Many reviews of Apple's new Mighty Mouse have already appeared on the web, and most of them were quite negative. Walter Mossberg even concluded: "Microsoft has beaten Apple on hardware design, at least in this one case." Are these findings correct? To find out, we put the Mighty Mouse to the test.
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Member since:
2005-06-28
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Yup, same problem here with our mice (Apple, Logitech, MS, with their drivers or not) and OSX. Acceleration is too slow on OSX no matter if you tweak its pref panel or not (remember, 'mouse speed' is not the same as 'mouse acceleration').
My husband has to use 'USB Overdrive' too otherwise he doesn't even wanna touch his Mac OS X machine where he does all his photography. Going from one side of the monitor to the other using normal mouse movement is way too slow (you have to lift your mouse up after reaching the edge of your mousepad, replace it in the beginning of the mousepad and re-scroll through the mousepad to get from one side of the monitor to the other). Remember, the same problem exists with all our 5-6 different mice in the house, with or without their third party OSX drivers.
We have no such problems with the rest of our OSes in the house. This is definetely one problem that Apple should fix. Russell Beattie of Yahoo, Inc. (and frequent reviewer of tech stuff) also commented on this same problem a few days ago.
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I am sorry, but I find the Windows and X11 and BeOS mouse movement and acceleration MUCH more sane than OSX's. For me and my husband, and many of our friends, and obviously Thom himself this *IS* a problem.
If that was not a problem, successful and popular utilities like USB OVerdrive would never exist in the first place. Its popularity is a proof in itself that there is something wrong there.
Apple at the very least should add one more slider on their mouse preference panel to let users adjust the acceleration. At least users who are USED to Windows/X11/OS2/BeOS acceleration they will have a CHANCE to make the behavior as they EXPECT it to.
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Do a Google search on "osx mouse acceleration", and you'll find numerous threads about this issue.
Other than that, USB Overdrive isn't the only app that addresses this issue, iMouseFix and MouseZoom come to mind. However, Overdrive seems to address the problem the best.
Member since:2005-06-28
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It is mostly used for fixing the acceleration. Yes, USBOverdrive can do much more, but many people buy it out of frustration for the default acceleration.
The point remains: OSX acceleration is not as configurable or good by default. Do you really have to reply in a way that keeps the beloved Apple on top? I am trying to help here! Hopefully Apple will listen and fix the issue!
Member since:2005-06-29
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I'd agree there should be an option. However, Apple generally seems to like providing as few options as possible: They're mislead into thinking users are incompetent and can't figure out options.
I think that's really the Apple way: Provide a good default (and acceleration is a good default, it actually is proper*) and let third party apps provide options.
*Back in the day with crappy analogue mice most people have to have their mouse move quite far to make it accurate at all. So we see the arm driven mouse of today. But, there were also puck mice. These engineering wonders were accurate with only small wrist movements. No one **bought them, unless they had a DEC or some other expensive machine; and so we all got used to crappy mice.
Now we have good mice: Still cheap, but optical mice today are more accurate than puck mice 15 years ago.
**Someone will mention the mice that shipped with the old iMacs. Those were shaped like puck mice, and apple wanted you to use it like that because they thought they had a good mechanism. But it was still a ball mouse. Puck mice have two rotating cylinders; ball mice have a ball that spins two rotating cylinders.
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mighty mouse is terrible. the shape makes no sense and isn'tm ergonomic at all. the hand needs arch support like almost every mouse provides minus apple's mice. the mighty mouse's rear is its highest point and then slopes downward... not comfortable. MS Intellimouse Explorer rocks it. the apple scroll ball feels flimsy and is too small to hit precise spots, unlike a conventional wheel, and you can't right click without lifting the left finger off the top shell, poor design.
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Eugenia I have a fuzitsu siemens usb mouse. Nothing fancy. I noticed that the default was a little slow so I moved the speed up one notch and it is fine. Now if I move the speed all the way to the fastest I just have to give the mouse a small nudge and it jumps to the other side of the screen.
I am using Tiger. Do you have a problem with Tiger?
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Just replying to myself. I see you are talking about acceleration. Sorry. Yes Windows is more configurable. I think probably they are trying to keep things simple. Like Gnome, but you seem favour Gnome simplicity over KDE configurability normally. With mice you seem to like configurability over simplicity.
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YES IT IS AN option !
because most people don't care about
they totally don't care !
