[mshan]

I am thinking about getting my dad a 17 inch Intel iMac for video editing and photo editing.

I was in the Apple store and playing around with the new Mighty Mouse.

I have always used Microsoft or Logitech mice, so this one feels very different.

What do others think of the Apple Mighty Mouse? Do I have to get used to it and then it will fine natural and ergonomic?

Especially curious about sluggish cursor response (can the the speed be adjusted in the control panel) and that tiny "wheel" ball?

 

[ManMower]

(Just so I don't get myself into trouble again, I should point out from the start that I have a strong anti-Apple bias. I'll try to remain objective, but you've been warned)

I used the mighty mouse for 2-3 weeks at work before hiding it in a drawer and bringing my own mouse from home.

I found the worst thing about the mighty mouse to be that you have to lift your left finger off the surface of the mouse to do a right click. You might get used to it after prolonged use though - I probably never did because I have a normal mouse at home.

The weird buttons on the side act as a single button, and they don't do anything when the mouse is lifted off the table, which can be a little confusing.

Also, I find the little click noise that is emitted by a speaker inside the mouse (I'm not being funny, there's seriously a little electric noisemaker in the mouse to make click sounds) when you press the buttons to really grate on me - there is no way of turning it off.

The scrollball can't really scroll diagonally, you sort of have to stop scrolling in one direction to scroll in another. Also, you can physically roll the scrollball without enough pressure to actually cause a scroll. I got used to that quickly enough.

Also, most people won't notice this one, but if you use the scrollball in an X windows application, you have a decent chance of locking the entire X server.
(Though this behaviour has not gone away since removing the mighty mouse, it may have come with the mighty mouse drivers because I never noticed it previously)

If you find the mouse is just too slow, it can easily be sped up in the system preferences panel.

If you find the cursor doesn't keep up with your hand during slow movements and overshoots badly on fast movements then what you're seeing it the result of Apple's mouse acceleration curve, which can be disabled by purchasing software like "USB Overdrive" - which didn't work with the mighty mouse last time I tried it, but might now. There's also an application called "steermouse" you can buy that might be able to change the acceleration curve. (The windows XP name for mouse acceleration is "enhance pointer precision").

If you go with a third party mouse, maybe avoid products by Razer, as my mac can't wake from sleep when it has a Razer Diamondback installed on it.

 

[imported_Echo_]

dont get it
just get a logitech g5,g7 mx510,mx500,mx700, mx series

 

[breadcrumbs]

Go with a Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical 1.1a. Of all the mice I've caught, this one has been by far the best. 9000 fps, the smoothest movement of any mouse I've ever felt, stable with USB overclocking, comfortable with a nice wheel, not to mention ambidextrous. Oh, and did I mention it was cheap? You shouldn't pay more than $10.

You should never have to get used to a mouse, it should just feel right. The Apple Mighty Mouse looks horribly uncomfortable to me, and judging by my experiences with previous Apple mice, I would give it a wide berth.

 

[mshan]

Thanks for the input!

The Mighty Mouse is prepackaged with the iMac, so I would get it for better or for worse.

I would just think that Apple would have designed it very ergnomically and to work seamlessly within OS X.

(mouse doesn't overshoot; in the store, it just seemed like I had to move the mouse a great distance to get it to move a reasonable distance on the screen).

Also, what do you guys think of the 17 inch screen vs. the 20 inch screen?

 

[lan]

I don't like this mouse. The buttons on the side are too hard to use press. I usually use my other buttons for switching between docs/apps fast. I like the scroll ball though because for me it's ergonomic and feels good.

Those who dont like their mighty mouse, can i have it for free?

I'd never buy this thing haha.

I use a KVM switch with hub and have two mice. Sounds absurd but I could use multiple mice. One for games, one wireless/movies, another for general use or certain apps.

 

[minasoko]

I like the Mighty Mouse, but it has some glitches in it that mess me up sometimes. The side buttons on my Mighty Mouse became *too* sensitive after a while, so I had to disable them or else Expose would activate every time I accidentally touched the side. Also, every once in a while the trackball has issues and refuses to scroll down. I have to molest the mouse to make it work again.
Other than that though, for a basic mouse, it works fine. There's nothing special about it that would make me recommend it over any other mouse. I keep it around for the comments I get about it... ie "why does your mouse have a nipple?"

I guess that's the best feature of the Mighty Mouse...

 

[mshan]

Do you think something such as a Logitech MX310 or MX510 will work seamlessly with the Intel iMac / OS X?

And is there any benefit of using the Apple keyboard or will a Windows Microsoft or Logitech keyboard work just as well?

 

[carlosgp]

The keyboard is a very good one. The mighty mouse, on the contrary, is a clear example of form over function. I was trying to use it because it's very pleasant to the eye, but I can't stand it any more. The right button is difficult to use, the scroll ball is small and the mouse is too low/little for my hand. Use one of the new laser mouses from logitech instead.

edit: I tried to use my mx1000, but it seems there is no universal version of logitech control center and I don't like the "feeling" of the mouse with the standard preferences. I'll continue using the mighty mouse for a while...

 

[ManMower]

The windows key and the alt key are the other way around from the option key and alt key on the apple keyboard.

I think there's a setting somewhere to reverse things if that bothers you.
I've used a Dell keyboard on my mac and it was fine.

Of the 3 Apple keyboards I've gone through at work, one works flawlessly (from an old g4 cube), one will double up keystrokes 2-3 times a day (the one that came with the G5 powermac), and one occasionally misses break codes entirely so a key will repeat until I hit it a second time (this maybe twice a week)

I've seen other complaints about "sticky keys" on macs, so I'm not completely alone here.

I've got the 20" widescreen display. The native resolution is 1680x1050 for a 1.6:1 aspect ratio. Mine's got 1 dead pixel. I notice a fair bit of image persistance, but maybe all LCD panels do that.

 

[mshan]

So, I can use a Windows keyboard on a Mac, it's just that the Windows key is alt and the alt key is option?

 

[mr56k]

Yea, i use a Logitech MX510 on my Mac Mini running Mac OSX 10.4.5. Everything works perfect. I do recommend whatever mouse you choose make sure if there is software/driver do download it.

 

[mshan]

Can Mac OS X take advantage of the back / forward (thumb) buttons on USB mice such as the MX 510?

 

[Sycraft]

I'll chime in and say get a Logitech. Look at the 510, 518, or G5, if corder mice are your thing. They work great (I own all of them). All shoudl work with the Mac when plugged in, however of them only the 510 has drivers from Logitech themselves so you may want to look at that one, though it is the oldest technology. Their drivers provide capabilities for giving programmable functions to their buttons, just like in Windows.

 

[lowmagnet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mshan Can Mac OS X take advantage of the back / forward (thumb) buttons on USB mice such as the MX 510?

Yes. I have a MX900, and every button works. Logitechs come with a system preferences pane for it.