Best input device for DP?

[Gravity Jim]

Well, I can't guess what is going on with bayswater's graphics, but over here the Performancemouse MX is the bomb dot com. Variable speed scroll wheel is super smooth, the "back and forth" buttons automatically expand and contract edit windows, and I have the underthumb button sett to show all the windows in the current app, which makes finding a buried plug or instrument a cinch. I'm loving it.

[Shooshie]

Well, I can't guess what is going on with bayswater's graphics, but over here the Performancemouse MX is the bomb dot com. Variable speed scroll wheel is super smooth, the "back and forth" buttons automatically expand and contract edit windows, and I have the underthumb button sett to show all the windows in the current app, which makes finding a buried plug or instrument a cinch. I'm loving it.

I'm hard to please in the input device department. Spent well over 20 years using Kensington's various Turbo-Mouse versions, and was convinced that nothing could surpass them. Then someone bought Kensington, and those started sucking really badly, so when my supply of Turbo-Mouse parts began running dry, I got the Magic Trackpad. If it worked equally well in all apps, it would be the only input device I ever need, except for when a tablet is more appropriate, as for drawing.

But when DP started sucking with the Magic Trackpad, I had to find something for backup. I researched everything out there very carefully, participated in discussions here and on other forums, then bought and tried a few devices. The one I ended up with was the Performance MX. I have several others close by, but IMO, this one gives a lot of bang for the buck.

I still use the Magic Trackpad for 90% of what I do, but the Performance MX is right beside it, and I reach for it when appropriate. VERY nice mouse, IMO.

Shooshie

[musicman691]

I'm hard to please in the input device department. Spent well over 20 years using Kensington's various Turbo-Mouse versions, and was convinced that nothing could surpass them. Then someone bought Kensington, and those started sucking really badly, so when my supply of Turbo-Mouse parts began running dry, I got the Magic Trackpad. If it worked equally well in all apps, it would be the only input device I ever need, except for when a tablet is more appropriate, as for drawing.

But when DP started sucking with the Magic Trackpad, I had to find something for backup. I researched everything out there very carefully, participated in discussions here and on other forums, then bought and tried a few devices. The one I ended up with was the Performance MX. I have several others close by, but IMO, this one gives a lot of bang for the buck.

I still use the Magic Trackpad for 90% of what I do, but the Performance MX is right beside it, and I reach for it when appropriate. VERY nice mouse, IMO.

Shooshie

I remember from some time back you posted pictures of your setup and it seemed to be a bit on the tight side but you had a place for everything and it worked for you. Do you still have that same setup and given how tight that was how comfortable is it dealing with the two input devices? Can you work without getting into awkward and painful hand positions? I'm pretty much a trackball/thumball person because of carpal tunnel.

[Shooshie]

I remember from some time back you posted pictures of your setup and it seemed to be a bit on the tight side but you had a place for everything and it worked for you. Do you still have that same setup and given how tight that was how comfortable is it dealing with the two input devices? Can you work without getting into awkward and painful hand positions? I'm pretty much a trackball/thumball person because of carpal tunnel.

My desktop is very large. I've not seen desks available in this size. Plus, it's made to fit what I use, plus have plenty of leftover space. It's not really tight at all. It's also a tall desk that I can work at standing up or sitting on my Aeron work-stool. Because of its height, it probably gives the illusion of a smaller desk without a frame of reference. I built it 13 years ago, and since monitors have shrunk in footprint while increasing in size, the space has only gotten more usable over time.

I have plenty of room for trackpad, mouse, etc. The arms on my Aeron work-stool are the height of my desk, so with a wrist-cushion, my arms are always in the optimum position for typing, mousing or playing piano. No carpal tunnel here. I might add that I spent many months working out the plans for the desk so that all those dimensions would fit me perfectly; I built it so it would NOT cause carpal tunnel syndrome. No tension in wrists, arms, or elsewhere. The stool lowers for me to sit at my other desk, which is right beside this one. I'm a workspace-junkie. There has to be a lot of space to accommodate all the things I do. That's one reason I had to build all my furniture; nothing available on the market suited my needs, or else I would have bought that instead.

You may have seen pictures of it set up for working at the MIDI keyboard. It's convertible, and when the Kurzweil keyboard is 100% revealed, the desk may look tight for other things. But then I close it when not keyboarding, and suddenly I have back all that wide open space! I can use the keyboard with the desk closed; it rolls out to reveal the keys, but if I want to program it with the buttons on its top face, I have to open the desk for that.

Anyway, carpal tunnel is more about how you set up your workspace than the device itself. At least in the case of the Performance MX, it's designed not to contribute to carpal tunnel if you use it wisely.