Time for a random poll! Which do you use? Optical or Ball?
I use a trackpoint whenever possible. If I ever get a full sized computer (rather then my laptop), I’ll buy one of these: http://www.pckeyboard.com/ep104.html
Both!
Most of the systems use ball mice, but mine downstairs has an optical mouse. (a $15 GE 5 button model).
What I want is a Gyration.
I use a nipple. 
(on my laptop)
But I prefer optical mice. No cleaning of the rollers of all the gunk that is on a mouse pad. Iwwww…
I use an optical mouse. I’ve been a fan of the Microsoft Explorer series, but I just purchased a Logitech MX510yesterday and LOVE it. 
I use an A4 Tech wireless radio ball mouse. Two button with scroll. It is everything I want and need.
Depends on which computer I’m on. Two of the three desktops I have have optical mice and the other has a ball. I also have two optical USB mice for both my laptops since I prefer a mouse over a touch pad or eraser. I do use the touch pad or eraser sometimes on my laptops when I’m on running on battery power for long to conserve energy.
So in reality it depends on which computer I’m on and if I’m on a laptop if I plan on running on battery power for long. If you want to know which is my favorite it is the optical since you don’t have to worry about the ball getting all gummed up or the rollers/pick ups inside.
Optical all the way. Clark copied off of me (big suprise) and bought a Logitech MX510 just like mine.
If you are in the market for an optical mouse I would really recommend the Logitech MX510
I like ball mice only because if something goes wrong, it’s most likely just gonna be dirt and such stuck in the mouse. Easy to clean. If something goes wrong with the optical, who knows what the problem is :o
Personally, the touch pad works for me
Kyle’s recommendation is good but I’d recommend any of the new Microsoft optical mice with scroll wheels which tilt left and right. You can now scroll vertically AND horizontally. It’s very convenient for projects and people with low res monitors.
I love optical mice…but I use ball mice just because there isn’t enough of a noticed difference for me to justify the price difference.
Actually, now that I have Dave, I’m just using the touch pad. I’m going to get used to Minesweeper on this thing yet. (I do have a ball mouse for Dave, just ain’t used it yet.)
You’ve been able to do that for a while. I have a mouse with a POV hat instead of a wheel!
I have used both ball and optical. I had problems with 2 ball mices and then I switched to optical and haven’t had any problem since.
I use the wireless Logitech optical mouse. It’s awesome - only downside is that I have to remember to put it in its charger when I go to bed or it doesn’t respond as well and is flashing red when I wake up the next morning :]
Every mouse in use in this house is an optical mouse. I have two wireless optical mice, 3 wired optical mice, and a track pad. I have one ball mouse around here somewhere… but I can’t find it. My main mouse is an MX700… but the feet are really worn down because it’s SO HEAVY. I want to upgrade to an MX900 but would end up using it more on my laptop therefore I’d like a smaller mouse that I can toss in my slim laptop bag or a pocket.
Oh… and if anyone is on an Apple laptop, check out SideTrack. It lets you assign hot corners of the trackpad for scrolling, or clicking, or expose, etc… It replaces the Apple driver and is highly customizable.
I have a kind of a combo mouse its a stationary mouse with the ball mounted on top and you have to move that but its tracked optically.
Ball Mouse at work, Optical Mouse at home with a travel sized Optical Mouse in my laptop case. I don’t like the touch pad on my laptop, so I turned that off a long time ago. My computer guru laughs at me because I still use a mouse pad at home, but I have my reasons (such as with a mouse pad, I always leave the mouse in the same spot, which means I never have to search for the mouse).
Heidi
I use said Microsoft mouse, and it works really well. I got it with the keyboard (the wireless duo) The only problem is it runs out of batteries about once a month, and I’m lazy, so I switch to the corded mouse that I still keep attached to my computer for a couple of days. 
Optical by far cause theres less moving parts so there less things that can go wrong
and its fun to shine the laser in someones eye lol.
That’s sooooo untrue. Those electricians and programmers on your FIRST team will look at you and wonder, “What the heck is this guy thinking?”