I work with people without knowledge of computer : they don't care about settings, they just want to work
to WORK
and the mac os default setting (or even windows or goddamn Gnome ) WORKS
for some people a speedy accelerated mouse will work
for others NOT
I work EVERYDAY (real work) on macintosh (and also linux box) and NEVER I thought I will change settings for my mouse. I can CLICK ,it's aLL I want
(I will say, it's slow as it needs to be for me ,I can click)
and please, accept default choice for commons people
Gnome (or osx) doesn't need thousand or settings (or even one more, even one more is too much).
Hackers can change it, people will be lost in settings .
SIMPLICITY
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Simplicity is only optimal when good defaults are chosen by the developer.
Right. But where good defaults can't be chosen because people differ too much, then configuration options become necessary.
That seems to be the Gnome philosophy - rather than offer screens to configure *everything*, provide a UI for only the options they believe people will often want to change, and hide the rest in GConf.
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I guess Mac OS mouse acceleration (about which I hear too often) is a matter of habit: I've used Macs since April 1984 (and 128 KILObytes of memory) and never had a problem with the mouse acceleration. I now have two screens with a total width of 1280+1600= 2880 pixels (!) and a Wacom graphire tablet which has only 13 cm of sensitive width. Yet in the 21 years of Mac mouse usage, my hand must have grown to start with precisely that initial kick to get the mouse without effort in one single movement from the left side of the left Prophetview monitor to the right side of the Cinema screen sitting on its right. And land on the target with great precision.
I certainly cannot work with the far to sensitive settings on the PC where I always overshoot and especially have great difficulty being precise at "lower" speeds which don't seem to be low enough.
If one gets used to a PC mouse, then it is indeed strange to handle the non-linear motion of the Mac mouse. But once you get used to Mac mice, the PC ones are terribly imprecise.
In a multi-OS environment, if there are more PC mice the habit will be for the PC mice (I suspect) and the Mac mouse will feel to slow.
So it is a matter of the habit of the initial movement start speed, nothing else.
Robert Cailliau
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Of course there are other mice that can do this too, by either tilting the scrollhweel (Microsoft mice have this) or by having a horizontal wheel, but those solutions are not as elegant as Apple's scrollball.
I'm pretty sure Apple didn't invent the scrollball. Here are some other examples:
http://www.acrox.com.tw/productinfo.asp?mainid=2&subitem=205
http://www.manhattan-support.com/driver-manhattan-mice.shtml
Looking around at some reviews they don't sound too bad. My next mouse will probably have a scrollball.
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Pics here if your interested, they are very detailed
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum2.html
Mine had some sort of problem with the horizontal scrolling and I felt "rushed" using the scroll ball feature, so I'm back using the relaxed, one button, drag the scroll bar method like I have been using for over 20 years. My blood pressure has returned to normal as a result. 
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I forgot to add some tidbis.
The rollers have a abrasive surface to grip the tiny rubber scroll pea and the black parts are magnets which I assume induces a current in the metal tabs.
The side buttons are mechanical which reguire both to have pressure to activate, there is no mechanical "click" sound.
The left and right mouse button use the same mechanical click (with same sound and feel) as previous Pro mouse, expect the sensors decide if it is a right or left click. Ths can be switched.
I was not to happy about the scroll pea, especially the rollers.
For many years we have been needing to clean our roll/ball mice to get the gunk off the surface of the rollers and the hairs that manage to get caught in the rollers.
Because the MM has less surface contact it may fare better, but it will need cleaning and there is no way to clean it without breaking it.
I much rather see a hard, rough textured, firmly seated trackpea sitting on ball bearings in a cavity with optical sensors that can be accessed for cleaning.
Everyday I have to clean my mice off of gunk, Apple mice make it easy because of their smooth shape.
RE[2]: I dissected Mighty Mouse
RE[3]: I dissected Mighty Mouse
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2005-07-06
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As a side note I always switch cursor acceleration off when I can, I don't know how anyone can keep their sanity with it. Also the default speed settings in X, Windows and Mac OS X are far too fast. I don't need to traverse the whole screen with only an inch of movement! No wonder some people have trouble operating a mouse accurately.
RE: Cursor Acceleration, Bug or Feature?
Member since:2005-06-28
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>I don't need to traverse the whole screen with only an inch of movement!
Nobody wants that. But the current OSX default is too slow for many people, *especially* people who have switched from Windows or X11. This is why some configurability, or acceleration compatibility with Windows is desirable for many of us.
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Yet another silly debate.
