MOUSE TECHNOLOGIES

Mechanical Mice - Mechanical Mice requires that the mouse be set on a flat surface. The distance and the speed of the rollers inside the mouse determines how far the mouse cursor moves on the screen depending on the software configuration.

Optical Mice - Optical Mice require a special mouse pad which has a grid pattern. A sensor inside the mouse determines the movement by reading the grid as the mouse passes over it while emitting a light from an LED or sometimes a laser. This type of mouse is much more accurate than the ordinary optical mechanical mouse which relies on the traction between the mouse ball and the rollers. One drawback to an optical mouse is they can have problems in bright lights.

New Optical Mice no longer have the disadvantages of earlier mice and are capable of being utilized on any surface. In comparison to the traditional Optical-Mechanical mouse, the Optical is a much better solution for a computer mouse.

Optical-Mechanical - The optical-mechanical hybrid consists of a ball which rolls a wheel inside the mouse. This wheel contains a circle of holes and or notches to read the LED by a sensor as it spins around when the mouse is moved. This mouse is much more accurate than the mechanical mouse. This mouse is now the most commonly used mouse with PC and Macintosh computers. See How a mouse works for an illustration and a more in-depth explanation of how this mouse works.