Open source computer mouse by Ploopy
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I needed another corded mouse and this time around I thought of @[email protected] and @[email protected] instead of Logitech's shareholders. These guys make open source mice among other open source hardware under the brand Ploopy. You can order one from them, assembled or as a kit, or you could print and build it entirely by yourself.
The mouse itself is pretty great. Coming from a long line of Logitech (MX518/G5/G500/G502), it's a bit larger than what I'm used to but I think I'm getting accustomed to it.
Here's another shot of it:
Ah great! My hands are big and all the mouses I tried are all too small. And it's giving me rsi. Hopefully this will help me. I theory I can just potentially print my own mouse design that finally fit my hands?
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I think they're 3D-printing them. Maybe one day they'll progress to something that gives a nicer result
Yes they are 3D printed
Poorly 3D printed.
The layering issue could be solved by orienting the object at a 45° angle
I could reprint the housing one day, when I get a printer myself.
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You probably can modify the existing one to fit your hand fairly easily.
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You need plastic that is more resistant to contact so that you don't end up covering your hand in microplastics. That material looks like questionable recycled plastics.
I'm also not giving up on wireless. I'd rather have an only bluetooth (slow?) mouse than a wired one.
I do agree with you. Except for the Bluetooth. Those mouses always need batteries and are empty and the mouse too heavy.
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The PCB doesn't look ambidextrous. Maybe there's a way to mirror that too but it's probably not as easy. And you'd have to get it custom built.
Ohh OK, yeah that would be tricky unless you're an EE
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Using cheap switches on high end stuff like this is just abominable. I'd somewhat understand it on a cheap model but this.. fucking hell.
How else would they still stay in business if I could just use that mouse for the next 10 years !
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How else would they still stay in business if I could just use that mouse for the next 10 years !
If it only was merely aboit staying in business.. instead it's all about growing profits. They made $613M on $4.3B last year.
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The PCB has electrical buttons permanently attached. The 3D printed parts have protrusions that touch the buttons.
You could possibly redesign the 3D printed parts only, but at some size increase you may need to start looking into redesigning the PCB.The good news is that the mouse itself is bigger than the picture makes it seem. You might actually be OK without modifications.
If you do want to give it a try, I highly recommend buying the kit and fully assembling it yourself. That way you know that it works, and you have a solid foundation to apply the modifications to.
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What is your experience with the scroll wheel? Some time ago I was interessted in a Ploopy but the non clicky scrollwheel put me off.
My scroll wheel was very stiff and irritating at first. It did loosen over time and is now completely useable. It doesn't free-spin, but it also doesn't take a lot of force to move.
The lack of clicking is a little disconcerting, but not a deal-breaker for me. I guess you could add an extra part to make it click — like putting a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
Because I bought the trackball mouse, I changed the trackball to scroll when a button is held. I now have horizontal and vertical scrolling, and don't use the scroll wheel except for middle clicking.
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If it only was merely aboit staying in business.. instead it's all about growing profits. They made $613M on $4.3B last year.
Chatgpt, give me the most business answer possible with airtight logic that eliminates the possibility of imagining a different way.
Chatgpt :
Logitech, like any publicly traded company, exists to maximize shareholder value, not product longevity, so using cheaper switches—even in a $120 mouse—isn’t corner-cutting, it’s strategic. A $0.10 upgrade per unit sounds trivial, but across millions of units it erodes margins significantly, and more durable components risk extending the product lifespan beyond the optimal refresh cycle, cutting into predictable repeat sales. Making switches hard to replace and binding functionality to proprietary software isn't anti-consumer—it's deliberate lock-in that ensures brand dependency and data capture, both of which are monetizable assets. With shareholders expecting year-over-year growth, not stability, any move that delays repurchase or encourages repair undermines the core business model. The $613M profit on $4.3B revenue isn’t greed—it’s the result of a finely tuned system where every design and pricing decision serves one purpose: sustainable, scalable profitability.
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I bought a Ploopy Thumb a few years ago. I assembled it myself, and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was (when actually following the instructions).
The small button on the right has broken twice, which wasn't a problem because I just downloaded the stl file and reprinted the button assembly.
I wanted horizontal scrolling, so I used QMK to make the trackball a scroll wheel when the right side button is pressed (that may explain the faster button wear). It was surprisingly easy, and there was even a comment in the source code pointing out which line I should modify for horizontal scrolling support. I guess they expected people to want this feature.
