

They are on store shelves in a large assortment, most are designed for right-handers, while a few have an ergonomic design suitable for left-handers. Of all the features and form factors, you will find two basic versions of computer mice: with an optical sensor or based on a laser. What's better? Let's figure it out.

Guess what? All modern computer mice are optical.

Modern computer mice are the same cameras that, instead of capturing faces, capture images of the surface from below (table, stand, etc.). The captured images are converted into data to track the current location of the peripheral on the surface. Ultimately, this is a low-resolution camera in the palm of your hand designed only to track X and Y coordinates thousands of times per second.

Essentially, all computer mice consist of a tiny low-resolution camera (CMOS sensor), two lenses, and a light source. All mice are technically optical because they collect data optically. However, those sold as optical models rely on an infrared or red LED to project light onto a surface. This LED is usually mounted at an angle and focuses the light onto the beam. The beam bounces off the surface, through a lens that magnifies the reflected light, and transmits it to the CMOS sensor.

The CMOS sensor collects light and converts light particles into electrical current. This analog data is then converted to 1s and 0s, resulting in over 10,000 captures. digital imaging every second. These images are compared to create the exact location of the mouse, and then the final data is sent to the PC for cursor placement every one to eighth milliseconds.

On older LED mice, you may have noticed that the LED was pointing straight down and shining a red beam on the surface that the sensor saw. Now the LED light is projected at an angle and is generally invisible (infrared). This helps your computer mouse track movements on most surfaces.

Meanwhile, Logitech was the first to introduce the concept of using a laser for a computer mouse back in 2004. Specifically, it is called a vertical cavity laser diode, or VCSEL, which is used in laser pointers, optical drives, barcode readers and other devices.

This infrared laser simply replaces the infrared/red LED on optical models. But don't worry: it won't harm your eyes because it only emits light in the infrared range, which the human eye can't see. This major advantage allows the laser mouse to use a higher beam intensity, resulting in better visualization and increased sensitivity.

At one time, laser models were considered far superior to optical versions. Over time, however, optical mice have improved, and now they work in the most different situations, with very a high degree accuracy. The advantage of the laser model is due to the greater sensitivity than the LED mouse. However, if you're not an avid gamer, this is not such a big deal.

So, what's the difference between using an optical mouse and a laser mouse, other than the difference in lighting?

To begin with, it should be mentioned that both methods use surface irregularities to track the position of the periphery. But, the laser can penetrate deeper into the surface texture. This gives more information to the CMOS sensor and processor inside the mouse to manipulate and transmit data to the parent PC.

For example, despite the fact that ordinary glass is transparent, it still has very small irregularities that can only be traced with a laser. This allows you to use the surface of the glass table when working, although it is not ideal. Meanwhile, if we place a modern optical mouse on the same glass surface, it won't be able to track our movements. Place a glass surface on a black desktop and the optical mouse still won't be able to track motion. Remove glass and optical mouse will start working great.

Of course, the chances of constantly using a computer mouse on a glass surface are extremely rare, but this demonstrates how the two lighting processes differ in performance. The LED will track anomalies found on the top layer of the surface while the laser can penetrate deeper to find additional positional details. Optical mice work best on non-glossy surfaces and mousepads, while laser mice work best on almost any glossy or non-glossy surface.

Accuracy and sensitivity

The problem with laser computer mice is that they can be too precise, picking up useless information like invisible surface particles. This leads to problems when driving at slower speeds, causing "judder" on the screen. This incorrect 1:1 tracking is due to useless data being passed to the general tracking used by the PC. The result is that the cursor will not appear in the exact location at the time your hand placed it there. While this problem has improved a lot over the years, laser mice are still not perfect when you're drawing details in Adobe Illustrator, for example.

However, jitter has nothing to do with the number of dots per inch a mouse can track per second. Instead, the jitter is tied to whatever is scanned by the laser, collected by the sensor, and sent to the parent PC's processor to display the screen cursor. To smooth out some of the judder, you can place a cloth-based material, with a hard, dark surface underneath, on your table so the laser doesn't pick up unnecessary or unwanted data.

Another option would be to decrease the sensitivity. The resolution of the CMOS sensor on a computer mouse is different from that of a camera because it is based on motion. The sensor consists of a given number of physical pixels aligned on a square grid. Permission is related to the amount individual images captured by each pixel as it moves across the surface.

