Effective lifespan of an optical/laser mouse

[Edi]

Optical and laser mice should last forever. I replaced the Logitech Click! optical mouse I got sometime in 2002 or thereabouts just three or four months ago and the only reason I did was the scrollwheel got busted. Everything else worked fine despite bing worn out (such as the plastic becoming translucent because of the wear on the buttons).

I got the G5 as a replacement and it's been great so far.

[Executor32]

My Razer Copperhead has been going strong for nearly 3 years, with nary an issue. My grandmother's computer is using the Logitech iFeel mouse that i got back in early2001, which I had been using until I got the Copperhead five years later. The tactile feedback motor Inertial Harmonic Drive in that little bastard is still as strong as ever, too.

[Jaepheth]

I've been using my intellipoint laser mouse for about 3 years now. Before that I had an intellipoint optical mouse that I had used so long the cable went bad from metal fatigue (at the point the cable leaves the mouse). Opened up the mouse, cut out the bad section of cable, rewired the mouse and it still works fine (got it in a box as a backup mouse).