When talking about their connection to your computer, the computer mice are divided into two categories: wired and wireless. Now we are talking about the wireless computer mouse. These computer mice use the wireless communication technology to transmit the data regarding their position to the computer, as they are not directly attached to it by a cable or a cord, a “wire”.



Wireless computer mice have appeared because people wanted to get rid of all the clutter of cords and wires on and under their computer desk. There are so many peripherals to connect to your computer and they all come with at least a cable, that you sometimes just want to take them all out and throw them away. Thanks to the wireless technology now it is possible to use the wireless devices and solve this problem.

But the wireless technology isn’t very new, as you may think. The first one to use it was Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone who also made the first wireless telephone conversation with a friend in 1880. Then his work was continued by many scientists among them Hertz.

Wireless computer mice use a transmitter and a receiver in order to be able to communicate from the distance (even if in this case the distance is very short – only a few metres). The receiver is attached to the computer, usually in a USB or PS2 port. This receiver … well, receives the signals sent by the computer mouse and transmits them to the main unit of the computer where they are processed. The mouse transmits the data through infrared radiation or radio frequency signals.

The infrared radiation transmitter can be seen as that red dot or ray that you can see coming out of your wireless computer mouse and the exact same red dot can be seen on the receiver. However, if you black the way of this infrared radiation it can’t go from the mouse to the receiver, so make sure you don’t do that if you want your computer mouse to work properly. It’s the same principle like in the case when you can’t use your TV remote control because your kid has stuck his chewing gum on the red light of the receiver or the remote control.

The radio frequency signals use a certain radio frequency to transmit the positioning data and even the latest technology of the Bluetooth communication uses the same method. Usually these RF wireless mice can work at longer distances than the ones using the infrared radiation, as they can transmit their signals through obstacles, too. So they can work to a distance of up to ten metres, so basically you can operate your computer when holding the mouse in another room.

Because of the distance covered and also because of the time spent between sending and receiving the signals, wireless computer mice can be a bit slower to respond to your commands than wired mice do, but this problem is currently in the course of being solved. However, this is exactly the reason why gamers prefer wired computer mice, because they need instant response from their mouse when they are in the middle of the game.

I should also mention the fact that wireless computer mice need some source of energy to transmit these signals. That is why they need batteries –most often two AA batteries, but there are some that can work with only one. So let’s hope that one day all our electronic devices will be wireless and I am sure our houses will look a lot better.

Logitech RX1000 is a Logitech USB mouse that is wired and can be connected to any USB port of your computer. This is a very simple, yet highly effective computer mouse, with a nice shape and design, with an elegant silver stripe around the black body. It is contoured to the shape of your hand and it fits perfectly the palm , making you feel comfortable even after long hour of use.



It is ambidextrous and can be used easily , with a slight move of your hand. It is pretty lightweight and nice looking and you can also use it with your laptop, too. The mouse has the normal main buttons separated by the scroll wheel, that is very helpful if you want to surf the very long documents or if you are looking for something in a spreadsheet. The scroll wheel has multiple functions and it can tilt to the sides when you want to scroll horizontally the documents or internet pages you opened.

You can also use it to zoom photos for example or whatever you might want to give a close view. I can see a small "fast search' button just below the scroll wheel and this is an important feature that helps you save time. You just select a certain word or phrase in a document, press this button and you will have an immediate search on the internet, finding the exact meaning or other contexts of the word you are looking for or you are presented photos of the respective object.

This Logitech USB mouse called Logitech RX 1000 is a laser mouse, so it has a laser sensor that detects its position in space and this contributes a lot to its accuracy that is already pretty high since the mouse has 1000 dpi resolution. It does not have any problems in sending the signal to the computer and translating its position into the position of the cursor on the screen, as the signal is sent directly through the cord, so no lag and no tremor.

This mouse is perfect to use in any conditions and , thanks to the laser sensor, it can work on virtually any kind of surface, with or without a mouse pad. You can use it for all purposes, even for games and it will work just fine. Besides, it does not need any extra software to be installed in order to work, so you can use it as soon as you take it out of the box and plug it into the USB port of your computer.

You can find it for sale in any online computer store for a fair price between $25-40. So, considering all its features and its performance, I would say this is a very good deal and it represents a very good price for the quality offered. In comparison, other laser mice cost almost twice as much, so you can always rely on Logitech to offer the best possible quality for the money.

When people hear about wired ergonomic computer mice they immediately think about Evolute or another very famous and popular computer mouse that has ended up appearing in all computer magazines and on all web pages. That is exactly why I will talk about the Sky Vertical ergonomic mouse today. This one is indeed a wired ergonomic mouse and also a vertical mouse.



Sky vertical mouse is one of those ergonomic devices that uses the vertical position of the hand in order to offer it a more ergonomic support. In fact this mouse is not that radical and the hand has a combination between the vertical and the horizontal position  during mousing. As you probably know many specialists consider that most of the repetitive strain injuries are caused by the horizontal position of the hand while using the computer mouse.

So apparently the "palm down" position leads to pressure in the wrist , affecting the blood vessels and the tendons there and also forces the bones in the forearm to stay twisted during the long hours of mousing, which can cause a lot of pain. That is why the vertical position of the hand is considered more appropriate and more ergonomic, as the hand bones are no longer twisted and the hand rests in a neutral and more comfortable position. It can even relax in between the mousing sessions. So this Sky vertical ergonomic mouse is one of these devices that applied this ergonomic theory into practice.