We'll bitch and moan about Apple's mouse accerlation which is perfectly fine for the majority of its users and when they do cave in and feature a "Windows" like accerlation model, we'll bitch and moan about how Apple is killing off developers like USB Overdrive. I used Overdrive in the MOS9 days and disliked it, btw (for some reason I remember it being buggy)
I obviously don't understand what the issue is. I can easily traverse my monitor without having to ever pick up the mouse from the mouse pad (I have my mouse pad vertical so it's not so wide). I user Windows, I use Gnome, I MOSX. Not a problem.
The only "issue" I wish Apple would address is on dual monitor set-ups. I should be able to go off of either monitor side and end up on the other monitor. If any of you know a utility that adds the functionality, please let me know.
I'm not a big fan of the new Might Mouse myself. I actually prefer the hockey puck mouse to their current mouse form factor. I found I could easily manipulate the hockey puck with just my fingers and didn't need to move my wrist that much (which is difficult with an oblong mouse).
My current mouse is a Logitech, and I suspect my next mouse to be a Logitech.
Member since:2005-07-07
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As a side note I always switch cursor acceleration off when I can, I don't know how anyone can keep their sanity with it. Also the default speed settings in X, Windows and Mac OS X are far too fast. I don't need to traverse the whole screen with only an inch of movement! No wonder some people have trouble operating a mouse accurately.
I disagree. The mouse (on any OS) is always too slow for me by default. I always have to turn the speed AND the acceleration up (especially on my touchpad). If you multitask it makes life a hell of a lot easier if you can move the mouse quickly, that is if you have any kind of hand eye coordination. If you don't then I guess you would probably want a slow pointer.
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I absolutely love mine. I have used MS mice for years now because I always hated mac mice. This is just great. The scroll feature is excellent and the fact you can right click or single click just by the location of your hand on the shell its amazing.
The "squeeze' buttons on the other hand are a little in the way. You find yourself activating Dashboard (or whatever you have it set to) just by moving the mouse around. I have that option turned off.
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2005-07-22
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I can't help noticing that what almost every review on this mouse seems to forget:
People are different
Yes, that's right, people are different. You can't say a mouse is rubbish just because it doesn't suit YOUR hand. Yes, the side buttons may be in the wrong place for you, but they'll be in the right place for others. Same goes for the trackball.
I guess the only real solution here, would be to offer the mouse in a variety of different sizes, but that could just lead to confusion.
For me the real big problem with the mouse is that you cannot press 2 buttons at once. I regularly drag items, activate expose to chose their destination, de-activate it, and then drop them. I was intending to get a mighty mouse and set the side buttons to be expose, but then this wouldn't work. No sale for me until Apple provide a fix!
On the acceleration side of things; Personally, I find it just fine in OS X as it is, however it is something that Apple really should address. They could either add an extra control the to the mouse pane, or maybe there could be an 'Advanced...' button that brings up finer controls for the mouse such as this.
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Yes, I found that the criticism due to location set off my subjectivity alarm. Reviews are frequently subjective, especially when they don't offer objective data, so I wasn't immediately certain why this was. I suppose it was the "obviousness" aspect of the criticisms lodged. If I were to comment casually to someone else about what I thought of a mouse I would of course give them subjective determinations of its weight, button placements, and shape-related comfort. I probably wouldn't suggest that my criticisms were obvious, though. I doubt very much that while I find the design of the MX500 pleasing, that I dislike the change in placement and feel of the thumb buttons on the MX1000 is at all obvious to Logitech.
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2005-07-06
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At least this latest review is better than the Mossberg one, that basically concluded the new mouse is bad because it doesn't look like the MS one.
On the other hand, calling it a flaw that the scroll ball is in the wrong place for the reviewer's hand/taste is just about as silly (I mostly scroll with my index finger, by the way; it's not comfortable for me with my middle finger. So there!)
I bought a MM last week, which will finally be delivered tonight. Then I will happily ignore ALL the reviews, and hopefully retire my WheelMouse optical (currently the best mouse I've been able to find, and oddly enough, the cheapest.)
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2005-07-06
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You think the acceleration (and speed in my opinion) are bad with one monitor??? Wait until you use two or more monitors!!!
With two monitors (and one menu), you have to get quickly many times from working on one monitor to the top of the other monitor for the menu. It is a nightmare with Apple's mouse driver.
USB Overdrive makes mouse usage on OS X (any version) barely tolerable. USB Overdrive is not a perfect solution as many apps are tested only with Apple's crappy one button mouse and crap driver. And don't work "as nicely" with USB Overdrive.
Apple has not made an ergonomically solid product in many years, perhaps a decade. Whenever the last Mac II Pro keyboard was manufactured.
