Apple
Hands On: Apple’s Magic Mouse
By Jim DalrympleOctober 24, 2009, 10:05 am PT
Apple made a slew of announcements earlier this week (Snow Leopard Server-equipped Mac mini debuts, New iMacs sport 21.5, 27-inch displays, quad-core option), but the one that interested me the most was the Magic Mouse.
Sounds strange that a mouse would be more intriguing than a new iMac or MacBook, but it was. Maybe it’s the one device that nobody seems to pay enough attention to — whatever it was, it caught my interest.
I must admit I was a bit skeptical of how the mouse would work. I’ve used a Bluetooth mouse before and had nothing but problems. The wireless connection to the mouse would often fail, leaving me moving the mouse around the desk with nothing happening on the screen, until finally it would connect and jump all over the place.
That’s not the Magic Mouse.
My skepticism quickly gave way to being impressed just a couple of minutes after I started the new 27-inch iMac (I’ll have a separate review on that).
If you’ve ever had a wireless mouse, you know the routine of the computer trying unsuccessfully to connect to the mouse. You turn the mouse on and off, wait, do it again, wait — you get the picture.
When the iMac started, the graphic of the computer connecting to the mouse flashed up on the screen for a couple of seconds and then disappeared. My first thought was that it failed to connect, but then I realized that it connected and the mouse was active. I didn’t even do anything with the wireless keyboard and it was active too.
The Magic Mouse as a mouse
The Magic Mouse is very cool looking and allows you to use gestures on the top of the mouse, but how does it work as a mouse? After all, that is supposed to be its main function.
I’m happy to say that it is the most responsive wireless mouse I’ve ever used, bar none. I let the computer go to sleep completely and then touched the mouse to wake it up. Not only did the computer wake up right away, the mouse was immediately responding to my movements and clicks.
The were no herky-jerky jumps of the mouse onscreen and I didn’t have to wait for a few seconds before it responded to left- or right-clicks.
The mouse feels really good in your hand too. It’s very light to move around and feels quite natural to do the everyday tasks we have come to rely on a mouse for.
Gesture support on the Magic Mouse
Gestures became popular on Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook Pro line of notebook computers. Gestures allow you to move your fingers to perform onscreen functions. The Magic Mouse is more limited in its gestures than any of the other products, but it does give access to all the things you would need on a mouse and more.
The entire surface of the Magic Mouse acts as a button, so for the single- or double-click that I use most often, using the mouse is a snap. You don’t have to worry about where you click, just click.
You can also enable the secondary click button in the Magic Mouse preferences. This gives you the ability to use the traditional right-click functionality many of us have come to expect from a mouse.
Another gesture that could be handy for some users is the 360-degree scroll. You can go around in a circle on the mouse to move around a photo, for example. It’s not hard to learn, but it took me a few minutes, just because it’s not something I’m used to doing with a mouse.
I really liked the two-finger swipe. I browse a lot of Web pages every day, so having the ability to swipe forward and back through pages without moving around the screen is a big bonus for me.
The screen zoom function is something I’m looking forward to trying out for some of the videos I do for the site. When making a tutorial, I often think of zooming in on a particular part of the screen — this may make that process a lot easier. To activate screen zoom, you hold the Control key and swipe up on the mouse.
The Magic Mouse preference panel includes the ability to turn on/off the secondary click, scrolling, screen zoom and using the left/right swipe to navigate. You also have the traditional tracking, scrolling and double-click speed, as well. The botton of the panel shows you the battery level.
I expect Apple will add more gesture support in the future, but the Magic Mouse does everything I need the way it is.
Bottom line
There is only one conclusion you can come to when considering whether or not you should get the Magic Mouse. Buy two, because as soon as someone uses it, you’ll lose the first one.
The Magic Mouse is well designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it works well wirelessly, functions perfectly as a mouse and has gestures to boot. What else do you need?
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Discussion
52 comments so far
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Is the screen zooming different than the screen zooming already available in Leopard (and I assume Snow Leopard)? I realize they talk about screen zooming as a feature of the Magic Mouse, but a while back they added the ability to hold down the control button on your keyboard while scrolling your mouse to zoom. Whether it was a Mighty Mouse or two finger scrolling on your trackpad, as long as you hold down the control button on your keyboard, the screen zooms in and out. I use it all the time and I’m running an old MacBook Pro with a bluetooth Mighty Mouse on Leopard.
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As far as the zooming, I think they’re mentioning that mainly for the benefit of people who’d never discovered that function in the laptops either. A lot of people out there are probably a little surprised to hear about it. A 3rd party mouse with a scroll wheel will work, too.
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Okay, that definitely makes more sense than it being a totally new thing. Thanks!
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That is correct.
