Left Handed 5 Button Mouse

[CMcF]

Does any one know of a supplier of ambidextrous or left handed 5 button mouses/mice? How could I conduct a survey of how many of us are out there? Yes I know we are awkward, but I thought that we made up quite a large minority, especially in Engineering.

 

[sirmick]

I have such a mouse. Its ambidextrous. Its a microsoft 5 button mouse with scroll wheel/button in middle. I use it left handed and right handed and as far I can tell its completely symmetrical and handedness can be set in the software config.

 

[CMcF]

Thanks,
I will be looking for one.

 

[sirmick]

Here's a link.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productlist.aspx?type=Mouse

IntelliMouse® Optical
Click in comfort—with either hand.


Features:
Scroll Wheel, Forward and Back Internet Buttons, Ergonomic Design, Left- or Right-Handed, PC- and Mac- Compatible, Microsoft Optical Technology, PS/2 or USB

 

[CMcF]

Thanks sirmick

 

[SnowCrash]

Actually there is a benefit to mousing with the left hand for everyone. It will free up your right hand for the keypad. This is very handy for entering numbers without having to release the mouse. We started doing this way back in 1985. I frequently teach new users to work this way. Officeworkers also benefit from this. It is tough to teach old dogs this new trick, however. Lots of people still keep their monitor jacked up on top of the cpu, too.
I have changed over to a Logitech trackball on the left side for my home system. It is much more precise and controllable that the mouse. There are multibutton versions of that pointer. Tryityoulllikeit.
--
Crashj

 

[CMcF]

I know about the advantage to left handers for using the keypad. Righties tend to use the row at the top of the keyboard. I can not imagine how you persuaded right handed people to use their neglegted hand fo the mouse!

 

[dogarila]

I've done several attempts to move my mouse to the left hand, especially since I started feeling some pain in my right wrist, but I can't get used to it and become very slow. I end up switching it back.

How long would take someone (on average) to get used with the mouse on the other hand and get back to the original speed?

 

[SnowCrash]

Our initial group of cad users around 1985 had about half who were able to start that way. I have trained several newbies. Often when they get into the office environment the rest of the staff will coerce them to fit the norm. IT hands out a real ration of sh*t when they have to come work on the system. Several recent CAD trainees have managed to do it the left way.
I have retrained successfully only one office worker and I had to marry her.
--
Crashj

 

[sirmick]

I started feeling pain in my right forearm so I started using the mouse left handed about 2/3rds of the time. It took me about 3 days to be comfortable doing CAD and general computer work. It took me about 3 months to be competitive in Age of Empires.