Apple makes a lot of great products. In fact, I’d say that the percentage of products it makes that are great is higher than that of just about any other large company. But one product it makes is absolutely awful: The Mighty Mouse.
My first encounter with one was a couple years ago when I bought an iMac and the Mighty Mouse came with it. I used it for several months before I became fed up with it and ditched it in favor of — yes — a Microsoft mouse. But I recently bought another Apple computer and got another Mighty Mouse with it. This time, I opted for the wireless Bluetooth version thinking it might be better than the wired one. Wrong. If anything, it’s worse.
Let’s go over the problems. First of all, the thing is shaped quite oddly. While it looks nice and can work for both left and right-handed users, people don’t have hands shaped like pebbles. There are a lot of natural contours on the insider of the hand, and the Mighty Mouse neglects them for a stylish look.
Second, the side buttons that you are supposed to squeeze to activate are almost non-functional. The problem is that it takes entirely too much pressure to click them. As a result, every time I click the side buttons I hear the Mighty Mouse’s plastic creak under how much pressure I’m applying — but I have no choice. In all the combined months that I’ve used the Mighty Mouse, I can probably count the number of times that I’ve actually used these side buttons because of this.
The third problem pertains directly to the wireless Bluetooth edition of the Mighty Mouse. Not only does it eat through AA batteries like no other, it simply loses the connection with my machine for no apparent reason every so often. You might not think it’s a huge deal — but just imagine being in the middle of doing something important and having absolutely no mouse support. I’ve had to learn some keyboard shortcuts just because of that. And I’ve tried it on multiple machines — same result.
Fourth, the all-white mouse gets dirty as hell. Granted, I’m a heavy computer user, but there is no reason why a mouse should be covered in grime every other day, to the point where I have to clean it. Yes, I shower, and yes I wash my hands. The thing just picks up a crazy amount of dirt, both on its bottom and on its top. And that directly relates the the device’s biggest problem.
By far the worst part about the Mighty Mouse is its top track ball. While it’s nice that the thing can move in any direction, because of that, the ball accumulates much more dirt than regular mouse scroll wheels. And once it gets clogged up enough (which you can’t see mind you because it’s all inside), it is completely unusable. The ball still moves, but nothing happens on screen. If you own a Mighty Mouse long enough, you’re going to run into this problem. Any web search or Twitter search will reveal thousands of users with the same issue.
Apple indicates the solution is easy: Take a clean cloth doused in water and hold the Mighty Mouse upside down and “vigorously” rub the ball. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesnt. But because you have to unplug or unpair the mouse to clean it, you often are stuck in a back and forth cycle of unhooking and hooking back up to clean the thing and see if it works. And even when it does work, you’re just going to have to do the same thing again in a week or two. It’s frustrating beyond belief.
And I think Apple knows the device isn’t very good. It’s been filing patents for a while now for a new type of mouse that incorporates multi-touch elements on its surface. That’s exactly what it needs, because this track ball on the top just isn’t cutting it. It’s odd that all mice in the 1990s had trackballs on the bottom, but everyone moved away from that because they would get so dirty, so quickly. But for some reason, Apple decided it would be a good idea to put the exact same type of ball on the top of the mouse.
Apple has an odd history with the mouse. Apple’s first Macintosh computer in 1984 really brought the device into the forefront as an input standard for personal computers. But as designs shifted to two-button mice, Apple for a long time refused to move beyond the one-button variety much to the dismay of its users. Finally, it relented with the Mighty Mouse — sort of — by giving users the second button functionality on a mouse that was still only one button. At least that part works fine.
I’m anxiously awaiting the future where everything is touchscreen and we don’t have to deal with mice or physical keyboards anymore. But until that day comes, the least Apple — a company which prides itself in the quality of its products — can do is give us a decent mouse with its computers. Or at least don’t patronize us by calling this mouse “mighty.”
nice post, something different for a change
at least he is being realistic about the hardware and not being a fanboi like many in the crunch network(mainly crunchgear).
Keep it up Siegler.
Being that you are the new guy i ussually log on looking for your articles.. good job so far.
I concur! I scroll through and click a few articles a day and definitely have clicked on Siegler’s articles more often than others. Thanks for the great updates and intriguing style.
Thanks Nick, Grandma and Paul. Appreciate it.
