Singing Potatoes
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Thursday, 18 August 2005
The Odd Question of the Day

So here's a weird one.

See, in using a computer mouse, I've always rested the heel of my hand on the desk (or a wrist-rest), keeping it stationary while I pushed the mouse around with the tips of my thumb and pinky, keeping the tips of the three other fingers on the buttons and scroll wheel.

Recently, I switched to a basic optical mouse, as I was tired of cat hairs interfering with the smooth operation of the mouse ball. The optical mouse had a much slimmer profile than the old mechanical mouse, and over the last few days my hand has been hurting more and more after using it. So today I went out to get a more ergonomic mouse. After comparing comfort, features and prices, I ended up with a Logitech MX 1000. And it's really comfortable to use (as long as you're right-handed) and has lots of interesting, conveniently placed (if you're right-handed) buttons.

But the way it's shaped, I find I have to put my entire hand on it if I want to keep my fingers on the main buttons and scroll wheel, otherwise I have to move my fingers a lot to click and scroll. Which means moving the whole hand, which I find quite a bit less precise than moving it with my fingers — and the three inner fingers are lying across the buttons, rather than just touching them with the tips, otherwise my thumb's in the wrong place to use the side button, and it becomes much less comfortable. So it makes me wonder if I've been mousing wrong in a highly unorthodox fashion all these years (well, at least since got rid of the GlidePoint), or if ergonomic mice are designed to be used in a different way than regular bar-of-soap mice.

So how do you use a mouse?

Posted by godfrey (link)
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Comments
First you have to get enough mice to make a decent meal, then start the grill... {oops wrong mouse}

Basically the same way you do. I have the older MX700 which has fewer buttons {and is telling me it's batteries are low}. I use my thumb for the left side buttons, my ring finger for the right click and my index finger for the scroll wheel and centerline buttons. I generally rest the heel of the hand on the mousepad and move it with my thumb and outside two fingers.
Posted by aeddie on 18 Aug 2005 15:32
I only have my index and middle finger on the top of the mouse. I use my thumb and the side of my ring finger to stabilize it, and my wrist to move it from side to side. The heel of my hand rests on the table.
Posted by Mary Temple on 18 Aug 2005 15:50
What she said.
Posted by Squelch on 18 Aug 2005 18:39
Pretty much as above. Heel of hand on flat surface, move mouse by wrist & finger flexion, click & scroll with index & second finger, occasionally thumb. Left or right handed, I switch periodically.

I'm told one of my cow-orkers uses his mouse upside-down, i.e., trackball to surface but cord and buttons proximal to the user. I can't think that would be very efficient for clicking; maybe he's a mac user.
Posted by indywind on 19 Aug 2005 06:29
Trackball. Minimal movement, great precision for cutting up screenshots to put in user manuals, and two extra programmable buttons. The downside is that whatever you are eating goes straight onto the ball so it has to be cleaned often, but to be able to drop the ball out & threaten people invading your space makes up for it.

I've been wondering if an 8-ball has the same diameter...
Posted by D on 20 Aug 2005 17:27
I thought about a trackball, actually. Not only would it solve my problem of perpetual clutter encroaching on my mousing space (made worse now because the split keyboard I got recently is much bigger than my previous keyboards), but it would make playing MAME games like Centipede much easier.

But when I went looking, the only ones I could find were those weird things where it looked like the thumb would be doing all the work — which felt odd and seemed less ergonomic to me.

I am a little perturbed by my new mouse; with the special software loaded (which provides programmability of all the buttons, plus some other options you don't get with the generic mouse driver), the mouse cannot be used with a KVM switch — which means I'd need to keep a second mouse around to control my Linux box. And without the special software, it works through the KVM but has limited functionality.

Harrumph.

Posted by Godfrey on 20 Aug 2005 18:47
Since I'm left-handed, and THE MAN is not, I have been using the mouse in my own unorthodox style for years. When mice first came out, you couldn't reverse the buttons, so now I hold the mouse with my hand at an angle, with my left index finger over the left button. It probably explains why over time I've had wrist and hand problems, and had several mice that the wires were crimped at an angle, that when straightened caused the mouse to stop working. I blame THE MAN.
Posted by The Lunchbox on 22 Aug 2005 07:41
If anyone needs a wireless mouse, Lunchbox, it's you. I mean, I go through computer hardware like there's no tomorrow, but I've never seen anyone kill as many mice as you.

Posted by Godfrey on 22 Aug 2005 22:07