Are you a mouse or touchpad user? (Also, desktop, laptop or phone?)

[True Dough]

My sister surfs the web via her phone all the time. I can't do that. I'm a laptop user, no mouse, so I use the touchpad. Now on the topic of that darn touchpad, it's my friend and my enemy. On my existing laptop and on my previous one, I have disabled the single-finger "tap to click" feature because it led to far too many unwanted surfing locations as the darn thing would activate almost any hyperlink it came across (and that was with the sensitivity setting reduced to low).

So I continue to use the touchpad to glide the cursor around the screen but I must deliberately push down at the bottom of the touchpad to move from one destination to the next. That means I actually hear a physical "click" each time, which is a little annoying but less annoying than unintentionally activating an advertisement that I wanted no part of.

[PJMcK]

1. Laptop and touchpad

I've loved the portability of laptops for more than 25 years. I've been able to work anywhere including on trains and planes. Their connectivity has meant that I can plug into any peripherals needed.

When the touchpad was first introduced, I didn't like it as I had loved the trackball on a previous machine. But I quickly changed my mind since it was easier to keep clean and reduced the moving parts of the machine. I can't imagine using a mouse with the laptop.

I do have a large external monitor for the music programs ProTools and Finale but most of the time I don't need to use it.

[Glorfindel]

2. Mouse used with desktop.

I have a laptop that I use occasionally (mostly when traveling), but I much prefer the mouse to the touchpad. I use my phone for talking, and that's it.

[mitch96]

9. "I much prefer the mouse to the touchpad"

Same here. I use a laptop when traveling and bring the charger and mouse. I guess I'm a mouse kinda guy. Sweek!
m

[hlthe2b]

3. I use them all, but most comfortable on laptop keyboard and use the trackpad, ALTHOUGH

it frequently gives me disturbing joint pain in the knuckle at my second digit after too many hours. I am most comfortable with a mini mouse, but I lost my last one and haven't found a replacement.

Years ago, Toshiba and then IBM released a center track pointing stick--a little soft stick in the middle of the touch bad that could be moved around without a lot of hand movement. It was great for me, but unfortunately they've discarded the technology for the damned touch pads.

[True Dough]

4. I had a Toshiba with that little "nub" in the center of the keyboard

Never used it. Not even once!

[hlthe2b]

5. It took some getting used to, but once I had, I just loved it. I wish I had it back.

[tblue37]

49. I use a minimouse, too. It's easier on my small and somewhat arthritic hands than

a full-size one. It is a plug in mouse, not wireless.

[Hoyt]

6. Laptop, with mouse, full keyboard attached, and monitors. Use phone and ipad too.

Fortunately, took a typing class in the mid-60s, and have done a lot of typing since. Can type faster than I talk.

I like convenience of phones and pads, but am really slow with keyboard and mouse.

[True Dough]

7. Yes, the ability to type at a decent rate of speed is a desired skill

I find myself texting more and more, but I dislike it. It takes me three times longer to compose a sentence via text than it does to type it.

I watch kids texting with two thumbs and they send off their lengthy messages in a fraction of the time it takes me.

[Nay]

8. Wireless mouse, laptop, keyboard, attached larger monitor. I find touchpads really annoying and

slow. And I like the monitor because I can raise it to a comfortable (for my neck and back) eye level with the least hassle. I also type pretty fast and need a decent sized keyboard.

[bif]

10. MacBook Pro with touchpad

It's strange using the mouse with my desktop, once you get used to using a touchpad.

[Fla Dem]

11. Laptop with wireless mouse and love it. Switched just recently from a wired mouse.

I tried a wireless mouse several years ago when they were first available. But to me it was erratic and slow. Recently was with a friend who was using a wireless mouse and I saw how easily it moved and how accurate it was. So went and got myself one. Excellent decision. Absolutely love it.

Refuse to use the touchpad. Deactivated it on both my laptops. Too prone to mistakes and you have to be so precise to accurately point to where you want to click.

Mouser forever!!!

[True Dough]

13. I spend too much time cursing the touchpad

even with the "tap" feature disabled. My current laptop is designed so that "left clicking" at the bottom edge of the touchpad has to be done at the far left side, otherwise it moves the cursor or reacts like a right click.

The problem with moving to a wireless mouse is that I work from home (working right now, ha ha!) and I do much of my work in a large, comfy lounge chair with the laptop literally on my lap. So the only place for a mouse would be on the arm of the chair. I don't think there's enough real estate there for the mouse to move around sufficiently.

[Fla Dem]

14. Give it a try. The mouse I got(off the shelf Staples Brand $14.99) works in a very limited space.

So depending on the width of the arm rest on your chair, you just might be able to use it.

