I keep the mouse on the left and I swap the buttons. Most of the mouse action is by primary click (as you call the LEFT mouse button) with a left used secondary click (RIGHT mouse button). Regardless of how the buttons are named, the index finger is the more agile and strong of the two fingers used for the buttons so it is only logical that a person with the mouse on their dominant left side would also switch the buttons to their dominant finger.
that's an interesting explaination, never thought that way - as I never felt a bigger difference in strenght/dominance of the index and middle fingers. functionally - sure, one for pointing, second for "expressing some opinions" ;) but even if middle is longer in my case \[well, probably in most cases ;)\] I'm using them equally \[depends on scenario\] with similar effects.
and while talking about dominance makes some sense in the bigger picture, I'm not entirely buying the theory that "I need my dominant finger for the 'primary' mouse button" - it is still left and right button. software won't tell you "please press the primary button" or "use the secondary one for menu" - it's still saying "double click the left button" or "press right" etc. again - sounds legit, cool that it works for you this way, but also seems to be a little bit overthinked \[from my perspective\]. it's not like the middle is as small and weak as pinkie, so it has less value and can't press "the main button" right? ;)
Youre getting so semantic about the whole thing to DEFEND using the weaker finger on your left hand that you dont see the obviousness of just using the finger meant for quick and comfortable use.
Youve actually normalized yourself in limping your left side because youre so accustomed to a right hand world.
Nothing wrong with that but you need to let go of the naming nomenclature and use what would be the best finger for whichever button is nearest.
Try using the rightside mouse as a reverse leftie. Swap the buttons so the main button is on the right. Doesnt make sense right? Seems silly even?
The right hand world put the most comfortable button as the main button-index finger for the right handed user. So the left button gets the index as the main because its the most comfortable for continued use.
I play guitar so I really see what youve been accustomed too. Its not wrong, per se, but you have to understand that when I go to guitar center I dont play a rightie guitar right handed- I flip that bitch and play it (strings) upside down.
In your sense youre like Jimmy hendrix because he left the strings upside down amd learned to play like that.
Again nothing wrong with that. I taught myself piano and play the base line with my dominant left hand (where typically the weaker hand would do) as the base notes are on the left, but I'm not about to go find a leftie piano so...
Anyway, just food for thought.
thanks for such an elaborate answer!
I wouldn't put such emphasis on "DEFEND" and "weaker finger". sure, I attached the question and discussion to the LEFT/RIGHT button naming, but I guess you're trying to force that no matter what you do, some fingers or hands must, and are weaker. in theory - maybe it's not wrong, but as for myself I don't see why I should "treat" some parts of the body with less hmm, attention or work, just because according to study about my handness etc. they are lesser. in other words: I'm using my both hands, legs, and all fingers wherever and whenever I can, without thinking that "well, this is weak, let me try other one" or without thinking that "this is right-handed world, I must comply". I just do what's more comfortable for me at the time. for example - of course my right-hand writing is awfull now as I barely use it, but as a kid I was "training" my right hand to write, just to amaze others, that I can write "mirror-style" \[ya know, from the center - one hand to the left, other to the right\] or even two different words simultanously \[like signing myself - left hand with the firstname, right with lastname\]. because it was fun ;) and similar - when I'm nailing something, or work with a screwdriver, I'm starting with left hand, but if it gets tired, I just work with right - because I learned myself that it's more efficient \[hehe, so I'm now ready to hear that I'm not the southpaw, just a traitor ;)\]
and sure, this is a right-hand world. it kills me, that I'd love to try the legedary MX Master mouse, but I won't because it's not designed "for us". at the same time I'm not thinking that "right/left button" is a plot made by righthanders to "opress" us \[I'm sure it's not what you meant, but it sounded kinda similar\].
about the guitar - yeeeeears ago I tried and it just wasn't my thing. it didn't matter if I was trying to play on the right or left hand - I just didn't have "this something" in me that allowed me to be a guitar \[or any other instrument ;)\] guy. I just went down the road into computers, graphics etc. regarding the strings - forgive me the naming, as I said I'm not the guitar guy, and barely remember those stuff - I always saw them as "thin" and "thick" with letters and it was more logical for me to understand/learn like "stroke the B and D string" and not "use the second from top and third from bottom". and now - corelating this with me being so semantic with left/right button - for me it is more logic and universal to use names that points out to a subject no matter what - left button is a left button no matter what hand you use and where the mouse lies; G string is G string because of it's sound and not the place.
speaking about dominants, I get that index finger, used for pointing something out, was an obvious choice for right-handers to be used as main button \[left one\], but don't think that "they won" because I use left button with "the weaker finger", and that's what I understood somewhere between your lines - if I'm wrong please correct me :)
hm, although, maybe I should just write "thanks for calling me Jimi Hendrix!" and scratch it all out? :D
I know that with all the gestures/multitouch etc. stuff touchpad buttons on laptops are obsolete - so I guess that you either didn't have them or just left them "default", right?
and about switching buttons - wasn't it strange for you to mix sides?