MG: Liked your point about how everyone moved away from track balls in the 1990’s (typo on that in article), then Apple put one on top of their mouse. Ironic, eh?
No, that’s not even ironic in the slightest. Silly certainly, maybe even stupid but there’s not even a miniscule iota of irony in that act.
@DeviousMrBlonde – Ian used “ironic” correctly. Irony can refer to “an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected”.
In this case:
* What was expected: Apple would move away from trackballs (since everybody else was)
* What happened: Apple *added* a trackball instead.
Since the outcome differed from what was expected, this meets one of the definitions of irony.
Yes, thank you Bob for correctly defining irony.
It’s like raaaaaaaaain….
Totally ridiculous.
Dude, do you really have nothing more serious to do than complaining about a COMPUTER MOUSE ?!
I mean, HELLO ?!!
You should go and visit some countries outside the US, I believe.
Dude, you have nothing else to do than comment to an article about a computer mouse? I mean, HULLOOOW
Seeing as this is a TECH site, complaining about a “COMPUTER MOUSE” seems like exactly what he’s supposed to be doing. Why don’t you find a site that specializes in international humanitarian efforts and write some articles for them instead of complaining about someone doing their job?
boo Apple yay M$?
You’re an idiot, this is a tech site. What do you expect? A mouse is part of technology, so he has every right to write an article on it. For the love of god, if you don’t like it, piss off.
Thanks guys – yes, weird as it may seem, a mouse is part of technology. And has been for a long time.
I couldn’t help but agree with every point raised about the Mighty Mouse, other than one. On my Mighty Mouse (cabled), the side buttons are so sensitive that I’m frequently triggering Exposé when I didn’t want it. Apparently I should cut off my thumb. Or something. (Like use a different mouse).
Anyway, thanks for an article poking a small hole in Apple’s hype-balloon today.
You’re a joke dude.
obama dick rider
I love this article. And yes, mighty mouse is awful.
ditto – the article is great. The mighty mouse is bad design. I also switched to a Microsoft mouse for my iMac: tired of cleaning that stupid little ball.
lol, well, Apple does need to get it right….I’m on my first iMac and I couldn’t believe how dirty the mighty mouse gets…its not that bad, though.
Apple has been producing consistent mice throughout its history. Consistently terrible, that is.
So true. And there are a few terrible keyboards as well. I have this mouse and it’s *awful* indeed. The trackball stopped working after a few months. A cheapo $5 mouse is better.
I was so frustrated with it a week ago that I threw it against the wall and it partially disintegrated. Good news is that it still works.
Say what you (you meaning people in general, not you specifically) will about Apple products, but you can’t deny that they can take quite a beating.
I know someone who had four ipods in their SUV when they got in an accident – they fell asleep at the wheel, the car rolled several times and was completely mangled (I saw pictures, it was nuts, the driver would have died if he hadn’t been limp from falling asleep) – all four ipods, despite being lose in the car with no cases and being thrown all around, still work perfectly.
Here Here – great article, summarizing nicely something I, like many, have been through.
I already had a comment on an existing thread on Apple discussions related to the connectivity issues the “Mighty Mouse” has and just added the link to this article. The post was taken down within minutes – bad way of handling an issue like this
I prefer the logitech marble mouse track ball, less wear and tear on my hand.. holding a mouse is so tiresome especially when they try to get away.
So many people seem to like Logitech. That’s good to know.
Agreed. Bought a wireless mighty mouse with MBP but have never used it. That said, the track pad on the MBP is delightful, so you don’t need it anyway.
Same as: http://www.Clasilistados.org
Bboy
These mice do indeed suck, I’m on my third, whch makes me the sucker here. However they are fun to dissect: http://rossmaso...cting-mice.html (3.5-4 minutes of fun)
Agreed, this is the worst mouse I’ve ever used. I took it into the genius bar to find out why the wheel would never work, and the Genius’s recommendation was to buy a new, non apple mouse!
Absolute junk, and a real shame because it is dead sexy looking.
MG, you have a nice future here at TC and i love your writing style. but stop posting crap like this.
And your crap is somehow better? Clearly many dislike the mighty mouse and so this article still has a place.
Agreed, the mighty mouse is a worthless piece of crap. I own 3 or four of them and only get one out if I need to recharge my Logitech MX.
That’s two calls for the Logitech MX.
+1 more.
