Optical vs. Laser

[DireSandMan]

Optical vs. Laser, is there a differnce. I was looking at mice and i thought that there were two types of mice, ones with balls and ones without. Could some one tell me the differnce between all these mice. Sory if this has already been asked, just tell me were to go. Thanks.

[xmastree]

Some have balls, some don't. The ones with balls are, technically, optical since the ball connects to a roller, which triggers an optical sensor. However, they are not usually marketed as optical.

Laser is, AFAIK, just a buzzword for optical.

Generally they are better since there are no moving parts to wear out or pick up dirt, but they can be fussy about mousepads with fancy pictures on them.

They are becoming much cheaper now, to the point where ball mice will soon be obsolete.

Some links for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mouse-mechanism-cutaway.png

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/mouse2.htm

[AKA_RA]

there actually is a differance between laser and optical, people always call optical mice laser mice, but thats cuz they use a red led usually to light up the surface being used. there actualy are some mice out there that use lasers and not leds. i know logitech has one or two mice, i dont remember which ones, but they use actual invisible lasers i believe. theyre supposed to be like the best mice you can buy. but i myself stick to just your run of the mill standard red optical mouse. i think im currently using a logitech mx518 or something like that. that makes a total of 4 differant type of mice. optical, laser, ball and trackball.

[antheh]

I currently use a invisible optical logitech wireless mouse. One of the best things I ever bought, no more blinding myself when lifting up the mouse. :D

However as for your question, there is a significant difference that I know of... price. I hear they are really good and stuff like that. Your probably finding a model of a laser mouse and googling it and reading reviews.

[Omega]

Laser mice can also be used anywhere, unlike Opticals. Optical mice freak outon mousepads with repeating pattersn (trust me, i know) and they don't work on glass.

[CanaBalistic]

The only thing that affects performance is the dpi of each mouse. Basic optical mice are around 300dpi and it causes problems on patterned mouse pads because the sensor lags and doesnt realize you've moved the mouse because it thinks its still looking at the same pixel (for lack of a better word). The higer the dpi the better the resolution the mouse can see at. As a result, the mouse pointer can move across the screen with less movment from the mouse. Also known as "precision". The color of the LED doesnt matter at all. In fact, many people change the led to a suitable color for there case themes.

I have a high end mouse and it cost me about $70. Its 1600 dpi. Its about 5 times faster in responce time as compared to a standard $15 optical mouse like my old one. The highest dpi of an optical mouse right now is 2000 dpi (that i've found). The first microsoft laser mouse is 2000 dpi and im not sure if they've gone higer. Think of ball mice as vinyl, optical as a cassette, and laser as a cd. Its just a diffrent way of doing the same thing but better.


Just to mention: When my friends with regular optical mouses use my computer they have a hard time controling the mouse because its a drastic improvment in responce.

I can move my pointer from screen edge to screen edge in 1 1/2 cm movment of my mouse.

[xmastree]

The color of the LED doesnt matter at all. In fact, many people change the led to a suitable color for there case themes.
Indeed: http://case-mods.linear1.org/case-mod-101-mouse-led-swap/
I might even try that, just for the hell of it. 8)


responce.
Aaargh! It's response, dammit.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=responce

Sorry, I just hate it when people spell that incorrectly. ;)
It's completely irrational of me, I know. Other common mistakes don't bug me half as much (advice/advise for example) but there's just something about that word... :mad:

Nurse! Where's my medication?

Aahh, that's better, :redface: now where were we? Oh yes, mice.


Optical mice freak out on mousepads with repeating patternsI find they work well on those cheap give-away type mouse pads. The foam ones with a woven covering on one side. However, they need to be almost in line with the weaving. Place it at 45 degrees and they get confused.

[The Modfather]

Mice and keyboards are a speciality of mine. I've reviewed dozens of different ones.

An optical mouse is not the same as a mouse with a ball, which is known as an analog mouse. An optical mouse uses an LED bounced off the surface to track whereas an analog mouse uses a ball that makes physical contact with the surface. Ball mice are, at this point, passe and should be avoided at all costs, there is no reason to use one anymore as optical mice can be had for next to nothing and I don't know of anyone who still even makes analog mice.

Laser mice by comparison are usually much more precise, more forgiving of the terrain they're used on and run at a higher DPI resolution. The most popular laser mice right now are Logitech's G5 and G7 mice. The G5 is a corded version and the G7 is cordless and sports dual batteries and a charger. It's the natural successor to the throne of the Logitech MX1000 Optical rechargable mouse that I swore by for the past year. I use the G7 now and love it.

Deciding which mouse and which kind of mouse is right for you is a very personal thing. Here are the most obvious things to consider.

Do you do a lot of gaming, specifically FPS gaming where precision and speed are key? If so, a laser mouse with a resolution of 2000DPI would be ideal but you could easily make due with an Optical mouse with a resolution of around 800dpi.

Does the cord get in your way a lot? If so, cordless rechargable mice like the Logitech G7 and last generation MX1000 are a dream. The G7's dual batteries means you never have to worry about the battery going dead, just swap 'em out.

Do you do a lot of graphics work? Again this is a place where high DPI will come in handy.

How big is your hand? Some mice feel better in a larger hand and some feel better in a smaller hand. I find the Logitech mice are nice for me and I have very large hands but people with normal sized hands have raved about them too. On the other hand (har har) Razer makes some high end mice but they don't feel good in my big hand.

Are you left handed? If so then most mice are going to tick you off, Razer however, makes their mice ambidexterously so that might be a consideration.