[True Dough]

15. Well, if you're endorsing a mouse for that price

maybe I will give it a shot. I don't want to pay $50 to $80 for some razzle-dazzle super funky ergonomic mouse with all sorts of features. I just need something basic, but I assumed the cheaper ones are poor quality. How long have you been using yours?

[Fla Dem]

17. Several months. And it is a basic, mouse, no bell or whistles

Just the wheel and right/left click buttons. There are some that are actually cheaper.

On edit: I don't even have to use a mouse pad, but just like using it.

[True Dough]

18. Sounds good. Thanks!

I'll probably look for a mouse like that. But I'd never bring a Bo Sox mouse pad into my house!

[Fla Dem]

23. LOL!

[2naSalit]

40. Oh do it! You'll never look back.

I use a laptop with that damned touchpad f'ing this disabled. I hate it for everything from trying to browse and activate thing, screw that. And when I type, if I don't watch back and forth between the keypad and the screen because I will accidentally touch the pad and the cursor will relocate to the middle of another paragraph and the rest of my sentence ends up in some wrong place and I have to stop and correct all that, no thanks.

I'm not the greatest typist, I learned in college in my thirties but I was a trained typesetter before that... don't ask how that happened, it's a looong story.

I love these little $15 minimouse things. Mine is a logitec and I got it at RaioShack - we still have them in Montana - and it takes me about six years to blast through one to the point it wont work. It does work in a small space they are far more compact than they used to be, takes one AAA battery that goes a long way.

[True Dough]

42. I have felt the pain of the cursor jumping around while I type due to making contact with

the blasted touchpad! Many curse words have been uttered in such situations.

I have the wireless mouse now. It's been about three days. I like it, but I'm still training myself to use it regularly. I use it more than half the time, but I still catch myself slipping into my old habit of using the touchpad. I should disable it completely, I suppose, but there are times when I'm lying in bed and I'm using the laptop so the mouse isn't feasible.

Anyway, I like the mouse. It was a smart move. Thanks!

[nocoincidences]

28. Try a trackball mouse.

The mouse doesn't need to move at all because you use the trackball with your thumb to move the cursor around the screen.

Less issues with carpal tunnel, also.

https://www.google.com/search?q=trackball+mouse&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq7crt1JPgAhUtUt8KHZLcAa8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1280&bih=572#imgrc=mQ06NNNa_XyMHM:

[True Dough]

30. I'll look at those options too

before making a decision. Thanks, fellow astronaut (if your avatar is what I think I'm seeing -- if not, I'll need to try some glasses out as well).

[nocoincidences]

32. They worked this time!

That's Ripley from Alien.

[True Dough]

34. Oh good!

Because I don't want to shell out for a pair of glasses too!

[Archae]

39. I use this one.

https://www.google.com/search?q=trackball+mouse&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq7crt1JPgAhUtUt8KHZLcAa8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1280&bih=572#imgrc=W6bbE6ilyJDhgM:

[clutterbox1830]

12. Mouse user.

I'm a programmer and can't stand using the touchpad when working on my laptop. My productivity is much slower with a touchpad.
Also if you do any gaming, touchpad only control are impossible.

[Iggo]

16. Desktop w/wireless mouse. Laptop w/wireless mouse.

Tablet w/touchscreen, no mouse needed.
Phone w/touchscreen, no mouse needed.

[True Dough]

19. My wife has a touchscreen

She loves it. I don't have it, and don't want to. The funny thing is when I show her something on my laptop, she instinctively reaches for the screen for the start button on a video or something like that but there's no response.

[Iggo]

20. I almost never use my laptop on my lap, though.

I was thinking about that. When I do, I use the touchpad and I hate it.

I bought my niece a touchscreen Windows laptop, and she does the same as your wife, reaches for the screen.

Not for me, the touch screen laptop or desktop.

[lilactime]

21. Laptop w/mouse. Can't stand using a touchpad.

I also have a desktop w/mouse I mostly use for recording/editing video. Plus a tablet that I usually only use to read in bed. I have a smartphone but I rarely use it for anything other than talking or texting.

[sarge43]

22. All of them

Desk, lap, phone

Prefer a mouse, but I'm old school.

[True Dough]

24. Simultaneously?

You're the king of multi-taskers, sarge!

[sarge43]

33. If I'm drunk or high enough ;)

[crazycatlady]

25. Depends on the use

I mostly use my laptop's touchpad, but on occasion, I need a mouse.

When I cut turf using VAN (Democratic campaign software), I prefer to use a mouse.

