The Logitech LX3 mouse I bought was absolutely terrible and I returned it the same day I bought it (yesterday.)

Today I bought a Microsoft Comfort Optical Mouse 1000. Price is under $20 at most stores.

This mouse is far better than the Logitech in every way. Feels good in the hand, the materials don’t feel cheap and it performs like it’s supposed to.

My only complaint has nothing to do with the mouse itself. It does not come with the IntelliPoint software. Granted, no drivers are necessary if you plug this into Windows XP or Vista, but you don’t get the extra features unless you download the software.

One big perk about using a Microsoft mouse with a Microsoft operating system (such as Windows XP) is that it integrates into the Control Panel perfectly.

When I click “Mouse” in the Control Panel, I get this:

Click image for a larger view.

One thing I have done for a very long time is set the third button (as in the wheel button) to double-click.

I can’t tell you how much my hand appreciates this. Tons of double-clicking gets very annoying very quickly. Setting the third button as a double-click saves tons of time and your hand will thank you for it.

I give this mouse the a-okay. It may not have a shape everyone will agree with, but for a better-than-basic mouse, this fits the bill very nicely.