I'm 28 (will be 29 on August 20th if anyone wants to get me a present), and I have definitely been suffering pains in my right wrist (the one I use for mousing). I'm left handed, so that might have something to do with it, but I never could get used to mousing with my left. I've tried the thumb trackballs like Bill has but never got used to them either. In fact, my thumb started to ache worse than my wrist had! I also tried the trackpad thingy and that didn't feel right either.
The only thing I've found that really made a huge difference was my tablet PC. It comes with a pen. Thank God for that pen. No, I don't use it to try to type messages (when you can type 100+ WPM with 0 errors, you don't write by hand). However, it eliminates all those repetitive mouse movements. See something on the far left corner of the screen that needs clicking? Just push it with the pen. No wrist-aching mouse-pushing whatsoever.
Of course, I wouldn't dream of trying to game with the pen, but it's awesome for everything else. It's kind of strange, but I seldom feel pains when I'm just using the mouse for gaming. It's mostly when I'm doing some kind of work (particularly things like grading papers) where the pain really starts to blast.
At any rate, I would strongly recommend that folks suffering from similar problems with the mouse to try a Tablet PC if you can't get used to the thumb trackball. My wife has a Viacom wacom tablet thing, but I couldn't get used to it. The tablet pc is better because you can actually click on the screen (it makes a difference).
I have a Gateway Tablet PC that the school purchased for me, but I'm not sure how it compares to other tablet PCs. The only caveats I have about it is that it's on the heavy side (far too heavy to use comfortably like a clipbord), and it gets very hot in your lap (and not in a good way). If I was shopping for a new one I'd definitely take weight and temperature into consideration.
I'm 28 (will be 29 on August 20th if anyone wants to get me a present), and I have definitely been suffering pains in my right wrist (the one I use for mousing). I'm left handed, so that might have something to do with it, but I never could get used to mousing with my left. I've tried the thumb trackballs like Bill has but never got used to them either. In fact, my thumb started to ache worse than my wrist had! I also tried the trackpad thingy and that didn't feel right either.
The only thing I've found that really made a huge difference was my tablet PC. It comes with a pen. Thank God for that pen. No, I don't use it to try to type messages (when you can type 100+ WPM with 0 errors, you don't write by hand). However, it eliminates all those repetitive mouse movements. See something on the far left corner of the screen that needs clicking? Just push it with the pen. No wrist-aching mouse-pushing whatsoever.
Of course, I wouldn't dream of trying to game with the pen, but it's awesome for everything else. It's kind of strange, but I seldom feel pains when I'm just using the mouse for gaming. It's mostly when I'm doing some kind of work (particularly things like grading papers) where the pain really starts to blast.
At any rate, I would strongly recommend that folks suffering from similar problems with the mouse to try a Tablet PC if you can't get used to the thumb trackball. My wife has a Viacom wacom tablet thing, but I couldn't get used to it. The tablet pc is better because you can actually click on the screen (it makes a difference).
I have a Gateway Tablet PC that the school purchased for me, but I'm not sure how it compares to other tablet PCs. The only caveats I have about it is that it's on the heavy side (far too heavy to use comfortably like a clipbord), and it gets very hot in your lap (and not in a good way). If I was shopping for a new one I'd definitely take weight and temperature into consideration.
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com