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Apple wireless Magic Mouse user feedback/tips
Reports last Updated: Nov. 9, 2009



This page has reader feedback/tips on Apple's 2009 wireless "Magic Mouse".

Reader Reports on Magic Mouse: (later first)

(added Nov. 9, 2009)
"I believe there is a compatibility problem with the installer of latest Wacom Intuos driver (612-5) and Apples new wireless mouse driver (1.0) introduced for the new magic mouse.

Out of four machines (10.6.1) two had already had the new Apple mouse driver installed. The Wacom driver 612-5 repeatedly failed the installation, despite various troubleshooting.

On the two machines which did not have the Apple mouse driver installed, the Wacom driver installed successfully.

On the two failed install machines, I removed the Apple mouse driver, after which the Wacom driver installed successfully.

On all four machines I then installed the Apple mouse driver after the Wacom driver, and both mouse and tablet work fine.

So it looks as if the problem is with the installation process, not the actual drivers.

I never found a decent way to uninstall the new Magic Mouse driver (which I think is now the Apple driver for all wireless mice). (Several Snow Leopard users reported that update helped with any brand of BT Mouse as well as the previous Apple wireless (Mighty) Mouse.) After a few botched attempts, I ended up running the Snow Leopard installer from the disk, and reupdating to 10.6.1. I didn't have to reinstall apps data or settings.
-Mike"


(added Nov. 9, 2009)
" I've been using the Magic Mouse for a bit over a week now. I was using a Logitech MX300 3 button mouse, and although I miss the middle button, I've fairly easily adjusted to its lack.

One thing I've noticed about using the mouse that may help some folks out there: although there is the temptation to put your whole palm over the mouse, so your finger tips are near the front edge, it seems to more accurately register clicks in my experience if you keep your fingers closer to the middle of the upper mouse surface. It also has the added bonus of giving you more scroll area if you want to scroll upwards.

Holding the mouse gently between the thumb and 4th finger seems to work well when using in this way as well. I use Photoshop on a daily basis, and find that the new mouse works transparently with regard to tracking, etc.

FWIW, I've felt no need to accelerate the mouse beyond the limits provided by the control panel; I'm using a 2008 Mac Pro with a 24" ACHD display.
-Ed"

Not everyone complained about tracking speed but several readers did (see earlier reports) and personally with my 24in iMac (10.5.8) with the 1.0 software update I found the tracking speed much too slow compared to my previous wired (and even a RF wireless) Mouse. (As I said forcefully swiping the mouse boosted acceleration but that wasn't something I was accustomed to having to do.) I had no complaints on the touch/controls (clicks, swipes, etc.) which I'd initially been concerned about after reading some early review comments. I plan to try it with a Snow Leopard Mac later this week.


(added Nov. 9, 2009)
"Read your feedback (my comments from Nov. 6 below.) and my experience is almost identical. I bought a couple of these mice last week. I absolutely love the scrolling, mouse feels better than I thought ergonomically. I miss the middle button and squeeze from Mighty Mouse, but I just used corners instead. I still miss it for Expose though.

My big issue is the tracking doesn't seem quite as smooth as the wired mouse; it's a big laggy at times. I also find it a bit slow; I am using Mouse Zoom to compensate. But the mouse seems to have this "slow down when you're moving slow" kind of thing which all mice have but is more annoying on the Magic Mouse. I have a Mac Pro and I suspect that's part of the problem; tracking on my new late 09 Macbook Pro 13" is fine.
-Paul"


My Experience with the Magic Mouse (now understand why some used faster tracking tip) (From Nov. 6th news page) I finally bought a Magic Mouse a couple days ago but didn't get a chance to use it until yesterday. (I was hoping to be able to try one at a local store before buying but the local BB had only one left and no store demo unit.) I installed the wireless mouse update for 10.5.8 on the main work mac here (2007 AL iMac 24in/2.4GHz C2D) and immediately saw why several readers had used the Tip for faster tracking that Pete posted here on Oct. 30th. (Some owners were happy with tracking as-is but many wanted faster tracking - as noted here earlier.)
I realize there's a rate/acceleration curve, but with the 24in display I just couldn't tolerate the difference in tracking speed vs my old USB Logitech mouse (or a RF MS mouse I'd tried), even with the tracking speed prefs set to max. (Forceful swipes increase acceleration but are extra/unnatural efforts for me personally - although I know some have felt otherwise.)
So I downloaded/installed the (free) MouseZoom pref pane and eventually set it to max before I was able to get close to my preferred cursor tracking speed/response feel (without forcefully swiping the MM). A big thanks to Pete for sending that tip.