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I played with one just a bit at an Apple Store last night. I intend to buy one, but it seemed to me, in the little time I used it, that the glossy surface had a tendency to make my fingers stick as I performed a swipe. Have you noticed that? Seems to me, a mouse like this would do better with a lower-friction surface like the trackpads have. (Though it might not look as pretty)
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I didn’t notice that at all. As a matter of fact, completely the opposite. I found my fingers glided easily across the surface.
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I was just asked on Twitter if you had to lift one finger to engage the right-click functionality. Yes you do.
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That’s something I’m not crazy about, but I can get used to it.
One thing I didn’t like about the mighty mouse was the shape. It’s not very easy to pick it up off the desk and move it. I use a fairly slow tracking speed so that I can be very accurate, but this means I have to do more of the drag > pick up > drag motion. The mighty mouse is NOT designed for that at all. From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like the top of the Magic mouse is wider than the bottom and it should be possible to easily pick up the mouse with your thumb and pinky. Can you confirm this? (Nearest Apple store is 3hrs away …I’m not that curious 
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It is very easy to pick up. One other question I had was can you click on a file and pick up the mouse keeping the click engaged.
You can very easily.
I have the mouse set at almost the highest setting and it’s very accurate. Nothing like the old ones at all.
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Great looking mouse, and I can’t wait to play with one at my Apple store, but for me, I need a 3-button mouse, as I’m using Luxology Modo (3D modeling and rendering app) a lot.
I’m using Microsoft’s Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 which has been working well, but if the Magic Mouse was somehow upgraded to 3-button functionality, I think I might switch.
BTW, Jim, I’ve experienced some of the erratic behavior you mentioned of Bluetooth mice, but have actually noticed such behavior very much reduced with the last one or two upgrades to Leopard. And Show Leopard is even better with respect to stable BT mouse operation.
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Ah, it’s good to know they’ve been working on the stability.
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As you guys know, once you put in an order with the online Apple Store (CDN) (CTO’d Mac Pro in my case) it can’t be modified; it’ll be cancelled and resubmitted with the modification thus prolonging the shipping. The day they announced the Mouse I called up the Apple store to ask if I can add the mouse but at the Options price. Rep did 1 better: she tossed in the Mouse for free!!!
One thing I’ll miss is the 3rd button; I depress the scroll ball to trigger Exposé-All Windows.
Other than that I look forward to using this Rodentia Magica. My arthritic finger won’t stress with the gunked-up scroll ball. 
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Here’s my beef. It needs a battery. Wacom mice don’t need no dumb batteries.
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Supposedly it has very advanced power management, so I’m guessing it won’t be a problem.
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A Wacom mouse doesn’t need batteries because it’s technically not a “mouse.” It’s a “puck.” As such, it relies on the Wacom tablet surface (and can’t operate on its own), which usually means you’re tethered via USB. Plus, when moving the puck, “up” is defined by the top of the tablet, not the top of the mouse. So, really, you’re talking about an entirely different beast.
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BS. We’re talking about an old technology that still needs a battery, exceptional power management or not.
As a devoted Mac fan, I have to say this is just a publicity stunt to sell a new toy.
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Nothing he said was BS, you were mistaken about how Wacom mice work, he was right.
A battery is needed but you can pick up a few rechargeables and you’ve minimized that problem considerably.
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jr: Try not to be rude when you’re in the wrong. Are you really so stupid that you think the Wacom mouse is some kind of magical electronics device that somehow uses no power? I’ll bet your friends would be laughing at you right now, if you had any. The Wacom device uses power. It has to, because it’s a piece of working electronics (duh). It’s just that the Wacom guys rigged it so that the tablet does the work, so the pens and mice don’t have to be powered. And this mouse is not a ”publicity stunt to sell a new toy“. It’s a new toy to sell a new toy. Entirely different. In ten years when you’re old enough to vote, I hope you’re less of a dolt.
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Jim D: apparently, posting comments via the WPtouch theme (from iPhone) is error-prone. Anyway, thanks to the two commenters who essentially said what I was thinking.
For the record, I’d like to hear from anyone who knows about any wireless mouse that doesn’t require batteries. Even a single example would surprise me.
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Does the magic mouse still sport the third button for activating Dashboard or the side squeeze buttons for activating Éxpose?
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Aaron C
NOPE, no button or even a function for Expose or Dashboard.
I’ll stay with my BT Mighty Mouse.
I REALLY wanted to get a Magic Mouse but I’ll lose Expose & Dashboard buttons.
No thanks #applefail
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No, that’s not there anymore.
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What about the low laying form factor, it looks like it sits very low to the desk. Does this bother you at all?
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I wondered about that too. It is very low to the desk, but feels really good in my hands. More comfortable than the other mouse.
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Jim, you’re right. I have been hands on with this sexy bit of kit for about 3 hours in now, love the gestures and it is really comfortable.
