Looking for a decent mouse < 50 bucks

[the Savage Hippie]

My mouse was only like 4$ and it has never let me down.

[Musicman247]

I currently have a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 that I got for $30 at Best Buy. I love it. There's a slightly more expensive version (5500, I think) that has a silent scroll wheel and textured side grip. I've found that Microsoft peripherals are some of the best out there.

[Moeboid]

I know you've already bought the mouse, but for future reference, the only real statistic worth looking at for a mouse is inches per second (IPS). That's how fast you can move a mouse across a surface before it starts to glitch. Despite manufacturers advertising the ultra-high sensitivities of their mice, no one in their right mind uses these mice at anywhere near their maximum sensitivity. Especially for gaming. I've seen mice with sensitivities of 8200 DPI. With a screen width of 1920 pixels, that's going from one side to the other by moving your mouse in 0.23 of an inch. Or positioning your mouse within a 0.15mm square to click on the start button. I don't care how good your fine motor skills are, that's unusable. Pro gamers actually tend to use very low sensitivities. Around 400 DPI is standard (4.8 inches to cover 1920 pixels). Casual gamers might sometimes use sensitivities as high as 1600 DPI, but very few would be comfortable with anything above that. Outside games, some might prefer even higher sensitivities. Personally, I can't get used to anything above 1600 DPI. Not sure what others use, but when you consider that 2000 DPI is covering 1920 pixels in slightly less than an inch, I can't imagine people going much past that.

So I said that the only statistic worth looking at is inches per second (IPS). What you need depends on both your play style and the sensitivity that you use. However, your mouse is rated at 165 IPS, which should be easily fast enough for anyone. Even 80 IPS is enough for 99% of people. So, good choice .

[Eltee]

Logitech, I have found, makes the most wonderfully responsive and versatile wireless mice, and you can get a really good one for under 50.

[Taters]

I actually own an M510 and it's pretty good. I don't use it for gaming, but if, as you said, you don't game much, it should be fine. I'd recommend lithium batteries for it; they VASTLY increase the usage time, but it's still best to shut the mouse off if it's going to be sitting awhile(more than 15 minutes or so); seems to drain quite fast that way.

[Moeboid]

There are actually good reasons to spend lots of money on keyboards: Mechanical switches and anti-ghosting/n-key rollover. High end keyboards actually have a mechanical switch under each key that registers when it has been pressed. Cheaper keyboards instead use membranes that get pressed together when you push a key. People generally say that mechanical keyboards "feel" better. Part of that is due to their improved consistency/predictability. What I mean is, with membrane keyboards, sometimes it's hard to know whether a key press registered (until you observe the result of the key press). This doesn't happen (or at least it happens much less) with mechanical keyboards. A big advantage to gamers/typists etc. Mechanical keyboards also last a LOT longer. I hear that once you make the switch to mechanical, it's hard to go back. I actually want to buy one for myself when I get some money (ie. never).

Ghosting, in relation to keyboards, is when key presses don't register due to other keys being pressed at the same time. With most keyboards, it can happen with as little as three key presses (try holding down W and E, then see if D registers). More expensive keyboards use various methods of increasing the number of keys that can be pressed (gaming keyboards will usually focus on increasing the number of keys around the WASD area that can be pressed simultaneously). N-key rollover is a method of anti-ghosting that allows every single key to be pressed simultaneously without any ghosting.

So yeah, they're the features that people will pay big money for. Oh, and macro keys...

I've never tried any Razor products. I use a cheap mouse. Handles 65 IPS and has lots of extra buttons. That's good enough for me.

[Moeboid]

Did you try pressing W, E and D? That will screw up most keyboards (mine included). If not, try the same shape somewhere else on the keyboard (6, 7, and U, maybe). Even the cheapest keyboards can handle lots of keys pressed simultaneously if you press the right ones. Keys in a line, like 7, U, J, M, for example, will rarely ghost, and keys like shift, ctrl and alt rarely ghost since they're intended to be pressed with other keys. Or maybe your keyboard is just really good? Who knows. You'd think they'd advertise it if there was some sort of anti-ghosting in place. Anyway, ghosting really shouldn't be an issue. I mean, when I'm typing, I doubt I'm ever pressing more than one key at a time (maybe shift as well, but that'll never cause issues). With gaming? Well, I guess if I was trying to jump or activate something (E) while running diagonally (W and D), that would cause ghosting, but I find pressing those three keys together really uncomfortable anyway. I don't think I'd do it even if it was an option.

Yeah, a good keyboard won't make you better. Unless he was constantly complaining about keystrokes not registering, it won't make a difference. He'll probably be more comfortable with a mechanical keyboard, and hey, if that's worth $130 to him then who am I to argue, but that's all it'll do. Ghosting definitely won't be an issue for StarCraft - that's a two-key-at-a-time game. Anyway, I'd be more likely to spend >$100 on a keyboard than a mouse. The mechanical switch thing really appeals to me. At the moment I'm using this no-name keyboard that literally cost me $12. You get what you pay for. Not all that old and a few keys are already misbehaving (the J key doesn't register without a good, solid press). A keyboard that's the complete opposite really appeals to me. My mouse was just $28 and its performance is perfect. Feels a bit cheap, but I'm not upgrading this one until it breaks. No need.