The mouse is an integral part of your computer, theoretically, you can run your computer without it but practically it is impossible. Therefore, in this article, we will be discussing different types of mouse that you can choose from. Let’s get started.
Wireless Vs Wired Mouse: which is the best mouse type?
Wireless Mouse is new but is it better let us find out in this section. There are different types of mouse among with different characteristics that you should also consider while picking the best one for you.
Wired Mouse:-
A mouse with wire is the first image that pops into one’s mind when he/she thinks of a mouse. And a wired mouse is not just that. It has some pros as well as some cons.
Pros:-
- Perfect for gaming because of zero latency.
- Cheaper than their wireless counterpart.
- No need for batteries.
Cons:-
- Outdated.
- Can get a bit messy.
Wireless Mouse:-
A more advanced option and clean option for regular users, a wireless mouse is a perfect choice for someone annoyed by the clumsiness of wires. It is not black and white here, as there are some pros as well as some cons.
Pros:-
- Can travel a larger radius.
- Makes your setup clean and looks modern.
- More portable than a wired mouse.
Cons:-
- Latency is on a higher side of the spectrum, especially in cheaper models.
- Requires you to replace batteries every now and then.
- Often more expensive than a wired mouse
There is no winner here as the cons for each of them can be minimized by a little bit of engineering from the manufacturer’s side. We have seen many wireless gaming mice with zero latency.
Types of Mouses: Which One is Best For You
We have divided the result into two categories, that is, Basic Types and Special Types. Both of them are used differently, let’s look at them. First Start with Basic.
1. Wired Mouse:-
This is the OG. A wired mouse is cheap and reliable and always gets the job done. Many people still to this date believes that it is superior to the new and advanced wireless mouses because of the superior latency.
The added benefit of using this mouse is that you don’t have to keep replacing the battery as it is powered by your computer via the connected wire.
Our Pick:-
Logitech B100 Corded Mouse:-
- This has the perfect shape that you can grip all day long without feeling any kind of strain on your wrist.
- It is effortless to install. You just have to plug the mouse into the USB port and start using it.
- It is very sensitive with an over 800 dpi rating.
You may like to explore our guide on How To Check Mouse DPI [Step-By-Step Guide]
2. Wireless Mouse
Next on our list of types of mouse is the Wireless Mouse. It is relatively new but still been serving the tech nerds for almost a decade now.
It is cool to use and one of its biggest perks is that it does not need a wire. Because of this, you can use your mouse from any desired angle. You just need a dongle(that comes with the mouse), plug it into your computer, and then start using it.
Most commonly wireless mice work by either Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz wireless signals.
Our Pick:-
VicTsing MM057 2.4G Wireless Mouse:-
- Its shape is just right so that it feels substantial and at the without ripping your palm.
- It is long-lasting, wireless devices are notorious for forcing the consumer to buy batteries again and again but this device gives you 15 months of battery life.
- Plug and play, even though it is wireless still is very easy to use. You can say it is a plug and play device, as you do not have to install any driver.
- Control its sensitivity with the help of 5 levels of DPI, that is, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400.
3. Mechanical Mouse
The Mechanical Mouse or as many of us call it the ball mouse is one of the earliest mouse designs introduced. It has a ball is made up of rubber and it moved in the direction that you move your mouse in.
This design is outdated and is not available in the current market.
4. Scroll Mouse
Scroll Mouse is often referred to as a wheel mouse. It has a wheel placed between the left and the right button of the mouse making it look pretty wacky.
Apart from being a nostalgic piece, reminding people about the ball mouse, it has a functional benefit. It allows you to use the wheel to scroll up down a page without dragging the scroll bar.
Therefore, it is one of the best types of mouse in our opinion.
This can be found in both wired and wireless mice.
Our Pick:-
Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Mouse:-
- The first and foremost feature of this mouse is the trackball implementation. The wheel allows you to use the wheel to scroll up down a page without dragging the scroll bar.
- It is long-lasting as this device gives you 18 months of battery life.
5. Optical Mouse
Optical Mouse as the name suggests uses light to travel. The device has an LED light placed at its bottom uses the light’s reflection to travel.
It looks pretty dope but has one very significant disadvantage, that is, it can not travel on clear glass or plastic surfaces. This disadvantage is enough for us to not recommend it.
6. Laser Mouse
Laser Mouse can be referred to as an advanced version of the mouse that we have discussed earlier, that is the Optical Mouse. Instead of an LED, it uses the laser beam that reflects the light from the surface and then uses the reflected beam to travel.
