On the Wireless Mouse

Unless you’re working on a desktop with a monitor that is excessively far away from the port for the mouse, there is absolutely no reason anyone needs a wireless mouse. They suck up batteries, they are inherently less reliable, and they are easier to lose. Yet, here I find myself typing this on a laptop with a wireless mouse. The same wireless mouse I’ve had for four years. I know I have put far more money into the batteries for the mouse than I would ever dream of paying for the actual mouse. The replacement procedure for the mouse is a difficult and frustrating one, often resulting in a loss of connection between the USB input and the mouse that forces me to try to figure out the completely random pattern of button presses and unplugging necessary to reignite communication between the two infernal devices. On top of all of that, I’m out of batteries now and find myself forced to work with the two square-inch touchpad on the laptop with a broken left click and low sensitivity.
But, I have no intention of buying a wired mouse, though they only cost about $10. For whatever reason ,when the batteries aren’t dead and the communication between the mouse and USB is working, when the sliding panel is not stuck and the mouse is on the right surface, I beam with pride over my wireless mouse. Occasionally I even place the mouse on the armrest of my chair where no corded mouse could go and work from there for a while. Not because there is any necessity in doing this; just because I can.
- BLAKE