Currently use an Apple Magic Mouse but I am finding I am getting really sore in my arm – I can feel the offending tendon move when I do the main mouse action so I am pretty sure it is this causing the problem.

How about the trackpad? Has anyone used one? Are they any good? Any other suggestions?

Apple trackpads are pretty decent, yeah. Says a lot that often I’ll find myself using the trackpad on my MBP when there’s a mouse right there —>

You need to get used to all the gestures to make it properly useful though. And I prefer the mouse for some work still.

Yeah what you say seems to be exactly the same as feedback on the Apple site… Hmm – I do design work so worried it might not be accurate enough.

Yeah – it’s accurate – I use one all the time now and love it.

I would say that, if you use all the various gestures, you are moving your hand in a greater variety of ways so might be beneficial.

Rachel

Magic trackpad is excellent, well worth getting not only for the gestures but also because it’s just nice to use. Our magic mouse is now consigned to a drawer but maybe you should get a trackpad but keep the mouse so that you can vary the way you work to avoid over-repetitive movements?

I had a similar problem with the magic mouse. It’s fine if I used it for a couple of hours a day but if I was using it all day everyday then I started to get the pain. For my workstation mouse I swapped over to a Logitech M510 cordless. The shape is fine and allows much longer periods of usage before any soreness kicks in. Obviously you lose some features from the magic mouse but it’s a small price to pay for comfort.

I do have a trackpad attached to a mac in the living room which I keep intending to setup in conjunction with the logitech mouse. Actually I’m going to give it whirl now and will report back in a while.

I used on of these since I had rotator cuff problems.

Just to echo the above, logitech mice FTW. Use one at home and supply my own in the office. I like the various wireless ones, just so I’m not knocking stuff over on my deskw with cables, and wireless keyboard too means it’s easy to quickly clear my desk if I need space to write/draw etc.

do you/ can you use a wrist rest?
really helped with my tendonitis (self diagnosed).

reporting back. First impressions of using the trackpad and mouse together are that technically it works fine and assuming you could chop and change between them when doing different tasks it would probably see off the pain from repetitive use of the magic mouse alone.

As far as combining the mouse and trackpad into a single workflow, photoshop works very well; pinch zoom and two finger drag to scroll with my left hand whilst using the mouse and regular tools with my right feels initially like it would actually be more efficient, seems to work best with inertia turned off. Unfortunately in illustrator pinch doesn’t seem to work.

I’m gonna keep the trackpad connected for a couple of weeks and see how I get on.

I can tolerate the trackpad on my MBA, but I wouldn’t like to use one full time.
I’ve tried most flavours of Apple mice and always revert to Microsoft mouses now – they just work better for me and seem more reliable than the Logitech and other types I’ve tried.

I’m currently using one of these – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004JRJVIC/ref=asc_df_B004JRJVIC6651043

Not sexy, but does work very well.

do you/ can you use a wrist rest?

No – but today I am trying hard to rest my arm on the desk rather than pull the mouse toward me and having my wrist dangle. I really am my own worse enemy.

PS – thanks for all the helpful replies so far – will be having a good look at lunchtime.

MS Explorer mice here, could never get on with the Apple ones for gaming.

Oh, BTW as someone using lion, mouse and trackpad, I couldn’t get my head round scrolling one way on the trackpad, and the other on the mouse. So I’ve an app which swaps the direction depending on input (if that makes any sense? So mouse is “normal” and trackpad is “ios-like”).

I’ll look it up later if it’s of use, or you can’t google ;-P

today I am trying hard to rest my arm on the desk rather than pull the mouse toward me and having my wrist dangle. I really am my own worse enemy.

I hated doing this at first as it meant changing my entire seating position and desk arrangement, plus I didn’t think it would work. Worth the effort though and the results were immediate.

Our macs have a magic mouse in the drawer unused,and Microsoft ones (explorer I think) actually attached.

Ever since the stupid imac Puck,mac mice have looked great, but never been as good as Microsoft or Logitech ones to actually use as a mouse.

I’ll look it up later if it’s of use,

Yes please IA – one mac on Lion, 1 on Snow Leopard and one stupid operator does not a happy scrolling combo make 😀

EDIT: This one? http://www.macworld.com/article/161834/2011/08/scroll_reverser.html

I had similar prob, solved it by changing to mousing with other hand. Took v little time to learn. I mention because it may be that changing device won’t help – so I would borrow an alternative as a test if at all poss. Possible expensive disappointment otherwise. Best of luck in finding your solution.

Try sticking a decent sized book, perhaps 1-2″ thick under your wrist/forearm.

If I do a lot of mouse work, then i get sore/tingly fingers unless I put a book under my wrist.

I am a huge fan of trackball mouses as I had the same problem.

I currently use this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-910-000808-Marble-Mouse/dp/B001DQY9AW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329740951&sr=8-1

Something like that geoffj – it sits up in the menubar for sure anyhow.

I was also getting arm problems – in the end some severe massage followed by using one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-Fitness-60030-strong-Handgrips/dp/B000N3T1AY/ref=sr_1_10?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1329741982&sr=1-10

has sorted it.

But I think it is basically down the the angle between your hand/forearm (which you want to try to keep inline) and the angle at which your arm rests.

I would try one of the logitech mice – as they are angled you tend to rest your hand arm in a more natural position. I have a 510, they are more comfortable to hold.

I also have used a little pad thing that attaches to the back of the mouse and drags along with it whilst supporting your wrist – its pretty good but I don’t use them as that wasn’t my problem.

Fellowes do something like it, but mine is smaller. I can look it out if you are interested – I can’t find it by a quick google.

this is the little drag-along wrist rest – actually quite comfortable.

http://www.mousebean.com/home.htm