What kind of work surface do you have? If you have a wood desktop just about any mouse will do alright, non-repeating patterns are best. A smooth glide vs. a tactile feel is a personal choice, many companies make high end mouse pads for optical and laser mice, some of them do improve precision quite a bit while others are just annoying. Cloth and neoprine mousepads are not so good for optical and laser mice though. Best to just use your desktop rather than one of those with an optical or laser mouse.

Are you one of those people who, when they open their mouse, remove the ball and look at the little rollers, thinks that the black stuff around them is there for traction? If so, smack yourself, that's dirt! Your rollers should be smooth, either silver or plastic but they DON'T have black rubber wheels on them, that's just how the dirt collects. With an optical or laser mouse this doesn't happen but the feet can get a little dirty, so a small amount of mouse care is necessary for smooth movement.

In the end the most important factor are...

Precision
Comfort
Convenience
Price

The best of the mice (IMHO), the Logitech G7, runs around $70. Some mice are more expensive but I've not used one that I felt was superior to this. Lesser mice can be had for anywhere from $5.99 to $69.99. If you're going to spend anywhere near $70 at least have a look at the G7.

[xmastree]

I like Logitech mice. My current one is this (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/GB/EN,CRID=2142,CONTENTID=8594) which at first felt uncomfortable until i got used to it. I think that's because the previous one I had was just too small. it's not cordless, but is symmetrical so left handers won't have a problem with it.

[DireSandMan]

Thanks a lot guys. Thats every thing i need to know. I think ill just go with a g5 or something simmilar. Thanks for all the help.

[The Modfather]

You'll like the G5, I forgot to mention that unlike the G7 the G5 comes with weights so you can tailor its weight feel, which is nice.

[CanaBalistic]

I have the Razer Diamondback 1600dpi gaming mouse. works great for me. looks cool as all hell and has 4 extra buttons.

I forgot to mention but i also have a microsoft strategic commander.



The Strategic Commander unit is in fact composed of two parts: the stationery bottom one is the base where the moving pad is attached. The base features two buttons: the slider lets you select up to three different game profiles while the rec button is intended to record on the fly actions shortcuts without leaving your games. The second part is obviously the moving pad. The pad’s exclusive design will perfectly hug the form of your hand and you’ll be able to rest your hand comfortably on it. When you put your hand on it the little finger rests on a dedicated curve, the ring, major and index fingers reach the six programmable buttons (that are near to the Zoom ones) while the thumb commands the third shift buttons located on the right part of the pad that allow to change actual combination.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h258/Cana-Balistic/design.jpg

72 functions in all. if this seems intimidating... it is. It sucks to set up and take a while to get used to but once mastered its invaluable.

[xmastree]

wtf? So the moving part moves on the base? Is it attached to it, like a sort of joystick?
And with all those buttons you'd need to be some kind of alien to use it. :)

[The Modfather]

The MS Commander isn't a mouse, it's a seperate input device for gaming, it's basically a tool for games like Warcraft, Starcraft, etc. It's not much help in FPS or certain other games. It provides you with a lot of extra programmable keys and the base does slide around, usually you use that to move your map view in those types of games. It's a nice gadget, they've been around for a long time now, you can probably get one cheap. It's similar (but I think better) than the Nostromo.

I also have a Razer Diamondback Plasma Ltd mouse, it's the one I could never get used to. It's too light weight for me (big hands), I don't like the button configuration either, the ambidexterous design is nice but, if you can't use those other buttons they're just in the way.

It took me a while to get used to the G7's lack of a foreward button but now I'm used to using the tilt wheel to do that.

[CanaBalistic]

I've used it in fps games, stratagy games, works good in photoshop to. You can set it up so forward on the pad makes you walk forward in the game, strafe. ect. ect.

[Omega]

I find they work well on those cheap give-away type mouse pads. The foam ones with a woven covering on one side. However, they need to be almost in line with the weaving. Place it at 45 degrees and they get confused.


Well, it could either be your mouse, or the kind of mousepad.

I use a rather old Logitech MX700 (Wireless, forward and back buttons, scroll buttons and a wheel, too, very ergonomic) on a Thermaltake Gamma Pad (LED Mousepad with a textured plastic surface) and it slides very well, but if i put it in a few places, the mouse will drift in a certain direction, which gets annoying (but is easilay fixed by moving my hand.)

[The Modfather]

MX700's aren't so old, just 2 years or so, still great mice. I have 2 here, don't use them anymore but still think they're good.

I never tried using the Commander in an FPS, I'm just so used to using my arrow keys and a mouse, it'd probably mess me up. :) I've used the Zboard with FPS's and its gaming board with the butterfly arrow keys are great for FPS's.

[CanaBalistic]

Ive allways wanted to try a Z-Board but i like to communicate while i play and i know i wouldnt want to swap covers in the middle of a game just to type somthing

[The Modfather]

It has a full keyboard on the gaming board, it's just a little difficult to get used to typing on it when you're used to a standard keyboard layout.

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/graphics/normal/hardware/h755.jpg

But for controlling in a FPS, it's sweet. And for WoW, the board for that is pretty nice too. I have it but I can't find it and since I traded the ZBoard on here, I won't ever need it. :)

[Chris12]

Anyone know where I can get either an invisible laser or blue (or any color than red) optical mouse?
A picture of a blue led optical mouse on Wikipedia with a caption that says it is a Logitech blue led mouse prompted me to call Logitech to find out a model #. They have no idea. Neither does anyone in Best Buy or Fry's.
I was considering the MS Blue Track mouse, but wonder if that's worth $100.

[SgtM]

Take a regular mouse with a red led. Disassemble it. Cut the red LED out, put your own blue one in.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/USMC%20case/DSCF5060.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/USMC%20case/DSCF2035.jpg

[nevermind1534]

I have a cheap xtatix laser mouse with an invisible laser that I got for $5 or $10 from newegg.