ZDNet reports that SuSE has released a handheld version of its Linux distribution.

By Jeff Field

When picking your mouse and keyboard, personal preference and comfort have to take precedence over any whiz-bang features. Most serious computer users use their mice and keyboards quite a bit during the course of a workday, or when at home, and as such they need devices that will be comfortable being used a long time. Microsoft, while not exactly popular with the Open Source crowd, makes some of the most popular input devices out there. However, there are cheaper alternatives that are just as good, if not better.

The mouse
The Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical is the latest in Logitech’s long line of mice and trackballs. Logitech is the other big name in input devices, and for good reason, because the company offers a wide range of input devices designed to the fit the need of every user, from the gamer (with its line of gamepads and joysticks) to the everyday home user with its keyboards, mice and speakers. Logitech’s latest mouse is a two-button wheel mouse priced at $29.99 at most stores.

What makes the Logitech special is the fact that, like Microsoft’s Intellieye line of mice, this mouse uses an optical sensor in order to track mouse movements. This lets the mouse operate on any non-reflective surface, such as a desktop or a leg. This means you don’t need to waste money on mouse pads, which wear down. The other advantage of not having a wheel is that there are fewer moving parts to break down, in theory making a longer lasting mouse. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and in fact my Microsoft Intellimouse with Intellieye just had the eye on it die a few weeks ago. The other advantage is that you never have to clean your mouse because there are no moving parts to get dirt and dust caught on them. I have to clean my traditional mice every week or two or the tracking gets quite sloppy.

When using the mouse under XFree86 on Mandrake 7.2, setting up the mouse as a Microsoft Intellimouse was all I needed to get the mouse working with its wheel in X. The mouse worked extremely well, in fact the only problem I had with it was that XFree86 in Mandrake apparently didn’t like starting up the mouse while the Belkin Omnicube was set to another machine. However, that doesn’t really say anything about the mouse. The mouse is dual USB/PS/2, and you can convert the PS/2 to serial so the entire range of input types is supported, two of them out of the box.

An interesting side note on the packaging: On the outside of each Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical, there is a small red flashing light. It’s supposed to grab your attention and show you what the bottom of an optical mouse is like. This wouldn’t be worth noting if, when opened, the box didn’t reveal two Duracell Ultra batteries that power this thing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like flashing lights as much as the next guy, but those batteries are not exactly the cheapest available. I wonder how much cost is added by these batteries, or if Logitech isn’t passing the cost on to the consumer, how much they waste on this little gimmick?

Comfort
Comfort is a big factor when picking an input device. And while comfort depends on individual tastes, it’s fairly easy to tell what most users will like or dislike about a certain design. For instance, I myself like the design of the Wheel Mouse Optical because it fits nicely under my pointer and middle finger. However, to some people this mouse would be too small, and they might prefer the large size of the Microsoft Intellimouse with Intellieye. And, in the end, the comfort of the design should matter more than the features. For those who like smaller mice, however, the Wheel Mouse Optical does have an excellent array of features, so it’s certainly a nice option.

The mouse movement was smooth and extremely responsive, and the buttons on the mouse are firm and easy to click; in fact, they feel a good bit nicer than those on the big Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer, which felt sort of soft when you clicked them, and also had a tendency to get stuck.

Conclusion
The Logitech Wheel Mouse is a nice optical mouse, and an excellent alternative to Microsoft’s line of mice. However, as I’ve said, mice should be chosen based on individual preferences. For a school, the Logitech is a nice option because it can be had for $25 or less, and it eliminates the all-to-common problem in high schools of disappearing mouse balls. For businesses with hundreds of machines, such a low-priced mouse with low maintenance can be a blessing. Overall, the Wheel Mouse provides all the functionality the average user needs, and does so comfortably for a low cost. It can be found on Pricewatch for as low as $18.

NewsForge editors read and respond to comments posted on our discussion page.

Wicrosoft has released its top 10 concerns for security issues.

ZDNet reports on the release of a slowed down 1.3GHz Pentium 4 processor which is outperformed by the older 1GHz Pentium 3 processors in most categories. Depending on RDRAM instead of conventional memory, the Pentium 4s are not looking like a great investment quite yet, and the article is calling the sale of a slowed down Pentium 4 an intelligence test for consumers.

From ZDNet: “So why isn’t LaTeX right up there with all the other
word processors? Well, if you think that Linux has
a problem with user-friendliness, wait until you try
LaTeX. Calling LaTeX “esoteric” is a bit of
understatement.”

“Occasionally the question of who is in charge of Linux comes up. This is usually in the context of ‘who would take over’ if Linux-creator Linus Torvalds ever steps down. What if Linus were to lose interest or became unable or unwilling to perform the tasks he has done so well over the years? Of course, Linus already has a group of people working on the Linux source code. Each and every one of the major subsystems in Linux has designated ‘maintainers.’ ” Check out the commentary at OS Opinion. –Kelly McNeill

New York, USA – Rauch Medien announces the release of their DB-Box product. The DB-Box when connected to network offers a platform independent database solution designed for small and medium sized businesses.

DB-Box Capabilities
DB-Box simply plugs into your existing network. Then from any of the workstation the DB-Box appears as a regular web-site. Using a web-browser you can construct a database that fits any task. Any device on your network that has a web browser can then access this database. This offers complete platform independent capability, and stability with proven technology used on major web-sites. The database software is constructed completely in PHP and MySQL running on Linux, and can handle up to 500 users. In addition, The DB-Box comes complete with RAID level 0 data protection, and includes an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that will safely shutdown the computer during a power outage for added reliability.

Cost effective & easy to use
DB-Box is a complete database solution that does not require any additional items. On average most companies spend a couple of thousand dollars on database software alone that does not cover the cost of the server or server OS software. Typical installation requires hefty licensing fees. The DB-Box features an unlimited user license. In addition, The DB-Box does not require an IT department to maintain. Once set-up it does not require any user intervention. A DB-Box will save you money in both respects with a price of only $1,275 (Tower).

Availability & System Requirements
The DB-Box will ship in February (2001), but can be ordered in advance via our web-site at link It will be available in both a Tower and 1U Rack-Mount chassis. It requires a TCP/IP Protocol network, Ethernet RJ-45 10/100 Twisted Pair Cable, a hub or switch, and the clients must have a web browser (4.0 and up recommended).

About Rauch Medien
Rauch Medien is based out of New York, USA, and produces various business and consumer applications. Rauch Medien also maintains a computer tech site called OSFAQ.com link –Cory Rauch

32BitsOnline reviews the Cobalt Qube, a new Linux network appliance that combines a variety of network services into a single plug and play box.

Alan Cox posts the latest changes to version 2.2.19pre6 of the Linux kernel at LWN.net.

“In the opinion of the GTK+ team, the only correct way to write a
setuid program with a graphical user interface is to have a setuid
backend that communicates with the non-setuid graphical user interface
via a mechanism such as a pipe and that considers the input it
receives to be untrusted.” More at LWN.net.