more than one mouse

[KM3K]

My XYL likes the wireless-mouse and wants nothing to do with a trackball.
But I'd like to have one (Logitech wireless M570) rather than use a mouse.
Thirty+ years of heavy mouse use doing engineering design work has taken its toll on my right hand.
Can a computer (Win-XP) handle having a wireless-mouse and wireless-trackball connected into its system at the same time or would it get hopelessly confused?
Only one would be in use at any given time.
73 Jerry KM3K

[KJ6HZ]

Hi Jerry,

My wife's computer (Win7) currently has two mice attached and appears to work fine with either.  I'd say you have little to lose so why not hook up both and see how it goes?  If you're not ready to spend the money on the Track Ball without being sure it works, try it with a cheap second mouse first.

John, KJ6HZ

[KM3K]

My wife's computer (Win7) currently has two mice attached and appears to work fine with either.

John, that's good news; at least it means the system does not get confused.
But are they both wireless?
I did think about connecting in a wired-mouse, which I have in my shack, but then reasoned that would still not tell me if two wireless devices would work without getting "crosstalk"; I have no idea about the technology that makes a wireless-mouse work.
Anyway, I just decided to buy the Logtech M570 (it's wireless); if it won't work with the wireless-mouse on the home-computer, I'll use it in the shack.
73 Jerry KM3K

[K1CJS]

Depending on the computer itself, you may have problems if you have both a PS2 mouse and a USB mouse, but if you use twp USB mouses  (mice?  )  you shouldn't have any problems at all.  My experience was with with a wireless USB mouse, an electronic stylus (for drawing) and a standard PS2 mouse.

My present computer doesn't seem to care--both types work together, but an older computer I had did care.  You could connect both, but once you used the USB mouse or the stylus, for some reason the PS2 mouse would no longer work--until you restarted the computer.  YMMV.  73!

[W5DQ]

My XYL likes the wireless-mouse and wants nothing to do with a trackball.
But I'd like to have one (Logitech wireless M570) rather than use a mouse.
Thirty+ years of heavy mouse use doing engineering design work has taken its toll on my right hand.
Can a computer (Win-XP) handle having a wireless-mouse and wireless-trackball connected into its system at the same time or would it get hopelessly confused?
Only one would be in use at any given time.
73 Jerry KM3K

Sure, no problem SO LONG as only one is used at a time. I do it all the time with a trackball and a regular MS Mouse, both wireless and both active at same time. I simply turn off the MS Mouse (disable switch on bottom of mouse) when I am not using it to save the battery as I use the trackball about 99% of the time. I too have right wrist issues after a long time doing engineering drawings and docs with a mouse. Using a TB has solved much of my discomfort.

Gene W5DQ

[WD0BMS]

Logitech has a device called a Unifying receiver that plugs into a USB port and allows the use of several devices such as keyboards, mice, touchpads etc. at the same time.
I use a mouse and touchpad along with a keyboard all on the same port with no problems.
Dave WD0BMS

[W5LZ]

I think the solution is to turn 'off' the device not being used.  If you have two active devices, how would the computer know which to ignore and which to pay attention to?  I've tried the two at once thingy and it doesn't work.  That's using the Logitech 'universal' receiver.  YMMV naturally.
 - Paul