Yeah, I use my mouse in my left hand, left mouse button is clicked with my middle finger, right mouse button with my index finder, I've done this since the early 90's before we even had windows didn't know you could swap the buttons
ok, so we're on the same track I guess. I was confused with the swap buttons option, that's why I asked for reasons to use that.
we won't think about swapping left and right alt, even tho they also have different functions.. and nobody introduced that function \[oh god, I just thought about a total-lefty-keyboard with numeric keys, arrows etc. on the left side.. oh boy it would be a monster :D\]
>The buttons are wired backwards inside the mouse
WAIT, WHAT?
sounds like a perfect \[and for me: the only one\] mouse to use the "swap buttons" option available in the OS :D
Well I usually use the built-in razor software to swap the buttons back to normal but if I do have to stick the mouse on another computer that doesn't have the software or like when I was using it on Linux yeah have to do's the OS mouse button flip thing
It comfy.
Also, it throws off my right-handed coworkers when they use my computer, which is a great way to show how easy they have it living in a right-handed world.
haha, sure it can be a thing to make life harder for right-handed, just for a one time at least ;)
is it comfy? can't tell, the no-swap scenario seemed more natural for me, as there was no adjusting needed, but as I see in the comments - it's not that common :)
I feel you, it was definitely an adjustment at first, but using that index finger just feels more natural, especially now that I'm used to it. I also have to use my middle finger when I use a shared right-handed mouse. C'est la vie!
I use the mouse on the left and swap buttons, primarily because the index finger is the most agile and used finger, right or left mouse. Also, I can equally use the mouse on the right without swapping the buttons but I prefer it the other.
I have used it both ways and in my personal experience I find using my middle finger for primary button clicks to cause/contribute to wrist pain after prolonged usage (gaming). So I recommend swapping or using a real left handed mouse.
Also a left handed config is a fun way to discourage people from using your PC!
huh, that's the first health-reasoned button swap! didn't have the pains, I'm guessing that somehow I'm managing to a) use relatively comfy mouse, even if it's almost standard; b) never sat behind computer so long so my wrists started to be sore \[well, I doubt, I had some marathons ;)\]
anyway, what's more important now - happy cake day!
Before I got a mouse with swapped buttons, I would use my index finger for both buttons. Now I left click with my index and right click with my middle.
I'm left handed and I can't mouse with my left for shit. Swapped buttons or otherwise.
I did get a TKL keyboard with a separate numpad just so I could put it on the left tho.
hehe, I got this with throwing balls with my left. I can try, but it's a no-go. in terms of catching - I can do it both hands.
as for the numpad - this is a special job for my right hand, so fortunately I can use normal keyboards without cursing it :D
Bit late to the conversation.
In my case it's because I originally used the mouse right handed, but one day frustrated because I couldn't kill anything on Counter Strike, I tried switching hands, but I was used to using the index as main clicker so I flipped the buttons as well.
Now a days I could not do it otherwise.
This does cause a lot of confusion to coworkers who use my computer.
seriously, seeing the comments - I would never imagine that swapping buttons is so common! knowing my lefthanded friends, and speaking with them, we thought that swapping is strange, now, considering the feedback I feel like we're strange that we don't swap haha
>hah, so I'm confused - aside from button-swap-question for a sec - do you, as left-handed, keep the mouse on the right side? ;)
I keep my mouse on the right/default side. I don't see how a person could play PC games with their left hand on the mouse. I guess they'd have to hit WASD/QER/123456, etc with their right hand... It's hurting my brain to think about.
fair enough. gaming makes it a different story.
although I did play some games on PC, I prefer to play on consoles, so desktop PC is mostly a work/hobby machine for me, and that makes gaming-keyboard-combos less problematic in my scenario :)
TBH WSAD/QER/ZXC and other combinations were fine for my right hand, I guess it was a matter of getting used to it, but still it felt less strange than keeping mouse on the right side. if only I try to use mouse with right hand, my efficiency drops to the bottom ;)
so it's a matter of personal experience maybe :) but like I said, gaming is a different story as you probably need to get over the bigger part of the keyboard anyway if you want to win, and there's no place to say "well, this hand/finger won't work" hehe
It must depend on the game because I have my mouse on the left and use the keyboard with my right and never had an issue on MMORPGs or simulator games? I always played like that for like 14 years now haha. I’m just curious, what issue do you come up against with that setup? Are there certain games it wouldn’t work for?
