Good Mouse for Small Hands

[benplaut]

For a few days, I've been avidly researching for the perfect mouse (b'day present, so anything reasonably priced). In my search for perfection, it's come down to three choices:

1. Logitech MX518
   Logitech G5
   Razer Diamondback

Usually, the G5 would not be in such a comparison, but the price is so similar that it deserves to be in the mix.
The issue here is that I have two traits that don't mix very well -- i'm a fingertip gamer, and i have small hands (i can span from ~ to - on a standard board).

I'm leaning against the G5, because of the missing thumb button and tilting wheel (which i dislike).

The diamondback seems to be a small mouse, but the side button position seems to not be great, as well as having super-sensative buttons. The MX518 looks like a great mouse, but I'm afraid it will be too large.

Right now, i use a IBM OEM mouse, but if anyone could take pictures comparing any of these mice to a Intellimouse 3.0 (I have one), that would be great. In hawaii, there aren't any stores for trying them out.

I tried a MX600 today, and it's the perfect size; comparisons to it would also be nice

Thanks,
benplaut

 

[LouPoir]

Logitech VX notebook mouse


Lou

 

[Trippytiger]

Well, the MX518 has a similar shape to that of the MX600, believe it or not, but it is a bit larger and I wouldn't recommend it for fingertip gaming. I have rather large hands, and find that it's simply too big for me to control with my fingertips, so I imagine you would too. The G5 is essentially the same size and shape as the MX518.

Now, for me, the Diamondback is just the perfect mouse. It's quite reasonably sized for fingertip gaming, and I find the side button placement to be better than any other mouse I have - my thumb rests right on top of them. However, you might find your thumb falling a little bit short of the buttons. The main buttons are absolutely perfect, though; they make nice solid clicks with great tactile feedback. Better than any of my Logitechs, and the scroll wheel is much better as well. I would definitely recommend this mouse.

Having said that, have you looked at the Microsoft Habu? I think it must probably be more expensive than the rest, but it has a size and shape that is very similar to the Intellimouse, which might work well for you.

EDIT: Okay, so I see that the Habu hasn't been released yet. Figures. Also, would it help if I provided some pictures comparing the MX518 and Diamondback against an MX610?

 

[benplaut]

Sure! comparison pictures would be great

@LouPoir:
not a huge fan of cordless mice, and it's still very expensive

 

[benplaut]

I've been reading a lot about the fatal1ty 1010. It seems that the main complaint is the odd way you have to hold the beast. After reading about this position, it seams that I already use it.

Any thoughts on this mouse? seems like a great fit.

 

[jiwq]

Another vote for Logitech VX. It may be expensive, but it's the best mouse ever. It's $60 at circuit city if you're interested.

And it has 2 thumb buttons.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: jiwq
Another vote for Logitech VX. It may be expensive, but it's the best mouse ever. It's $60 at circuit city if you're interested.

And it has 2 thumb buttons.

I will third this. I brought it into work and everybody loved it, especially the girls who had smaller hands. Great mouse and nice, compact size. It's pricey but it's worth it!

 

[Trippytiger]

Originally posted by: benplaut
I've been reading a lot about the fatal1ty 1010. It seems that the main complaint is the odd way you have to hold the beast. After reading about this position, it seams that I already use it.

Any thoughts on this mouse? seems like a great fit.

Got that one too. It's a pretty unusual design, and I have to hold it a lot differently than I do any of my other mice because it's so much shorter and wider than they are. For someone with smaller hands, though, it might be a good fit.

That said, in terms of build quality and driver quality, it doesn't really compare to any of the Razer or Logitech mice. All the main buttons feel pretty cheap, and I've heard reports of the left mouse button suddenly failing to register. This hasn't happened to me yet. And the side button is just terrible. It's too far back on the mouse for me to use most of the time, and it requires a lot of force to depress, which tends to push the whole mouse to the right. Finally, the drivers literally make it unusable. Installing them completely screws up the cursor motion. You also need to boost the polling rate on your USB ports to prevent the mouse from dropping its polling rate down to PS/2 levels every once in a while, which causes some serious system lag whenever it happens.

It's a very unique mouse, though, and I like it a lot despite its many flaws.

(Pics coming soon!)

EDIT: And here they are: http://img299.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0862ge9.jpg

Hopefully the views I took the photos of give you an idea of the relative size and shape of the mice. Some of them are a little bit out of focus - I held the camera somewhat closer to the mice than I should have.

 

[benplaut]

Yup... besides the general plastic fealing, it seems that many of the problems have been fixed with the 2020

<edit>
How's the VX in terms of DPI? reviews have said it isn't the best for gaming (although that could mean a myriad of things)

 

[Trippytiger]

I believe the VX has an 800 CPI laser sensor. Personally, it doesn't make a lot of sense to use as a gaming mouse to me - although it may be a wonderful mouse, the low non-switchable resolution makes it less attractive compared to purpose built gaming mice.

 

[Hal0]

I vote for the diamondback

 

[benplaut]

I'm in New York City for two weeks this winter, so I'm going to see if i can find these mice to mess around with while i'm there, then decide.

Any recommendations on tech stores? preferably Manhattan