8 factors to consider before buying a mouse

Choosing the right mouse for your needs

a) Gaming Mice

If you are someone who will devote hours to your gaming screen, opting for a mouse that does not strain your fingers and is perfect for use that lasts long hours is the way to go.

b) Travel mice

Compact, small and often wireless, if you are always on the road and value the space that components take up in your bag, you need to keep an eye out for these gems that may not score high on the ergonomics scoreboard but will perform the functions just as well.

Ergonomic Mice

Mice that are designed to fit your hand better with additional buttons available to you at your fingertips (literally) is not a bad choice if you do not mind shelling out a little extra.

 

The optimum DPI

The DPI or dots per inch represents how far the mouse will move for every move that the mouse moves, the higher number is not always the best and so there are factors that you need to take into consideration while you choose the right DPI.

a) High DPI is perfect for multi-monitor setups or high-resolution displays.

b) Lower DPI is good to have better control and precision. Gamers could make great use of a mouse which has adjustable DPI settings.

c) Photoshop and a few other apps that need a higher level of precision can also do well with a lower DPI.

Polling rate

This spec that is measured in hertz, indicates the number of times a mouse reports its position to the computer each second. A higher number indicates better accuracy and smoother movement.

Optical vs Laser

The main difference between the two is that while an optical mouse uses an LED to reflect off the below surface a laser mouse makes use of a laser to track movement. Hence, the optical mouse can be used on flat and opaque surfaces, while laser mice work on a wider range of surfaces.

Wireless

Technology has made sure that the wireless mice that come out these days are free of any lag whatsoever. If you do not wish to be inconvenienced by the clutter of a USB cable, this is the way to go.

Bluetooth vs RF

The two types of wireless mouse that are available include the Bluetooth and the RF, while the RF may be much more responsive, the Bluetooth frees up a USB port and makes sure that you can use your mouse across multiple devices.

Mouse vs Trackpad

Instead of opting for a mouse, you also have the option of going for a standalone touchpad that is quite similar to the one available on a laptop. While it is not the best choice for gaming and image editing, people do find touch-based system easier to use since desktop software is being designed taking touch into consideration.