Mouses and Disk Drives?

[Rellik]

I just got a new netbook for Christmas, and while I love the thing, the mouse pad is rather frustrating. Since the screen is so small, they set up the mouse pad to work kind of like the screen on an iPhone or iTouch, where you can sort of "pinch" it to zoom in and out. With a normal mouse pad, this probably wouldn't be such an issue, but on this netbook, Right and Left clicking is done by clicking on the bottom corners of the pad, rather than by then actual buttons. Since I keep zooming in and out when I try and drag and drop stuff from one file to another, I'm thinking of getting an external portable mouse, but I'm a bit conflicted.

I don't know weather to get a mouse with an extending cable, or to get a wireless optical mouse. The ones with cables are cheaper, but I've had them before on other laptops, and they don't really last. However, all of those have been freebies that my mom got from work, so I don't know if all of them are rubbish, or if I'm just being biased because of these freebies. As for the wireless ones, not only are they more expensive, but the mice need batteries. The prospect of paying top dollar for a wireless mouse, only to need to buy batteries every month, isn't very appealing. However, if the mouse has some good durability, I think I can handle it.

Also, since this is a netbook, it doesn't have a built in disk drive, so I'm gonna need to buy an external one. Here's what I'm looking for:

-Something that can read both music CDs and DVDs.
-Something that can burn music CDs. DVD burning would be nice aswell, but not needed.
-Something that costs around $60 at most.

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[Rayne]

Go wireless. For a netbook you'll be juggling enough things when toting it around, wires are only going to complicate matters.

For a good wireless, go with the Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse. Bagged two of them for $25 (can be cheaper in some places) a piece and they come in a line of snazzy designs. They come with a nearly inconspicuous receiver. A nubbed usb input really that hides away under the case. Only requires one AA battery which is also included. I've been working off the same battery for nearly 5 months now and it still has yet to show signs of deterioration. Want to know how far it reaches? In the last two weeks I've used this mouse to double as a remote pointer for Powerpoint presentations at school. I was clicking away flawlessly even at 10+ feet away from the computer. Really nice.

Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse
Recap:
- $25, Decent price.
- Reliable Brand, Logitech
- Scroll wheel + it's ergonomic design has a nice feel.
- Has neat art renderings for faceplates
- Requires 1 AA battery, long lasting.
- Power save feature puts it on 'standby' when not in use.
- Comes back online with just a quick jiggle.
- Can be powered off to conserve batteries if you want.
- Receiver is inconspicuous.
- It's able to conceal that receiver internally if you want.
(If you want to put it away that is, you can put it in the mouse)
- Has incredible range.

What's not to like? I was once a hardcore user of the wire mouse, but after switching to this one I don't think I could look back. I brought it with me to replace the mice used in our computer labs because of it's ease of use and adaptability since I don't have to get tangled with cords in a limited space environment.

As for that external, try looking up a few at newegg.com. They're really reliable when it comes to purchasing any computer hardware.

 

[immewnity]

Disk Drive:

Though more expensive, I'm using this.

Cheapness: under $40

 

[Rellik]

Go wireless. For a netbook you'll be juggling enough things when toting it around, wires are only going to complicate matters.

For a good wireless, go with the Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse.

I just now read this, and I just couldn't stop laughing. I was at Walmart today, cashing in a gift card I got, and while I was in the Electronics Section looking for the new Family Guy Star Wars parody (which is totally awesome BTW), I stumbled across their selection of computer mice, and actually ended up buying the very mouse that you just recommended, literally hours before I saw this post. Glad to know I made a good choice. Though, unfortunately, they didn't have any with these snazzy faceplates that you were talking about. The only ones I saw had simple red, blue, or pink faceplates. (Ended up going with red. My netbook has a green design on the back, so I figured I'd go with Christmas colors.)

Disk Drive:

Though more expensive, I'm using this.

Cheapness: under $40

Thanks, I'll look into those.

 

[Rayne]

AH! I made an error of sorts. I was looking for the faceplate design I bought a while ago because I didn't know the -exact- serial number, but only what it looked like. The V220 is almost like what I bought but the nano reciever is actually bigger than what I have. Since I wasn't sure at the time I just went with it.

The brand I bought was a M305, not the V220. Even if it's not in the same line, I think the V220 mouse is just as capable for what you want. Just a few differing nuances, but I'm glad you've enjoyed your purchase.