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Comment by ericsoderstrom | Hacker News Reader

Any idea what the "roll-around mouse" thing is that he mentions? The only Google results for that phrase are cat toys

A Logitech wired optical mouse. At the very end of the article, he gives links to all of the gadgets and software he uses. (Actually, I like that he did it that way, rather then polluting the article with lots of products mentions -- other than his own product, of course.) The mouse info I've copied verbatim below. Interestingly he uses one with a cord -- maybe he had driver issues with wireless mice.

Mouse

Logitech wired optical mouse

[Though I’ve considered more modern and more numerously buttoned mice]

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Optical-Wired-Mouse-Black/dp...

He's probably referring to a regular mouse that you move around your desk. As opposed to a touchpad or static mouse with a large sphere you spin around with your thumb.

A mouse with a ball inside of it?

Old-school non-optical mouse

Did you know even the old-school computer mouse uses light to work?
The new school just don't have a mechanical component of a ball and two rollers which spin two separate "gears" which blocks light and then math to figure out the horizontal change + vertical change.
I found that pretty neat when I learned. (I'm old enough to remember the pains of using a gunked up ball mouse.)

The old-school mice were also called "optical mice" because the old-old-school mice used mechanical sensors.

For old-school meaning about '85 or so, 'optical mouse' meant a mouse on a special gridded pad that worked optically.
See this: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jp...
That's not a regular mouse pad, it's a special red/blue/silver grid detected by a laser in the mouse.

You could rotate the mouse pad and the mouse wouldn’t track. Very prankable.
Edit: At least on a Sun workstation

I have fond memories of those things.

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