Ticked one of the things off the “Things Jim has reviewed now I want” list
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@Aaron C,
I got to play with a Magic Mouse yesterday at the Apple Store at La Cantera, San Antonio, and I believe the ’squeeze feature’ is a thing of the past.
My impression, again in just a few minutes of using it with a new 27″ iMac, is that it tracks very well. One finger scrolling works very, very well – definitely better than the scroll ball on Mighty Mouse. And I’m one of those who’s been perfectly satisfied with the scroll ball on Mighty Mouse.
I wasn’t able to get a extensive feel for the two-finger sideways swipes, but the motion needed to activate this feature feels a bit awkward. The first few times I tried it, my fingers sent the entire mouse sliding a bit side-to-side, this perhaps accentuated by the low friction between Magic Mouse and the wooden table.
When I returned home and shared my experiences with my wife and told her I wanted to buy one for myself, she told me I had better buy two, because she highly likely to borrow and ultimately ’steal’ it from me. So, whenever they are available, I will buying two.
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I have tried one and agree about excellent responsiveness BUT the sharp edge around the polycarbonate top got annoying after 5 minutes and painful after 30 minutes. It needs dulling by manufacturing with a small radius or running a piece of emery cloth around the edge post-purchase.
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I must say im glad to see the departure from the scroll ball, I busted open my wireless Mighty Mouse cleaned out all the gunk from the scroll ball put it back together and it worked for a while and then it went back to its awful ways.
I don’t really mind the fact they don’t have the buttons for expose and dashboard. However the middle ‘button’ click option should have been able to enable the dashboard.
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I am very disappointed to hear about the loss of middle-click functionality. I use it all the time on the Mighty Mouse. I have it set to “Button 3″ and this just passes a middle-click to whatever I click on. All major browsers interpret this as “Open in new tab”, so whenever I want a new tab, I middle-click. When I click on a link, my hand is already on the mouse and I don’t want to have to reach for the keyboard too.
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I do the exact same thing …I’m sure I could adjust to using Command + Click if I liked everything else about the mouse.
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Thanks for the review Jim. I was on the fence regarding the Magic Mouse, and now I’m leaning favorably. I plan to order a new iMac 27″ soon, and look forward to the Magic Mouse being included.
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Glad to help. I’ll have a review of the 27-inch iMac on Monday.
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How does this feel and compare to a modern wireless mouse, like the MX Revolution?
This seems like a throwback to 5 years ago with only right/left click and scroll and forward / back. Any $30 mouse does that today. For $60, you get a wireless mouse that do all that and easily control multiple Expose commands, Dashboard, and others.
So Apple’s about simplicity and elegance more than cramming functionality in. So does the super mouse feel better than a normal mouse with normal (but useful) buttons?
And is that feel worth the tradeoff of losing substantial functionality?
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Only if you use that functionality (which obviously you do).
A majority of people have trouble remembering what the left or the right “clicky-clicky” does.
For others who do need the functions, having all the functionality on the keyboard rather than the mouse is a better fit.
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Hi all. Does anyone have a guess on how long the battery lasts on these wireless mice? Apple specs does not say anything about estimated battery life. Are we talking about battery replacement every few months? Once a year? Every other year? My old Macs had those internal clock batteries, and they lasted (on average) about 5 years or more until they needed replacing.
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I’ve seen 4 months thrown around as the “official” Apple estimate, but I’m not sure what combination of battery type and normal use gets you there.
Keeping a few rechargeables around might be your best option.
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It’s important to remember that, like iPhone, Apple will be able to update Magic Mouse functionality in the future through software updates.
Can’t wait to begin magic mousing.
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Interesting to read the review and comments. I’m very interested in this mouse. I’m one who would miss setting up Exposé features, but I assume gestures for those could come later as Apple develops them.
I’m going to have to try one soon because I’m having trouble envisioning how scrolling works. Do you just put your finger where a wheel might be and move up and down on the touch surface? Also, I see there are some options next to “scroll in the preferences pane image. There is “with momentum” and what others? What do they do?
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I tried the Magic Mouse for a few minutes at the Apple store, and really liked it. No problem with keeping the mouse still while performing a 2-finger swipe, though I wonder if humidity might be a factor there.
However, I’m glad to hear that others are also interested in some sort of touchpad for desktops. I’ve been thinking of trying Wacom’s new Touch/Pen Bamboo tablet, but it uses slightly different gestures than a Mac laptop (along with its own separate preference pane) and doesn’t seem to recognize more than 2 fingers. Plus, it seems to be a little too thick to place in front of a keyboard.
A slim aluminum touchpad from Apple would be ideal.
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@Michael Lewis,
For scrolling, you just flick your finger fore or aft just like on an iPhone. This works on the entire surface. The response on the Mac is exactly like the scrolling effect on iPhone. Hope this helps.
