Computer Mouse Types

Updated: 07/22/2022

The computer mouse is one of the first PC accessories and is amazingly still popular among computer users to date. Modern mice have programmable buttons that you can configure as per your needs. Some mouse models have adjustable weights too. Deciding what mosue to select require some knowledge to decide what could be the best mosue for you.

A mouse can be classified  into two segments wired and wirless mouse. Further we ahve different types based on different characteristics.

Major classes of computer mouse

• Wired Mouse

A wired mouse, as the name suggests, is one that has a wire connecting it to a computer or laptop. It can also be linked to smart consoles/TVs and other devices, making it a very useful deviceInitially, mechanical mice have rigid plastic wires that get stiff with time, making it difficult to work with them.

The original mouse developed utilized wire to transfer data, however, an attempt was made to make it cordless in 1984, but owing to technological limitations at the time, the notion was discontinued at the time or did not gain user approval.

Source: Amazon.com

Wired mouse types have utilized a number of connections to connect to computers and laptops over the years, including:

• Bus connection that made use of an ISA add-in card
• Serial interfaces
• PS/2 interfaces
• USB port

Because of the range of capabilities they give in terms of wired mice, USB ports are now extensively utilized and have superseded all prior forms of connections.

• Wireless Mouse

A wireless mouse is a type of sophisticated mouse that allows you to use it without the necessity of a cable as it connects wirelessly to your computer. You don’t have to worry about the cable and cable clutter it could cause. These mice use wireless radio signals like 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth technology to connect with a computer.

Source: Amazon.com

A mouse is a key to any online life and for good reason. And there are also a lot of great reasons to choose a wireless mice instead of a wired one.

Types of Computer Mouse Images and Types with Names

It’s hard to believe that something as simple and standard as a computer mouse can come in multiple variations. There are many different types of computer mice to pick from.

A computer mouse is available for almost any possible situation or for application and for all budgets. To determine which mouse will function best with your PC and your needs, you must first understand your mouse options.

There are several factors that can be taken into account before deciding which one to pick. Factors like size of a mouse, how the heavy mouse should be, ergonomic design, left or right-hand mouse, laser or optical, sensor type, and more. Below is the list of available options with images that one can choose from.

• Optical Mouse

Optical mice, which were developed in the 1990s, provided a better solution than their predecessors, mechanical mice because they are concealed on the rare side, so they do not accumulate dust and grime, which was a major issue in early mice, requiring no maintenance over time to work efficiently.

Source: Amazon.com

It’s a mouse that detects movement using light as oppose to ball mouse. They function by emitting light from an LED. Instead of the ball and rollers used in prior devices, these mice use camera technology and digital processing to compare and monitor the position of the mouse.

These mice may typically operate on any flat and smooth surface, but it’s best to use them on a purpose-built mouse pad for better accuracy and performance.

• Laser Mouse

A laser mouse works by using a small pulse laser beam to detect your movements. The pulse of the laser is produced by the mouse from its rear end. When the mouse moves it sends the data to CMOS, a sensor housed inside the mouse, which then compares received data with the last sent data to determine the position of the mouse.

This process is repeatedly performed with the lighting speed. The system then relays the information to your computer.

Source: Amazon.com

The advantage of a laser mice over an optical mouse is that it can track movements even on surfaces where an optical mouse loses track, of course, this is because of the different beams they use which makes the difference.

Lease mice can track mouse movement on glass and plastic surfaces too.

• Ergonomic Mouse

The computer mouse is the most essential and important component of any modern computing device. The mouse has a direct influence on how we use computers and interact with websites and programs, and you can’t picture anything without a mouse when it comes to games.

Source: Amazon.com

Excessive mouse use may result in wrist pain, also known technically as carpal tunnel syndrome. In some situations, users have also claimed arthritis discomfort. Which may or may not be attributable to mouse use, but it clearly prevents or makes working with a computer mouse difficult.

In such a case, an ergonomic mouse (also known as vertical mouse) is the best solution. Because of their comfortable design that corresponds to the normal posture of the forearm, these mice are closer to the human natural position and allow them to operate with ease.

