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For anyone interested in open hardware mice, I have to recommend Ploopy: https://ploopy.co/ https://ploopy.co/ Plug-and-play, flash your own firmware if you li

For anyone interested in open hardware mice, I have to recommend Ploopy: https://ploopy.co/ https://ploopy.co/ Plug-and-play, flash your own firmware if you like. Current models ship with QMK (open firmware), although I believe my older trackball didn't, I'd have to flash it. I have both a left-handed trackball (rare!) and a right-handed mouse from them, I like to alternate. Two obvious complaints: - They're really expensive - They're 3D-printed, which means manufacturing isn't polished. My trackball had a sticky mousewheel, which I ultimately had to buy a replacement for and swap out. My mouse has some rough edges I haven't filed down yet, and the 3D-printed texture may not be for everyone. The good news is that it's easy to make replacement parts and repairs yourself! Still, I wish they would make mass-produced versions with more conventional and precise manufacturing techniques, just with the option to 3D-print your own parts if you feel like it / need to. Maybe that would bring the price down while also improving build quality.

nabakin 5y ago
I can't connect to your link
- trey-jones 5y ago
  Wordpress DB is down. Did we kill it?
  - nabakin 5y ago
    I first clicked the link only 2-4 minutes after it was posted and it was down so I doubt
  - rcoveson 5y ago
    Welp, LAMP stack doesn't scale. Time to hire some microservices teams and set up a k8s cluster.
    - nix23 5y ago
      >Welp, LAMP stack doesn't scale Tell that wikipedia ;)
ycuser2 5y ago
Can't reach their website here.
lelanthran 5y ago
You can't have "really expensive" and "crap quality" without going out of business. It's a pity they don't sell the electronic bits (preloaded with the firmware). I can probably fashion quite a nice trackball enclosure from a block of wood; probably much nicer than 3D printed cheap-feeling plastic.
- germ 5y ago
  It's all open hardware, so you can run off your own if your so inclined and design wood enclosures. The draw of these is that they are fully (properly) programmable and can run QMK.
  - NoGravitas 5y ago
    I get the appeal of that for keyboards, but what's the appeal of it for a mouse? Is it only for g*mers?
    - rustyminnow 5y ago
      I don't game much anymore, but using a gaming mouse in my day-to-day workflow is huge. Besides the normal browser history-back/fwd, I have buttons for scrolling through tabs, closing/reopening tabs, alt-tabbing between windows, changing volume, etc. I don't make much use of macros or anything, but if I worked in CAD or Photoshop I'm sure I would. I think any kind of workflow that's hotkey or shortcut heavy could benefit.
    - germ 5y ago
      Hardware drag scrolling, combos and snippets, more configuration then you can swing a stick at, layers and all of that. Half of the reason I use QMK boards is due to on-host configuration being so so terrible. At least if I bring my own hardware I _know_ it's going to work how I expect when I plug it in. That's a huge sell if you are jumping between computers all the time and have hardware that fits in your purse. Also, the form factor and things like the Ploopy Nano are super cool. And because it's open source if you don't like the hardware/software you can easily change it. We use interface devices all day, everyday. Not having an ergonomic interface will catch up with you.
system2 5y ago
Last thing I want to hold a crappy 3d print textured mouse under my hands for 10 hours. I will take my chances with Logitech and stick to mx master. $130 for a mouse? Are you serious.
- jareklupinski 5y ago
  I'm making one with an outer shell of TPU after having this issue. It's just a bit soft and it feels like the 'textured grip' parts on my old Logitech, but sized for my considerable meat hooks.
avree 5y ago
Wow, those mice look truly horrible to use, and cost $200 to boot.
orbital-decay 5y ago
They have parts like PMW3360 in a mouse clearly intended for office use, judging by its shape; no wonder it's expensive. This is a sensor designed for extremely fast movements in games (faster than punches in most martial arts). It's not the latest and hottest model, but you won't be able to tell the difference from a cheap sensor during normal use.
X6S1x6Okd1st 5y ago
Amazing that it's not only 200 and not high quality, but it's called "ploopy"
benhurmarcel 5y ago
I wish they made alternative PCBs for existing mice. So you’d get the nice finish of molded parts, with an open firmware.
apricot 5y ago
a) Cheap b) Well made c) Open source/hardware Choose any two.
torginus 5y ago
I think it's time for Chinese manufacturers to step up to the task. I've recently bought a (filament) 3D printer, and reading up on the domain, it was interesting to see how it developed: The open source community figured out how to write software that can turn CAD drawings into CNC instructions and wrote firmware that could drive the printers. Meanwhile, multiple Chinese manufacturers built hardware, competing with each other to build better stuff and increasingly cheaper prices. The end result is that you can buy really decent 3D printers at around $250 with open firmware.

