Amazing gaming mouse ($10 on Ebay)

[Takuya]

As a game-freak, I know first-hand three words that no doubt strike utter fear into the hearts of notebook gamers around the world. "LAPTOP TOUCH PAD"
(I'm sorry you had to see that, my technologically literate brethren but please proceed)

-What kind of port?-

One solution is the PS/2 mouse. This, however, works on a very limited range of notebooks and typically has a small sphere as its sensor. Fear not, for there is the Universal Serial Bus to which many other pointers may connect, and most of these, if not all, are optical.

-Cordless or no?-

Your preference is likely going to be cordless, but what about the one that leads to the receiver? This is easily remedied by the more compact, fully cordless, and well-priced units sold by companies such as Logitech. However, these are very fragile, and easily ruined by something such as your younger sibling toppling your notebook, crushing the delicate, defenseless little plug, or the endless rubbing of the arms to a reclining chair, to which my own has fallen victim. They never stand a chance.

Since these are so delicate, let us return to the corded and semi-corded mice, who's plugs are well armored and filled with plastic, giving them enough strength to withstand everything short of nuclear war.

-Awkward positions and cordless mice DO NOT MIX!!!-

However, we face yet ANOTHER problem. Some of us may want to relax, sitting sideways in our favorite chair, hanging upside down from a tree branch (Hey, it's possible), or, once again, sitting in your father's RECLINER!

Let us take another turn. TABLET MICE

Tablet mice are not cordless at all, even though the mouse itself appears to be, however are wonderful additions to anyone's collection of computer accessories and almost essential for any serious artist using GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, or even the simplistic Microsoft Paint.

Now we get to the point.

The WACOM Graphire2 (ET-0405A-U) is my personal recommendation. I have managed to find one on EBay for a mere starting bid of TEN DOLLARS. The cheapest on-site WACOM starts at $99.99 while a pen-screen is over two-THOUSAND. Yes, I recommend to any serious gamer with deep pockets both the Graphire Bluetooth 6x8 pad AND pen-screen, but for someone on my budget, we take what we get.

The pen device for the Graphire2 makes fast-twitch maneuvers in any FPS or RTS a snap. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is the only game which is not purely turn-based in which I am willing to use the mouse, or a mouse of ANY kind. If my Graphire2 pen broke, I'd stop playing the other games virtually altogether, and some I'd never even TRY to play without it.

If you're really serious about gaming, go find yourself a good tablet pen.

And the Graphire2 will even work on Linux, straight up.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

The pen device for the Graphire2 makes fast-twitch maneuvers in any FPS or RTS a snap.

So does a regular mouse. I can nail headshots as a sniper in less than a second with my Logitech Optical Mouse. I'm content.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I like my Logitech G5. I got it free XD