The original mouse just wore out. I cleaned it, but it didn’t help.
The second mouse was “optical” and far too sensitive, even after I re-set the parameters. It would double click instead of single, I couldn’t use d&d, and when I least expected it, it would latch onto something and not let it go.
I was so frustrated, I felt my head would blow up into all kinds of ‘splody things, and make a mess on the monitor.
So I begged a friend for the use of a mouse.
The little travel mouse he has is actually quite excellent, though I don’t recall the brand name.
I still use a ball mouse on the Linux box. It's got a Persian carpet mousepad -- LoM told me which region (of Iran) is represented in the pad's weaving, but I've forgotten it.