[lkinwi]

26. I use an iPad for the web and only use my cell for talk and text. I just got rid of my desktop and

never used a laptop.

[OhZone]

27. I do it all! haha

Well, almost.

I have android, iOS, Win7 Desktops, Win7 laptops, and one Win10 Laptop.

I actually like using my mouse on my Win7 main desktop the most though.

[smirkymonkey]

29. Laptop w/ wireless mouse, unless I have my laptop in bed or literally on my lap travelling

in which case I use the touch pad. I much prefer to use a mouse.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. Mouse.

It's my observation that the touchpad is trickier and slower to use.

Also, a full keyboard. I'm an excellent touch typist, and the switching back and forth between upper case, lower case, and numbers/characters screens for typing on my kindle makes me crazy. But at the risk of repeating myself, I'm a phenomenal touch typist.

I text, and have a fairly primitive, not smart, phone with the little pull out keyboard. Too small to touch type on, and I don't text enough to try to find a small if full-sized keyboard I could attach to it.

Added: Whenever possible I use keyboard commands when I'm in things like word. Vastly faster than searching for the correct pull-down menu and clicking, whether using mouse or touchpad.

[Talitha]

35. Dedicated Mouse user here.

For me it's a lot faster than the touchpad.

(Bought a small Tablet for when I travel, but the touch screen drives me nutz. )

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

36. Keyboard pointy nub thingy

[jmowreader]

37. Desktop and mouse

[NutmegYankee]

38. I use both desktop and mouse, and iPad/iPhone.

Prefer the desktop for most real tasks.

[2naSalit]

41. I use a wireless mouse with

my laptop but reading through the comments made me think about something. I learned computers when you have to write code for everything, there was no such thing as a mouse of any kind. I didn't have to learn to type until I was actually writing papers in college. By then, early 90s, there was email but everything still was monochrome (all imagery on the screen was either green, white, or orange) and looked like DOS. Even email. AN that was Pegasus Mail, there was no Microsoft yet.

And when the mouse hit the scene... They where kind of a pain in the butt in the beginning but I really like these wireless units. I like how there;s that little USB thing that fits in where the battery is so you won't lose it. I didn't like the early ones so much because the USB thing was big as firestick/thumb drive and could get broken or damage the port.

[blaze]

43. Laptop with mouse and this awesome stand!

I've had this laptop stand for over 10 years and still love it.

https://airdesks.com/products/laptop/laptop-desk/

I have the stand with the standard shelf.

[sakabatou]

44. Laptop and mouse

[shraby]

45. I have a laptop that I connected a wireless mouse to.

I don't like the touchpad either.
I don't connect to the internet with it, it has XP on it and runs a program I use for photographs better than my newer win 7 or 10 desktops.

[OriginalGeek]

46. desktop at work

laptop at home and i have wireless meeces for both of them.

But at home I'm usually using it on my lap with a lap desk and I have not found a comfortable way to mouse yet so I get wrist fatigue after not much time. I used to use the arm of the couch as my mousing surface but we got new furniture and I didn't take that into account so now I have no suitable arm. The lap desk has a slide out mouse pad but it sits too far away for comfort and it messes with my carpal tunnels.

[True Dough]

53. "meeses"

Say hello to the "meeses" for me!

[jrandom421]

47. No mouse or touchpad for me

Been using a trackball ever since my first game of Missile Command.

[True Dough]

54. I'm more of a Pong man

Cro-Mag-Pong, they call me.

[tblue37]

48. I HATE touchpads. Mouse only for me on a desktop. No laptops. But I do use my

8" tablet and it's touchscreen to surf the net and to post comments.

[Jane Austin]

50. Touchpad.

It's second nature to me and I find a mouse just clumsy to use.

[CloudWatcher]

51. Laptop, external bluetooth Apple Magic Mouse

I'll use the trackpad for browsing the web or really simple tasks. But when I sit down to work, I have to have the mouse. The Apple magic mouse is pretty cool, it's basically got a mini track-pad on the top surface so it's more useful than the usual 2-button + scroll wheel. Not cheap though ((

I've got a repetitive strain injury on my right thumb that flares up when I try and really click the trackpad with it. But the 'tap to click' trackpad feature helps me a lot there ... and only took me a day to get used to it. But again the mouse avoids the problem entirely.

Also I use a simple lap board to keep the laptop from burning me; when I'm working the thing gets pretty hot!

[True Dough]

55. Look out!

CloudWatcher at work!

[Freddie]

52. I am attached to my phone

(Like right now) for almost everything unless there’s a lot of typing (other than texting) or numbers involved, for which I have a laptop with mouse. Do bill-paying and banking on laptop, use excel and word for my volunteer stuff at church.