Since physical pixels cannot be changed, the sensor can use image processing to divide each pixel into a smaller area. However, all computer mice have a given physical resolution, and increased sensitivity is associated with algorithms within the sensor, so it is possible to speed up the movement of the cursor on the screen, with the same physical movements. Thus, the closer you are to the base resolution, the less unwanted positional data the sensor in a laser-based computer mouse collects.

Simply put, lower sensitivity results in more precise movement.

What's better?

It depends on the application and environment. If you look at the Logitech G brand, you will notice that there Logitech mainly focuses on LED mice when it comes to PC gaming. This is because users usually sit at a desk and may even use a mouse pad designed for better tracking and traction. However, the company also has laser mice, the same Logitech offers a small part of devices with a laser that are not aimed at gamers.

Another manufacturer, Razer, prefers laser technology because it offers higher sensitivity in games. In general, we do not believe that optical or laser technology is completely self-sufficient in itself. Our recommendation is more specific for office use.

A laser mouse can be perfect when you're in a hotel room, in the living room, lying on the couch, or scrolling through Facebook while sitting in a meeting. Performance can be inconsistent given the surface below, but with a laser mouse you definitely have more options on all surfaces. A laser-based computer mouse comes in handy when you have to use your foot as a tracking surface, or when the office has nothing but shiny furniture that your LED device absolutely hates.

Most modern high performance mice use a laser. However, they usually cost more. While laser is the more versatile technology, a decent optical mouse can handle less as long as you use it on a flat, non-glossy surface.

We hope this article has helped to understand at least a little better the differences in technologies in the main peripheral devices, and it's up to you to decide which computer mouse you need.

Mouse Sensors: Laser or Optics?

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December 9 is considered the birthday of the computer mouse - it was on this day almost 50 years ago, in 1968, at the conference on interactive devices in San Francisco, Douglas Engelbart introduced the computer mouse to the public. And all this time, such a manipulator has been and remains the most massive: even now, in times of widespread distribution of touchpads, touch screens and voice assistants, the mouse is often an integral part of PCs and laptops. There are, in general, enough reasons for this: ease of use (you don’t need to remember all sorts of gestures with 3-4 fingers; the most difficult thing to know is a double click), and maximum accuracy (if you wish, you can hit the desired monitor pixel - to do this on the touchpad, and even more so on the touch screen - from the category of fiction). As a result, the mouse does not even think of dying - and although its tail was lost over time, it, like VGA with a 3.5 mm audio jack, will exist for a long time to come (although enough companies want to remove them from the market). But let's start from the very beginning - with the history of the creation of the first mouse.

The history of the computer mouse

In 1961, Engelbart, sitting at a conference on computer graphics (yes, graphics appeared for supercomputers decades earlier than for personal computers), thought - how can you conveniently control graphic elements on a monitor? Without graphics (with text output of information), the keyboard was enough eyeball, but it’s not very convenient to manage elements scattered across the screen (although, in principle, it’s possible even now - the same Windows 10 is quite tolerable, but very slow, controlled only from the keyboard). The idea that came to his mind was extremely simple: in fact, any display is a two-dimensional array of pixels, each of which has its own coordinate on two perpendicular axes (let's call them X and Y). On the screen, you can have a mark-cursor that allows you to work with an object located on the screen below it. But here's how to control the cursor? Yes, it's very simple - we will make two disks, each of which will be responsible for the movement along each of the axes. It is not difficult to read data from each disk (the value of the Pi number can be rounded off, this is not particularly important here), and as a result, from two wheels and several sticks with a simple microprocessor, you can get a device that appears in the patent as "XY position indicator for a system with a display" . The patent application itself was filed in 1967, and the patent itself was received only in 1970.

Introduced in 1968, the mouse looked like this:

It looks like something remotely resembling a modern mouse, though there were three buttons and it weighed like an iron. But in those days, such a device did not take root: firstly, so that accuracy would not be lame, the controller in the mouse had to calculate movements at least a dozen times per second - otherwise it was easy to miss the button (for comparison, modern mice have a frequency polling 125-1000 Hz, i.e. 125-1000 times per second). But here the chip itself in the mouse was already giving up: let me remind you that it was the end of the 60s, and the frequencies of microprocessors were not even megahertz, but tens or hundreds of kilohertz. As a result, it was decided to go for a trick: it is obvious that we need to receive data every 100 ms about how much this or that wheel has scrolled. In this case, the starting point of each movement is by default the end point of the previous one. Then why load the controller with calculations like (end coordinate) - (start coordinate), if you can reset the start coordinate every time? In this case, we just have to move the cursor on the screen by the number of pixels that corresponds to the coordinate of the end of the movement, and the mouse controller could calculate such data without any problems. Well, the very first coordinate after the system started was taken in the center of the screen - that is why even now after the system boots, the mouse cursor is in the center of the display.

