Washable Mice (Mouses?)

So which is it? How do you pluralize “mouse,” the peripheral that you attach to your computer? I cannot count the number of times that this argument has come up at the office. In a room full of English teachers, you can just imagine the kind of debate that happens. Anyhow, either form is acceptable – mouses or mice, whatever you wish to use. I prefer mice for no particular reason.

So what about mice? If you are the kind who tends to spill water (or, God forbid, coffee) on your gadgets, you might want to take a look at some of the waterproof mice in the market. One of the newest washable mice is the Cherry MW-2800. It is optical and tracks at 1,200dpi. You can submerge this baby in water and use it like new after. It’s a bit pricey at $45, though.

Another washable mouse is the one from Belkin, the F5L007. This is cheaper at $29.99 and also has optical tracking at 1,200dpi. However, Belkin recommends washing this mouse under running water and not submerging it. That means that you cannot accidentally drop your mouse into your cup of joe (yes, I have done this).

USB Geek also offers a washable USB mouse for $17. It is heavier than the two other mice and only tracks at 800dpi. Last time I checked though, this was out of stock.

So, do you really need a washable mouse? Probably not but it would be fun to have one and not worry about splashing liquids all over the place. Now for a waterproof laptop…