Anything that requires the intricate use of a mouse should probably be done on the desktop, in my book. I hold off on those tasks until I can sit in front of the big screen with the mouse.
I've been using the Mac trackpad for years, so I'm totally used to it. It took me about a month to get completely familiar with the new trackpad, but now it's a pain to go back to the old style on old MacBooks and PowerBooks. I couldn't imagine being without it. Then again, I'm crazy that way. :-)
Logitech makes a rechargeable mouse with a micro receiver for the USB port. Check out their Performance Mouse MX. I've had good luck with the Logitech mice, and I prefer them over the Kensington models.
François Beausoleil
· 2 months ago
I simply use my mouse left-handed. It keeps my right hand from hurting too much. Yes I have some carpal tunnel syndrome.
Jack L. Moffett
· 2 months ago
Wow! Are you ambidextrous? I could definitely not do that—not if I wanted to remain productive and sane.
François Beausoleil
· 2 months ago
No, not ambidextrous: just a couple of days of training. For general browsing, my left hand is just as good as my right. When I'm using Photoshop, or something that requires precision, I usually switch to my right.
batrico
· 2 months ago
When I train people in productivity on either Mac or Windows, I encourage them to try for not less than a week to mouse with the left hand. It serves two purposes: one, it teaches them to really hate the mouse, and to better learn keyboard shortcuts, and thus become more productive by both becoming faster and by exploring the menus for the keystrokes needed and finding things they've previously overlooked; two, it shows them how much they can learn to *not* use the mouse at all, or at least sparingly, while freeing up their (usually) dominant right hand for better use of the keyboard -- especially the ten-key pad for such apps as Excel, QuickBooks, etc.
The overall goal is to be more productive, but the greatest side effect is less RSI and muscle strain in the lateral and neck muscles.
I further encourage the use of trackballs over mice, as this also decreases unnecessary stressful motion when trying to be precise, or even just for casual surfing, etc. (think about it: observe how much of your upper body is required to operate a mouse; from your fingers and hand all the way into your neck and behind your ear, your muscles are at work; whereas with a stationary trackball, only the muscles in your fingers and motion in the tendons of your forearm can be detected.)
I will usually loan a student/client a trackball for awhile, and usually have to fight to get it back before they buy their own.
Personally, I have a trackball on both left and right sides of my keyboard, as well as a mouse, on the right, and a tablet also on the right; each used for different tasks; but the left-hand trackball (a four-button Kensington Orbit) gets the most use other than drawing with the tablet.
I think trackballs are highly underrated, and if people would just take a few days to get used to them, they would find overall less stress-related fatigue and injury. The same for left-hand mousing when one is right-hand dominant; you will end up reaching for the mouse/trackball less with your left than your right, or you will at least remain more productive by being able to simultaneously operate pointing device and execute keystrokes.
It is regrettable that the most ergonomic and advanced trackball designs are right-hand oriented.
Jack, you seem to think you must be truly ambidextrous to use a pointing device on the left. Unless you are using it constantly for precision drawing, I think you would be surprised to learn how little dexterity is actually required for 90%+ of basic operations in most programs.
Do yourself a favor: drop $30-$50 on a good basic ambidextrous multi-button trackball (Kensington Orbit [scroll ring or optical] or Logitech trackMan Marble); place it on the left of your machine, and program the buttons accordingly; i.e., make the right major button act as "left-click" for your left thumb, and the left major button act as "right-click" for your left middle or ring finger, while your left index finger (and sometimes middle) run the trackball.
If you don't want to risk capital, just grab a spare mouse, reverse the buttons in software, and leave one on each side of the machine. Force yourself to use it for all but precision drawing/targeting, and you may just surprise yourself. And save the need to throw batteries in the landfill.
Jack L. Moffett
· 2 months ago
I'm a designer. I do a lot of "precision drawing". I'm quite happy with my mousing dexterity, and could not afford the performance loss that I would experience while learning a different technique, even if I were at all interested in doing so. Furthermore, I've never had an RSI problem. Apple's new Magic Mouse is looking really tasty.
emily_wk
· 2 months ago
They changed the design? That's terrible. My MacBook Pro has one USB port on the right-hand side, which I assumed was for that purpose entirely.