But there is a caveat, even though the use of laser beam has allowed the mouse to work on pretty much any surface but the accuracy is not up to the mark. Many manufacturers have tried solving this problem but in general, this is a con of this tech.
Our Pick:-
Razer Mamba Wireless Gaming Laser Mouse 5600 DPI:-
- They have tactile buttons that are perfect for gamers.
- The problem of replacing a battery is solved with the inclusion of a charging dock.
- It is equipped with gaming-grade wireless technology.
7. BlueTrack Mouse
If you want the coolest mouse then we have one in this “types of mouse” list. A BlueTrack Mouse is a unique type of mouse designed by Microsoft that incorporates both image sensors and pixel geometry to ensure both surface compatibility and accuracy.
Because of this one can say that it is in the same league as the laser and the optical mouses are. We have a brief comparison of these three types of mouse later in this article.
Our Pick:-
Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Mouse – Wool Blue:-
- Palm friendly and attractive design.
- Windows button to trigger the start option.
- Trackball that can move in all four directions, that are, left, right, up, and down.
- BlueTrack technology allows it to work on all surfaces.
BlueTrack vs Laser:-
Have you ever been pissed off because your mouse is not working on a particular surface, well, Microsoft has a solution for you, that they call BlueTrack. It is a technology that allows you to use your mouse on any surface.
Here are a few surfaces on which both of these technologies were tested, let’s see how well they performed.
Clear Glass:-
One of the biggest enemies of a laser mouse is clear glass. Since the laser mouse has a laser that when hits a surface reflects the light back to the sensor allowing the mouse to move. But since does not reflect the light it instead refracts, the conclusion was as expected, the laser mouse did not work on the glass.
Interestingly enough, the BlueTrack mouse was a bit choppy as well. It was not accurate at times and sometimes it even stopped working. The experience was bad but far better than Laser technology.
One thing to note here, Microsoft has already mentioned this behavior on the box. Considering this technology is yet to mature we can say that the potential is higher and we may see this working on a clear glass well in the near future.
Dark Glass:-
Since neither of them excelled in the previous round. This is where things get interesting, we have dark glass this time.
Laser mouse of a dark glass was just not working correctly as the surface smooth and the reflection mechanism was better than the clear glass but it still was not enough to recommend someone to use this on a dark glass, considering that this scenario is not very niche, there are many tables with dark glass.
Now, it was the time to see the performance of the bluetrack mouse and as expected it was phenomenal. Both the image sensors and pixel geometry came into their own and made it one of the best in this “types of mouse” list.
Carpet:-
Carpets can be a furry mess and can be a bit tricky to work on. The problem was first observed by the mechanical mouse as its balls were having a hard time moving on that extra friction surface.
But because of the advancement in technology both of these mouses were able to perform quite well. Yes, the friction made using the mouse a bit tricky but if we neglect the human error there is nothing to complain about.
So… which one is better
It is clear that bluetrack technology was better in all the scenarios. But we need to address the elephant in the room that is the price. Bluetrack technology is expensive and the question is, is it worth spending extra?
This is where things get interesting. If you want a portable mouse that you can carry around with your laptop and use wherever you want then that price is justifiable but if not then go for basic laser mice.
8. TrackPad or TouchPad
Next on our list of “types of mouse” is the touchpad or trackpad. They are good kind of like a touchscreen that allows you to move your pointer in all directions by gliding. They also have a right-click and left-click button that you can use just like an ordinary mouse.
They have some perks over a normal physical mouse such as taking less space or having more advanced features such as pressure sensitivity but in most cases, it is slightly difficult to use. Therefore, many laptop users buy a physical mouse even if the touchpad is working fine.
Let’s explore the special mouse:-
These types of mouse are a little wired but at the same time an example of what good engineering can do.
9. Trackball Mouse
These may look like something from the times of mechanical mice with a weird look but it is way more advance. As the name suggests they have a trackball placed on top that allows you to control your pointer without actually moving the mouse.
Because of this very feature, it can be ranked over all the types of mouse that we have talked about earlier in this article. Now, you do not need a large surface area to move the pointer you can just place your mouse and still be able to reach all four corners of the screen.
Our Pick:-
Kensington Orbit Trackball Mouse with Scroll Ring (K72337US):-
- They are built with Optical tracking technology to ensure accurate pointer movement.
- Being a trackball mouse they are very ergonomic and require fewer hand gymnastics to point well.
- Customers will get KensingtonWorks software that allows the user to customize the provided button according to their needs.
