What is the best mouse to use for computers?

It is probably not your mouse. it is most likely the settings.

Click on start, click, on settings, click on control panel.

Once you have the control panel open, double click on mouse. You will have a slider for tracking speed, by the sound of you description you want to turn it way down.

If the mouse is in fact just craptastical or un-ergonomic then a cheap microsoft wired optical mouse is bullet proof. (If you flip over a brand new dell mouse it is a microsoft mouse.) trackballs offer the best ergonomics.

First, try adjusting down the pointer speed like raidrunner mentioned. They can get pretty hyper if set all the way up and you're not used to that. I have to agree also that Microsoft branded mice are pretty good. I have a wired one and a wireless one (both laser optical) for my older model Dell (Dimension 1100). The wireless is a little heavy because of the batteries, but otherwise they both work nice and smooth.

I'm thinking maybe your old mouse wouldn't work with your new computer because it had a PS/2 connector, and the Dell doesn't have that port? (so last century!) If so, then any mouse with a USB connector should work. Either that, or it wasn't Vista compatible. An updated driver if available could help if that's the case. But my old Dell XP vintage mouse works with the Vista laptop I just got, so probably not that.

I find a decent Microsoft compatible/Dell optical USB 2 button wheel mouse is fine.

You can change the mouse movement within Windows.

Bluetooth mice or wireless mice tend to be all over the place in anything other than basic ops...