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Very helpful, and a slick way to do it. Thanks!
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…can´t believe they don´t consider the 3rd button function!
It´s absolutely mandatory in high end apps like Maya… <_<
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This seems like a really cool mouse at first glance, but you would definitely need to consider for your personal use how often you might want to use a middle-click feature. My mouse’s scroll wheel has become indispensable with regard to opening up new tabs in web browsers, as well as for gaming (though if you intend to play computer games heavily, you should really shy away from both of Apple’s mouse offerings as you can only depress either of them for one function at a time). The removal of the side-click is also an enigmatic choice. I recognize the difficulties some people have reported in accidentally triggering the side click in normal holding of the mouse, but for those of us who knew how to hold the thing, it was really useful to be able to map a fourth function to the mouse.
If Apple improves the software for Magic Mouse to include support for three-finger gestures like they have on their trackpads, I might reconsider my stance, but until then, $70 is too much to pay for a two-button mouse.
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I’m one of those who hate side-click buttons. My fingers are just not placed well with the shape of my hand in order to comfortably hold the mouse and not accidentally click the dang things. However, I absolutely had no problem with the Mighty Mouse’s right-click because I always lifted my index finger when right-clicking, even on a button mouse. the transition worked well for me, if not for others.
And, therefore, the story continues to be not whether the mouse is bad or good but whether it is the right mouse for particular users. Being able to test out mice before buying is ideal, and luckily there are tons of options — including trackballs, touchpads and more — for people to get something that works for them.
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[...] its new wireless Magic Mouse (see separate review) and keyboard, the ports are available for other accessories. The iMac comes with one FireWire 800, [...]
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Quote: “jr: Try not to be rude when you’re in the wrong. Are you really so stupid that you think the Wacom mouse is some kind of magical electronics device that somehow uses no power? I’ll bet your friends would be laughing at you right now, if you had any. The Wacom device uses power. It has to, because it’s a piece of working electronics (duh). It’s just that the Wacom guys rigged it so that the tablet does the work, so the pens and mice don’t have to be powered. And this mouse is not a ”publicity stunt to sell a new toy“. It’s a new toy to sell a new toy. Entirely different. In ten years when you’re old enough to vote, I hope you’re less of a dolt.”
Nice one, Cappy. But don’t look in the mirror to witness any signs of intelligence. “Dolt” indeed. I was probably voting b4 your daddy got that twinkle in his eye.
Now for your reality check. The piezo electric technology in Wacom pens and mice is what I was referring to. Incorporating that in this “mousey toy” would complete the job, making it a proper tool, not something that can go “belly up” un-announced. Without it, it’s so 1990-ish.
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Not for nothin’, but you’re still talking about a product that’s connected via USB. Or, in the case of Wacom’s “wireless” tablets, they do indeed have batteries in them, and must be plugged into the wall to recharge.
Huh. That’s so 1990-ish.
Wake up. And you still haven’t provided us with a single example of a wireless device that requires no batteries. Your assertions are indefensible.
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You two STFU.
Go kick your dog or something.
This is not appropriate.
Keep to the topic, the marvel of Apples forced new technology.
You WILL buy it, you WILL like it.
Unless they add a squeeze for Expose, I will not buy it.
I’m sick of Apple innovating & dropping things that I USE.
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MarkyMac, temper, temper!
My dog is a no go zone, as he kicks back!
WTF is wrong with suggesting Apple incorporating a smarter technology to bring it’s new incarnation into the 21st century?
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That wasn’t what you were suggesting. Remember:
“Here’s my beef. It needs a battery. Wacom mice don’t need no dumb batteries.” and “We’re talking about an old technology that still needs a battery, exceptional power management or not. As a devoted Mac fan, I have to say this is just a publicity stunt to sell a new toy.”
You were wrong. Because NO ONE makes a battery-less cord-less mouse. Now you rewrite your stance to say you wanted Apple to incorporate innovative technology…completely ignoring the fact that this is the first and only mouse on the market with a multi-touch surface. Kudos to your observational skills.
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Jim, what’s going on here? I was wrong?
WHAT is wrong with suggesting Apple be the first to do it? What’s so unworthy about making it even more functional. It’s not as if they have to invent piezo electric.
They’ve been first with a lot of things. Their superior operating system’s the reason I switched in the first place. And don’t get me started on their strict control of standards meaning there’s no frustrations with having to find drivers. 13 years of PIA frustrations turned into productivity in one move. Fanbleedingtastic!
I’m trying to be on your side here but you can’t tell by the flack for suggesting Apple push the envelope a little further.
Yeah, I get a little blunt sometimes, but hey, that’s probably my Dutch ancestry.
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[...] posted our review of the Magic Mouse over the weekend.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Apple updates software enabling Magic Mouse for [...]