However, the main problem of the Engelbart mouse was not even this: the wheels could spin strictly horizontally or vertically, so you could move around the display either vertically or horizontally - there were no diagonal movements. As a result, such a mouse, of course, made it possible to move faster through the elements on the display than the keyboard, but it was still far from comfortable work.

Bill English was able to correct this unfortunate shortcoming, and only 2 years after Engelbart received the patent - in 1972. He, by the way, was Engelbart's assistant, and suggested that he use a ball drive, which the military had been using since 1952: it was an ordinary bowling ball attached to a complex hardware system, and the rotation of the ball caused the cursor to move on the screen. Of course, there were no problems with moving the cursor diagonally, but Engelbart recognized this method as inefficient.

As a result, English, annoyed by this decision of his boss, went to work at Xerox, where in 1972 he introduced a working mouse with a ball drive. Deciding that it would be inconvenient to control the ball directly, he placed it inside the mouse, and two rollers record its rotation along both axes. To determine the angle of rotation of each roller, a contact encoder was initially used (as in the military scheme of 1952) - it was a disk with metal tracks printed on it at equal distances and three contacts pressed against it. When the roller rotated, the disk rotated, and the contact either disappeared or appeared - this made it possible to track in which direction and how strongly the roller rotated:

The main problem - movement along only two axes - was solved, but a lot of others appeared. First, the ball rolled on the table and quickly collected dirt and dust, which led to contamination and sticking of the rollers. Secondly, the contacts on the encoders quickly oxidized and abraded, which again worsened the accuracy. Well, the main problems were the cost and the fact that there were no graphical interfaces then, so the invention was used only within the company, and the first PC with a mouse went on sale only in 1981 (it was the Xerox 8010), and the mouse was there cost $400 (more than $1,000 at the current exchange rate). Of course, for such a price, the manipulator failed - people were used to working only with the keyboard and did not see the point in graphical interfaces, especially if they needed a manipulator with a price comparable to the cost of the entire PC.

However, Steve Jobs really liked this manipulator, and in 1983 Apple introduced a mouse for its Lisa computer. Knowing full well that even for $100 this product would fail, the engineers at Apple did the really impossible: the price was reduced to $25! At the same time, alas, I had to sacrifice the buttons - there was only one left (and this, by the way, is still the case with Apple). The product turned out to be successful, and, coupled with the increasing spread of graphical interfaces, mice began to develop and change too - so let's talk about that.

Ball drive with optical encoder

So, the world community decided that the mouse is still needed. But the English mouse had a lot of problems, which I wrote about above. The fact that the ball got dirty was not a particular problem - it could be easily taken out, cleaned and taken away. But the fact that the contact encoder failed over time was a significant problem - you can’t just replace it like that, it was the most basic element of the mouse. As a result, it was decided to use an optical encoder. Its essence is that now there were not contacts on the disk, but slots, and opposite them were photodiodes. Accordingly, during rotation, the light either passed through the slot, or did not pass, which again made it possible to estimate in which direction and how much the roller turned:

Since there was no friction now, the problem with abrasion and oxidation of the contacts was gone, and the mouse existed in this form at least until the beginning of the 2000s (and is still used in some places).

First generation optical mice

Many people think that optical mice are the invention of the 21st century. In fact, they are only 10 years older than the English mouse - the first such mouse appeared in 1982, but did not receive much distribution: the problem was that it required a special rug with a grid applied to it to work - it was from it that light was reflected from diode and was received by the sensor on the mouse, but it was not difficult to track the movement along the grid. The second problem was the high cost - several times higher than that of ball mice, which, moreover, also worked with almost any surface. However, there were enough pluses for optical mice: firstly, this is increased accuracy: if in the case of encoders there were many impulse transfers (table - wheel - roller - encoder), which significantly reduced accuracy and reduced top speed movement of the manipulator, and as a result, if hitting a cross or a link was not difficult, then more accurate (or faster) actions were difficult, but in the case of optical mice, the accuracy was already at the level of a couple of pixels, which made it more convenient to work with graphics . Well, besides, optical mice were still more reliable - you didn’t need to clean anything, and there were less chances of breakage, since there are no mechanical elements.