My Logitech MX1000’s rechargeable battery is wearing out and they don’t make one with this many buttons anymore. Not sure what I’m going to do. (From my Mac Pro with the Mighty Mouse still in the box out in the garage.)
I trashed my MX1000 last month for the same reason. Hurt. A great mouse.
Replaced it with a Microsoft Laser 8000 Bluetooth. Like everything about the MS mouse except that I lose the Bluetooth connection way too often.
The Apple mouse that came with my iMac is still in its original packaging.
Here is proof that you are a great addition to Techcrunch. Looking at the posts here (and below), you have managed to come up with a knock against Apple products (albeit a small one) that almost everyone agrees with. In the years reading Techcrunch, I can tell you, that is no small task. Kudos, MG Siegler. The post is not just an amusing rant, but touches on the history of Apple’s mouse and talks about their patents and where they are going with multitouch. Bravo.
Best thing about the Logitech MX is the scroll wheel–it actually incorporates something that Apple did with lists on the iPhone: you spin the scroll wheel really fast, and it keeps going. Very intuitive. Just like sliding through your phone book on the iPhone.
Agreed. I use the bluetooth version of the Mouse. but wish they made a better one. I know they can.
Logitech makes the best mice. May I suggest http://www.logi...30&cl=US,EN for the power user in you.
I previously had the smaller version of that. It is a solid mouse. May have to check that one out.
logitech makes awesome products in general.
I disagree. Once you get used to the ball scroller, it’s like navigating with God’s own nipple.
ha. nice one.
Agreed.
However, the side buttons as pointed out above are pretty useless.
I have completely the opposite problem. I have the bluetooth mouse hooked up to my mac mini + tv and I had to disable the side buttons because I kept hitting them accidentally. Now the mouse makes weird noises every time I click it (normal click)…. ugh, because it is such a pretty piece of hardware.
LMAO!! I will have to find an opportunity to slip that into a conversation.
I have to agree with MG. I also have both of these models and have experienced the same problems above. I now use the wireless to run my mac mini powered flat screen in my living room because the constant cutting out of the bluetooth became unbearable to use while working. But I still use God’s nipples on my other machine, once you get used to that mouse it’s hard to change back.
by far the most annoying thing is when it just stops working. I keep a spare “plug in” mouse close at hand. not good…
If you are having a panic attack on how dirty your mighty mouse gets, wait till you see your screen all messed up with your fingers stains no matter how clean your hands are.
I dont think touchscreen can be the solution to this.
Now about the mighty mouse, i can tell you that i have 1 since september and im also a heavy user. About the side buttons ive had no problem at all, and no squeeky sound at all… about the disconnection problem, also no problem at all. I had problems with the trackball and i went to an apple store and they gave me a brand new mighty mouse.
Perhaps you should ask for a new one.
Good luck.
you could always use a screen protector for a touchscreen and replace it every month or two. This will keep you monitor looking new longer.
Touchscreen?
If you think you hate your mighty mouse ball problems…
HP sold commercial touchscreen workstations like the 150 over 20 years ago.
The screen had a matted look so resolution was poor. But with DOS and Win 3.1 it didn’t really matter anyway.
And the dirt and grease of your hands…
Touchscreens will come, but so will a bottle of screen cleaner nearby.
Totally agree. I call it Lousy mouse
I’ve never found an Apple mouse yet that was worth two cents. They all suck (in my humble opinion). How can any company that makes such a great computer make such a sucking mouse?
My least favorite was probably that one that was all round. What an odd design.
The hockey puck? Yeah that was pure, carpal-tunnel-inducing bad.
Yep.
It’s great for kids, which is who it was originally designed for. I kept mine from my iMac in college just so I could pass it on to my daughter, now four.
As for why on earth they thought a kids’ design would be suitable for adults, well, the good and the bad of it is that Apple’s designers run the show. That makes for some amazing products and some ergonomic nightmares.
MG, I know that you are new to TechCrunch and have to fill your quota of articles, but seriously, the mighty mouse is news worthy?
I don’t know a single person who owns a mac and still uses the mighty mouse (wireless or not). Everyone has upgraded to either the Microsoft or the Logitech mice.
