Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Magic Mouse
- Laser technology delivers 20 times the performance of standard optical tracking
- Miniature sensors detect even the slightest movement
- Top-shell design matches other Apple products
- Bluetooth technology and Touch-sensitive technology
It began with iPhone. Then came iPod touch. Then MacBook Pro. Intuitive, smart, dynamic. Multi-Touch technology introduced a remarkably better way to interact with your portable devices – all using gestures. Now we’ve reached another milestone by bringing gestures to the desktop with a mouse that’s unlike anything ever before. It’s called Magic Mouse. It’s the world’s first Multi-Touch mouse. And while it comes standard with every new iMac, you can also add it to any Bluetooth-enabled Mac for a Multi-Touch makeover.With Magic Mouse, Apple has brought Multi-Touch technology to the desktop mouse, giving you a new and more intuitive way to interact with your computer. Just as with iPhone, iPod touch, and MacBook Pro, the Bluetooth Magic Mouse adds gestures and swipes to the usual clicks to bring more functionality and help you get more done with less effort.
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Software lets you set Magic Mouse to do exactly what you want. View larger. |
The entire top of the mouse is a Multi-Touch surface. View larger. |
Beautiful Design with Seamless Multi-Touch Surface
One look at Magic Mouse and you’ll know it’s something special that only Apple could dream up. With a low-profile design and seamless top shell, you’ll marvel at this beautiful mouse and its smooth, buttonless appearance.
It’s not all looks, though. Once you touch it, you’ll appreciate how good it feels in your hand. And the magic really begins when you start using it. The Multi-Touch surface covers the entire top of the mouse, and the mouse itself is the button. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it.
Laser-Tracking Engine
Magic Mouse uses powerful laser tracking that’s far more sensitive and responsive on more surfaces than traditional optical tracking. That means it tracks with precision on nearly every surface – whether it’s a table at your favorite cafe or the desk in your home office – without the need for a mousepad.
Wireless Convenience with Easy Bluetooth Setup
Magic Mouse connects wirelessly to your Mac via Bluetooth, so there’s no wire or separate adapter to worry about. Pair Magic Mouse with your Bluetooth-enabled Mac and enjoy a reliable and secure connection up to 33 feet away. When you combine Magic Mouse with the Apple Wireless Keyboard, you create a workspace free of annoying cables.
And because Magic Mouse is wireless, it can venture beyond the confines of your desk. A quick flick of the on/off switch helps conserve battery power while Magic Mouse is tucked in your bag. Even when it’s on, Magic Mouse manages power efficiently, by detecting periods of inactivity automatically.
Make One Great Gesture After Another
Multi-Touch technology on the iPhone and iPod touch introduced a breakthrough way to interact with your content. Magic Mouse, with its Multi-Touch surface, does the same thing for your Mac. When you use gestures, it’s as if you’re touching what’s on your screen. For instance, swiping through web pages in Safari gives you the feeling of flicking through pages in a magazine. And scrolling with Magic Mouse isn’t your everyday scrolling. It supports momentum scrolling (similar to iPhone and iPod touch), where the scrolling speed is dictated by how fast or slowly you perform the gesture.
Stunning, beautiful design by Apple. View larger. |
Give It Your Personal Touch
Maybe you want scrolling but don’t want swiping. Or two-button clicking instead of one. Whatever the case, Magic Mouse works the way you want it to work. All you do is go to the Magic Mouse preference pane in System Preferences to enable or disable features.
The ambidextrous design of Magic Mouse means it fits comfortably in your right hand if you’re a righty or in your left hand if you’re a lefty. And left-handers can easily swap left and right button functionality using System Preferences.
System Requirements
- Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer
- Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later with Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0
- Existing keyboard and mouse for setup
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Rating: 
(out of 229 reviews)
List Price: $ 69.99
Price: $ 53.95
July 11th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Review by CK for Apple Magic Mouse
Rating:
Okay, I will say I’m very partial to this mouse, but I’m going to try and write an objective review here for kicks. I’m going to break this down into topical sections for easy digestion.
=== Tracking ===
Tracking is, surprisingly for a Bluetooth mouse, superbly smooth in everyday use. (I’m not an FPS gamer, so I can’t comment on the performance for twitch gaming.) Pointer movement is very smooth and consistent, as with the best corded and non-BT cordless mice. Also, in my tests, the mouse tracked perfectly on a white laminate table and a brushed aluminum table — both difficult surfaces for many laser and optical mice.