There is a vast variety of ergonomic mice available in the market for every type of user, you can find a mouse for office work, gaming, travel mice. More it is available for small, medium, and large hand sizes whether it’s the right hand or left hand. These mice are designed to help people with RSI, arthritis conditions, wrist or shoulder pain.

• TrackBall Mouse

There are two types of trackball mice, Thumb operated and finger operated trackball mice, which have ball the center or on the side. The trackball mouse allows you to move the cursor on a screen by spinning the ball.

The trackball works by rolling your fingers on the ball to allow you to move pointer left, right, up, or down. A trackball mouse is an excellent tool for navigating on a large or extended display.

Source: Amazon.com

Trackball mice are also recommended for users with wrist and shoulder pain as they are also ergonomic in nature A trackball mouse provides a great option for users with wrist pain or shoulder pain. they are designed to be used with the user’s natural movement. They’re easy to use and are an ergonomic choice for many users.

You can also play games with trackball mouse. Moreover, these mice are available in two variations: either you can choose a thumb-operated mouse or a finger-operated mouse. Both have their own pros and cons.

• 3D Mouse

A 3D mouse is a special mouse. Engineers’ professional needs for engineering designs were taken into account when developing the 3D mouse.

Typically, they want a software in which they may execute actions that can make their work easy and increase productivity; nevertheless, other than outside applied apps, it is not very effective because it is specifically created for 3D environments.

Source: Amazon.com

• Finger Mouse

It’s a mouse that we may wear on our index finger, as the name suggests sometimes also called a wearable mouse. It’s similar to a regular mouse, but it’s controlled differently and has a different design. Rest it pretty much performs all the functions that we can expect from a standard mouse.

Source: Amazon.com

These finger mice are available in wired and wireless versions, and it is also appropriate for specific physical medical issues. It’s a little difficult to use at first because we’re not used to it, but with some practice, we can get used to the movements.

• Roller Mouse

A Roller mouse (also known as roller bar mouse) is one of the very unique types of mice it’s attached with the keyboard at the front side. A user can operate it much like a keyboard style which is better than than the handheld mouse and ergonomic. You have to use your fingers and thumb to move the cursor.

Source: Amazon.com

• Silent Mouse

Every time when you want to perform any action with the mouse you hit one of the buttons on the mouse, as a result, the command is executed. In this process, every time you hit the mouse button a sound of “Click” is made which could be annoying when you are in a public place.

Many gamers also don’t like this noise sound. For such users, a noiseless mouse was developed. Silent mice without making any sound pass instructions to the computer.

• Pen Mouse

Pen mouse (also known as stylus mouse) is another ergonomic mouse, it has all the same standard capabilities that we use in a typical mouse except it’s in a pen-like form. You can do all the functions that you can do with an optical mouse but with a better hand posture and it also allows you to write and draw like a pen, which is quite challenging with the traditional mice.

Source: Amazon.com

• Ambidextrous Mouse

Ambidextrous mice are designed in a way so that users can use them with both hands. One can get tired of using the mouse with their right hand if working for long hours,  here lefty mice come in handy, a user can easily switch hands. This is made possible by making them evenly shaped. Most normal mice are symmetrical in shape.

Source: Amazon.com

• Left-Hand Mouse

Ambidextrous mice are designed in a way so that users can use them with both hands. One can get tired of using the mouse with their right hand if working for long hours,  here lefty mice come in handy, a user can easily switch hands. This is made possible by making them evenly shaped. Most standard mice are symmetrical in shape.

• Foot Mouse

It’s incredible that there’s also a mouse that can be operated with one’s feet rather than their hands. You can move the cursor on the screen with your feet, and buttons are provided to perform actions as needed. These Foot Mouses may have more buttons than a regular mouse and may be programmable to meet the needs of the user.

Video editors, transcriptionists, and those with particular medical conditions are the most common users of these mice.

• Air Mouse

Air mice, also known as presentation mice. This type of mice is used with smart TVs or any consoles that require a pointing device to locate menus or selections. These mice have special motion sensors installed which when waved in the air pointer location on the screen is traced as per the motion. These mice are also available for PCs as well.

Computer Mouse For Medical Conditions

Best Ergonomic mouse for wrist pain