Mouse Pen?

jamtart6

Hi All,
Sorry I can't be more specific on what I am looking for - I am not sure they even exist.

I have to use the computer for a lot of the day and my mouse hand is seriously painful and my scrolly finger is killing. I'm in pain.

Is there such a thing as a mouse pen? I've seen them for graphics tablets - is that what I would need?

I just want to use it like a mouse, be able to scroll with it, but not hold it like a mouse if you know what I mean??

If you could reccomend one (if they exist) that would be great, don't mind spending a bit more on one as I frequently have to digitising images so if there is a more expensive one which is more sensitive/accurate, I'll buy it!

Puleeeeeease help! I'm so desperate to get some respite from my mouse

thankyou :A

OneADay

Something like this http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143750 ?

2004 - I started suffering from wrist problems on right hand, and I began using my left hand for mouse. Can even write a bit now with both hands :-)

totalsolutions

Did you mean Wacom Pen tools?
http://www.wacom-europe.com/index2.asp?pid=0&lang=en

sharkie

yes there was a mouse pen some years ago, with a little ball on the end and it was rubbish - and that is a compliment to it!

Now what you may want to look up is Graphics tablet . Aldi sometimes sell them for around £29.

Have you also thought about a roller ball? the bigger the ball the better - Well I prefer bigger ones

jamtart6

Nope not heard of any of these before. Ooh yes the graphics tablets look good. do you need the little pad thing with them or can you just use them on any surface do you know?

So can I just confirm these work like a mouse, and I won't need a mouse additionally?

sharkie

it is a battery powered pen on a special tablet that is usb powered. You have to remember that the cursor on the screen is mapped to a position on the tablet, you do not move the pen up like a mouse. often there are 2 buttons on the pen. I find the tablet infuriating to use as a mouse asa you have to drag it around the whole tablet

You can not use the pen by itself and the tablet must always be under it. Don't get teh wired pen as the cable eventually breaks

jamtart6

Thanks for the tip Sharkie. Is it difficult to get the hang of the pen? I imagined it to be just like a mouse really that you could move around in the same way as a mouse?

sharkie

jamtart you can leave that mouse anywhere on your desk, or carefully pick it up and the cursor says in the same screen position.

think of a tablet as moving a pen over this screen, rather than a touch-pad on a laptop. you physically have to move you hand/arm all over the place to get things to work. They are easy to use, but mine is an a4 tablet so instead of moving the mouse 3 inches to get from the bottom of the page to the top, I had to move it about 8 inches and from left to right 11.7 inches, so slower, more tiring plus it takes a huge amount of space next to my keyboard. To be honest I never move my mouse 3 inches, but pick it out and drag it back to the same spot again - just noticed. They are great for artists.

I'm not sure they have a scroll button and think only mice have them.

on some mice you can set the number of jumps the scroll wheel makes, this may help you.

david39

I've used a graphics tablet instead of a mouse for years. Once you get the knack, they are simple to use.

I originally bought it for graphics work in Photoshop but soon found I was using it instead of the mouse.

The one I use is a Trust Wireless Model. The cursor on the screen follows the pen as you move it around just above the tablet. Once you've got the knack, you never look at the tablet just as you never look at the mouse on a mousepad. Just move the pen and adjust its position by watching the cursor on the screen. One tap of the point of the pen on the tablet is the same as a left mouse click - two taps, or a click of the button on the body of the pen, is a right click.

One of the benefits is that you can keep the pen in your fingers while you type so that in Word, for example, when you need to use the mouse occasionally, the pen is already in your hand ready to get on with it.

I think I paid less than £20 for mine. I still have to keep a mouse connected, though, for my wife who has not got the patience to master the pen technique.

Swan_2

hi jamtart,
I use a Wacom A5 tablet & now I'm used to it prefer it to a mouse, I find it much more intuitive

but as Sharkie says, it is very different in the way it operates (& I can see the issues with an A4 tablet) so it might be an idea to see if you can try one out for a time first before spending any money, especially if you're considering a Wacom!

PS ... afaik, the Wacom pens don't need batteries


EDIT ... I've just seen David's post & his experience is much like mine, started off doing graphic work with it & now use it for everything

jamtart6

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I was looking at the Wacom Bamboo which is about £40 and thought I'd give that a go rather than spending £200 and hating it. I do digitise a lot for my work, so if I like it, it will be worth it. I have only ever seen them on macs so wasn't sure if there was one for windows. Thanks for helping me