This Old Mouse

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PCs come and go. But, the mice tend to stick around. Yes, there are fancy ones out there: wireless, three buttons, ergonomic models with sleek designs and jel-based squeeze points. Chances are. over the years, you've ignored those and just stuck with the same old mouse that comes with each new computer through the years.

After awhile, you can end up with more computer mice than real mice in the building. What to do?

1. Issue them out with the laptops. I don't know about you. But, I hate those little touch pads on a notebook. I ALWAYS carry a mouse to plug into my laptop.

2. Throw a few into the receptionist's desk to loan out to visiting road warriors for that very reason.

3. Keep a couple in the conference room for those that forget their mouse walking into a meeting.

4. Hang 'em on the "holiday" tree this year in the company lobby as a goof.

5. Office practical joke: hide a co-workers real mouse behind the monitor and put out a dummy mouse unplugged by their keyboard. Stand back and watch the expletives fly.

6. Box them up and offer them to a local school. Many schools are using laptops and the kids are left to struggle along with those touch pads, too. No kidding, this is probably the best advice.

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987. @oricchio