GERM PHOBIC
We got a washable mouse from Belkin. This is an issue we never considered, but some people are quite fussy about accumulated dirt and germs, to say nothing of kids’ sticky finger marks. We’re a tiny bit fussy ourselves.
It’s called Washable Mouse, and it costs $30 from Belkin.com or Amazon and others. You can wash it with soap and water, but Belkin suggests you don’t submerge it. And please unplug it from the computer when you wash it. You can use it in the kitchen, if you have a kitchen computer, since it’s mostly waterproof, and its optical sensor can track over almost any surface.
The mouse is supposed to work with Windows XP, Vista and Mac, but we couldn’t get it to work with Vista. Too bad, because if you can get it to work with Vista, it’s supposed to be able to scroll sideways as well as up and down.
Note: Disconnect the old mouse when you’re plugging in a new one. If the computer doesn’t recognize the new mouse, restart the system.