I'm currently using a cheap $10 mouse for occasional gaming and browsing the internet. Would a more expensive mouse make a great difference in gaming or is it all a marketing thing?
A $10 mouse never comes with more functionality than the scroll wheel, and more expensive options feature extra buttons and more accurate tracking. So obviously, it's not a marketing ploy to say that more expensive mice with better features are a better option for gaming. You can assign buttons on more expensive mouse options to do whatever you want, so I think that gives you your answer right there. The best of the expensive mouse products are above and beyond better for gaming compared to a cheap mouse.
Indeed, I am aware of the extra buttons which can be assigned for different tasks, but is the tracking really more accurate and different? I rarely have any issues with my current one in FPS games, since I am also adjusted to it.
I'm using an A4Tech mouse, and it does have that extra button that can function as the left click button, and it's only $10. I don't think it has better tracking, I think the tracking is quite the same with the $4 mouse that I used before.
I don't like mouses, I prefer a trackball. I've been using them for years, and in my opinion, they give a lot more control than a mouse, although I don't do gaming, so I can't speak to that aspect of it. I started out with the trackball because I have hand, wrist, and thumb issues, and the mouse exacerbated them, but the trackball alleviates them, so I've stuck with it.
@Diane Lane, How much is the one you own and what brand? My school used them before and I loved it. It seems that they're around $30 up, and I'm looking for a cheaper one.
I always use Logitech, have used them for years without any issues, but I'm sure there are others out there that are probably similar in design and function. This one is less than $30, but not much less:Log In Here's one at Walmart for $23, and it's Logitech.Log In I've used the wireless in the past, but for my situation and purposes, a wired trackball doesn't make a big difference, and having to keep buying batteries irritates me.
I'm a pretty cheap dude (read 88% of my posts) but 8 years ago I spent $80 on a Razer copperhead becuase I was playing too much StarCraft. I am still using that mouse as we speak. I can't count how many times I thought "damn I'm glad I bought this thing." In college I used the programmable side keys as copy/paste shortcuts. It was a little buggy though, I'm techy so it wasn't really an issue, but if you were not it might have been a problem. That was also when Razer was a new company, I hear there products are amazing these days.
@Diane Lane, When I did a Google search, Logitech mouses were mostly seen on the 1st page results. I think it would be worth the investment if it would last more than 5 years, since the HP regular mouse that was included in the PC set that we bought lasted for almost 5 years. I'm not from the US, so I can't shop in those stores too. Newegg doesn't ship to my country.
Does Walmart have a presence where you are, or do they ship to your country? Many people sell Logitech trackballs on eBay from what I remember. I actually just switched mine out yesterday. Finally, the left button seems to be wearing out, and I had one downstairs I wasn't using much, so swapped it out, and am going to see if a friend can do anything to repair the one I was using. Everything works well on it, other than that button. I've had both of these for many years. I can't even remember when I bought them, because it's been probably well over 10 years.
There is a big difference, in my opinion, in playing with a cheap and playing with a good mouse. Cheap mouses are there for people who don't need precision, or don't use it for long periods of time. I use my mouse for long sessions, and mostly for gaming, but it's very good for precise drawing and other precision tasks. It was around 50$. It's a Logitech MX518, which I have bought six years ago and it is still working like a charm. If this one ends up breaking down, I will get a new one, exactly the same or a slightly better one. It has two buttons on the side, if you're into that, but I don't use it. I love it for it's design, and it's actually a lot more comfortable holding this mouse than some generic one. It's a bit heavier than a regular mouse, so it's a lot easier to be precise with it and you can actually feel what you're doing in the game. My hand has been spoiled, and I can never go back to a regular mouse now. If you want to buy one, I suggest you get this one!
I mean there are definitely pros to a more expensive gaming mouse or mouses with more buttons but I haven't found a need for them. I'm currently using a cheap wireless mouse and it suits my needs in every possible way. I play games and surf the web with no issues. Especially for gaming, it has been great and reliable.
@Diane Lane, We have no Walmart here, and I just checked and Walmart also doesn't ship to my country. Logitech is available in my country, so I will just look around in our local stores and in our local Ebay. If I try to order it from abroad, the shipping alone is enough to buy a new trackball, lol.
There is a tech store over here that we call Maplin. I don't know if this store brand is just a UK thing, or if it is available in other countries too. But it is pretty cheap whilst still being quite expensive,and having products that will set you back a pretty penny. You can get a decent mouse from there for a reasonable price. The mouses perform well, and have great response times. If you work online, I'd say that having a good accurate mouse is important. Speed is important when you work online.
There may be other companies that make similar products, but I can only vouch for the Logitech trackballs. I have used many different mouses in the past, and they end up hurting my hand. If you're going to be on the computer for any length of time, and doing things that require a good mouse or drag and drop, which I do a lot of, the trackball is the way to go. Hopefully you can find a deal on one for a decent price that works for you. @DreekLass No kidding re: speed is important, especially for those doing microtasks! I can't imagine using something that stuck, or kept malfunctioning, while doing things like that.
oh yes, I'd certainly second Maplin for stationary and stuff like that. When we're back in the UK, we sometimes go there as a treat and we usually get very reasonably priced earphones and ink cartridges. Once or twice we've even got no brand "mice" from them, but they were ok for the price. Right now we use the ones that came with our computers, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at cheaper ones as they work just as well
@Diane Lane, I just learned that Logitech has just opened their 1st mall store here last 2009. That mall is 2 hours away with traffic, so I'm gonna look for other stores that sell them. I don't mind buying a $10 mouse, but I would prefer a branded trackball. I have gotten tired of dragging a mouse already.
I don't use mice anymore, due to the fact that I have a laptop, and use a touch pad. But when I first began to work online, I was doing it from a desktop computer, and the mouse wasn't always too good. These were always no brand mouses too, and some were amazing, and others were not. It was sort of hit and miss.
