[theolein]

I have a Macally USB Optinet optical mouse. It's the one that comes in a transparent plastic housing. I bought this mouse about a month ago after my old Logitech optical gave up the ghost. Two days ago on a sunny morning (this is important), the mouse's scroll wheel suddenly started acting up. It would only work sporadicly and it seemed to have suddenly taken up a life of its own, scrolling the page in hops and jumps. At first I thought what a bummer this was as the mouse is only a month old. I thought I'd have to go and buy a new one so I decided to take the mouse apart and see if I could spot the damage by chance.

After I had taken it apart, I discovered that the scroll wheel works with a black toothed wheel in front of an optical sensor. When one turns the scrollwheel the teeth of the wheel alternatively block and then let the light through to the optical sensor.

The problem is, of course, is that this is an intensely bad idea in a transparent case. When the sunlight is strong, the light gets reflected and refracted all around the inside of the casing, overiding the toothed wheel and causing the mouse to start scrolling when a cloud passes in front of the sun!

I wonder if the people in Taiwan who designed this thing work in a ****ing cave?

[tooki]

The scroll mechanism you describe, by the way, is a standard optomechanical rotation sensor, precisely like the ones used in old-fashioned ball mice. (Ball mice are correctly called "optomechanical mice".)

Indeed, the optomechanical sensor system should have been shielded from light.

tooki

[Randman]

You know it was designed in Taiwan, or just manufactured there?

[Cadaver]

Interesting that you would choose to buy this mouse - the design is fairly old (in computer tech terms) and many newer mice have much improved optics.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by Randman:
You know it was designed in Taiwan, or just manufactured there?

Is that the issue?

[Randman]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Is that the issue?

No, just a stupid comment made by an obviously upset Theolin. Personally, I don't care where a product is made, as long as it's made well. But designed and manufactered are quite a different thing.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by Randman:
No, just a stupid comment made by an obviously upset Theolin. Personally, I don't care where a product is made, as long as it's made well. But designed and manufactered are quite a different thing.

Oh boy.

Next up: accusations of racism for noting that products are built in different places.

Relax - I'm pretty sure that Taiwan is not ideologically relevant to theo's rant.

[Randman]

Not good to make assumptions. I'm making no accusations. Just pointing out the comment and how it has no real bearing other than letting off of steam.

[Lee33]

Nice work, theolein.