After seeing comments in some earlier reviews about the Magic Mouse ergonomics (feel/fit in the hand, etc.) I had been concerned about that compared to the std shape/profile mice I'd used for years. (I guess I'm like an 'old dog' that doesn't easily learn new tricks and a creature of habit for things like this.) But I'm glad to say that hasn't been an issue for me - the 'feel' of the Magic Mouse (to me) is fine and I could easily get used to the touch interface (vs buttons and scroll wheels).
However despite MouseZoom and (prefs) adjustments I still feel like it's not quite as responsive as my wired USB mice or an RF wireless mouse. (Hard to describe but it's almost like some micro-lag that I've not noticed/felt with RF wireless mice or wired mice. I know that sounds strange, but that's how it feels to me. Maybe with more time using it that feeling will fade.)
I've not been a fan of Bluetooth mice or keyboards in the past after a bad experience years ago (but I know they're much improved now) however I still prefer the response/feel (and simplicity) of a wired or RF mouse. And the Magic Mouse was the wake-up call I needed to at least start looking again at wireless mice as the cord has been a pain at times.
I'm going to try the Magic Mouse with a Snow Leopard Mac and spend more time using it but if I had to do it over, I think I'd have bought a Logitech or other brand RF wireless mouse. (I liked the Microsoft Arc that I tried recently (although tracking was almost too fast, requiring prefs setting to appx 25%), but for the same price or less you can get a standard profile (shape) RF mouse from Logitech or others that feels better in the hand IMHO. BTW - A couple readers wrote suggesting the Logitech MX Revolution RF wireless mouse which has a rechargeable battery and side scroll wheel. I do like the profile of that mouse.

FYI - I later returned my Magic Mouse for a refund and bought the MX Revolution RF mouse. I like it a lot but haven't yet tried the latest Logitech software for OS X. A bit leery after past experience years ago... but have installed software for it in Bootcamp/Windoze.)


(from Nov. 1, 2009 mail - updated Nov. 9th)
" I bought a new Magic Mouse yesterday to replace my Mighty Mouse. I'm using it with a 30" screen. The tracking speed seems to be the same as the Mighty Mouse, so I had no problem with that. (referring to some previous comments on that earlier/below) The Magic Mouse felt a lot smaller and at first I was have having a little difficulty using it. After about an hour of use, I took a break. Upon coming back, I forgot I had the Magic Mouse and started using it. I was shocked when I realize that it became effortless to use. And the scrolling became second nature. Everything "clicked" in place.

Side Note 1: I was previously using a *wired* Mighty Mouse. I had also previously tried a *wireless* Mighty Mouse, but the granite desk surface I have caused tracking problems. I was concerned the new wireless Magic Mouse would have the same problems, but it has worked flawlessly.

Side Note 2: My friend bought 3 Magic Mice. They all worked, except one of them constantly reported a low battery condition. I asked at the Apple store if they had heard of this problem and they told me there was only one return so far: the customer didn't like the feel of the mouse - it was too small.

(Updated comments from Nov. 9th mail)
Just an update to my "Side Note 1" above: It turns out after about a week of using the Magic Mouse, I was having the same problems with my granite desk surface (poor or no tracking). I think what happened was that the constant motion of the mouse across the surface actually cleaned and polished the surface. Placing the mouse on another area of the surface made the problem go away.

Since I didn't want an ugly mouse pad to mar the surface of the desktop, I affixed a piece of semi-transparent, textured, sheet protector to the surface as you can see (actually you can't see) from the attached image. This has solved the tracking problem.
-Alex K."


Conflicts with USB Overdrive: (2 reports on this)

(from Nov. 1, 2009 mail)
"My Magic Mouse wouldn't scroll--I saw only standard mouse controls, not the multitouch ones. Googling found a reference to a conflict with USB Overdrive, and also a note saying you had to use the USBO uninstaller (in your Utilities folder) rather than just dragging out the PrefPane. However, if you have already dragged out the PrefPane, you'll need to reinstall it and then run the uninstaller (you don't have to restart.) Doing those things fixed it for me.
(Asked what OS X version/USB OD version used)
10.6.1, and the version of USB Overdrive I had was about a month old. (v3.0.1 I assume - updated 10/29/2009 IIRC.) I don't remember the actual number.
-Kiran"

And another owner mentioning this:

(from Oct. 31, 2009 mail)
" I got a Magic Mouse yesterday. After pairing, it worked as a normal mouse, but with no gestures. I then applied the wireless mouse update (which did not show up in Software Update), still no gestures.

Finally I uninstalled USB Overdrive, and removed a Logitech wireless mouse USB transmitter/receiver which I had been using, and restarted. That finally fixed the issue, and I was able to see the gestures working and visible in System Preferences.
(What OS X version/USB OD version used?)
OS X 10.6.1, USB Overdrive version 3.0.1.