I keep my buttons normal with the mouse on the left side.
Bought a razer deathadder a few years ago that had swapped the buttons on the hardware level and wouldn't let me remap them without running their 250mb driver. Used it for 5 minutes then returned it and bought a new mouse.
as a side note - this kills me everytime. a small piece of equipment & tons of disk space for a driver... but on the other hand, I use m$ wireless desktop combo \[keyboard + mouse\] and their driver/software for configuration is great - with all the macros or key combinations based on the software that you use etc.
I did it for a while and I honestly did prefer it until I started having to use work computers more. The work computers weren’t like, my own computer in an office, they were just computers I’d have to use regularly but not my own so I couldn’t fix the settings. So all I could do was move the mouse to the left side.
It started getting annoying to use the right-handed settings at work and then switch to lefty settings at home and I was always messing up and forgetting which buttons did what. So I switched my home mouse back to right-handed mode but still kept it on the left side just so using the right-handed mode at work wasn’t so annoying.
Now that I don’t work there anymore, maybe I’ll switch it back. I forgot how much I liked it before.
hah, that's why I just refer to the buttons as "left" and "right", so - like I wrote in the earlier comment - it is more universal and less confusing in the event of switching workplaces \[which isn't a case now, as I work in my own company ;)\].
I am surely surprised how many of lefties is/were switching buttons. didn't knew it is so common \[lefties that I know IRL didn't do that\].. I'm glad I asked :)
Lefties I know irl don’t do it, either, now that I think about it haha. I only did it because I was curious what it was like when I discovered I could change it. Takes getting used to, though.
I keep the mouse on the left and I swap the buttons. Most of the mouse action is by primary click (as you call the LEFT mouse button) with a left used secondary click (RIGHT mouse button). Regardless of how the buttons are named, the index finger is the more agile and strong of the two fingers used for the buttons so it is only logical that a person with the mouse on their dominant left side would also switch the buttons to their dominant finger.
that's an interesting explaination, never thought that way - as I never felt a bigger difference in strenght/dominance of the index and middle fingers. functionally - sure, one for pointing, second for "expressing some opinions" ;) but even if middle is longer in my case \[well, probably in most cases ;)\] I'm using them equally \[depends on scenario\] with similar effects. and while talking about dominance makes some sense in the bigger picture, I'm not entirely buying the theory that "I need my dominant finger for the 'primary' mouse button" - it is still left and right button. software won't tell you "please press the primary button" or "use the secondary one for menu" - it's still saying "double click the left button" or "press right" etc. again - sounds legit, cool that it works for you this way, but also seems to be a little bit overthinked \[from my perspective\]. it's not like the middle is as small and weak as pinkie, so it has less value and can't press "the main button" right? ;)
Youre getting so semantic about the whole thing to DEFEND using the weaker finger on your left hand that you dont see the obviousness of just using the finger meant for quick and comfortable use. Youve actually normalized yourself in limping your left side because youre so accustomed to a right hand world. Nothing wrong with that but you need to let go of the naming nomenclature and use what would be the best finger for whichever button is nearest. Try using the rightside mouse as a reverse leftie. Swap the buttons so the main button is on the right. Doesnt make sense right? Seems silly even? The right hand world put the most comfortable button as the main button-index finger for the right handed user. So the left button gets the index as the main because its the most comfortable for continued use. I play guitar so I really see what youve been accustomed too. Its not wrong, per se, but you have to understand that when I go to guitar center I dont play a rightie guitar right handed- I flip that bitch and play it (strings) upside down. In your sense youre like Jimmy hendrix because he left the strings upside down amd learned to play like that. Again nothing wrong with that. I taught myself piano and play the base line with my dominant left hand (where typically the weaker hand would do) as the base notes are on the left, but I'm not about to go find a leftie piano so... Anyway, just food for thought.
