When Optical mice first came out, the big line was "finally a mouse that works on any surface!" And what did I find? For the first time ever, after I got an optical mouse, I actually had to use mouse mats! Because they just don't work well on wooden desks. You'd think it would be the perfect surface for them, because all the wood grain would give the optical sensor something to track. But the cursor on the screen moves very erratically with them. They actually work better with a sheet of white paper, which is very weird. I have tried many different mice and many different desks.
It must have something to do with the slight surface unevenness of the table (what you can feel rather than what you can see). This also makes no sense, because why would that disturb an *optical* system?
Does anybody else know about this?
Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
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yes, same here!
ReplyDeleteI have a wireless optical mouse, which I love, but I keep a sheet of white A4 paper underneath it!
It doesn`t like the bare woooden desk, and doesn`t seem to run smoothly on it.
But as long as I keep it on A4 paper, its a happy bunny!
Had problems with my PC this week Eolake, will email after I get a better idea of what the problem is, just in case it`s catchy!
Hmmmm!!!!
ReplyDeletePut in all my details as usual..
Didn`t see the anon button....must have been on..........
EEK! can`t click the anon button off!
What am I doing wrong Eolake?
Ah! Didn`t click the blogger button!
Should work this time....
sorry about that Eolake!
Trying to do this, and my screen froze twice ...have definatly got bugs in the system.
I have to close and open my emailer to get new emails in...
have run virus checkers, they all say clear, but system has problems.
Thanks for getting back, Eolake!
ReplyDeleteUsed tohave an old souped-up Amiga 1200 many years ago.
Apparently similar operating system as mac. Loved it! Still have it,sentimental reasons! But very old now!
Will email when alls well!
it's not the picture that counts, it's the surface texture that optical mouse 'sees', feels and tracks :)
ReplyDelete"it's not the picture that counts, it's the surface texture that optical mouse 'sees', feels and tracks"
ReplyDelete... Really? Interesting. Can you point to any data about that?
Eolake....I have cut & pasted your url as my computer sees it....
ReplyDeletehttp://wwww.eolake.blogspot.com/
There are 4 w`s...is that right?
Trying to work out which things are faults on my PC, and which aren`t!
data? just google "Razer eXactMat", or beter yet: buy one and put that A4 sheet back in your printer :P
ReplyDeleteI find exactly the same thing. suspect that the "problem" is the wood grain and the finish, the varnish, which actually acts as a lens, which is why the grain looks so nice. My guess is that the wood grain reflects back from many different angles, refracted by the varnish, much like one of those reflective street signs and confuses the sensor.
ReplyDeleteA good theory.
ReplyDeleteI have tried on unvarnished tables though, and that is just worse.
"Razer eXactMat"...
ReplyDeleteI don't want a better mouse mat (or mouse trap for that matter), I want the mouse they said they already had for us: the mouse that works without it.