so, my programming setup is done primarily on my laptop, generally sitting on my lap, the touchpad on my laptop is absolute shit, so i got a wireless mouse.

my laptop has a nice little platform where the touchpad is, before the keyboard, and i've noticed that i generally have my right hand over the mouse, and am moving the mouse around with the bottom of my palm, this is very awkward, but works very nicely for most needs.

when i first started using a wireless mouse though, i tended to set it off to the side, but this meant that everytime i had to use the mouse, i had to reach back for it, do what i do, then go back to the keyboard, it was a bit annoying when i was heavily switching back and forth alot.

i sometimes wish the keyboard could get split into a mouse i could hold in my left hand. or alternatively i had gloves that would allow me to use the mouse by sliding my finger across the keyboard, so i don't ever really have to move my hands.

anyway, i know this is a weird topic, but what do you guys do, just keep it off to the side, or ...?

As i use a desktop its in the standard position to the right of the keyboard.

The mouse is too small so i only touch it with my fingers...

I try to avoid using the mouse because its far and requires me to position the cursor over that tiny button, easier to use hotkeys if i know them and know theyll work and not mess everything up.

• On my desktop, to the right of the keyboard. With my laptop, when I'm on a table, the same thing.
  
• If I have my laptop on my lap, then I'm probably either on my couch, in which I use the couch's arms to the left or right of me. (My dad had the computer set up left-handed when I was a kid, so I learned to mouse just fine with either hand.)
  
• When I'm out (coffee shop, looking at plans/drawing in the garage, etc) I just use the trackpad.
  
  "The mouse is too small so i only touch it with my fingers..." I hate tiny mice. I need a heavy brick.

I actually like touchpads, I prefer them over mouse when I'm reading a PDF for example. Its more intuitive to scroll down/up with the two-finger shortcut in the touchpad.

An awesome thing would be a big touchpad (ie, 20cm x 20cm) that you could use with the entire hand like if your hand was a mouse.

I hate touch pads * shudders *
As far as mouse goes, I have a track ball mouse, which I love because of the fast precise control I have. It's also very ergonomic.
It sits to the right of my laptop keyboard, and I take it every were I go .

If I'm using my netbook on the couch or on the bed or something, I'll usually bring a mousepad or mousepad-like substance along with me, and use the mouse on that. Something solid and inflexible, like a big textbook, or (for me personally) the mousepad that came with Mario Paint on the SNES.

I use a basic optical mouse to the right of my keyboard, until I need to use my Wacom tablet, then i move it somewhere else. I could keep the tablet there and use it as a touchpad, but I can't stand it.