KSP killed my mouse!

[luizopiloto]

And I fly with a Xbox gamepad... the right stick controls camera... I use mouse more to select parts and inside editor... and to press RPM buttons while in IVA :3

[Alshain]

I had a Razer Copperhead which lasted for about 10 years too, until I gave it a bath in tea. Amazingly it still mostly works, just double clicks when I want a single click about 1 in 5 clicks. Now I have a Razer Ouroboros and I'm very happy with it. I hope it lasts as long!

Technically my 518 still works too, I would just have to solder in a new USB cable... and give it a severe cleaning.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Alshain

[SciMan]

First mouse I killed was a Logitech RX300. Cause of death: Counter Strike: Source, and Gmod.

Next mouse died because of Minecraft. One after that from Battlefield 3.

But I haven't needed to ever buy a mouse because it died. Guess my skill-set is more rare than I thought.

I know how to fix them. I'm good at soldering, and taking things apart without breaking them (No hammers), and have a source of spare switches.

The spares are from a bunch of old roller-ball type mice that my current computer doesn't even have the right port to connect to (PS/2 mouse/keyboard port). Got them from a summer job I had when I worked at a computer/electronics recycling center. If you need computer mice to scavenge parts out of, a computer recycling place might let you have a few (or 20) if you can get a hold of someone that actually takes the stuff apart instead of somebody at the front desk, and ask nicely (maybe even mention what you're trying to do).

The switches used for LMB and RMB in computer mice have been the same since the late 1980's. The one for middle mouse button might be harder to find, but old VCRs or DVD players might have them.

Mouse right and left click switches are some of the easiest repairs you can do, and if you're scavenging switches out of outdated mice, you can practice by taking a switch out of one of the donor mice and soldering it back in again.

I have also fixed my keyboard (Logitech MK300 wireless) and my headphones (old-style Razer Carcharias with the braid covering the wire)

The keyboard I just had to replace the rubber domes that provide the "spring" action for the WASDQE keys. Used parts from a similar "donor" keyboard that had it's cord fray out. That was 2 or 3 years ago, and it's still going to this day (typing out this post on it).

It helped that my headphones were "dumb" analog headphones that didn't have any integrated circuits in them, just 2 earphones, a mic, volume control pot and mic mute switch. And they were nice enough to put a little "patch panel" circuit board in the headphones themselves, instead of running the cord right to the earphones and mic. That's the thing that made me even consider fixing them in the first place.

At least try to fix the things that break on you if they don't have a warranty. Attempting to fix it and failing is still worth it, because you learn how it's put together and have better chances of getting it right the next time.

You don't lose anything if you fail, because if you didn't try to fix it you were going to have to buy another one anyways, right?

Even if you did buy another one, you can still fix the old one to keep on hand as a back-up if the new one breaks.

Of course, this assumes that you have time available to fix the broken thing in the first place.

Current mouse is a Logitech G700s, and the hybrid corded/cordless design is what sold me. No more worrying about yanking the cable out of the mouse or straining the port on my motherboard, and the mouse stays in communication with the computer even if it comes unplugged accidentally.

Now why can't they do that for a keyboard? I already use rechargeable batteries in my keyboard, and I have 2 sets of batteries that I swap out when my keyboard goes dead. Not having to do that would be great, and getting rid of whatever delay is caused by wireless connection instead of wired would be nice, too (likely less than 10ms difference, not really a deal-breaker anyways).

Edited June 6, 2015 by SciMan

[SkyRender]

I'd suggest going for a wireless trackball. They suffer minimal wear and tear, can be used literally anywhere, and are more precise than a mouse once you learn the trick to it. I've had this Logitech one for the better part of a decade and it's still going strong. Eats one AA every month and a half or so.

[Captain Sierra]

I was starting to wear out the WASDQE on my laptop from KSP/Space Engineers/Planetside 2/Minecraft when I sold it. I've since upgraded to a razer mechanical (can't go wrong with a mechanical).

KSP has yet to kill my mouse, even with over 1200 hours now. My trusty logitech M525 has yet to be destroyed by thousands of hours of web browsing and hardcore gaming. Worn the hell out of the bottom of it (most of those hours have been without a mousepad), flattened off the texture on the scroll wheel, and I'm afraid to see how much gunk is under the buttons, but it's still going strong after almost 5 years now. Takes 2 AAs about every 4 months (I used to get 6 out of it before I switched to a desktop because I'd turn it off when carrying my laptop; now I only get 4 because I never bother to click it off).

[Daid]

Replacing a switch of a mouse isn't that hard. I've done it a few times already (almost all mouses use the same type of switches, so you can use them from old dirty mouses)

Repairing stuff is good for your wallet and the environment. (And you can keep using that mouse you find awesome)

[merendel]

Chuckle. Wow killed my first gameing mouse, my second was probably a combo of wow GW2 and KSP. I know my mice are starting to crap out when click and hold on the RMB starts geting twitchy and giveing me extra clicks at random. Alot of games use RMB hold for camera controll, MMO's in particular let you turn and look at the same time with it most of the time so it gets alota use.

[wossname]

Replacing a switch of a mouse isn't that hard. I've done it a few times already (almost all mouses use the same type of switches, so you can use them from old dirty mouses)

Repairing stuff is good for your wallet and the environment. (And you can keep using that mouse you find awesome)

Normally I do repair electronics where possible, but this dead mouse of mine is a rebranded low quality POS and came bundled with my PC. It's not worth £3 new, so I bought one of these as a replacement...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KXYV6YW

[Red Iron Crown]

More of a discussion of computer peripherals than KSP itself in here, moving this over to the Space Lounge.