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Hands On: Apple’s Magic Mouse
By Jim DalrympleOctober 24, 2009, 10:05 am PT
Apple made a slew of announcements earlier this week (Snow Leopard Server-equipped Mac mini debuts, New iMacs sport 21.5, 27-inch displays, quad-core option), but the one that interested me the most was the Magic Mouse.
Sounds strange that a mouse would be more intriguing than a new iMac or MacBook, but it was. Maybe it’s the one device that nobody seems to pay enough attention to — whatever it was, it caught my interest.
I must admit I was a bit skeptical of how the mouse would work. I’ve used a Bluetooth mouse before and had nothing but problems. The wireless connection to the mouse would often fail, leaving me moving the mouse around the desk with nothing happening on the screen, until finally it would connect and jump all over the place.
That’s not the Magic Mouse.
My skepticism quickly gave way to being impressed just a couple of minutes after I started the new 27-inch iMac (I’ll have a separate review on that).
If you’ve ever had a wireless mouse, you know the routine of the computer trying unsuccessfully to connect to the mouse. You turn the mouse on and off, wait, do it again, wait — you get the picture.
When the iMac started, the graphic of the computer connecting to the mouse flashed up on the screen for a couple of seconds and then disappeared. My first thought was that it failed to connect, but then I realized that it connected and the mouse was active. I didn’t even do anything with the wireless keyboard and it was active too.
The Magic Mouse as a mouse
The Magic Mouse is very cool looking and allows you to use gestures on the top of the mouse, but how does it work as a mouse? After all, that is supposed to be its main function.
I’m happy to say that it is the most responsive wireless mouse I’ve ever used, bar none. I let the computer go to sleep completely and then touched the mouse to wake it up. Not only did the computer wake up right away, the mouse was immediately responding to my movements and clicks.
The were no herky-jerky jumps of the mouse onscreen and I didn’t have to wait for a few seconds before it responded to left- or right-clicks.
The mouse feels really good in your hand too. It’s very light to move around and feels quite natural to do the everyday tasks we have come to rely on a mouse for.
Gesture support on the Magic Mouse
Gestures became popular on Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook Pro line of notebook computers. Gestures allow you to move your fingers to perform onscreen functions. The Magic Mouse is more limited in its gestures than any of the other products, but it does give access to all the things you would need on a mouse and more.
The entire surface of the Magic Mouse acts as a button, so for the single- or double-click that I use most often, using the mouse is a snap. You don’t have to worry about where you click, just click.
You can also enable the secondary click button in the Magic Mouse preferences. This gives you the ability to use the traditional right-click functionality many of us have come to expect from a mouse.
Another gesture that could be handy for some users is the 360-degree scroll. You can go around in a circle on the mouse to move around a photo, for example. It’s not hard to learn, but it took me a few minutes, just because it’s not something I’m used to doing with a mouse.
I really liked the two-finger swipe. I browse a lot of Web pages every day, so having the ability to swipe forward and back through pages without moving around the screen is a big bonus for me.
The screen zoom function is something I’m looking forward to trying out for some of the videos I do for the site. When making a tutorial, I often think of zooming in on a particular part of the screen — this may make that process a lot easier. To activate screen zoom, you hold the Control key and swipe up on the mouse.
The Magic Mouse preference panel includes the ability to turn on/off the secondary click, scrolling, screen zoom and using the left/right swipe to navigate. You also have the traditional tracking, scrolling and double-click speed, as well. The botton of the panel shows you the battery level.
I expect Apple will add more gesture support in the future, but the Magic Mouse does everything I need the way it is.
Bottom line
There is only one conclusion you can come to when considering whether or not you should get the Magic Mouse. Buy two, because as soon as someone uses it, you’ll lose the first one.
The Magic Mouse is well designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it works well wirelessly, functions perfectly as a mouse and has gestures to boot. What else do you need?
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Discussion 52 comments so far
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Is the screen zooming different than the screen zooming already available in Leopard (and I assume Snow Leopard)? I realize they talk about screen zooming as a feature of the Magic Mouse, but a while back they added the ability to hold down the control button on your keyboard while scrolling your mouse to zoom. Whether it was a Mighty Mouse or two finger scrolling on your trackpad, as long as you hold down the control button on your keyboard, the screen zooms in and out. I use it all the time and I’m running an old MacBook Pro with a bluetooth Mighty Mouse on Leopard.
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As far as the zooming, I think they’re mentioning that mainly for the benefit of people who’d never discovered that function in the laptops either. A lot of people out there are probably a little surprised to hear about it. A 3rd party mouse with a scroll wheel will work, too.
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Okay, that definitely makes more sense than it being a totally new thing. Thanks!
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That is correct.