This wired ergonomic mouse seems to be the only one without a pre-established positioning of the thumb. It does not have any carving where you should place your thumb, but gives you the freedom to place it where it feels comfortable. There are , however, two specially designed scoops where your fingers are supposed to rest (I mean the index and the middle finger, as they are the ones operating the two mouse buttons). The mouse has the classical two buttons for left and right click and also the so necessary scroll wheel. It is simply designed and has few buttons because its purpose is not gaming, but ensuring the best comfort for the hand.

It is also a bit taller higher than other computer mice, as its purpose is to lift the wrist from the table or desk in order to avoid putting pressure on it. This mouse is also a bit bigger than most of the mice we got used to because it follows the size of te human hand, which is not that small and when the hand is bigger than the mouse , it usually rests the rist on the desk, which is not good.

But besides the ergonomic features, this Sky vertical ergonomic mouse has other qualities, too. It is a wired computer mouse, so it works as soon as you plug it into the USB or PS2 port of your computer. It will work immediately, as it does not need any software to be installed. It has 800 dpi resolution and is available only in black and silver design. The surface of the mouse has a very comfortable texture and the whole mouse design follows the contour of the hand, so it will need only a slight movement of the hand to be operated, in spite of its dimensions. It is actually pretty light, too. Like all ergonomic computer mice, it comes for a pretty high price of $99.

Ever since the computer industry has evolved so much as to be included in every single field of activity, more and more people have spent their time behind a computer desk, doping their jobs on the computer as a normal everyday task. But using the computer keyboard and mouse for so many hours every day has come to be a demanding job and now results are showing: a lot of people working on computers at work and at home have developed occupational illnesses that are directly related to the use of computer mouse.

You may wonder why the sudden preoccupation for ergonomics, as the computer mouse has been around for about fourty years? Well, the computer mouse was indeed invented in the 1960s and patented in 1971, but it was used only by very few people who worked in research. And even then computer mice were used only at work and only for a very short time every day.

It was in the late 1980s that the computers began to be more popular and affordable and began to spread. Now computers are as common a site at home and at the office as the telephone or the TV set. There is barely one home without a computer in it , except of course the less developed countries.

And, of course, nowadays computers and computer mice are used for both work related things and personal and recreational purposes. And, as you know, everything coming in big quantities is bad. That's exactly what I am trying to say here.

If you use the computer mouse regularly but in decent dosages nothing bad will happen to you. But if you exaggerate, you can get some computer related illness like the Repetitive Stress Injuries. They are : carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, cold hands syndrome, De Quervain's disease, strained wrists and many others. They all affect you pretty badly.

So the question now is what to do to avoid getting hurt and having RSI? Well, the most effective thing would be to stop using the computer mouse. But this is not an option when you work in front of a computer all day long and you get pretty much money for that, too.

Then you should try using an ergonomic computer mouse. There are many different types of ergonomic computer mice on the market, each claiming to be the best. You can choose from: The Evoluent vertical ergonomic mouse, the Quill ergonomic mouse, the pen mouse, the 3M , the Zero tension mouse, the finger mouse and many other models.

They all have one purpose in mind: to make mousing a relaxed and natural movement that won't affect people's health. In fact that's what ergonomics is about: adjusting the objects that people use to fit the user, that is to give the possibility for them to use natural moves and positions. That is why ergonomic computer mice opted for the vertical position lately, as it keeps the hand in a neutral position and no longer puts pressure on the wrist.

The only problem might be the price of these devices, which is pretty high . I guess this is caused by the cost of the research that needs to be done and all the tests and after that the patent for the ergonomic design, which can be rather expensive. So, I think we will continue using non-ergonomic computer mice for a while, until they get a lot cheaper and more popular.

Computer mice are different in sizes and shapes and features just like us, people who use them. Every oneof us is different from the other standing next to us and that is why we each need different things and like different things. That is why some computer mice are large - for people with large hands that want to feel comfortable when using a computer mouse and do not want to lose the mouse among their fingers.



Gamers want big computer mice full of buttons they can program in different ways. Designers want a very high resolution to allow them to work on the details and young girls and women who study or already work in the business field and are always on the go would like very much a stylish mini computer mouse.

The most important feature of these computer mice is the fact that they are mini, that is they are small and easy to transport even in the purse without the fear of breaking anything or doing any damage to it. Then there's the looks of these mice. They must be really nice looking and fashionable and also very easy to use, as nobody hates very complicated computer mice more than a girl. We like mini computer mice in bright shiny colours that can be also competitive and productive, as we like to combine good looks with brains.

So I chose two models that illustrate the perfect idea of a nice mini computer mouse. The first one is Mini Hello Kitty USB optical mouse. It is really small, weighing only 73 grams and pretty - pink in colour, with the famous kitty printed on it, which is really appealing for a girl, especially if you want to surprise it with a nice gift. It is compatible with all versions of Windows and has a retractable cord that plugs directly to your laptop's USB  port. When you are not using it, the cord conveniently retracts inside the clip and you can deposit it where you can find a small place for it,. It has quite a high resolution of 1200 dpi and be also used as a decoration for your laptop as much as a mouse.

The second picture shows the USB Mini Mouse , nice looking and red, surrounded by a strap of shiny silver. It is very similar to the computer mouse that I presented above and has almost the same features: it is very lightweight, USB connected, portable, with a retractable cord, the same three buttons ( two regular right and left click buttons with a scroll wheel between them).

You can buy it for only $12 and you can choose from red, black and silver. The same optical technology that allows a very good traceability and the high resolution of 1200 dots per inch make it a very good quality mouse . It is tiny and nice, very portable and comfortable to use, almost like a toy but having all the necessary features that make a great computer mouse. The cable length can go from4.5 cm to 75 cm which is more than enough for a portable computer mouse. So, in conclusion, you can find computer mice that are both small, cute and at the same time very professional.