The price is high, but I don't expect to buy another mouse unless my needs change. The open source hardware and software is excellent, making repairability 10/10. The edges of the buttons are slightly rough, but I have the 3d printing files, so I get to choose what material it's made of and what post processing / smoothing is used. It hasn't bothered me enough to do anything about it.
While I can't recommend a trackball mouse to anyone, I can recommend Ploopy. It's one of the few products that I feel like I actually own.
What I really want is this, but with a trackpad instead of a trackball.
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I have a Logitech from 2003 or so. The feet are gone. The plastic under the feet is rubbed rmooth. The Omron switches are still great, no failure symptoms. Meanwhile I replaced a G500 after couple of years of use due to a switch developing "double-click" from wear. The reason I needed another wired mouse now is that another Logitech developed double-clicking. So yeah, exactly.
I had 2 Logitech m570s fail on me before I bought the Ploopy Thumb. So far it's lasted longer than either Logitech mouse, and looks like it will manage to be my longest surviving mouse.
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What I really want is this, but with a trackpad instead of a trackball.
wrote last edited by [email protected]They do have a trackpad, but not in this shape.
I was surprised when I started using the Steamdeck. The Steamdeck's trackpad felt almost identical to my trackball mouse, and it took effectively no time to get used to it.
The advantage of a trackball over a trackpad is that you can spin the ball for high movement speed, then stop it after a set time for fairly accurate distance. A trackball (or trackpad) will never be as accurate as a regular moue, but it is surprisingly usable (after a few months or practice).
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I needed another corded mouse and this time around I thought of @[email protected] and @[email protected] instead of Logitech's shareholders. These guys make open source mice among other open source hardware under the brand Ploopy. You can order one from them, assembled or as a kit, or you could print and build it entirely by yourself.
The mouse itself is pretty great. Coming from a long line of Logitech (MX518/G5/G500/G502), it's a bit larger than what I'm used to but I think I'm getting accustomed to it.
Here's another shot of it:
I've got to say "Ploopy" is one of the absolute worst names I've ever seen. Before I even saw the picture, I thought "I bet it looks like shit."
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Layer lines, too expensive.
Looks less comfortable than one of those 10~15€ brandless mouses at MediaMarkt
wrote last edited by [email protected]layer lines can be sanded down during making and/or improved upon massively if you are fine with it taking much longer to print. or own a better printer.
the price is steep, but its pre-made and post processed. i think the real value of it is in making it yourself for the price of the components and raw plastic if you already own a printer.
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I've got to say "Ploopy" is one of the absolute worst names I've ever seen. Before I even saw the picture, I thought "I bet it looks like shit."
it gives me a general "its probably entirely shit". that's really a bad name.
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Is it comfortable in the hand? The surface looks super rough
its 3d printed so it has layer lines. it can be improved or processed to be smoother though.
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I bought a Ploopy Thumb a few years ago. I assembled it myself, and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was (when actually following the instructions).
The small button on the right has broken twice, which wasn't a problem because I just downloaded the stl file and reprinted the button assembly.
I wanted horizontal scrolling, so I used QMK to make the trackball a scroll wheel when the right side button is pressed (that may explain the faster button wear). It was surprisingly easy, and there was even a comment in the source code pointing out which line I should modify for horizontal scrolling support. I guess they expected people to want this feature.
The price is high, but I don't expect to buy another mouse unless my needs change. The open source hardware and software is excellent, making repairability 10/10. The edges of the buttons are slightly rough, but I have the 3d printing files, so I get to choose what material it's made of and what post processing / smoothing is used. It hasn't bothered me enough to do anything about it.
While I can't recommend a trackball mouse to anyone, I can recommend Ploopy. It's one of the few products that I feel like I actually own.
How do you use a trackball mouse? Does moving the mouse and moving the trackball both move the pointer? Or one moves the pointer and the other does something else?
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it gives me a general "its probably entirely shit". that's really a bad name.
After reading up it sounds like a decent product but they should definitely consider rebranding.
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Is it comfortable in the hand? The surface looks super rough
wrote last edited by [email protected]Looks like a bitch to clean. Gonna get all sorts of grease collecting in those grooves…