Many reviewers have complained that the tracking is too slow, even at the highest speed setting. Although I haven’t experienced this problem, I believe it is real for those people; but I think it must be a problem that is specific to their particular software and/or hardware environment, by no means a universal problem. (The Magic Mice at the Apple Stores I’ve been to have not manifested it.) These users may find relief with a new third-party freeware called BetterTouchTool, which has a greater range of mouse speed adjustment than Apple’s prefpane — more on BetterTouchTool below.
=== Scrolling ===
The touch-based scrolling is a revelation. I leave the momentum option on, and scrolling through long web pages is a dream. So smooth! The scrolling action is similar to dragging the slider on a scroll bar, rather than clicking the up/down scroll buttons as it is with most other mice. After having used the Magic Mouse and its amazing scrolling talents for a couple of weeks, when I’m now forced to use conventional mice, the scrolling feels jumpy and crude. That said, I do sometimes miss the feel of turning a physical scroll wheel. I’d say that a physical wheel might provide more predictable scrolling. But the nearly pixel-precise scrolling action of the Magic Mouse just feels really luxurious. The only thing I would ask Apple to improve is to let users adjust the “friction” of the momentum scrolling with a slider in the prefpane. I would reduce the friction a bit.
=== Buttons/Configurability ===
As you will know already, this is a one-button mouse that can be used as a two-button mouse thanks to smart software. I have experienced zero problems with the mouse distinguishing between left and right clicks. It is true that the mouse does not recognize right clicks when your index finger is resting on the mouse. This hasn’t been a problem for me at all, because for some reason I naturally lift my index finger slightly when I start pushing down with my middle finger. The other thing that is widely known is that there is no provision for middle clicks or other actions besides the ones mentioned in the product literature. Apple really has a lot of room for improvement in the device driver in this area.
But what is perhaps less known is that there is an excellent little freeware third-party app called BetterTouchTool (for OS X only) that addresses these shortcomings very well. For example, you can map a three-finger tap to Expose or any key combination. It is an absolute must. The app is still in a very early development phase and is frequently updated (sometimes several times in one day), and there are several features yet to be fully implemented, but already it has removed all cause for complaint about lack of configurability, as far as I’m concerned.
=== Ergonomics ===
The mouse’s shape takes some getting used to. It’s very low, which discourages resting your palm on it (or wrapping your whole hand around it). The sharp edges also detract from holding this mouse as you would rounder ones. The optimum way I’ve found to hold this mouse is to lightly grip its sides, with my thumb on one side, my ring finger and pinkie on the other, and my palm making no contact with the top. This is easy to do because the sides curve inward from top to bottom, providing a sure grip. It’s a sort of dainty way to hold the mouse, but it works, and it also minimizes accidental scrolling, which happens sometimes when you inadvertently touch the top. As a bonus, the aluminum sides provide a nice, cool sensation to the fingertips when you grab it again after letting it rest for a while.
Another ergonomic quibble I have is that the smooth plastic top of the mouse produces too much friction when my fingers are not perfectly dry. The textured glass of Apple’s latest trackpads is much better in this regard. As a workaround, I have taken to putting a little light oil on the mouse top to reduce this friction and make scrolling easier.
=== Conclusion ===
This is an unusual and innovative mouse that unfortunately demands some adjustment in usage habits to get the best results, but then rewards you with superior functionality — especially with an assist from some third-party software.
July 11th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Review by Lon J. Seidman for Apple Magic Mouse
Rating:
The Bottom Line:
If you’re a Mac owner and are looking to upgrade the lousy mouse that came with your system you will be very satisfied with the Magic Mouse. Those looking for more buttons and macro functionality should look at similarly priced products from Logitech and others.
Review:
Apple is known for elegantly designed products, but unfortunately its input devices have fallen short over the last decade or so. That all changes today. The Magic Mouse is the first Apple mouse in probably twenty years that lives up to the elegance of the products it will be connected to.
The entire mouse is touch sensitive, and surprisingly it actually works without many ‘false’ reads. The mouse is smart enough to detect finger movement for scrolling even when my palm is resting on the device.
A ‘momentum’ setting in the software driver gives your Mac the same type of scrolling behavior as the iPhone. Fast flicks of the finger scroll faster, while slower movements give finer control. It gets a little flaky when a scrollable form is embedded on a webpage, but these are things that can get worked out with future driver releases. Best of all most of the mouse behavior works in virtual environments like VMWare and Parallels.
Magic Mouse also has a very satisfying mechanical clicking system. Like the trackpad on the new Macbooks, it just feels right. Right clicking is available, but it must be configured first in the control panel.