nabakin 5y ago

I can't connect to your link

trey-jones 5y ago
Wordpress DB is down. Did we kill it?
- nabakin 5y ago
  I first clicked the link only 2-4 minutes after it was posted and it was down so I doubt
- rcoveson 5y ago
  Welp, LAMP stack doesn't scale. Time to hire some microservices teams and set up a k8s cluster.
  - nix23 5y ago
    >Welp, LAMP stack doesn't scale Tell that wikipedia ;)

ycuser2 5y ago

Can't reach their website here.

lelanthran 5y ago

You can't have "really expensive" and "crap quality" without going out of business. It's a pity they don't sell the electronic bits (preloaded with the firmware). I can probably fashion quite a nice trackball enclosure from a block of wood; probably much nicer than 3D printed cheap-feeling plastic.

germ 5y ago
It's all open hardware, so you can run off your own if your so inclined and design wood enclosures. The draw of these is that they are fully (properly) programmable and can run QMK.
- NoGravitas 5y ago
  I get the appeal of that for keyboards, but what's the appeal of it for a mouse? Is it only for g*mers?
  - rustyminnow 5y ago
    I don't game much anymore, but using a gaming mouse in my day-to-day workflow is huge. Besides the normal browser history-back/fwd, I have buttons for scrolling through tabs, closing/reopening tabs, alt-tabbing between windows, changing volume, etc. I don't make much use of macros or anything, but if I worked in CAD or Photoshop I'm sure I would. I think any kind of workflow that's hotkey or shortcut heavy could benefit.
  - germ 5y ago
    Hardware drag scrolling, combos and snippets, more configuration then you can swing a stick at, layers and all of that. Half of the reason I use QMK boards is due to on-host configuration being so so terrible. At least if I bring my own hardware I _know_ it's going to work how I expect when I plug it in. That's a huge sell if you are jumping between computers all the time and have hardware that fits in your purse. Also, the form factor and things like the Ploopy Nano are super cool. And because it's open source if you don't like the hardware/software you can easily change it. We use interface devices all day, everyday. Not having an ergonomic interface will catch up with you.

system2 5y ago

Last thing I want to hold a crappy 3d print textured mouse under my hands for 10 hours. I will take my chances with Logitech and stick to mx master. $130 for a mouse? Are you serious.

jareklupinski 5y ago
I'm making one with an outer shell of TPU after having this issue. It's just a bit soft and it feels like the 'textured grip' parts on my old Logitech, but sized for my considerable meat hooks.

avree 5y ago

Wow, those mice look truly horrible to use, and cost $200 to boot.

orbital-decay 5y ago

They have parts like PMW3360 in a mouse clearly intended for office use, judging by its shape; no wonder it's expensive. This is a sensor designed for extremely fast movements in games (faster than punches in most martial arts). It's not the latest and hottest model, but you won't be able to tell the difference from a cheap sensor during normal use.

X6S1x6Okd1st 5y ago

Amazing that it's not only 200 and not high quality, but it's called "ploopy"

benhurmarcel 5y ago

I wish they made alternative PCBs for existing mice. So you’d get the nice finish of molded parts, with an open firmware.

apricot 5y ago

a) Cheap b) Well made c) Open source/hardware Choose any two.

torginus 5y ago

I think it's time for Chinese manufacturers to step up to the task. I've recently bought a (filament) 3D printer, and reading up on the domain, it was interesting to see how it developed: The open source community figured out how to write software that can turn CAD drawings into CNC instructions and wrote firmware that could drive the printers. Meanwhile, multiple Chinese manufacturers built hardware, competing with each other to build better stuff and increasingly cheaper prices. The end result is that you can buy really decent 3D printers at around $250 with open firmware.