caring for your mouse

Suppose you're working on something that requires fine mouse movements and the cursor stops moving just short of the drop zone, even though you're still moving the mouse. After an audible expletive and a curt repositioning of the drag object, you rapidly roll the mouse in circles like a ball of PlayDoh. This seems to remove the "gremlin gunk" or somehow reform the mouse ball into a nice, predictable sphere again. The problem resurfaces, only of course, at a most inconvenient time. You chalk it up to bad karma.

You might endure this behavior for a while, but as the problem gets progressively worse, you finally decide to take a chance and investigate the mouse yourself. What you find is months of crud and grime inside the mouse ball housing.

Don't despair--it's easy to clean a NeXT mouse.

to clean your mouse
Before you start, be sure to turn off the computer and disconnect the mouse.

1. Open the mouse.

Old mouse: Turn the mouse upside down, put your thumbs on OPEN on the enclosure cap, and press it down and away from you.

New mouse: Turn the mouse upside down and hold it with the cord pointing away from you. Put your thumbs on the plastic dial and turn it counterclockwise until the arrow points toward the O.

2. Remove the cap and the mouse ball.

Old mouse: Pull the cap off, turn the mouse on its side, and catch the ball in your hand.

New mouse: Turn the mouse right side up and catch the dial and ball in your hand.

3. Blow into the case to remove dust and dirt.

4. Gently clean the rollers using a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl alcohol (not rubbing alcohol). CAUTION: Do not use any other kind of cleaner.

5. Clean the ball with a dry, lint-free cloth, such as a lens tissue, or with soap and water.

6. Replace the ball and cap.

Old mouse: Slide the OPEN end of the cap under the rim of the circular opening, place your thumbs on CLOSE, and push the cap down and forward. It will snap shut.

New mouse: Put the dial back on the mouse and line up the arrow with the O. Turn the dial clockwise until it stops at the C.

So much grime can collect on a mouse ball that it will refuse to roll. Mouse pads can prevent this accumulation. Check out third-party mouse cleaning tools such as the Velcro mouse ball and pad at your office supply store.

Remember, a clean mouse makes a happy user.