Mouse options: touchpad versus other options

Ok, first of all hi there to everybody, this is my first post on these forums although i've done a bit of reading through alot of topics on here previously. At the moment i still don't know alot, but i'm going to be putting in a carputer into my Holden VS Commodore (Australian vehicle - guess where i'm from) shortly. Now i've been thinking about options for a mouse. I plan to use a touch screen, but i'd still like the flexibility of a mouse for more precise actions and the likes should i need it.

Now, with the space i have, a normal mouse that involves moving something around on a pad or surface of some sort is impractical. I've had a quick look into touchpad mice, like the ones you get on a laptop where you glide your finger over the small pad and click. I'm thinking if i have room, it could work for me to mount it on the armrest of my door, or failing that, i have some free space near the handbrake i could mount it.

The other thing i remember seeing mentioned here is it a trackball or rollerball mouse or something? Can anybody explain these to me?

Basically i'm looking for a practical option for a mouse that can fit in nicely and allow me easy movement without figety crap that takes half an hour to do two clicks. Any advice or further information, shoot away. Cheers, Bryce :)

How about a Finger Mouse? I was thinking that it might be a nice option as it doesn't involve you taking up any space to do sliding or anything.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c...5_1933_5962945

http://store.ergoguys.com/4donefimo.html

I am in the same predicament as you are. . . I had a wireless notebook mouse but it broke and am now using my ugly white compaw usb optical mouse YUK.... Did a little research on that i wanted ... .basically just small easy way to get more precise control than the touch screen would allow when driving. and small enough.. . and flexible enough to have in my hand or mounted and i just bought this. . still waiting for it to come

http://www.ergonomictouchpad.com/images/etpebay.jpg

Just search ebay for egronomic touchpad. and you will find it. . . .they are like 50 on the website. . . . but only 25 on ebay. . . 10 shipping for usa not sure about aus. . . check it out

There was a good thread where a guy custom mounted a touchpad in the center console/ armrest. I'll try to find it and post a link, if I wanted that option, that is definately the way I would go.

Here it is:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/fabrication/32986-usb-touchpad-into-center-console.html

hhmm the finger mouse is a neat idea, but i'm more after something i don't have to hold in my hand. How hard is a trackball to operate? It's looking like i'll go with a touchpad unless anybody can point out reasons why not to

Brycestro: Are you right handed?
Because the only reasonable way to have a pointing device in RHD cars is to embed a touchpad (or trackball, if you're lucky enough to track down an OEM one) into the door's arm rest.

I'm in the same situation, Perth here, and I've found the most applicable option to be a touchpad embedded into the arm rest.
Those ergonomic touchpads as toxiclows mentioned above are the best for OEM mounting, because they don't have buttons that you need to worry about. All you need to do is cut the hole in your armrest, neaten it up, and glue it in place.
It's the route I'll probably end up taking.

All the people with LHDs are lucky to be able to use all sorts of things mounted in their center console.
One person even mounted a joystick to their automatic shifter.

You wanted a trackball explained?
Basically, it's just an old ball mouse turned upside down, so instead of moving the mouse, you're moving the ball.

Just to confuse things, i'm actually left handed, but use a mouse with my right hand and also have a standard Australian vehicle (right hand drive). So that leaves me with either mounting a touchpad in the armrest on the drivers door which i could use with my right hand (which i'm used to) or mounting a touchpad in the centre console area which would be on my left and require me to use my left hand (which i'm NOT used to). Thing is though, i believe i could pick up using a mouse with my left hand. From my case above you can see that i use the mouse with my right hand despite being left handed, i think it's more a case of training yourself to be able to do it as opposed to 'needing' to be left or right handed. I just don't think i'll have room in my armrest to mount a touchpad unless it's longways, in which case move up or down on the touchpad would make the cursor move left or right and moving left or right on the touchpad would make the cursor move up or down.

I think you can get software to fix the direction of the mouse.
You do make a good point about training yourself rather than what you "need", though I think I'd rather save my left hand for the abundance of switches, touchscreen, and manual shifter.:eek:

I'll have to look into the software to change it... I still think it could be a pain in the butt though because you'd only have a small area for moving left and right and a large area for moving up and down if it was longways.... That and i don't have a manual which helps out a little.

Well, honestly from the sounds of it your best bet would be to mount it in the centre console. I checked out a car that's the same interior to the one I shall soon be purchasing, and found that I honestly don't really need a mouse of sorts other than a touchscreen, unless I was to be working on something, in which case I'll probably keep one of those touchpads in the centre console.