I also have to comment on what seems to be a growing trend at TechCrunch when it comes to Apple. Instead of offering solutions such as the GREAT Microsoft (yes Microsoft) mice or Logitech mice, you, yet again, let Apple off the hook by talking about some futuristic mouse with gestures pad on it? Lets see how usable that will be when it comes out.
For the rest of you who live in the present and are not blinded by Apple, use a Microsoft or Logitech mouse. They look and work great!
Apparently you missed the part where I said I replaced it with a Microsoft mouse. Nice try though.
Oh no. I saw that. But then you went back to the Mighty mouse knowing the issues with it and you keep on complaining about it instead of just swallowing your pride and using a product not made by Apple.
Look, I’ll be the first one to say that Apple make great products (I am using a new MBP 17″ right now) but they are not perfect. If this was an issue with the iPod or iPhone, I’d understand because it is truly a revolutionary product. But you are talking about a mouse! There are literally thousands of mouse products out there and all of them work. How much can you try to be different to screw up the design of a mouse?
The fact that you wasted 869 words on it is what puzzles me.
“Oh no. I saw that. But then you went back to the Mighty mouse knowing the issues with it and you keep on complaining about it instead of just swallowing your pride and using a product not made by Apple.”
A product not made by apple? Like a product made by Microsoft? Like what he just said? He bought a Microsoft mouse! he said it, and then said it again in a reply to your comment which you then acknoledged? Whats your point, i cant see it? Your attacking a man becuase he wrote an article about a dogdy mouse and the reasons he dislikes it and your attacking him for not getting a different mouse, which he did! Did you read the post or did you just count the words? And why did you count the words? Your a nutcase, it was a good post, it covered the reasons why its a bad mouse and uses humor and facts and whatnot. Your crazy. He said he uses a Microsoft mouse!!
Alex,
No one is attacking anyone. I actually like his writing. I just could not imagine why he would write about a mouse that not too many people use.
When it comes down to it, it is a mouse!!!!! Call me a nutcase for pointing that out if it makes you feel better about reading a crappy article about a crappy mouse.
Oh, and I did not count the words. I copied and pasted the text into MICROSOFT WORD (Mac version) and let it count the words for me.
apple makes great products!?!?
dont think so!
Siegler so far i’ve been enjoying your articles and i hope that you bring the type of balance that Techcrunch needs. The bias shown towards Apple by your fellow crunchwritters is pathetic. We all know that Apple makes good products but so does other companies like Microsoft. So here i am with my fingler crossed hoping you keep true to it’s core without the fanboish side.
Thanks nick – to be clear, as I stated, I really like almost all Apple products. But when i see something is sub-par, I’m not afraid to call it out. Like any good writer would do.
I use, and love, my bluetooth mighty mouse. I have, and do not use, both microsoft and logitech options. There are positives and negatives for every mouse I’ve ever used, and to say ‘everyone’ will replace their Apple mouse is pretty silly.
I like mine so much I would immediately go buy another if it stopped working… that very day. I have other mice, and I’d go buy one.
So that makes you stupid. Good job. I ditched the mighty crap mouse bout 5 minutes into using it. I suppose if you have midget hands, it might work for you. I have adult hands which makes it too small.
I really agree,i got myself one and thinking why i wasted my money it sucks..
I agree wholeheartedly – but IMO the worst thing about the mighty mouse is the CLICKING! If you leave both fingers on the mouse it interprets this as a single, left click. Even if you click on the right side. So in order to right click you have to take your left finger off completely. This is not convenient in any way and often results in mis-clicking.
It’s just a horrible, pathetic mouse. Their keyboards come close to being terrible too, but are passable.
This is certainly the worst aspect of the mouse and I can’t believe it isn’t mentioned in the article.
Clicking doesn’t bother me too much — maybe because I’m just too annoyed by the other aspects. Fair enough though.
I concur, right click is bad. What is worse is the inability to L+R click; a crucial function if playing games or image editing.
Agreed, worst part of this abortion of a mouse is that you have to lift your left finger for a right click to register.
Apple has done great things but mice are by far their worst product. Lets not forget the hockey puck mouse that had no sense of orientation (along with no right click).
Seconding the ‘terrible keyboards’ comment! I’m on an iMac and I cannot understand the logic behind the key choices on here. There is a dedicated key for the ± and § symbols (show of hands who regularly uses these symbols?), but # is hidden on an awkward to press ‘Right Alt + 3′ – and I mean ‘hidden’, it doesn’t even have a marking on the key to tell you that’s where it is!