- Compatible with all the Operating Systems such as Windows, Mac OS, and Chrome OS.
10. Gaming Mouse
They are the special-purpose mouse that is designed for gamers. They have many remappable buttons that you can use to improve your gaming skills.
Apart from these buttons they have quite a few tricks up their sleeves such as a sturdy built. Most of these mouses are built sturdy to overcome the stress that they will experience during intense gaming sessions.
Then another thing that they possess is perfect accuracy. They are accurate and often have a variable DPI that allows you to play a game on your own terms.
Our Pick:-
PICTEK Gaming Mouse Wired [7200 DPI] [Programmable]:-
- They provide you with a wide range of DPI, 1200/ 2400/ 3500/ 5500/ 7200.
- They have 4 polling rate of 125 Hz/ 250 Hz/ 500 Hz/ 1000 Hz.
- They have programmable 7 sets of buttons that you can customize to play games according to your needs.
- They are compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Vista, Linux, etc.
11. Vertical Mouse
Vertical Mouse falls under the categories of ergonomic mice. They are quite weird but effective. They are like a vertical stand that you have to hold with your hands and then use.
They are perfect for someone who wants to use their computer for a long time as it does not put a strain on your hand while working on an important and long project. They are quite accurate and does not have a trade-off to achieve this ergonomic structure.
Our Pick:-
Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse:-
- Intentionally designed to minimize the wrist strain.
- Customizable pointer speed with the help of 3 levels of DPIs 800/ 1200/ 1600.
- Works for gamers as well because of its accuracy and some remappable buttons.
12. Stylus Mouse/ Pen Mouse
In this list “Special types of mouse” we have a very special one, the stylus or the pen mouse. Even though they target a very niche audience they are perfect for someone who falls under that category, that is the Artists.
If you like drawing on your touchscreen laptops or tablets then the stylus mouse is the way to go. Most of them are pressure sensitive allowing you to customize your strokes.
Our Pick:-
Rechargeable Pocket Pen Mouse:-
- They are ultra-portable because of the sleek design that they possess.
- Designed to work for both right-handed and left-handed artists.
- Has USB C to ensure universal connectivity.
13. Track Point Mouse
That red rubber-like material in your keyboard may look wired or unclean but is very functional for writers. They are a small mouse that is placed between keys and help you in pointing something in your text. Because of this, you can type long paragraphs without removing your hand from the keyboard.
14. Foot Mouse
Well if special means weird then this mouse is weird. You need to use your feet in order to use this mouse. As per the manufacturer, this is for the one who wants to work without think of leaving the keyboard. It is a weird mouse but can work if you are serious about efficiency while writing and/ or gaming.
Our Pick:-
iKKEGOL PC USB Triple Foot Switch Keyboard Mouse:-
- Good for gamers because of three programmable switches that you can customize according to your needs.
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, DOS, Linux, etc.
- Foot Control to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency.
What to look for while buying a mouse?
If you are planning to buy then section can be very helpful for you. We have taken a few things into consideration and then laid our opinion based on that.
Wired or Wireless:-
We have discussed enough wireless and wired mouse and which one is good for you. But we would like to conclude that both are fine but there are some pros and cons.
In general, I would personally opt for a wireless mouse just because they look cleaner and most of the cons are minimized if not eliminated as the technology matured.
Size of the mouse:-
Even though it is based on personal preference, but we would like to warn you to not fall trap in the marketing gimmick and buy a small mouse. It is not good for accuracy and can be a bit jarring. That’s why most of the gaming mouses are big as they want to make it as accurate as possible.
So, pick a mouse according to the size of your hand. In short, the size of the hand is directly proportional to the size of the mouse for accuracy.
DPI Sensitivity:-
DPI is something that defines your experience, especially while browsing. Therefore, while picking a mouse you should pick one that has a variable DPI sensitivity level. This way you can always DPI to match the work that you are doing.
Ergonomics:-
Ergonomics is a key to productivity. Especially, in modern DNA, most of us are sitting all day working in front of our computer and using the mouse. Therefore, it is vital to have an ergonomic design so that you don’t feel uncomfortable.
Wrap-up:-
This article was about types of mouse and we have discussed all of them. All of them with some exceptions can be brought by anyone but if you are looking for the best as per your lifestyle then you need to read the whole article and then figure out the best one for you.
We have also discussed the difference between wired and wireless mouse and picked blue track mouse over laser mouse but with one important caveat.
I hope this has streamlined your options and helped in making the right decision.
