Dave's Mac Blog

The newest iMacs now come with a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and the new Apple Magic Mouse. This new sleek and stylish mouse has no visible buttons but is essentially a two-button scrolling mouse. The top surface of the Magic Mouse is touch sensitive allowing it to be used for choosing left and right mouse buttons and even scrolling.

After first reading about the Magic Mouse and then finally getting to touch one, I was impressed. After using one for a while I can now say that Apple still hasn’t gotten it right. Unfortunately a computer mouse is very dependent on personal preferences. What one person loves, others will hate. I don’t hate the Magic Mouse, but I don’t like it. I have the same opinion about the Mighty Mouse, Apple’s first two-button mouse.

I do like the feel and the build quality of the Magic Mouse. The way I use my Mac and my mouse I find the Magic Mouse getting in my way too often. The mouse I use on most all my Macs, and PCs, is the Microsoft Wireless Optical 5000. This is a right-handed mouse that has the fit and finish that works great in my hand. It has a silent scroll wheel that also tilts for horizontal scrolling. It has two small buttons on the left side, which I have set up for, back and forward when web browsing. It may not be Bluetooth, but the 5000 is rock steady and easy to use.

Back in the days of System 4, 5, 6, and even 7, the one-button mouse was king and Apple had one of the best. When the right-click came along all bets were off for Apple mice. The original iMac mouse is the worst mouse ever made. Each Apple mouse after that was incrementally better, but they still have too much style and not enough substance. Leave the magic in the box and look elsewhere for a good workable mouse.