Optical mice with matrix sensor

So we got to the present: if you go to any electronics store, then in the cheap segment you will most likely meet just such mice (they are distinguished from laser ones by the visible illumination of the sensor, but more on that below). How do these mice work? Yes, it's very simple: the mouse has an ultra-fast video camera capable of taking hundreds and thousands of pictures per second, and the microcontroller, by comparing them, determines the direction and amount of mouse displacement. To simplify the operation of the camera, a contrasting backlight is used - usually red. The main plus in comparison with the first generation optical mice- you don't need a special pad, in theory such a mouse works on any surface, even glass (although, of course, maximum accuracy is still achieved on pads).

laser mouse

Well, the most modern and expensive are laser mice. Their principle of operation is similar to optical ones - there is still an ultra-fast video camera, however, not an LED, but a semiconductor laser is used to illuminate the surface, and the sensor is configured to capture only its wavelength:

This allows you to achieve even greater accuracy - up to several thousand dpi. In general, such mice are not needed for ordinary users, but gamers appreciated them, because they allow you to “shoot at the pixel”.

induction mouse

Another type of mice that can be called pseudo-wireless: they do not require a physical connection to a PC, and, unlike conventional wireless mice, do not require batteries either - however, a special mat is required for their operation, and the mouse itself is powered by induction (inside mouse has a coil, and under the action of an alternating magnetic field from the rug on this coil there is an electric current). The advantages of such mice are obvious - you get both a wireless mouse and no problems when the battery or batteries are discharged. On the other hand, you can only work on the rug, which is also not convenient for everyone.

Gyro mice

In general, it’s already clear here - in this case, the manipulator is quite far from ordinary mice, and has a gyroscope inside, which allows the device to navigate in three-dimensional space. To work in a system where everything is flat, it is generally useless, but in 3D modeling or games it allows you to control objects in space without using the keyboard.

Ergonomic mice

Somewhere since the 90s, mice have not changed much in appearance - these are small rectangular or oval bars with a thickening in the center, 1-2 buttons and a wheel are located on the upper edge - in general, I could not write this, and that's it know what mice look like. However, not so long ago, mice began to appear that look like anything but a mouse - a kind of pyramid with buttons on the side:

What is their meaning? The fact that such a grip is more comfortable and familiar human hand, which may allow some people to avoid pain in the hand when using the mouse for a long time, well, and improve accuracy. In fact, of course, everything is individual, but everyone should try it - it is possible that you will like such an unconventional mouse.

Well, this, in general, is all about the history and design of computer mice: surprisingly, in 50 years, mankind has not come up with anything more convenient and simple. It is possible that everything will change in the future, but for now, you can stroke your tailed (or tailless) animal on the table and congratulate him on his 49th birthday.

Such a small detail mouse greatly simplifies the interaction with the computer. But few people like the mouse cursor jumping over the text or in the game. We will talk about how to choose this simple device correctly in this article.

For an office computer (documents, Internet), the simplest A4Tech mouse will suffice, which are of good quality even in the lower price range.
Mouse A4Tech OP-620D Black USB

For long-term work with documents, the Internet is better to take an ergonomically shaped mouse. It is also good if there is a wide wheel, a double-click button and an additional “Office” key to help you work. Such mice should be looked for primarily among the Logitech and Microsoft brands, but interesting models can also be found among the more budgetary brands A4Tech, Sven and Genius.
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse Black USB

For tasks such as design, architecture, three-dimensional modeling, there are specialized mice with increased positioning accuracy and additional controls (wheels, trackballs). Logitech mice are one of the best for these tasks. But they are not always available for sale and they are not cheap, so any convenient laser mouse can be used for these purposes.
Mouse Logitech M500

For laptop the best option will be a wireless mouse. Logitech and Microsoft wireless mice are optimal in terms of price / quality ratio. I do not recommend buying a wireless mouse from cheaper brands (A4Tech, Genius, etc.), as they mostly malfunction (buggy).
Logitech Wireless Mouse M235 Grey-Black USB

2. Purpose of the mouse

is an inexpensive mouse for normal work without any additional buttons and functions.

