I grew up using a three-button mouse on the family Amiga.

For the past six years Ive used a 12-button gaming mouse.

Not for gaming, and not for bizarre 3D applications, but so I can browse the web.

The default keyboard shortcuts for web browsing are anti-ergonomic.

Choose your mouse

Get the mouse that matches your comfort level.

If youre already adept with gestures, youre ready for more.

Here are the best options at each level.

Even the $10VicTsing MM057, Amazons top-selling mouse, has a pair.

Its a nice start, but its just thatthe start of a mouses potential.

Plus the thin, flimsy thumb buttons on many of these budget mice are easy to accidentally click.

Intermediate mice

Mice with more than two extra buttons are usually marketed to gamers.

Logitech dominates this space with several moderately priced gaming mice.

Most of the buttons are heavily contoured to suggest rocking back and forth between pairs of complementary functions.

The tilt scroll registers on the Mac as a button press, which requires a third-party driver to fix.

The G700s is a great choice for small hands.

Its wireless capability requires a USB receiver, but it still beats any Bluetooth mouse I can find.

Like the G700s, it uses a USB receiver in wireless mode.

It provides five extra buttons and a thumb scroll.

(The main scroll wheel doesnt tilt.)

A versatile gesture button pairs with mouse gestures, which feels a bit complicated.

It fits large hands, and it works wirelessly over Bluetooth without a receiver.

Crazy mice

TheUtechSmart Venusand theRedragon M901 Perditionfeature a 4x3 grid of thumb buttons.

At this point youre just building a second keyboard that you cant hunt and peck on.

TheElecom Duxhas 16 extra buttons and looks like the BattlestarGalactica.

Its buttons are unwieldy and some are hard to reach.

It doesnt work on a Mac, even with third-party mouse drivers, and the manual is in Japanese.

But on a PC, once you install Elecoms driver, you could practically bang out with it.

Assign your buttons

Your button functions will depend on your workflow.

If youre working with photos or video, you could assign buttons to zoom functions.

Even functions with one-key shortcuts are sometimes more convenient as mouse buttons.

Most gaming mice dont include a Mac driver, so youll need to buy a third-party driver.

to chords of two buttons pressed simultaneously, exponentially increasing the number of assignable functions.

Its a lot to shell out just to make a mouse work, but its worth it.

BetterTouchTool cant assign scroll functions, so it cant fix the G700s tilt scroll issue.

This whole setup may seem excessive, but once you settle in, it becomes intuitive and comfortable.

Some day your co-workers will come to you with their broken thumbs and shout Save us!

And youll look down from your standing desk and whisper No.