The normal Apple US keyboards don’t have those characters, and the pound (#) sign is shift-3 like on every US keyboard. I don’t know what crazy keyboard you are using, but I’m fairly confident that the # has been marked ever since 1984.
Apple keyboards still stink. If you still use a wired mouse and plug it into the keyboard(almost have to with the pathetic lack of usb ports) that wire always gets in the way.
Apple might make ok computers but their peripherals stink. That aluminum keyboard? Please, the thing requires a BIOS update?! What is that for? It is a keyboard and does nothing any other keyboard does not!
The problem is exactly as you say: “Apple US keyboards”. Apple ships completely different keyboards to different countries, often with no apparent rhyme or reason for the changes.
For example, the Home/End/etc. keys are labeled with words on the US keyboard, but with icons on most of the European models. Yet Mac OS X labels all keyboard shortcuts in menuitems with icons, so those of us with US keyboards are always asking “WTF does that icon mean, again? dashed-double-diagonal-arrow-to-the-right-with-2-hash-marks?”.
Goddammit, Apple, there’s this hot new concept called “Label the keys the same in hardware as software”, and it’s really not that hard to do.
Worse, there’s no way to order a keyboard for a different country. I’d kill for a British model Apple keyboard, but Apple won’t sell me one because I’m not in the UK.
I threw away my Mighty Mouse a month after using it. That’s how quickly the top ball stopped responding. To be honest, I’ve never once opted for an Apple mouse. They’ve *never* been good enough! Also, how dare they tarnish the reputation of the cartoon Mighty Mouse! ^^
I use a Mighty Mouse at work. It’s the first one that I’ve owned and I’ve cleaned the ball twice “vigorously” but it doesn’t ever get completely clean. Actually, I find myself clicking those side buttons on accident all of the time which forces expose to swing into action. I like it but wish the buttons on the side were stiffer.
At home, I have a Microsoft Sidewinder Mouse. It’s the best I’ve ever owned. Prior to that, a Logitech MX mouse was my favorite.
I totally agree with you. I just had this discussion yesterday with a few colleagues. Another point is the thing sucks and is pretty expensive, the bluetooth version coming in at $69.99. I have found the best way to clean the device is with a piece of tape and ‘vigorously’ move the ball on the tape.. The probably I have had is taht there is very little selection of mice that are good AND support bluetooth. Why hasn’t the industry as a whole picked up on this, why must they continue to use dongles for all good wireless mice. Dongles are a thing of the past use bluetooth and make your users happy and not waste their valuable usb space.
Funny, I like the Mighty Mouse. The wired tracks a bit more accurately, but the bluetooth one is very convenient. I can get several weeks out of a pair of rechargeable AA batteries.
The trackball does get fouled a lot, but I’ve found a good solution: attach a piece of double-stick tape to your desk, and roll the trackball over the tape in all directions. For me, this fixes the worst problems and doesn’t require you to disassemble the mouse.
An interesting idea, but again, I really don’t want to do that every week.
“And once it gets clogged up enough (which you can’t see mind you because it’s all inside), it is completely unusable. The ball still moves, but nothing happens on screen.”
Ha, I solved this one a while back whilst furious at my desk: turn it upside down so the laser is on your palm and angrily rub the trackball against your desk so it moves round and round. Worked for me and everyone in the office.
…but of course I can’t vouch for the grimey’ness of your hand!
this was actually the best advice ive found. i looked at it thinking to myself that you were CRAZY- but it worked!
Thanks!
Worst mouse I’ve ever used.
I have an issue with the Mighty Mouse that you may not have heard of. The internal speaker fires off “click” sounds like a machine gun when my hand simply rests on the surface of the mouse. All day long: “tick-tick-tick-tick!” It drives me mad!
But here’s the kicker: When I have my right hand on the mouse and place my left hand on either the keyboard or the iMac itself, the rapid clicking sound stops.
Apparently the clicking is a result of some electromagnetic-something-or-other.
awesome rant. i’ve had my mighty mouse for a couple years and i’ve just gotten used to the ritualistic “ball cleanings” – i thought i had especially dirty hands, but i’m glad to hear i’m not alone. i also had an early generation bluetooth non-mighty mouse and got sick of the battery and connection issues too.