(And speaking as a lefty, I can't help but be a LITTLE smug that there's one thing in this world is inconvenient for righties.)
mrshawnliu
· 2 months ago
I think it's a design decision by Apple to put all the ports on one side. Aesthetically it's nicer (only one side has "holes") and UX-wise, I think it does solve one problem: on my older MacBook Pro I have to look both sides to find the right port (I have 4 on left and 5 on right), whereas on the new laptop, I imagine I'd get used to always look on the left.
For the short mouse cord, I think it's designed to be connected to the (wired) keyboard, which has a USB port on each side. I noticed that on their older iMacs product photos: it looks as if there's only one cord connecting to the main machine (the keyboard), and everything looks seamless.
I use a wireless mouse, and I use rechargeable batteries (I have spares, so that if I run out of juice and have to charge the batteries, I don't have to wait). I personally can't stand cords. :)
All Comments
I've been using the Mac trackpad for years, so I'm totally used to it. It took me about a month to get completely familiar with the new trackpad, but now it's a pain to go back to the old style on old MacBooks and PowerBooks. I couldn't imagine being without it. Then again, I'm crazy that way. :-)
Logitech makes a rechargeable mouse with a micro receiver for the USB port. Check out their Performance Mouse MX. I've had good luck with the Logitech mice, and I prefer them over the Kensington models.
The overall goal is to be more productive, but the greatest side effect is less RSI and muscle strain in the lateral and neck muscles.
I further encourage the use of trackballs over mice, as this also decreases unnecessary stressful motion when trying to be precise, or even just for casual surfing, etc. (think about it: observe how much of your upper body is required to operate a mouse; from your fingers and hand all the way into your neck and behind your ear, your muscles are at work; whereas with a stationary trackball, only the muscles in your fingers and motion in the tendons of your forearm can be detected.)
I will usually loan a student/client a trackball for awhile, and usually have to fight to get it back before they buy their own.
Personally, I have a trackball on both left and right sides of my keyboard, as well as a mouse, on the right, and a tablet also on the right; each used for different tasks; but the left-hand trackball (a four-button Kensington Orbit) gets the most use other than drawing with the tablet.
I think trackballs are highly underrated, and if people would just take a few days to get used to them, they would find overall less stress-related fatigue and injury. The same for left-hand mousing when one is right-hand dominant; you will end up reaching for the mouse/trackball less with your left than your right, or you will at least remain more productive by being able to simultaneously operate pointing device and execute keystrokes.
It is regrettable that the most ergonomic and advanced trackball designs are right-hand oriented.
Jack, you seem to think you must be truly ambidextrous to use a pointing device on the left. Unless you are using it constantly for precision drawing, I think you would be surprised to learn how little dexterity is actually required for 90%+ of basic operations in most programs.
Do yourself a favor: drop $30-$50 on a good basic ambidextrous multi-button trackball (Kensington Orbit [scroll ring or optical] or Logitech trackMan Marble); place it on the left of your machine, and program the buttons accordingly; i.e., make the right major button act as "left-click" for your left thumb, and the left major button act as "right-click" for your left middle or ring finger, while your left index finger (and sometimes middle) run the trackball.
If you don't want to risk capital, just grab a spare mouse, reverse the buttons in software, and leave one on each side of the machine. Force yourself to use it for all but precision drawing/targeting, and you may just surprise yourself. And save the need to throw batteries in the landfill.
(And speaking as a lefty, I can't help but be a LITTLE smug that there's one thing in this world is inconvenient for righties.)
For the short mouse cord, I think it's designed to be connected to the (wired) keyboard, which has a USB port on each side. I noticed that on their older iMacs product photos: it looks as if there's only one cord connecting to the main machine (the keyboard), and everything looks seamless.
I use a wireless mouse, and I use rechargeable batteries (I have spares, so that if I run out of juice and have to charge the batteries, I don't have to wait). I personally can't stand cords. :)