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I played with one just a bit at an Apple Store last night. I intend to buy one, but it seemed to me, in the little time I used it, that the glossy surface had a tendency to make my fingers stick as I performed a swipe. Have you noticed that? Seems to me, a mouse like this would do better with a lower-friction surface like the trackpads have. (Though it might not look as pretty)
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I didn’t notice that at all. As a matter of fact, completely the opposite. I found my fingers glided easily across the surface.
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I was just asked on Twitter if you had to lift one finger to engage the right-click functionality. Yes you do.
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That’s something I’m not crazy about, but I can get used to it.
One thing I didn’t like about the mighty mouse was the shape. It’s not very easy to pick it up off the desk and move it. I use a fairly slow tracking speed so that I can be very accurate, but this means I have to do more of the drag > pick up > drag motion. The mighty mouse is NOT designed for that at all. From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like the top of the Magic mouse is wider than the bottom and it should be possible to easily pick up the mouse with your thumb and pinky. Can you confirm this? (Nearest Apple store is 3hrs away …I’m not that curious
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It is very easy to pick up. One other question I had was can you click on a file and pick up the mouse keeping the click engaged.
You can very easily.
I have the mouse set at almost the highest setting and it’s very accurate. Nothing like the old ones at all.
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Great looking mouse, and I can’t wait to play with one at my Apple store, but for me, I need a 3-button mouse, as I’m using Luxology Modo (3D modeling and rendering app) a lot.
I’m using Microsoft’s Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 which has been working well, but if the Magic Mouse was somehow upgraded to 3-button functionality, I think I might switch.
BTW, Jim, I’ve experienced some of the erratic behavior you mentioned of Bluetooth mice, but have actually noticed such behavior very much reduced with the last one or two upgrades to Leopard. And Show Leopard is even better with respect to stable BT mouse operation.
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Ah, it’s good to know they’ve been working on the stability.
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As you guys know, once you put in an order with the online Apple Store (CDN) (CTO’d Mac Pro in my case) it can’t be modified; it’ll be cancelled and resubmitted with the modification thus prolonging the shipping. The day they announced the Mouse I called up the Apple store to ask if I can add the mouse but at the Options price. Rep did 1 better: she tossed in the Mouse for free!!!
One thing I’ll miss is the 3rd button; I depress the scroll ball to trigger Exposé-All Windows.
Other than that I look forward to using this Rodentia Magica. My arthritic finger won’t stress with the gunked-up scroll ball. -
Here’s my beef. It needs a battery. Wacom mice don’t need no dumb batteries.
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Supposedly it has very advanced power management, so I’m guessing it won’t be a problem.
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A Wacom mouse doesn’t need batteries because it’s technically not a “mouse.” It’s a “puck.” As such, it relies on the Wacom tablet surface (and can’t operate on its own), which usually means you’re tethered via USB. Plus, when moving the puck, “up” is defined by the top of the tablet, not the top of the mouse. So, really, you’re talking about an entirely different beast.
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BS. We’re talking about an old technology that still needs a battery, exceptional power management or not.
As a devoted Mac fan, I have to say this is just a publicity stunt to sell a new toy.
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Nothing he said was BS, you were mistaken about how Wacom mice work, he was right.
A battery is needed but you can pick up a few rechargeables and you’ve minimized that problem considerably.
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jr: Try not to be rude when you’re in the wrong. Are you really so stupid that you think the Wacom mouse is some kind of magical electronics device that somehow uses no power? I’ll bet your friends would be laughing at you right now, if you had any. The Wacom device uses power. It has to, because it’s a piece of working electronics (duh). It’s just that the Wacom guys rigged it so that the tablet does the work, so the pens and mice don’t have to be powered. And this mouse is not a ”publicity stunt to sell a new toy“. It’s a new toy to sell a new toy. Entirely different. In ten years when you’re old enough to vote, I hope you’re less of a dolt.
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Jim D: apparently, posting comments via the WPtouch theme (from iPhone) is error-prone. Anyway, thanks to the two commenters who essentially said what I was thinking.
For the record, I’d like to hear from anyone who knows about any wireless mouse that doesn’t require batteries. Even a single example would surprise me.
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Does the magic mouse still sport the third button for activating Dashboard or the side squeeze buttons for activating Éxpose?
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Aaron C
NOPE, no button or even a function for Expose or Dashboard.
I’ll stay with my BT Mighty Mouse.
I REALLY wanted to get a Magic Mouse but I’ll lose Expose & Dashboard buttons.
No thanks #applefail -
No, that’s not there anymore.
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What about the low laying form factor, it looks like it sits very low to the desk. Does this bother you at all?
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I wondered about that too. It is very low to the desk, but feels really good in my hands. More comfortable than the other mouse.
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Jim, you’re right. I have been hands on with this sexy bit of kit for about 3 hours in now, love the gestures and it is really comfortable.