Yes, welcome to apparently the dirty hands club
maybe someone will make an app using the new bluetooth API to turn the iphone into a trackpad mouse/remote for your computer. That idea needs some tweaking but it would be very cool, except I suppose when you wanted to make a call while using the mouse (headset or reroute through your computer). In general though as great as the mouse is it wastes a lot of time and costs speed as well. Every month I make sure to use more and more hotkeys and it’s so much better.
All I can say is “amen”. I’ve had all of the problems mentioned here as I’ve transitioned over the last 6 months from Windows to Mac. Everything Apple seems to be better…except the mouse….well, OK, and perhaps your next post can be about how horrible Office is on the Mac…
Office on the Mac is pretty horrible.
I have to agree with you on this. I have mitigated that issue by running VMWare Fusion and Office 2007. Works flawlessly. Loads faster than Office 2008 and I am able to continue using Macros.
I don’t get why this is on TechCrunch, this should be on CrunchGear, and it isn’t really news… It is just complaining. In fact, a simple twitter message “The mighty mouse sucks ballz” would have sufficed.
I wish I could fit all my issues into 140 characters.
Cats kill their own mouse.
Who needs twits and tweets?
People have been complaining about Apple mice for years. And deservedly so.
I’m an Apple fanboy through and through, but the Microsoft BlueTrack mouse if effing amazing. Works on basically any surface. Get it.
Paul, be careful with what you say. Your fellow fanboys might decide to ban you from the internet for saying such things!
Don’t worry, those Microsoft mice are made by Logitech, so it’s not a big Fanboi sin hahahaha
Best way to clean it is to take a sheet of clean paper out of your printer,turn the mouse over, and press it down on the scroll ball as you roll the mouse in all different directions. You shouldn’t have to do this, but it works much better than any cloth or towel.
I concur, was about to post the same thing – this fixes it every time for me…
I had the same problem with the “nipple” lock and found this to solve it. Look for:
“I had this happen to my wired mighty mouse and I couldn’t seem to dislodge the piece of grit or whatever which was causing it. Finally cleared it by holding the mouse upside down and sealing my lips over the scroll wheel and blowing. Took a few attempts but it fixed it.”
in
http://forums.m...ad.php?t=390987
Surprisingly it worked like a champ. I haven’t had the Bluetooth problems with Batteries or losing the connection at all though for some reason. I use it almost all day long with a Macbook Pro and it has worked well besides the Scrolling Down issue above.
Always knew Mac porn would surface here.
Although I agree with all the problems you state, Im quite surprised to say this has become my favorite mouse. For all it’s problems, I’ve found it to be very accurate and smooth which is something no Microsoft or Logitech mouse has ever given me. The trackball does get dirty often but it’s easy to clean and works much better than any scroll wheel I’ve used. The worst by far is the Bluetooth dropping but I guess I already know my keyboard shortcuts well enough, it does suck plugging in a USB mouse just to fix it but it’s only done that to me a few times in severa months. The side buttons are unusable, I don’t even try. Still, I like it and I thought I’d hate it. The BT keyboard has been absolutely flawless.
A-FRICKIN-MEN. Seriously, I have never used a crappier mouse. The little rolley ball in the middle is ALWAYS lagging and the connection power? waves? whatever controls mouse computer is the weakest. signal. EVER. I’ve had two and both were absolute garbage. The MM goes down in Apple Products Hall of CRAP alongside Air, their earbuds, and Airport.
I actually found the side buttons to be way too sensitive. and the default action is something silly like open dashboard – so I kept getting that open and close all time with the super sensitive buttons.
I now use a wacom tablet – far better than any mouse I’ve ever owned, except of course when gaming(wired MS mouse to the rescue).
“I’m anxiously awaiting the future where everything is touchscreen and we don’t have to deal with mice or physical keyboards anymore.”
Good luck typing long documents on your soft-keyboard.
Who said it had to be soft?
If you poke a touchscreen webcam will they say, “Ouch”?
I am using a BlueTooth Mighty Mouse… I have everything disabled on it expect the necessary click buttons. The scroll wheel lets me scroll down… but not up or left & right.
I don’t think I could hate this mouse more.
I definitely agree with you there, purchased a Microsoft mouse for my mac and I’ve never looked back. Now all I have to do is get a wireless one for my Macbook and I’ll be happy.