- has a more comfortable, natural shape for the hand, a more convenient wide wheel and additional buttons that expand its functionality and make work more convenient.

- Focused primarily on gaming, usually with a more sensitive sensor, additional keys and rubberized surfaces for better grip and slippage.

- a compact mouse with a short wire, which is convenient to carry with a laptop. Now they have been replaced by even more convenient wireless mice.

- quite convenient, but more expensive and less reliable. It is not well suited for a gaming computer, but it is ideal for a laptop.

Specialized mice- expensive models with special controls (side wheels, trackballs) for use, for example, in the design field.

3. Sensor type

Modern mice have an optical sensor, which can be LED and laser. At the same time, mice with an LED sensor are called optical, and with a laser - laser.

Optical mice they are cheaper, but they do not have high cursor positioning accuracy, since the LED sensor is less sensitive than the laser sensor and works ambiguously on different surfaces (table or rug). Inexpensive optical mouse is well suited for simple office work.

Laser mice are more sensitive, accurately positioned and work well on various surfaces, but cost several times more than optical ones. If you like games or do graphics, then I recommend purchasing a laser mouse.

4. Shape of the mouse

Asymmetrical- may have a comfortable ergonomic shape, but is not suitable for left-handers.

symmetrical- suitable for all users, both right-handed and left-handed. In the latter case, the assignment of the left and right buttons can be easily changed in the operating system settings.

5. Mouse size

There is an opinion that for convenient use, the mouse should occupy the entire palm. Means for big hand need big mouse, for the average - medium in size, for the small (children's) - very small. However, my experience has shown that this rule only works in one direction. That is, for a small hand, it will be inconvenient to use a large mouse, but for a large hand, a small mouse can be quite comfortable. I was surprised when one of my acquaintances with a rather large hand boasted of purchasing a rather small mouse for his laptop, while admiring its convenience.

The point is this. When the mouse is quite large and occupies the entire palm - this, of course, may seem convenient at first glance - the hand lies naturally, the hand gets tired less. But when it comes to precise positioning of the cursor (when working with graphics or in games), it turns out that this is not always easy, since the hand hangs a little above the surface of the table and the joints of the elbow and hand are used to move the mouse. The cursor often misses small details and its position has to be corrected several times.

As for the mouse small size, then of course only it is suitable for a small (children's) palm, because otherwise the fingers simply will not reach the keys and you will have to reach for them all the time. But in a large palm, such a mouse can work wonders, since the elbow will not be used to move it, but only the hand and fingers. In this case, you do not have to hold the brush overhang or lean it on the mouse itself, as the brush will lie on a soft rug. The positioning of the cursor in this case will be much more accurate and fast, and the movements will be easy.

I have already heard people's feedback about the positive experience with a small mouse and felt it for myself. The difference is especially felt when all my life I used a large “comfortable” mouse, and then suddenly I saw the light

However, this is of course also individual and some experience is needed here. Fortunately, the “quality” of modern devices gives us the opportunity to evaluate the experience of using new models in a fairly short period due to the quick failure of old ones ... Although my inexpensive A4Tech X7 gaming mouse lived for 7 years and I would have used it further if I had not been given a new one

6. Keys and wheels

The left and right mouse buttons can be either separate structural elements or be a continuation of the case. It doesn't have of great importance, the main thing is that they have a distinct pressure.

Wheel is an important element of control. It is desirable that it be rubberized and have small notches. When scrolling, divisions should be clearly felt. Pressing on it should be moderately tight and distinct. For an office mouse, a wider wheel might be convenient. Some mice may have an additional wheel for horizontal scrolling, which can be useful if you are working with large documents or drawings.

Double click key- present on some office models, allows you to double-click by pressing one special key, which in some cases can be quite convenient.

Triple click key- present on many gaming models and allows you to perform a triple click by pressing one special key, which is used in games. Sometimes it's so nice to fire a burst from a grenade launcher at an enemy

Side keys- for gaming mice, it is highly desirable to have additional side buttons on which you can set some actions.

office key- designed to call a special menu with shortcuts to launch basic office applications and is used in conjunction with a special mouse program. Not essential, but may be useful in office work if you frequently start and close a lot of programs.