I am puzzled that while Apple prides itself on designing non-replaceable rechargeable batteries into its products, the Magic Mouse runs on AA’s! Batteries are included, but they are not rechargeable. You’ll need to get your own charger and batteries if you wish to use rechargeables. Battery life is decent, and after three full work days I’m still at 90%.
PROs
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Beautiful design with an innovative touch sensitive surface
Satisfying clicking mechanism
Seamless bluetooth connectivity
CONs
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Only has two possible button combinations (click and right click)
Apple software update required before the mouse is fully functional (as of 11-3-09)
Right clicking needs to be configured in the control panel first
You’ll need a seperate battery charger if you wish to use rechargeables
Windows users won’t get the same functionality as Mac owners at this time
July 11th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Review by J. Rotunda for Apple Magic Mouse
Rating:
After getting the chance to use this mouse for a full day, I can say that it was well worth the wait. As a die-hard apple fan, I have grown fond of the mighty mouse – now called the apple mouse – but the one thing that I loathed was the scroll ball located on top of the mouse. After only hours of use, gunk would build up rendering the scroll useless unless you wanted to perform mouse surgery using an exacto knife. Through incorporation of multi-touch technology, Apple has eliminated this problem, and created a device which is truly revolutionary.
I, like many, was worried about the ergonomics of the mouse given its low profile however I am happy to report that I have been quite pleased at how solid it feels in my hands and the overall ergonomics of the device. I also have not had any troubles with scroll or tracking speed, in fact I’ve found them to be significantly better than the mighty mouse. I also have not had to adjust either of these settings higher as others have said, the magic mouse truly worked straight out of the box with no adjustments. All in all, this mouse was well worth the wait and I can only imagine the possibilities future updates will bring in terms of gesture support!
July 11th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Review by Narflar for Apple Magic Mouse
Rating:
After having this for a few weeks now and the novelty of it has worn off I can say it’s an OK mouse. Not great, just OK. The scrolling action on it just rules. I keep using it just for that. There is a hack to make the momentum scrolling work in 10.5, do a quick google search and you can find it. The bluetooth does have quirks. Sometimes the mouse will just disconnect and I have to turn it off and back on to continue using it. The overall feel of mouse is odd. It is really low and it just never feels right in the hand. Also, it does require a lot of pressure to click. I’m used to barely clicking and you gotta push this down with some authority. It’s not a gaming mouse by any means. I’m going to keep using this until I can find something that fits my hand better.
July 11th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Review by S. Lam for Apple Magic Mouse
Rating:
Alright, I was going to return this mouse an hour after using it. THAT IS UNTIL I installed MagicPref from the Apple website. The tracking was S-L-O-W. My arm was killing me because the even with my small hands my hands felt uncomfortable. Worst yet was the 3rd button is now gone and I couldn’t use Final Cut Pro or Maya.
I now can do everything I can with my Mac Book Pro track-pad. Apple is an innovator.
The design is slick and I can maneuver the magic mouse with little effort. I enjoy working on my graphics with this mouse. I am about to play a first person shooter (FPS) game to see if there are any lag, and how this performs on rail games.
So here is my break down: (I took the format another GREAT reviewer on Amazon)
Tracking–
Tracking VERY smooth in everyday use and for FPS games. For having no cords and using solely Bluetooth.
Install “MagicPref” on the Apple website or just google it, and your tracking problems will be solved. Not only that, you will discover MANY MANY other features your magic mouse can do.
Buttons –
This is a one-button mouse that can be used as a three-button mouse thanks to smart software. I have experienced zero problems with the mouse distinguishing between left and right clicks and middle click.
Configuration –
There is so much you can configure on this mice. Things such as:
Clicks and Taps, Swipes, Drag, and Pinch, touch sensitivity, and Extra track speed.
You can also configure for Expose, Space, Dashboard, ect.
Scrolling –
All I can say about this is I LOVE IT!! I love momentum scrolling and with touch sensitivity adjusted, I can control the friction and speed of the scroll.
I can scroll in a website, scroll to another page, scroll to another program, scroll, left right up down with speed and little effort.
Ergonomics –
Don’t expect to wrap your hand around this skinny mouse. Even with my small hands I can’t get my whole hand around it, let alone rest my palm on it as I maneuver the mouse around. Fortunately, I don’t have to manuever the mouse around since I was able to configure it to play games, do graphics, and everyday use settings.
Overall – - I think this is a great mouse for having absolutely NO cords. Great on FPS games, just not as great as my $200 gaming mouse though, but equal to my mid-end gaming mouse. Do note that it will taking a little bit of getting use to.
Great desgin and functionality. I can now have other uses with my Function keys and USB ports open for other things.
LOVE IT!!!