I’ve made my peace with the mighty mouse, and now quite like it. Even carry around an extra to use with my macbook pro.
The secret to cleaning the rollerball is rubbing alcohol. Soak a cottom swab, rub vigorously (use the swab to roll the roller), dry with a soft cotton cloth. Voila, as good as new. Has worked for numerous cleanings after nothing else did.
Once I started using rubbing alcohol and qtips, I’ve had no problems with the mouse. I clean it every few months when it’s time to clean the keyboard.
Another trick I that worked for me was to pour some rubbing alcohol on a piece of plain white paper (good substitute for a lint-free cloth). Then turn over the mouse and rub it “vigorously” using the paper like you would a cloth.
I was given a mighty mouse for Christmas to use with my 13″ macbook. I had avoided using a mouse for a long time as it was not conducive to doing work on the go and the trackpad with hot corners activated and quicksilver running allowed me to do a lot of things quickly without the use of a peripheral. I decided to give it a shot instead of returning it. It was a mistake.
I have found that the side buttons actually do help when paired with the expose functions in leopard (shifting and moving files between directories, etc.). Apart from that I experienced the similar problems everyone has run across including the trackball and dirt accumulation and was willing to put up with it as I got used to doing some things a little faster.
What made me rage the most though was the fact that the bluetooth pairing was scattered at best, often not working for hours/days at a time and leaving me with a very shiny white paperweight. I would try to access the bluetooth system preferences and Leopard would inform me that “bluetooth is not available at this time, try plugging the device into a USB port for possible help”. When I scoured the forums and IRC for a possible solution I was appauled to see that the bluetooth problem had existed for so long and that there had not been any effective addressing of the issue by Apple. The mighty mouse is a joke becuase it largely fails to do what every other mouse allow someone to do – interact with the user environment.
TL:DR – in short if you are giving the slightest thought to purchasing one of these little white turds do not do it. In fact, do the consumer base a favor and steal as many of these bricks of rage as you can then throw them off the nearest bridge.
100% Agree, love everything mac now, phones, minis even the keyboard is different and cool but what in the name of all that is holy were they doing when they made the mouse, mighty my ar$e!!!
I don’t like the Bluetooth mouse for two reasons: 1) the weighting is not very good due to the batteries and 2) that the whole surface area is a button and is always getting caught on my fingers or the cord (on the wired version).
Track Ball Cleaning Tip: put a white piece of paper on your desk, turn the mouse upside down and roll the ball on the paper.
The first thing I buy after getting customers a new mac is a wireless logitech mouse… I throw the mighty mouse away….
I agree. I have and old mac mouse and I don’t mind about having only one button but the shape is not good for your hand. It’s not ergonomic and it’s not intended for human use. On the other hand it’s a nice object to show off but I guess nobody is willing to buy one.
wow this persons pissed about the mighty mouse… and im writing a comment right now.
Must mean they are good!
I agree with most everything here. My bluetooth Mighty Mouse is aweful. I can’t say I’ve had many problems with it disconnecting though, but the mouse wheel, and the side buttons and the shape all suck. Battery life isn’t quite as bad as you said either, but it’s not grand either..
Dissenting opinion here. I really like the mighty mouse. I don’t need or want the mouse to conform to my hand — the way my fingers bend, I’d rather have a smaller overall device. I like that I can left-click with two fingers at once to reduce the impact pressure. (It adds up.) And yes, I’ve used dozens of others.
I even like using the little trackball, though I’ll grant you that it sucks when it gets gunked up.
From the looks of it, I’m the odd one out.
When Microsoft type units start acting up it’s the buttons that bungle. Don’t get a bad habit of getting a finger on the scroll wheel when you drag. Dells with those huge buttons break faster. Logitechs were aces but I was still breaking out one of my old (well over 22 years!) serial models I found with a dead Packard Bell 286, alas, it finally got nostalgic for dBase and left us. I still find IBM PS/2 and Aptiva mice in working condition now and then. I sent two to a friend after he inherited one as he’s a big Aptiva fan.
I used IIc and IIe. I never used a mouse until 1986 when I started learning WordPerfect DOS 4.2(?)
I don’t care how many arrows head after me, Win 3.11 was a lot of fun, writing shells was a pain.
On the other hand, the new multi-touch trackpad on the latest MacBooks has completely abolished the need for an external mouse on laptops (for me).
