Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical

I consider the Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical to be one of the most basic computer mice, and yet it's one of the best feeling and easy to use.

The mouse is solid construction.  I've had several for various locations and none has ever broken in years of usage.  The mouse connects to the computer via USB, though some models include a USB to PS/2 converter if you have a much older computer without USB ports.  It's slightly curved to the left to fight a right-handed person's hand -- it's not symmetrical, so it's not really suitable for long term left-handed use.

The Wheel part of the Wheel Mouse Optical is a rubbery wheel between the left and right buttons with just the right amount of resistance so that you never accidentally push or move it.  It can serve as a third button, but you often have to configure this in the application you're using, or within the Microsoft software provided from them.  It can be used for a variety of things, but probably the most useful is tying it to "back" in the browser.

Like all optical mice, the Wheel Mouse Optical doesn't have a ball, and works on most surfaces just fine, though if you are on a glass surface you will need a mouse pad or something else to move it around on, otherwise it won't work.

Although it's a tad bit pricy because generic mice can be picked up much cheaper, it feels great and never breaks and that's worth the extra price for something you use a lot.