The two-button mouse with a ball on the underside is almost as good as dead. The times have changed since the days when this popular input device came standard in a unsophisticated grey that did indeed remind one of the little critter after which it is named.
Modern mice now come with additional buttons, a scroll wheel, and an ergonomic form.
"With mice, you shouldn't forego too much quality," advises Alexander Moritz, who writes about hardware for the Web magazine "onlinekosten.de."
Cheap and non-ergonomic mice are to be avoided, he says. Working with these devices can cause pain in the fingers and wrists after just a few months.
Moritz recommends well thought out "pointer devices."
These are relatively expensive, however.
"The primary question is whether the mouse fits the hand of the buyer," explains Sven Wiess, a manager at hardware maker Genius.
This is more than just a question of being right or left-handed. "For many hands, certain mice are too big, for others, too small," Wiess says. He recommends trying out a variety of mice in the store.
Traditional mechanical ball mice offer little comfort and are being phased out. Their major flaw is that they will only react to hand movement when placed on top of certain pads or mats. Furthermore, the ball and wheels can easily get dirty on the inside. The mouse must then be cleaned, indicates Nicolas Rotermund, the director of graphics for the Web advice site computerhilfen.de.
New cordless optical mice have no such problems. Their bellies hold a chip that registers user hand movements through light sensors. These new electronic "rodents" are a favorite among users.
Daniel Boran, an art director at an advertising agency in Neudrossenfeld, Germany, appreciates the precise navigation that such mice offer -- particularly for 3D games. He recommends that users not settle for any mouse with a transfer rate of less the 2.4 Gigahertz.
Optical mice do have one weakness, however.
"The devices cannot be used on glass or other highly reflective surfaces," warns mouse expert Udo Jacobi, who sells mice online.
Optical mice come with and without cables. Those who want a cable mouse should make sure that they have enough free space.
Cordless devices are more flexible on this point: the standard broadcast distance measures two metres, and can reach as much as 10 metres with Bluetooth technology. Cordless mice are particularly good for using when working with a laptop. Udo Jacobi has tried it out: "You can even use a cordless mouse on the arm rest of a passenger train."
There is one small catch, though: "Since the mouse has no direct contact to the computer, it needs its own power supply," explains Nicolas Rotermund. Cordless mice therefore must also be regularly replenished. In most cases this means a battery change, which costs money.
Patrick Schmid, editor at "Tom's Hardware Guide", complains, "My personal experience shows that the things always need a refill just when you have something crucial to do."
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