Sensitivity key- found on most gaming mice. With it, you can quickly change the speed of the cursor, which is very useful in games. Usually mice have 4-5 levels of sensitivity. If there is only one such button, then the sensitivity only changes upwards and resets to the minimum after reaching the highest value. If there are two such buttons, then you can change the sensitivity both up and down, which is more convenient.

Programmable keys– some mice have additional keys to which you can assign different combinations using a special software. But this is more for avid gamers who know exactly what they want.

7. Wire length and thickness

The length of the mouse wire should be 1.7-2 m. If the wire length is 1.5 m or less, then even if it reaches the system unit far under the table, it will be tight, which will make using the mouse uncomfortable. Please note that some seemingly ordinary mice are designed for laptops and have a very short cable.

As for the thickness of the wire, the thinner it is, the better, since a thick wire will be heavier and slide worse on the table surface, which will be noticeable and strain you when using the mouse. A very thin wire is almost imperceptible, as if it does not exist at all.

Gaming mice often have braided wire, which also improves performance.

You can see the length of the cable on the manufacturer's website, and the thickness and presence of the braid can even be determined visually from the picture or go see it live in the store.

8. Additional features

Some, mostly gaming models, have backlighting and programmable or duplicating keys. This is again for those who know why (MMO-RPG).

Some gaming mice (such as the A4Tech Oscar) have the ability to special program, program keys to perform any keyboard combinations, which can be in demand in games with a complex control system (MMO-RPG). In addition, they can save profiles for different games and switch quickly. Since these settings are stored directly in internal memory mouse, then by connecting it to another computer, you can immediately use all the specified combinations.

Some gaming models have removable weights that allow the most advanced gamers to control the weight of the mouse. Here I can say that the mouse should not be too light or too heavy. A gaming mouse should weigh 2-3 times more than an office mouse, about the same as a modern smartphone 120-140 grams. How much the mouse weighs can be found on the manufacturer's website, by searching the Internet, or go to the store and hold different models in your hands.

Some expensive models may have an adjustable design, which gamers with very straight arms will probably appreciate.

9. Connection interface

Old mice were connected to the computer via a PS / 2 connector.

Most modern mice have a USB connector.

If you are buying a mouse for a fairly old computer, it is best to get a PS / 2 connector, as a USB mouse may not work when using disks for installation, diagnostics and system recovery. But make sure your motherboard has the right connector.

Older motherboards had two PS / 2 connectors - separately for the keyboard and mouse.

Modern motherboards may not have such connectors or have one combined, into which you can connect either a keyboard or a mouse.

There are also special adapters, but they do not always work.

10. Wireless mice

The wireless mouse runs on batteries that need to be changed every 6-12 months and connects via radio or Bluetooth.

radio channel- the most common type of wireless mouse connection. In this case, a special receiver is connected to the USB connector of the computer.

The absence of wires is convenient and aesthetically pleasing, but less reliable and somewhat more expensive. The fact is that the mouse radio operates on the same frequency as Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), so no one can guarantee that if you or your neighbors have WiFi router your mouse will work stably. Sometimes there are short-term breaks in communication between the mouse and the receiver. This can not always be seen during normal work, but it is very noticeable in games, when you often lose control for a time of about 1 second, but this can be fatal. In principle, if you purchase a wireless mouse from reputable brands such as Logitech or Microsoft, then the probability the occurrence of such problems will be minimal. But for games it is still better to use the classic wired version.

Bluetooth- frankly, a dubious way to connect a mouse. Firstly, it will still require a receiver, and secondly, this technology is even less reliable. You can, of course, connect such a mouse to a laptop that already has an integrated Bluetooth adapter if there is no free USB connector for connecting an additional receiver.

11. Keyboard and mouse kits

Such kits primarily pursue the goal of saving, in the second - a single design. This is true both for office cheap wired options, and for wireless kits for home computers and media centers.

Note one feature. Often a wireless set is connected with one receiver, which is quite convenient, but excludes the possibility of separate use of the keyboard and mouse on different devices.

Of course, the choice of such kits is less than individual devices, but I bought myself such a TV kit for only $25. Separately, it would cost 40% more.

12. Body material and color

All mass-produced mice are made of plastic, sometimes with rubberized surfaces.