I love the one finger scrolling, although it takes a bit of getting used to, because, on my Mac Book Pro, the same gesture is two fingers, which I am more used to. The two finger swipe (to move forward or back in Safari, or page up/down, etc), however, does not seem to work consistently. Also there is a tendency for the mouse to slide away in the direction of the swipe.

I hope that the author of USB Overdrive revises his program so that it can work in conjunction with the Magic Mouse. I put my tracking speed in Apple's preferences right up almost at max, which comes close to what I was used to. But USB Overdrive is more flexible because it has separate acceleration and speed settings, which seem to give smoother control, IMHO. Thanks for the great site.
-Jim W."


(from Oct. 31, 2009 mail)
" Like other readers, I too felt that the Magic Mouse tracking speed was too slow for navigating around large displays (in my case a 24" iMac). Thanks to Pete's tip to use MouseZoom I was able to make the tracking speed usable.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone has given feedback yet on the Multi-touch features such as navigation within Safari. I find that it works but it is not easy to trigger and I suspect it will take significant practice to get used to. I think it will remain an underused feature of this mouse much like the side buttons were rarely used in the Mighty Mouse.
-Charlie"


Tip for Faster Tracking: (for those that complained about that)

(from Oct. 30th, 2009 mail)
"I also noticed that the Magic Mouse tracking speed was nowhere near fast enough for me even at the highest setting. I prefer short "twitch" mouse movements using just my fingers (without lifting my hand from the mouse pad) to quickly navigate around dual displays, which is possible with the Logitech software's speed settings.

I was able to tweak the Magic Mouse speed up to a usable level using the freeware MouseZoom control panel. Despite its age, it works with Snow Leopard and does what it says on the tin. Recommended.
-Pete"

I sent a FYI on MouseZoom to the other owners that wanted faster tracking and both replied it helped as well.


(from Oct. 30th, 2009 mail)
"I got my Magic Mouse yesterday to replace a Mighty Mouse with the rubbish scroll ball. The Magic Mouse is fantastic and, as I use a MBP 17" Mid 2009, it matches the gesturing I use on the trackpad except for the scaling. When at home I have a 24" LED display used with the MBP and I can get from the left side of the extended desktop the right with a move of two inches on the mouse pad.
The acceleration is exceptional from my experience. Move quickly and the mouse responds accordingly. Move slowly and the cursor crawls with great accuracy. Enough said.
Cheers, Zarbs"


(from Oct. 30th 2009 mail)
" Hi there, I love your site been following it for years. I don't often buy freshly released Apple hardware, but Magic Mouse captivated me. It arrived today. Here are my first impressions.

The packaging is what we expect from Apple these days, minimalist but extremely elegant.

Unpacking consists of peeling off 2 pieces of tape. The first holds the top on the 'bar of soap' sized jewel box. The second attaches the Magic mouse to a packing carrier. The instructions were too small for me to see, but I never read them anyway.

First I turned on the new mouse by sliding up the switch on the base , the LED flashed and a green telltale became visible. I used the bluetooth control panel to discover it, and I had control of the mouse but no functions.

I had read here about a Magic Mouse update so I performed a software update, it found the software and installed it. After a required restart, all functions operated. The Mouse control panel now has a movie to show you the the different gestures.

My first impressions are really good. I find that it fits my hand well ( I have large hands) and my 2 forefingers fall in a comfortable position to gesture. I am surprised a mouse could put a big grin on my face.
(I asked if he had any complaints on tracking speed)
I find the tracking speed fine, I can only guess that the users don't understand that it works by acceleration. I use dual monitors @ 1280x1024 and the pointer moves one side to the other effortlessly.
-Robert P. "


(from Oct. 30, 2009 mail)
" Yeah, I think the new mouse is just great, the best of all. Recently tried the new Wacom touch pad, but it was just too difficult to learn and get used to. The Magic Mouse is almost totally intuitive - combining a traditional mouse with touch. I love the scrolling, no more stuck wheels or balls. I did find the tracking too slow for me as well, but presume that will be fixed in an update.
(I sent him a note about a reader's tracking speedup tip.)
Thanks. With MouseZoom pegged all the way up to Crazy Fast!!!, it's about perfect.
-Rod G."


(from Oct. 30, 2009 mail)
" Just got the new magic mouse. Tracking before and after the SW upgrade is bad. It's like having a Wii controller trying to move a pointer across the screen. Other than doubling the size of my mouse pad, I was hoping someone had a few tricks or fixes. I tried the one here with no luck: http://www.tylernichols.com/apple/speed-up-mouse-tracking-on-mac-os-x (terminal tweak for mouse scaling)
(I sent him a note about a reader's tracking speedup tip.)
Looks like this is very helpful, thanks.
-Evan K."




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