Ticked one of the things off the “Things Jim has reviewed now I want” list
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@Aaron C,
I got to play with a Magic Mouse yesterday at the Apple Store at La Cantera, San Antonio, and I believe the ’squeeze feature’ is a thing of the past.
My impression, again in just a few minutes of using it with a new 27″ iMac, is that it tracks very well. One finger scrolling works very, very well – definitely better than the scroll ball on Mighty Mouse. And I’m one of those who’s been perfectly satisfied with the scroll ball on Mighty Mouse.
I wasn’t able to get a extensive feel for the two-finger sideways swipes, but the motion needed to activate this feature feels a bit awkward. The first few times I tried it, my fingers sent the entire mouse sliding a bit side-to-side, this perhaps accentuated by the low friction between Magic Mouse and the wooden table.
When I returned home and shared my experiences with my wife and told her I wanted to buy one for myself, she told me I had better buy two, because she highly likely to borrow and ultimately ’steal’ it from me. So, whenever they are available, I will buying two.
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I have tried one and agree about excellent responsiveness BUT the sharp edge around the polycarbonate top got annoying after 5 minutes and painful after 30 minutes. It needs dulling by manufacturing with a small radius or running a piece of emery cloth around the edge post-purchase.
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I must say im glad to see the departure from the scroll ball, I busted open my wireless Mighty Mouse cleaned out all the gunk from the scroll ball put it back together and it worked for a while and then it went back to its awful ways.
I don’t really mind the fact they don’t have the buttons for expose and dashboard. However the middle ‘button’ click option should have been able to enable the dashboard.
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I am very disappointed to hear about the loss of middle-click functionality. I use it all the time on the Mighty Mouse. I have it set to “Button 3″ and this just passes a middle-click to whatever I click on. All major browsers interpret this as “Open in new tab”, so whenever I want a new tab, I middle-click. When I click on a link, my hand is already on the mouse and I don’t want to have to reach for the keyboard too.
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I do the exact same thing …I’m sure I could adjust to using Command + Click if I liked everything else about the mouse.
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Thanks for the review Jim. I was on the fence regarding the Magic Mouse, and now I’m leaning favorably. I plan to order a new iMac 27″ soon, and look forward to the Magic Mouse being included.
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Glad to help. I’ll have a review of the 27-inch iMac on Monday.
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How does this feel and compare to a modern wireless mouse, like the MX Revolution?
This seems like a throwback to 5 years ago with only right/left click and scroll and forward / back. Any $30 mouse does that today. For $60, you get a wireless mouse that do all that and easily control multiple Expose commands, Dashboard, and others.
So Apple’s about simplicity and elegance more than cramming functionality in. So does the super mouse feel better than a normal mouse with normal (but useful) buttons?
And is that feel worth the tradeoff of losing substantial functionality?
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Only if you use that functionality (which obviously you do).
A majority of people have trouble remembering what the left or the right “clicky-clicky” does.
For others who do need the functions, having all the functionality on the keyboard rather than the mouse is a better fit.
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Hi all. Does anyone have a guess on how long the battery lasts on these wireless mice? Apple specs does not say anything about estimated battery life. Are we talking about battery replacement every few months? Once a year? Every other year? My old Macs had those internal clock batteries, and they lasted (on average) about 5 years or more until they needed replacing.
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I’ve seen 4 months thrown around as the “official” Apple estimate, but I’m not sure what combination of battery type and normal use gets you there.
Keeping a few rechargeables around might be your best option.
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It’s important to remember that, like iPhone, Apple will be able to update Magic Mouse functionality in the future through software updates.
Can’t wait to begin magic mousing.
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Interesting to read the review and comments. I’m very interested in this mouse. I’m one who would miss setting up Exposé features, but I assume gestures for those could come later as Apple develops them.
I’m going to have to try one soon because I’m having trouble envisioning how scrolling works. Do you just put your finger where a wheel might be and move up and down on the touch surface? Also, I see there are some options next to “scroll in the preferences pane image. There is “with momentum” and what others? What do they do?
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I tried the Magic Mouse for a few minutes at the Apple store, and really liked it. No problem with keeping the mouse still while performing a 2-finger swipe, though I wonder if humidity might be a factor there.
However, I’m glad to hear that others are also interested in some sort of touchpad for desktops. I’ve been thinking of trying Wacom’s new Touch/Pen Bamboo tablet, but it uses slightly different gestures than a Mac laptop (along with its own separate preference pane) and doesn’t seem to recognize more than 2 fingers. Plus, it seems to be a little too thick to place in front of a keyboard.
A slim aluminum touchpad from Apple would be ideal.
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@Michael Lewis,
For scrolling, you just flick your finger fore or aft just like on an iPhone. This works on the entire surface. The response on the Mac is exactly like the scrolling effect on iPhone. Hope this helps.