It kicks ass.
Yeah the newest, large one, really does.
I have to agree. Now I just wish that they created an external one that can be hooked to the computer when using an external keyboard and monitor.
Totally! My trusty old Logitech trackball went on the fritz yesterday, so I’m using iTap on my iPhone, which actually works pretty well, but is obviously not an ideal solution… I mean, unless I were to buy a second iPhone just to run iTap.
Anyway, it seems to me that multitouch trackpads are the future, not ubiquitous touchscreens as this article seems to imply there at the end. I can’t imagine using a touchscreen at my desk, unless I were to put my screen three inches from my nose!
Or maybe if it was a sort of touchscreen keyboard/screen combo that I would use in addition to my regular desktop monitor.
Cheers,
~G
(Hmm… no edit function for comments? Crap. I entered by Twitter info wrong the first time. ~G)
Logitech MX518. Best. Mouse. Ever.
For Mac AND Windows. Those two side buttons are awesome for Expose, and the top center button is great for Spaces.
Yes, Logitech is the hotness.
Logitech MX Revolution!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO expensive, but SO worth it.
Agreed! And once you get it setup just right it works like a dream. I love how it fits my hand so well.
Couldn’t agree anymore! The MX is so easy to customize in OS X.
If it just wasn’t so bloody ugly… still a nice mouse, but shit ugly
whatever. I use my mighty mouse all the time and I’ve never had any problem or issue with it at all – ever. Not that I’m in love with it – the keyboard is always a much better thing anyway (and *much* faster) – there’s not a mouse on the planet I love. …and I’ve used thousands of them…
Agreed, Mighty Mouse is terrible. Apple should be ashamed.
On the other hand… The Logitech VX Revolution is the best mouse I’ve ever used! Love it!!
Good summary. The biggest problem is that the scroll ball always get dirty. “Apple indicates the solution is easy” but I don’t want to learn about the all-new way to clean the Mighty mouse. It’s still an annoyance and it shouldn’t happen in the first place. In my experience, the capacitive sensors hidden beneath the shell are unreliable when compared to real buttons. Low-tech wins! In all, the design is flawed. It looks simple but in truth it’s overcomplicated. I’ll keep my Logitech, thank you very much. If Apple wants to be even greener, it should ship its computers with a durable mouse that won’t be tossed by customers. I have a whole drawer full of Apple mice: Puck mouse, Pro mouse, Mighty mouse, you name it. I would not recommend any of them to my worst enemy.
Love the mighty mouse. Going on the second year with mine, and never had any problems, except the ball gets clogged once in a while, and usually just rolling it with my finger upside down fixes that. Looks as clean as it did new, maybe not eating while computing helps. I’ve always liked Apple’s mice, from the wedge shaped one from the LC days to the more rounded off version from the Quadra days, I like them all. But I’m pretty much of a fingertip mouse holder. I don’t let my hand flop over the top of the thing like I’m petting a cat, rather I steer it around with my fingertips, the iMac round mouse was a great one for using like that, and the mighty does fine that way too. Those “lump of clay” Microsoft mice may work well with the ham fisted types, but I think the Apple mice gives you a far superior amount of control.
“Those “lump of clay” Microsoft mice may work well with the ham fisted types, but I think the Apple mice gives you a far superior amount of control.”
Glad to see the “Apple users are arrogant jerks” stereotype has no basis in fact.
MG Siegler, it’s clearly not Apple’s mouse that sucks, it’s your own stupid clumsy hands.
I find it weird that people are so defensive about their mice. The Apple mice are just plain badly designed. The pinch gesture is awkward and requires way too much force, right-clicking is awkward, and the ball inevitably eventually stops working properly. Microsoft does make some shitty products, but their mice are excellent. If you can manage to use the Apple mouse, fine, but insisting that it is better than the competition requires a lot of wishful thinking, *unless* you use the 2d scrolling a lot, in which case I suppose there is no substitute.
I have the mighty thingy. It’s not mighty but I like it anyway. Never had any issue with it and wouldn’t want to go back to the big horrible wireless MS mouse I had. Yurk!
I do not think you used the iMac round (it was called “the puck”) mouse for any length of time. It was a flawed design; it was impossible to get reoriented after using the keyboard. See http://www.wire...amp;slideView=2