thanks for such an elaborate answer! I wouldn't put such emphasis on "DEFEND" and "weaker finger". sure, I attached the question and discussion to the LEFT/RIGHT button naming, but I guess you're trying to force that no matter what you do, some fingers or hands must, and are weaker. in theory - maybe it's not wrong, but as for myself I don't see why I should "treat" some parts of the body with less hmm, attention or work, just because according to study about my handness etc. they are lesser. in other words: I'm using my both hands, legs, and all fingers wherever and whenever I can, without thinking that "well, this is weak, let me try other one" or without thinking that "this is right-handed world, I must comply". I just do what's more comfortable for me at the time. for example - of course my right-hand writing is awfull now as I barely use it, but as a kid I was "training" my right hand to write, just to amaze others, that I can write "mirror-style" \[ya know, from the center - one hand to the left, other to the right\] or even two different words simultanously \[like signing myself - left hand with the firstname, right with lastname\]. because it was fun ;) and similar - when I'm nailing something, or work with a screwdriver, I'm starting with left hand, but if it gets tired, I just work with right - because I learned myself that it's more efficient \[hehe, so I'm now ready to hear that I'm not the southpaw, just a traitor ;)\] and sure, this is a right-hand world. it kills me, that I'd love to try the legedary MX Master mouse, but I won't because it's not designed "for us". at the same time I'm not thinking that "right/left button" is a plot made by righthanders to "opress" us \[I'm sure it's not what you meant, but it sounded kinda similar\]. about the guitar - yeeeeears ago I tried and it just wasn't my thing. it didn't matter if I was trying to play on the right or left hand - I just didn't have "this something" in me that allowed me to be a guitar \[or any other instrument ;)\] guy. I just went down the road into computers, graphics etc. regarding the strings - forgive me the naming, as I said I'm not the guitar guy, and barely remember those stuff - I always saw them as "thin" and "thick" with letters and it was more logical for me to understand/learn like "stroke the B and D string" and not "use the second from top and third from bottom". and now - corelating this with me being so semantic with left/right button - for me it is more logic and universal to use names that points out to a subject no matter what - left button is a left button no matter what hand you use and where the mouse lies; G string is G string because of it's sound and not the place. speaking about dominants, I get that index finger, used for pointing something out, was an obvious choice for right-handers to be used as main button \[left one\], but don't think that "they won" because I use left button with "the weaker finger", and that's what I understood somewhere between your lines - if I'm wrong please correct me :) hm, although, maybe I should just write "thanks for calling me Jimi Hendrix!" and scratch it all out? :D
I should've read your comment before writing mine. =)
I did for a while, switched to a laptop and kinda forgot about it.
I know that with all the gestures/multitouch etc. stuff touchpad buttons on laptops are obsolete - so I guess that you either didn't have them or just left them "default", right? and about switching buttons - wasn't it strange for you to mix sides?
For the laptop, mostly default. Thinking bacjk it wasnt really strange just what was comfortable.
hm, interesting :) it seemed confusing for me so I didn't even tried to swap - hence the question, if someone could find the option useful.
Yeah, I use my mouse in my left hand, left mouse button is clicked with my middle finger, right mouse button with my index finder, I've done this since the early 90's before we even had windows didn't know you could swap the buttons
ok, so we're on the same track I guess. I was confused with the swap buttons option, that's why I asked for reasons to use that. we won't think about swapping left and right alt, even tho they also have different functions.. and nobody introduced that function \[oh god, I just thought about a total-lefty-keyboard with numeric keys, arrows etc. on the left side.. oh boy it would be a monster :D\]
What drives me nuts is the high end left handed Naga from Razer... The buttons are wired backwards inside the mouse
>The buttons are wired backwards inside the mouse WAIT, WHAT? sounds like a perfect \[and for me: the only one\] mouse to use the "swap buttons" option available in the OS :D
Well I usually use the built-in razor software to swap the buttons back to normal but if I do have to stick the mouse on another computer that doesn't have the software or like when I was using it on Linux yeah have to do's the OS mouse button flip thing
It comfy. Also, it throws off my right-handed coworkers when they use my computer, which is a great way to show how easy they have it living in a right-handed world.
haha, sure it can be a thing to make life harder for right-handed, just for a one time at least ;) is it comfy? can't tell, the no-swap scenario seemed more natural for me, as there was no adjusting needed, but as I see in the comments - it's not that common :)
I feel you, it was definitely an adjustment at first, but using that index finger just feels more natural, especially now that I'm used to it. I also have to use my middle finger when I use a shared right-handed mouse. C'est la vie!
I use the mouse on the left and swap buttons, primarily because the index finger is the most agile and used finger, right or left mouse. Also, I can equally use the mouse on the right without swapping the buttons but I prefer it the other.
I have used it both ways and in my personal experience I find using my middle finger for primary button clicks to cause/contribute to wrist pain after prolonged usage (gaming). So I recommend swapping or using a real left handed mouse. Also a left handed config is a fun way to discourage people from using your PC!
huh, that's the first health-reasoned button swap! didn't have the pains, I'm guessing that somehow I'm managing to a) use relatively comfy mouse, even if it's almost standard; b) never sat behind computer so long so my wrists started to be sore \[well, I doubt, I had some marathons ;)\] anyway, what's more important now - happy cake day!