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Very helpful, and a slick way to do it. Thanks!
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…can´t believe they don´t consider the 3rd button function!
It´s absolutely mandatory in high end apps like Maya… <_< -
This seems like a really cool mouse at first glance, but you would definitely need to consider for your personal use how often you might want to use a middle-click feature. My mouse’s scroll wheel has become indispensable with regard to opening up new tabs in web browsers, as well as for gaming (though if you intend to play computer games heavily, you should really shy away from both of Apple’s mouse offerings as you can only depress either of them for one function at a time). The removal of the side-click is also an enigmatic choice. I recognize the difficulties some people have reported in accidentally triggering the side click in normal holding of the mouse, but for those of us who knew how to hold the thing, it was really useful to be able to map a fourth function to the mouse.
If Apple improves the software for Magic Mouse to include support for three-finger gestures like they have on their trackpads, I might reconsider my stance, but until then, $70 is too much to pay for a two-button mouse.
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I’m one of those who hate side-click buttons. My fingers are just not placed well with the shape of my hand in order to comfortably hold the mouse and not accidentally click the dang things. However, I absolutely had no problem with the Mighty Mouse’s right-click because I always lifted my index finger when right-clicking, even on a button mouse. the transition worked well for me, if not for others.
And, therefore, the story continues to be not whether the mouse is bad or good but whether it is the right mouse for particular users. Being able to test out mice before buying is ideal, and luckily there are tons of options — including trackballs, touchpads and more — for people to get something that works for them.
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[...] its new wireless Magic Mouse (see separate review) and keyboard, the ports are available for other accessories. The iMac comes with one FireWire 800, [...]
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Quote: “jr: Try not to be rude when you’re in the wrong. Are you really so stupid that you think the Wacom mouse is some kind of magical electronics device that somehow uses no power? I’ll bet your friends would be laughing at you right now, if you had any. The Wacom device uses power. It has to, because it’s a piece of working electronics (duh). It’s just that the Wacom guys rigged it so that the tablet does the work, so the pens and mice don’t have to be powered. And this mouse is not a ”publicity stunt to sell a new toy“. It’s a new toy to sell a new toy. Entirely different. In ten years when you’re old enough to vote, I hope you’re less of a dolt.”
Nice one, Cappy. But don’t look in the mirror to witness any signs of intelligence. “Dolt” indeed. I was probably voting b4 your daddy got that twinkle in his eye.
Now for your reality check. The piezo electric technology in Wacom pens and mice is what I was referring to. Incorporating that in this “mousey toy” would complete the job, making it a proper tool, not something that can go “belly up” un-announced. Without it, it’s so 1990-ish.
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Not for nothin’, but you’re still talking about a product that’s connected via USB. Or, in the case of Wacom’s “wireless” tablets, they do indeed have batteries in them, and must be plugged into the wall to recharge.
Huh. That’s so 1990-ish.
Wake up. And you still haven’t provided us with a single example of a wireless device that requires no batteries. Your assertions are indefensible.
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You two STFU.
Go kick your dog or something.
This is not appropriate.Keep to the topic, the marvel of Apples forced new technology.
You WILL buy it, you WILL like it.Unless they add a squeeze for Expose, I will not buy it.
I’m sick of Apple innovating & dropping things that I USE. -
MarkyMac, temper, temper!
My dog is a no go zone, as he kicks back!
WTF is wrong with suggesting Apple incorporating a smarter technology to bring it’s new incarnation into the 21st century?
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That wasn’t what you were suggesting. Remember:
“Here’s my beef. It needs a battery. Wacom mice don’t need no dumb batteries.” and “We’re talking about an old technology that still needs a battery, exceptional power management or not. As a devoted Mac fan, I have to say this is just a publicity stunt to sell a new toy.”
You were wrong. Because NO ONE makes a battery-less cord-less mouse. Now you rewrite your stance to say you wanted Apple to incorporate innovative technology…completely ignoring the fact that this is the first and only mouse on the market with a multi-touch surface. Kudos to your observational skills.
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Jim, what’s going on here? I was wrong?
WHAT is wrong with suggesting Apple be the first to do it? What’s so unworthy about making it even more functional. It’s not as if they have to invent piezo electric.
They’ve been first with a lot of things. Their superior operating system’s the reason I switched in the first place. And don’t get me started on their strict control of standards meaning there’s no frustrations with having to find drivers. 13 years of PIA frustrations turned into productivity in one move. Fanbleedingtastic!
I’m trying to be on your side here but you can’t tell by the flack for suggesting Apple push the envelope a little further.
Yeah, I get a little blunt sometimes, but hey, that’s probably my Dutch ancestry. -
[...] posted our review of the Magic Mouse over the weekend.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Apple updates software enabling Magic Mouse for [...]
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