Kensington Optical Elite

The other day I asked what’s the best optical mouse, and I got a bunch of comments.

So... what did I end up with?

Here’s how the decision process went.

1. The feedback I got suggested there are three great mouse makers: Kensington, Microsoft, and Logitech.

2. My instinct is as always to support the little guy, so Microsoft was provisionally eliminated as a choice.

3. Then the feedback I got, and the research I did, suggested that Kensington has better Mac OS X software and support than Logitech. So I chose Kensington.

4. Then—how to choose a specific mouse? I wanted one in the $20 - $50 range that had at least two buttons and a scroll wheel. It had to be optical, of course (that was the whole point). Trackpads not allowed. And, of course, it had to not be completely ugly. (Hyper-concern with aesthetics is the mark of a good Mac user.)

This left just a few mice to choose from. I chose the Kensington Optical Elite.

There were some runners-up—the PocketMouse Pro, for instance.

But I’ve been totally happy with the Optical Elite.