As for plastic, it can be matte and glossy. Matte plastic is more practical and doesn't scratch as much. Glossy plastic is more prone to scratches, causing the surface to quickly lose its appearance. For a mouse, unlike a keyboard, this also has an additional inconvenience in that the glossy plastic is more slippery and when the hand sweats, it will not be very comfortable to use the mouse.

As for color, earlier mice were made mainly white, now in black, silver and many other colors of the rainbow and shades. Since most modern computer peripherals (monitor, speakers, keyboard) are made in black and silver colors, a black or black and silver mouse will fit more harmoniously into this range. But if your laptop has a more cheerful, not strict color, then pick up a mouse for it, it will look beautiful.

Please note that surfaces of silver and other colors can be painted and the paint wears off over time, which greatly spoils appearance and enjoyment of using the mouse. We recommend choosing a mouse made of a uniform unpainted plastic of the desired color.

13. Manufacturers and warranty

Mice are produced by a huge number of manufacturers. Here I will mention the most high-quality, optimal in terms of price / quality ratio and popular ones.

The best gaming mice produce Razer, SteelSeries, Roccat, Mad Catz.

Gaming mice have a pretty good price / quality ratio Hama, like the one we reviewed.

From quality wireless mice can recommend Logitech And Microsoft.

Wired mice have a good price / quality ratio A4Tech, in all its widest range - from office to gaming.

Of the inexpensive office options, you can also consider Genius which can only be said to work.

Tempting options can be found in such famous brands as Asus, Cooler Master, Corsair, Cougar, Zalman and popular budget Defender, Gigabyte, Oklick, Rapoo, Sven, Trust. But be very careful about the reviews, as there are many low-quality models among them. In most cases, it is better to buy instead A4Tech.

From the purchase of mice of these budget and other unpopular brands, I would recommend to refrain.

As for the warranty, for an ordinary inexpensive mouse it is desirable that the warranty is at least 1 year, for more expensive gaming mice - at least 2 years.

14. Price

Mice Logitech have a fairly wide range of models (about 80 models) and cost from $7 (office) to $110 (professional and gaming) and are of high quality regardless of price.

Mice Microsoft have high quality and ergonomics (about 50 models) and on average cost a little more - from $10 to $90.

Mice A4Tech(about 230 models) and Genius(about 85 models) divided the middle price segment and cost from $4 to $75.

15. Setting filters in the online store

  1. Go to the "Mice" section on the seller's website.
  2. Select recommended manufacturers.
  3. Specify the parameters and functions that are important to you.
  4. Browse items starting with the cheapest.
  5. Choose a few models you like and compare them for convenience.
  6. Buy the most comfortable model.

Thus, you will get the best mouse in terms of price / quality ratio that meets your requirements at the lowest possible cost.


Mouse A4Tech Bloody A91
Mouse A4Tech Bloody Blazing A9

A computer mouse is a manipulator for controlling a computer. The manipulator received this name for its external resemblance to a natural rodent. Today, it is an integral attribute of a PC and allows you to interact with it most effectively.

Before the advent operating systems with a graphical interface, the mouse was not as widespread. Computer control was carried out by entering commands through the keyboard, and working on a computer required high qualifications. In principle, you can get by with a graphical interface with just one keyboard, but this will require memorizing the necessary key combinations for control, which is unacceptable for an ordinary user, and the mouse is a very simple device, and it is not difficult to learn how to work with it. The simplest mouse has a pair of buttons and a wheel between them, with the help of which some action is performed when working with a computer. The mouse is connected to the computer using a wire - wired mice, or wirelessly - the so-called wireless mice.

The principle of the mouse.

The basic principle of a computer mouse is to convert movement into a control signal. When you move the mouse over a surface (most often a table), it generates an electronic signal that tells the computer the direction of movement, distance, and speed. And on the monitor screen, the user sees the movement of a special pointer (cursor) in accordance with the movement of the mouse.

Types of computer mice.

For a long time, mechanical mice were used to control the computer, in which a rubberized metal ball was used as a motion sensor.

mechanical mouse

But progress does not stand still today, the most common computer mice are optical And laser, which have higher positioning accuracy.

IN optical mice to convert motion into an electrical signal, a light source (LED) located on the lower surface of the manipulator and a sensor are used. An optical mouse scans the surface on which it moves, converts the scan results and transfers them to a computer.

