We use it, we depend on it, we get frustrated when we can’t get it to work with our XF86 config file in linux, but overall, we neglect it. Most people don’t realize that there are other things you can do to improve your mousing experience than simply shelling out 100 bucks for the latest and greatest piece of hardware from Logitech, so here’s a nice little guide on how to, with minimal funds spent, make your mouse the best and most tripped out part of your computer.
1-Ditch the rubber mat
Most people either don’t use a mouse pad at all or use some 10 year old flakey rubber map that has a strip of cloth and a logo from a company that went belly-up years ago. If you think about it, it’s probably cost you many missed headshots (see the “what do you do when you die in a game” thread for more vivid descriptions of what happens). The best thing to replace it with these days is either the
RatPadz GS or one of the
everglide models. The nice thing about these next-generation “gaming surfaces” (they’re too cool to be plain ole mouse pads) is that they’re designed for modern mice which usually have four distinct contact points or “feet”, rather than the old fashioned style of simply having the whole bottom slide across the surface, so they’re hard and have a whole bunch of valleys for better gliding. However, this makes your mouse make an awful scratching noise whenever you move it around,, which is why you need to move on to step 2.
2-Teflon to the rescue
The best way to deal with the scratching syndrome is to get some
Mouse Skates from everglide. If you’re cheap, you can just go to your local plumbing store and pick up some Teflon tape (it’s the same stuff), but the only problem is that the tape sold at plumbing stores doesn’t have any adhesive, so you’ll have to figure out a way to stick them to the bottom of your mouse yourself. Once you’ve got the “skatez”, just clean the bottom of your mouse with some alcohol, cut one of the strips into 4 pieces, and put them over your existing mouse feet. If done correctly, this should get rid of scratching noise and make your mouse glide around smoother than ever. One caveat though, these things tend to wear out within about 3 months, so if you’re ordering the official stuff from everglide you’d be best to get a few to save on shipping (they make you pay 10 dollars shipping even if you only order mouse skates) later.
3-Get that cord out of the way one way or the other
Once you’ve invested this much, you don’t want to deal with that annoying cord rubbing against the edge of your mouse pad or snagging and knocking over your speakers. There are two solutions to this problem: one is to ditch the cord altogether and go wireless, and the other is to buy a
Mouse Bungee that you thread your cord through and use to keep it suspended above your mouse pad.
Here’s the rundown on the pros and cons of the two solutions:
Wireless
Pros:
-no wire at all, complete freedom
Cons:
-have to replace the battery every so often
-gotta buy a new mouse
-mouse sometimes loses connection with base station (in my experience)
-some are too slow and don’t have as quick a reaction time
-one more thing that can break
Mouse Bungee
Pros:
-a lot cheaper than wireless, and gets the cord out of the way for the most part
-comes with a neat little convex mirror to see behind you
Cons:
-You still have an ugly cord there
-Sometimes it restricts your movement a little bit
4-Take it a step further
The above improvements are some that, in my opinion, any self-respecting techie should make. However, there are some more
extreme mods that you can make if you’re feeling brave. Be warned though. Unless you’re back in the stone age and still use a ball mouse (which should be your first upgrade if you are, even before step 1), I would advise against the LED lights, as they can reflect off your mousepad and screw up your optical sensor.
Props to laggy for supllying me with a little reminder that I
do have a job.