Today, Apple sells only on style and hype. This latest mouse with the fake buttons is the epitome of so-called "design". What they mean is "designed like crap".
Apple user input peripherals are some of the worst in the industry -- from mushy keyboards with disabled keys to mice for tiny hands to mice with fake buttons -- Apple takes the cake for the worst ergonomic design from any major company.
For all the money Apple spent on their dysfunctional faux-button mouse, they could have just had Logitech make a white mouse and gotten a very excellent mouse I'm sure for a lot less money.
While 2006 will be the year of Mac/Intel, it will also be the year of the "Wakeup call" for Apple. People who are used to PCs will not take the crap that Apple pushes onto their customers. And this will be a giant surprise for the cultists at Apple.
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2005-07-06
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I'm 5'11 and lanky. My fingers on the same (not short). I normally use several Logitech MX700 cordless mice on Windows and Macs. I just got my two Mighty Mice yesterday.
I've been using my Logitech MX-700 for what might be over a year now. And I had zero problems (other than it having a cord) using the Mighty Mice on either OS X or XP. Zero problems with left/right clicking, zero problems with the scroll ball, and well, since I have Mac OS 10.3.9 I can't use the side buttons. I don't know why but I don't have a problem with the speed of moving the cursor around. And that's on Mac OS 10.3.9 on my 800mhz G4 iMac and my 800mhz G4 15" bookbook. At work I have 19" monitors (Mac and XP) and don't have problems there either.
he only point I will agree with, is that if I could use them you do have to squeeze pretty hard and at least for now end up pushing the mouse down when I do that. My guess is, like the author said, is that it will soften up over time and I think it would become second nature pretty fast too.
So ... no problems with the Mighty Mice for me.
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that's funny. I'm a fairly recent switcher (two years), having only used windows before. now a days, every time I go back to using a windows machine, I can barely stand the mouse acceleration on windows. I normally use the same mouse on both windows and os x but it's so much smoother with os x.
besides, it's pretty funny that the review complains about mouse acceleration on os x when reviewing a mouse that works with windows no problem.
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After months of daydreaming and visiting the apple site almost every day, I finally ordered my Mac Mini yesterday..the last time I used an Apple computer was the Apple ][ and I confess all this talk about the crappy mouse acceleration is scaring me! especially because I usually set my mouse cursor speed on a very high setting, since I like to move my hand as little as possible.
Well, I hope it's not as bad as it appears here..is it at least possible to improve the speed of the cursor, regardless of acceleration?
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First off, I hated this mouse when testing in the Apple store. My wife just got hers in the mail though...
While you can map only one function to the side button(s) - you CAN get the function to work by pushing only one side or the other. I agree that the scroll wheel could be placed more forward - I really like the way it scrolls though. To my surprise, it works well with Maya PLE - an app heavily dependent on the middle mouse button. I find it more natural to depress the MM's middle button than that of one based on a scrollwheell / button combo.
- I'll hold off for the BlueTooth version though (just got the Logitech MX900)
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2005-07-06
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Pravda - I'll agree that Apple's mice and keyboards are crap. But then so are most of the keyboards and mice that come with computers now days. The ones from Gateway and Dell must have cost them about $5 to make. At least the lowest priced mice Gateway could get from Logitech, while feeling cheap, don't break like the MS mice.
Just like on cars where most of the time the tires are the cheapest tires they company can get (my last vehicle cost $40,000) and are replaced way before they wear out. Mice and keyboards are the first thing I replace when I buy a computer. That is when I don't just build my computer which I used to do until I gave up Windows at home (I'm a tech and support Windows at work) and have gone with just Macs for now. (I hope to dual boot Haiku when I get an IntelMac.)
All my home and work computers have Logitech (fm freq) wireless keyboards and mice. The Mighty Mice are the first corded mice I've bought in over 10 years. I won't be buying the cordless versions when they come out because I don't have blue tooth on any of my computers. When I do then I'll buy them.
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reading ppl talkin about mouse acceleration problems makes me wonder.
am i weird for never noticing this ??? i mean i love how the mouse works and never have problems. it seems natural. SO much natural in fact that i didnt notice that there was an acceleration until i read these problems.
but again, i insist that the acceleration feels more natural and logical. its exactly the same as the acceleration on the iPod.when i first used my 1G iPod and noticed the acceleration it seemed logical that it should work like that, didnt really give it any thought. but then i read mentioning this 'cool' feature on the iPod and the acceleration on the scroll wheel.
so in the end i guess its personal and really a matter of mentality. it seems tom and eugenia here are mostly negative when it comes to Apple. its fine with me, but it only explains why the see 'problems' where i see products that work just the way they should, without needing any constant tweaking 
or maybe the 20 million iPod users are all crazy for not having such problems, right?
