5 ms·

Any idea what the "roll-around mouse" thing is that he mentions? The only Google results for that phrase are cat toys

saagarjha 8y ago
A mouse with a ball inside of it?
hberg 8y ago
He's probably referring to a regular mouse that you move around your desk. As opposed to a touchpad or static mouse with a large sphere you spin around with your thumb.
oh_sigh 8y ago
Old-school non-optical mouse
- foxhop 8y ago
  Did you know even the old-school computer mouse uses light to work? The new school just don't have a mechanical component of a ball and two rollers which spin two separate "gears" which blocks light and then math to figure out the horizontal change + vertical change. I found that pretty neat when I learned. (I'm old enough to remember the pains of using a gunked up ball mouse.)
  - kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
    The old-school mice were also called "optical mice" because the old-old-school mice used mechanical sensors.
  - watmough 8y ago
    For old-school meaning about '85 or so, 'optical mouse' meant a mouse on a special gridded pad that worked optically. See this: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jp... That's not a regular mouse pad, it's a special red/blue/silver grid detected by a laser in the mouse.
    - mailslot 8y ago
      You could rotate the mouse pad and the mouse wouldn’t track. Very prankable. Edit: At least on a Sun workstation
      - watmough 8y ago
        I have fond memories of those things.
alister 8y ago
A Logitech wired optical mouse. At the very end of the article, he gives links to all of the gadgets and software he uses. (Actually, I like that he did it that way, rather then polluting the article with lots of products mentions -- other than his own product, of course.) The mouse info I've copied verbatim below. Interestingly he uses one with a cord -- maybe he had driver issues with wireless mice. Mouse Logitech wired optical mouse [Though I’ve considered more modern and more numerously buttoned mice] https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Optical-Wired-Mouse-Black/dp/B003B4BBFK/* https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Optical-Wired-Mouse-Black/dp...

A mouse with a ball inside of it?

He's probably referring to a regular mouse that you move around your desk. As opposed to a touchpad or static mouse with a large sphere you spin around with your thumb.

oh_sigh 8y ago

Old-school non-optical mouse

foxhop 8y ago
Did you know even the old-school computer mouse uses light to work? The new school just don't have a mechanical component of a ball and two rollers which spin two separate "gears" which blocks light and then math to figure out the horizontal change + vertical change. I found that pretty neat when I learned. (I'm old enough to remember the pains of using a gunked up ball mouse.)
- kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
  The old-school mice were also called "optical mice" because the old-old-school mice used mechanical sensors.
- watmough 8y ago
  For old-school meaning about '85 or so, 'optical mouse' meant a mouse on a special gridded pad that worked optically. See this: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jp... That's not a regular mouse pad, it's a special red/blue/silver grid detected by a laser in the mouse.
  - mailslot 8y ago
    You could rotate the mouse pad and the mouse wouldn’t track. Very prankable. Edit: At least on a Sun workstation
    - watmough 8y ago
      I have fond memories of those things.

alister 8y ago

A Logitech wired optical mouse. At the very end of the article, he gives links to all of the gadgets and software he uses. (Actually, I like that he did it that way, rather then polluting the article with lots of products mentions -- other than his own product, of course.) The mouse info I've copied verbatim below. Interestingly he uses one with a cord -- maybe he had driver issues with wireless mice. Mouse Logitech wired optical mouse [Though I’ve considered more modern and more numerously buttoned mice] https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Optical-Wired-Mouse-Black/dp/B003B4BBFK/* https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Optical-Wired-Mouse-Black/dp...