USB wired mouse choice/3rd button configuring

[macstatic]

What's a good choice for a wired USB mouse these days? The old one's (Logitech) buttons are worn out and it's not worth it replacing the buttons themselves. It's to be used for "general" stuff like mail, web-browsing etc. with a Mac Mini.
Will another basic and cheap Logitech mouse suffice (B100/M100 etc), or are there better mice to consider?

Another question: most mice these days have multiple buttons -at least 3 for those with a scroll-wheel. So what's the scroll-wheel button for, or can be used for on a Mac? I suppose I have to download software from Logitech to configure it, but that's fine.

 

[Boyd01]

Have been using a cheap little Targus USB laptop mouse for a number of years now. I especially like the small size, not a fan of large mice. Got it at my local CVS drug store and liked it so much I got them for several computers. The middle button is natively used by my Windows GIS software that I run under Parallels, you hold it down to drag a map around. I believe that AutoCAD uses it for the same thing, there may be other GIS or CAD software the makes similar use of the middle button, not sure. Aside from that, I don't feel any need to use the middle button in MacOS.

Not suggesting this is a "good choice" for you but I've been very happy, would buy it again and the price is certainly reasonable. OTOH, you might hate it.

Targus USB Optical Laptop Mouse - CVS Pharmacy

Buy Targus USB Optical Laptop Mouse and enjoy FREE SHIPPING on most orders from CVS Pharmacy. Shop now to stock up on essentials & get coupons!

www.cvs.com

 

[4sallypat]

I use a Logitech M505 wireless mouse - it's smaller sized than your standard PC mouse and easier than the Apple Magic Mouse which I rarely use.

 

[TheIntruder]

I'm not a gamer, but I use a Steelseries Rival 3.

It has six buttons, lots of customization options (CPI, polling rate, acceleration, color, button macros), on-board memory, and somewhat uniquely, Mac driver software support.

While $30 isn't "cheap" compared to a basic wired mouse, it's considered a budget gaming mouse.

By default, the scroll-wheel M3 button is mapped as Command-click by the Mac's standard mouse driver. Useful for opening links in a browser, and something I use constantly.

That makes the feel and quality of the switch, and scroll wheel mechanism something I'm picky about, and in that respect a lot of the mice on the market fall short, even more expensive ones. The R3 doesn't disappoint in that regard.

Compared to the past, most brands now pay little to no attention to any sort of customization, or bother to write driver software that allows it. For its mice, Kensington used to write a driver (MouseWorks) that did everything that the SteelSeries Engine software does, as a standard feature, for every one of its mice, cheap or not. It worked unofficially on Snow Leopard but eventually faded away.

Third-party drivers like USB Overdrive and SteerMouse had to step in to fill the void, but that adds another $20 to the solution.

While such features still exist, they're found on gaming mice, and given the small Mac gaming market, such software is Windows-only most of the time. Logitech didn't support the Mac, then did (limited to the G-branded stuff), with some lame results, but I think has given up again. There is Options, but it only supports the subset of higher-end stuff like the MX series.

That's why I'm quite happy with the SS, for a reasonable $30. I've even left the lighting enabled, though it can be turned off.

 

[macstatic]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll look into those mice. I'm primarily looking for a wired USB mouse, not wireless.

What exactly is a gaming mouse and how does it differ to a normal every use mouse?
I did notice in the specs for the Steelseries Rival 3 that its buttons are guaranteed to 60 million clicks! So I suppose they might be more durable and long lasting than "normal" mice?
I'm not too fond of multitudes of flashing LEDs all in various colours, so it's good to hear that it can be turned off (and maybe also choose just one colour). I'm not a fan of "Christmas tree" like computer add-ons
I see it (and other gaming mice) have several buttons, and not just the usual 3. Can they be programmed for something useful for everyday use?

I have a Logitech "Notebook" wired mouse in use with another Mac and while posting this and curious about the middle mouse button I found and installed "Logitech control center" which is a preference pane and would allow me to reconfigure all 3 buttons and the wheel. I really don't see much use for anything for that middle button either, but will see if "Mission control", "Dashboard", "Application windows" or something will be helpful.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd suggest one of the multi-button Logitech wireless mice.
Use the "unifying receiver" instead of bluetooth. It just works better.
Use something like this to connect the unifying receiver to one of the Mini's USBa ports:

SABRENT 22AWG USB 3.0 Extension Cable A Male to A Female [Black] 3 Feet (CB-3030)

High-performance USB 3.0 extension cable extends the connection between a computer or Windows tablet and both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 peripherals including hard drives, USB hubs, mice, keyboards, flash drives, printers, and more. Upgrade to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and future-proof your data transfer rate ...

www.amazon.com

This "gets it away" from the USB port area, and prevents conflicts from rf interference...

 

[macstatic]

Nice suggestion, but like I said I'm going for a wired mouse.

 

[TheIntruder]

What exactly is a gaming mouse and how does it differ to a normal every use mouse?
I did notice in the specs for the Steelseries Rival 3 that its buttons are guaranteed to 60 million clicks! So I suppose they might be more durable and long lasting than "normal" mice?
I'm not too fond of multitudes of flashing LEDs all in various colours, so it's good to hear that it can be turned off (and maybe also choose just one colour). I'm not a fan of "Christmas tree" like computer add-ons
I see it (and other gaming mice) have several buttons, and not just the usual 3. Can they be programmed for something useful for everyday use?

Gaming mice are designed to be more responsive, with higher resolution sensors, and faster polling rates.

More buttons for more functions, more programmability, and more durable switches (at least in theory).

And the bling, of course. The latest fad is perforated housings, to make them lighter.

None of that is required for general use, but can be beneficial outside of a gaming setting, and like I said, many "normal" mice lack such features.

 

[wys]

I have been using Logitech M500 for like 7 years now and have never wanted anything else. If you need wireless, I think the M750 was good.