What's an optical mouse?

[David H]

I've seen cordless mice, with an obvious feature, but also corded ones that say they're 'optical'. This means nothing to me- do they have a camera in them?

[re1314]

Nope - it just means that instead of using a traditional ball, they work by scanning the desk surface with either a red light or a laser (on more expensive models). They offer better movement sensing than ball-mice, and you don't have to clean them every week!
If you're looking at getting a cordless optical mouse, I recommend Microsoft hardware. You can get better value by buying a cordless mouse and keyboard in one box.
There are a couple of choices on this website:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Products.asp?CatID=19& ;Category=Keyboards&ThumbNails=Yes&FilterCategor ies=280&FilterManufacturers=33&FilterMinPrice=&a mp;FilterMaxPrice=&FilterKeywords=
I have used both the products mentioned on the site, and they have both performed fantastically (and still do).