Given how ubiquitous they are, it's easy to take computer mice for granted. But the mouse is something special: it is the most basic tool for interfacing with computers, but our most advanced tool for gaming. Learning about mice can be a pretty deep rabbit hole, so start with the basics:
THE 4 TYPES OF MICE
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BASIC OPTICAL
Buttons: 2
Scroll wheel: Yes
Attachment: USB cable
Advantage: Faster than wireless mice
Best for: General use
MORE: Best Gaming Mice 2014
WIRELESS
Buttons: 2
Scroll wheel: Yes
Attachment: Infrared, Bluetooth
Best for: Convenience
Drawback: Slower than wired mice
GAMING
Buttons: Many
Scroll wheel: Yes
Attachment: USB cable
Advantages: Extremely precise, extra buttons, custom user profiles and ergonomic design
Best for: High-level gaming Drawback: Expensive
3D CONTROLLER
Buttons: Many
Control knob: Yes
Attachment: USB cable
Drawbacks: Large, expensive, complex
Best for: 3D modeling
THE 3 TYPES OF GRIP
PALM GRIP
The most common mouse grip, this style involves laying the palm and fingers flat across the mouse, and using the entirety of the index and middle fingers to click. Some users also prefer to use their ring fingers on the right button and their middle fingers on the scroll wheel.
CLAW GRIP
A common grip among gamers, the claw grip rests the upper palm against the bottom of the mouse and arches the fingers. Users click the mouse buttons with the tips of their index and middle fingers (or index and ring fingers, if preferred).
FINGERTIP GRIP
The one grip that does not involve the palm, the fingertip grip is useful for people with big hands and small mice. The fingers are laid across the mouse and the bottoms of the left and right buttons are clicked with the fingertips. The scroll wheel is a bit harder to access with this grip.
OTHER ISSUES
LASER VS. OPTICAL
Optical mice use an LED for tracking. The light is bent through a prism and shines on the surface the mouse is traveling on. A camera built into the bottom of the mouse closely photographs the surface, and an image-processing chip determines the mouse's motion. Optical mice can work on most opaque surfaces.
Laser mice reflect an infrared laser beam off of a surface and to a sensor built into the bottom of the mouse. This laser is invisible to the eye and can be more precise than LED tracking. Most gaming mice are laser mice.
WEIGHTED VS. UNWEIGHTED
Gaming requires more precision than everyday office work. Hard-core gamers can be picky when it comes to how much a mouse weighs, and how it feels in the hand when in use. Some mice include interchangeable weights for customizing the mouse's heft.
DPI: FIXED VS. ADJUSTABLE
DPI (dots per inch), sometimes called CPI (counts per inch), measures the number of sensor measurements the mouse takes per inch of hand movement. A mouse with a high DPI will cover more screen distance with a small movement of the hand. Mouse DPI bottoms out around 200 and goes up to 8,200.
FIXED-DPI MOUSE
Most mice have one DPI setting. The common office mouse hovers around 800 DPI, making them perfect for productivity but not ideal for gaming.
HANDED VS. AMBIDEXTROUS
Standard office mice are ambidextrous, or symmetrical for use in either hand. High-end ambidextrous gaming mice exist, and these can have extra buttons on both the right and left side, and grooves on both sides to accommodate the thumb and ring finger.
Mice made specifically with right- or left-handed users in mind often have ergonomic designs and extra buttons that make use of the ring finger or thumb.