Optical mouse

IN laser mouse, a laser is used as an optical source, which makes it possible to increase the positioning accuracy. In addition, the laser mouse is unpretentious to the quality of the surface on which it moves.

laser mouse

There are also more complex and expensive manipulators - touch, induction, gyroscopic mice, which have a different principle for converting movement into a control signal.

Story
Initially, the computer mouse (or in the language of a scientific report, "indicator of X and Y positions") appeared in 1962 with partial funding from NASA (in the interests of space program) in a wooden case.

was put together under the direction of Douglas Engelbart by his colleague and colleague Bill English, and the demo programs were written by Jeff Rulifson. Inside the device were two metal disks: one turned when the device was moved forward, the second was responsible for moving the mouse to the right and left. NASA, however, did not appreciate the invention, since its operation required gravity, which is not in space. The development of the mouse was continued by Bill English under the wing of Xerox PARC. The company's researchers changed the design of the mouse, and it was in the Xerox Research Center that the computer mouse became similar to modern devices. The two discs were replaced with a small ball and rollers.

The first computer to include a mouse was the Xerox 8010 Star Information System minicomputer, introduced in 1981. The Xerox mouse had three buttons and cost US$400, or about $930 in 2009 prices, with accounting for inflation.

The mouse gained wide popularity thanks to its use in Apple Macintosh computers, which in 1983 released its own model of a one-button mouse for the Lisa computer, the cost of which was reduced to $25. In the future, such devices began to be widely used in Windows for IBM PC compatible computers.

The first optical mouse was released by Microsoft in 1999. And this type of mouse was invented in the research laboratories of Hewlett-Packard Corporation. In the second half of the 90s, a new type of mouse appeared in the Agilent Technologies research laboratory, which at that time belonged to Hewlett-Packard, - an optical mouse.

In the same 1999, Microsoft released the first commercial mouse, the principle of operation of which is based on the second generation optical sensor.

In 2001, the Logitech iFeel series of mice (and a number of models from other manufacturers) was released. The mice were equipped with a tactile feedback mechanism. It was assumed that this was supposed to provide the user with additional assistance: the mouse of the iFeel family is capable of informing about crossing the borders of windows or buttons by vibration of the case. The idea is really innovative, but, as it turned out, not very practical: in less than two years, the iFeel series of manipulators were discontinued.

The first prototypes of manipulators with a laser sensor developed by Agilent Technologies were demonstrated in early 2004. a. In September of the same year, Logitech launched the MX-1000 mouse, the world's first mass-produced mouse equipped with a laser sensor. This mouse used an IR semiconductor laser (wavelength 842 nm) as a light source.

In mid-2005, Agilent Technologies began shipping prepackaged LaserStream motion sensor modules to all interested manufacturers, and soon

appeared in the range of many companies. LaserStream sensors provided movement registration accuracy up to 2000 cpi at movement speeds up to 45 inches / s (1.14 m / s) and acceleration up to 20d. Some manufacturers (Microsoft in particular) have gone their own way, independently developing laser sensors for their manipulators.

In the fall of 2008, Microsoft introduced the first mass-produced products with BlueTrack sensors - the Explorer and Explorer Mini wireless mice. According to the manufacturer, these models work stably on granite and marble countertops, carpet, wooden tables and park benches.

One of the most interesting developments in this area for Lately can be recognized as an invention of specialists Canadian company Deanmark. They managed to create a computer mouse that should be worn on the hand like a glove.

, the device under the speaking name AirMouse is pulled over the index and middle fingers of the hand and wrist. Thus, it turns out a kind of glove for working in virtual reality shown in science fiction films. To track movements, the AirMouse uses a laser sensor, and interacts with the computer via a wireless interface. At the same time, the device is able to work without recharging for a week, and its activation occurs when the hand is in a certain position. Also, AirMouse actually allows the user to type on the keyboard and use the mouse at the same time.

Operating principle
The mouse perceives its movement in the working plane (usually on a section of the table surface) and transmits this information to the computer. A program running on a computer, in response to mouse movement, performs an action on the screen that corresponds to the direction and distance of this movement. In addition to the motion detector, the mouse has from one to three or more buttons, as well as additional controls (scroll wheels, potentiometers, joysticks, keys, etc.), the action of which is usually associated with the current position of the cursor (or components of a specific interface ).

Advantages and disadvantages
The mouse has become the main coordinate input device due to the following features:

Very low price(compared to other devices like touch screens).