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Tom mentioned somethin about most reviews being negative.
funny. ive read most of them, and they were either normal or positive.
but then again i might be wrong.
but does it really matter???
the mighty mouse is the top selling item on the apple store. top selling item thats right. and were talking about a company that sells millions of ipods each quarter !!! damn, that mighty mouse sure must be crap !!!
maybe tom was on of those guys that trounced the original iPod.
yeah yeah, they were all laughing at it. but im guessing that phrase we have really like mentioning in greece really fits here: 'He who laughs last, laughs better'. and im sure Steve is the ones whos doing the laughing right now
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>>>the mighty mouse is the top selling item on the apple store. top selling item thats right. and were talking about a company that sells millions of ipods each quarter !!! damn, that mighty mouse sure must be crap !!!
Sorry, but that doesn't mean much. People would buy no matter how good or bad it is, that's the "Apple aura".
To test the real acceptance of the MM, you gotta check how will be the sales in the next 3 months, once people start recommending/not recommending it to the non-fanatic buyers. And later check how many people will replace an old MM with a new one or go back to Logitech/MS
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"you cannot right-click without lifting your index finger from the left-side of the mouse."
This is also an issue I had with mine, yet at the same time I realized this is an Apple mouse. My feeling for this is it's a "band-aide" for older Apple users.
This was experimented by myself when I switched the primary and secondary buttons around to see if the "right click" action would happen when I used both fingers. Instead, it still did a regular click. Perhaps eventually when people become familiar with it, they will have a pressure sensitive version of this mouse. Thats what would make me happy.
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http://evoluent.com/
Most comfortable and easy to use. Works quite well on OS X, Linux, and Windows.
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PROS:
Like the way Apple merged two buttons into one. It really is the best of both worlds.
CONS:
Mouse is too light. Maybe I am too used to wireless mice with their batteries, but I wish it had more bulk
I only bought the Might Mouse because I happened to need a wired mouse this week--for a server. But for our desktops, I will wait until Apple cuts the tail and sells a wireless version.
Overall, I think Apple has done a spectacular job. Sure, not perfect, but a creative iteration on the mouse...as simple and as complex as you want it to be...
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are u sayin the mouse is small ???
ppl are complainin that its too big.
my point is that its all about personal taste !!!
as for the sales. yeah, will have to see how the mighty mouse does in the future. but im guessin it will do really good. ppl dont just buy things because theyre from apple.
others where making fun of the iPod shuffle having no screen. and now look what a success its been......
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I noticed the difference between Windblows mousing and OS X mousing back in 2001 when I switched to Macs, but it was a minor adjustment. Within a week or so, I didn't notice.
Obviously, the slow acceleration bothers some more than others. As has been mentioned, you can get plenty of speed. I would recommend new OS X users give it a few weeks and see if you get used to it before buying USB Overdrive.
ex2bot
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2005-07-11
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you people are freaks... take 2 seconds to get used to equipment you've never used before without judging it on past experience and you'll have a much better experience.
i bounce around between the major OS's on all sorts of hardware from hundreds of different manufacturers dating from the mid 90's to the latest and greatest without a problem. it's very rare that I find a mouse or keyboard that is 'ergonomically challenging'. i barely even notice it in most cases.
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Used it for a few at the SOHO store, they had one at the front corner. Pretty amazing really. The left and right click was easy. I think the problem is that some just need to retrain their hands to click with their fingers individually. While working with the mouse my thumb and pinky naturally fit on the side buttons, leaving my three other fingers spread along the top. Instead of clicking with the three fingers as I would with the single button mouse, when I want to right click, I just lift the poiter finger and click with the other two which are naturally on the right side sensor. Works very nice and naturally.
The scroll ball is quite the surprise speed demon. I can move around a page super fast and accurately, it's kind of unnerving how quick and natural it is. I didn't have time to play with the side button. And, clicking with the roller will need a little more training. But, right from the start , it's a great version 1 release.
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Yes, but like the left and right requires the the whole top of the mouse to come down to click.
So mechanically there is only one move (like the old mice), but depending where the finger making the downward pressure is. Either Left, Ball or Right.
The side buttons act togther as one requiring a squeeze.
Squeek!
:D