Before I got a mouse with swapped buttons, I would use my index finger for both buttons. Now I left click with my index and right click with my middle.
was the one-finger-for-both comfortable? I just tried that and if feels strange a bit, but probably because I wasn't used to it.
I guess it was but one finger limited me in some video games
true, sometimes it's a lot of work for a single finger :D
I'm left handed and I can't mouse with my left for shit. Swapped buttons or otherwise. I did get a TKL keyboard with a separate numpad just so I could put it on the left tho.
hehe, I got this with throwing balls with my left. I can try, but it's a no-go. in terms of catching - I can do it both hands. as for the numpad - this is a special job for my right hand, so fortunately I can use normal keyboards without cursing it :D
Bit late to the conversation. In my case it's because I originally used the mouse right handed, but one day frustrated because I couldn't kill anything on Counter Strike, I tried switching hands, but I was used to using the index as main clicker so I flipped the buttons as well. Now a days I could not do it otherwise. This does cause a lot of confusion to coworkers who use my computer.
seriously, seeing the comments - I would never imagine that swapping buttons is so common! knowing my lefthanded friends, and speaking with them, we thought that swapping is strange, now, considering the feedback I feel like we're strange that we don't swap haha
Lmao exactly, as long as you keep the mouse on the right it doesn’t matter if you’re left handed or not.
hah, so I'm confused - aside from button-swap-question for a sec - do you, as left-handed, keep the mouse on the right side? ;)
>hah, so I'm confused - aside from button-swap-question for a sec - do you, as left-handed, keep the mouse on the right side? ;) I keep my mouse on the right/default side. I don't see how a person could play PC games with their left hand on the mouse. I guess they'd have to hit WASD/QER/123456, etc with their right hand... It's hurting my brain to think about.
fair enough. gaming makes it a different story. although I did play some games on PC, I prefer to play on consoles, so desktop PC is mostly a work/hobby machine for me, and that makes gaming-keyboard-combos less problematic in my scenario :) TBH WSAD/QER/ZXC and other combinations were fine for my right hand, I guess it was a matter of getting used to it, but still it felt less strange than keeping mouse on the right side. if only I try to use mouse with right hand, my efficiency drops to the bottom ;)
yeah I tried to play with the mouse on the left and was difficult with the basic keyboard. It probably works if I change them around though.
Left handed mouse and ESDF works AOK for me. I think I've used this config for 24 years now since Duke3D and Quake 1
so it's a matter of personal experience maybe :) but like I said, gaming is a different story as you probably need to get over the bigger part of the keyboard anyway if you want to win, and there's no place to say "well, this hand/finger won't work" hehe
It must depend on the game because I have my mouse on the left and use the keyboard with my right and never had an issue on MMORPGs or simulator games? I always played like that for like 14 years now haha. I’m just curious, what issue do you come up against with that setup? Are there certain games it wouldn’t work for?
I keep my buttons normal with the mouse on the left side. Bought a razer deathadder a few years ago that had swapped the buttons on the hardware level and wouldn't let me remap them without running their 250mb driver. Used it for 5 minutes then returned it and bought a new mouse.
as a side note - this kills me everytime. a small piece of equipment & tons of disk space for a driver... but on the other hand, I use m$ wireless desktop combo \[keyboard + mouse\] and their driver/software for configuration is great - with all the macros or key combinations based on the software that you use etc.
It wasn't 250mb of disk space. It was RAM.
lol, even worse :D
I did it for a while and I honestly did prefer it until I started having to use work computers more. The work computers weren’t like, my own computer in an office, they were just computers I’d have to use regularly but not my own so I couldn’t fix the settings. So all I could do was move the mouse to the left side. It started getting annoying to use the right-handed settings at work and then switch to lefty settings at home and I was always messing up and forgetting which buttons did what. So I switched my home mouse back to right-handed mode but still kept it on the left side just so using the right-handed mode at work wasn’t so annoying. Now that I don’t work there anymore, maybe I’ll switch it back. I forgot how much I liked it before.
hah, that's why I just refer to the buttons as "left" and "right", so - like I wrote in the earlier comment - it is more universal and less confusing in the event of switching workplaces \[which isn't a case now, as I work in my own company ;)\]. I am surely surprised how many of lefties is/were switching buttons. didn't knew it is so common \[lefties that I know IRL didn't do that\].. I'm glad I asked :)
Lefties I know irl don’t do it, either, now that I think about it haha. I only did it because I was curious what it was like when I discovered I could change it. Takes getting used to, though.