Why does the apple mouse keep pressing back? Apple Magic Mouse: a small revolution or work on mistakes? Food is ok. Connection indicator flashes
“It all started with the iPhone. Then there was the iPod touch. Behind it is a MacBook Pro,” says the official release. It seems to me that it all started a little earlier - with the iPod. My acquaintance with Apple touch technologies took place two years before the appearance of the iPhone. Do you know Click Wheel? iPod nano is my first “touch” gadget. Then there was the iPhone. Now Magic Mouse. For those who don’t know what Magic Mouse is, I’ll explain. Magic Mouse or “Magic Mouse” is an Apple computer mouse with a touch surface. As you can see in the picture, it has no buttons or scroll wheel. All control occurs by touching the body.
Magic Mouse supports regular clicks - right and left. At first glance it seems that this is impossible, but believe me it is so. In addition, you can scroll vertically and horizontally by swiping up and down or left and right. The device also accepts two-finger gestures, for example, for scrolling through photos in iPhoto or Cover Flow in iTunes.
Why do Mac owners need the Magic Mouse and not some other mouse? I was given this rodent two months ago and now I can give my reasons in favor of this mouse.
1. Multi-touch convenience: When I first saw Magic Mouse, I underestimated this technology. Apple's videos made everything look really cool, but I didn't think it was that user-friendly. Believe me, this is really very practical. Multitouch can be used in any way you like - for vertical scrolling, for horizontal scrolling, for gestures with two or more fingers. For example, Magic Mouse lets you scroll through photos in iPhoto like no other mouse can. Instead of clicking, just lightly swipe across the surface. It couldn't be more convenient.
2. Good form factor: The Magic Mouse is neither big nor small. The device fits perfectly in my hand. Some people may find the Magic Mouse too low because you can't grab it. I have no problems with this. The mouse connects via bluetooth, so it does not require additional adapters. I can take it with me anywhere and always know that it will always connect to the computer (unlike mice with always losing dongles). It is clear that Bluetooth running on a MacBook drains the battery faster, but the ease of use and comfort are worth it.
3. Design and reliability: I love that the Magic Mouse just works and feels solid and reliable. It would not occur to you that it could fall apart, even after falling from the table. It’s also nice that the mouse works as Apple promised. I know it's not the strongest selling point, but I like multi-touch. In addition, it has a clean and elegant design. Like most Apple products, the Magic Mouse looks great.
Magic Mouse is one of those gadgets that you must hold in your hands and try on before purchasing. To be honest, when I first saw the mouse, I was very skeptical. I didn't want to buy the device. My wife gave it to me for my birthday. Now I'm glad that she thought to buy a Magic Mouse and not something else.
Is a mouse worth three and a half thousand? It all depends on your preferences and, of course, on your capabilities. A decent mouse from another manufacturer can cost 800-1000 rubles. I want to warn you right away that after using the Magic Mouse it will be difficult for you to switch to another mouse. It is known that you quickly get used to good things. But why not? If you're thinking about buying a new rodent, definitely look into the Magic Mouse.
For a long time I used a very comfortable mouse from Logitech for laptops, VX Nano, until I wanted to change it to something else, preferably with Bluetooth. By that time, Logitech did not have anything satisfactory; all comfortable mice came with a USB signal receiver, which constantly occupied one port. Just then the Apple Magic Mouse came out. Judging by the reviews, the mouse has very interesting functions; in fact, it is the only mouse whose entire surface is touch-sensitive with support for multi-touch and gestures. However, comments on the ergonomics of the mouse immediately began to appear on the Apple website.
Then I watched the Apple mouse live in Re:Store, where it was connected to a Mac Pro. The mouse puzzled me, if not disappointed. The biggest disadvantage was that the cursor moved across the screen very slowly, crawling to the point of indecentness. Secondly, it had sharp edges and a low profile. This is perhaps one of the lowest mice on sale. 
But recently, I finally got tired of the old Logitech mouse because it sometimes worked intermittently, with delays when moving the cursor, especially when simultaneously performing a Time Machine backup to a fast network drive. Perhaps the problem was related to the mouse driver, but I didn't look into it thoroughly. In the end, I decided to buy myself an Apple Magic Mouse, for lack of a better alternative.
What can you say about the first day of use?
Firstly, mouse not at all inconvenient as it seems at first.
The speed of cursor movement can be increased by installing the free utility MagicPrefs. Actually, without MagicPrefs there is not much point in using this touch mouse.
In fact, the speed of cursor movement can be adjusted within a very wide range, and even wider than is available in the utility (by command in Terminal). But not only speed: 
You can customize the size of the touch area, mouse touch sensitivity, multi-finger touch values, gestures, and more. What turned out to be very valuable to me is that you can pick up keyboard shortcuts, as was configured on the old mouse: Command + W to close the current window/tab, and in addition - the Exposé functions, showing the desktop and locking the session.
Secondly The mouse is really low, but the edges don't seem sharp. It’s probably one thing to hold it with your hand in a store on the counter, at an acute angle to the plane, and another thing at a desk, when your elbow rests on the tabletop. What's wrong with this mouse and what's wrong with Logitech? The watch strap is much more in the way :)
Compared to the Logitech VX Nano, the Apple Magic Mouse feels more substantial. And although it is only 5.3 g heavier (104.83 g with the included AA Energizer batteries), it moves around the table with noticeably greater inertia. It has nicer runners that don't get dust, unlike the VX Nano.
Thirdly, during the computer's sleep mode, accidentally moving the mouse on the table does not bring the computer into active operation, as was the case with the VX Nano. There, it was enough to accidentally push it a millimeter, groping for the phone on the table at night, and the computer would wake up and illuminate the entire room with the bright light of the monitor. Magic Mouse will wake up the computer only if you click on it. In the same way, re-pairing with the computer occurs if the mouse is turned off.
AND fourthly, it is worth noting the scrolling. Of course, touch scrolling in a plane is much more convenient than a wheel, even with a rocker. Yes, the VX Nano had a turret wheel that can be switched to a fast rotation mode. You could spin it, and the wheel would rotate for almost a minute, flipping through a clip of pages in the PDF. But touch scrolling in the Apple Magic Mouse is made at the level, taking into account scrolling with acceleration and inertia.
Finally, I’m glad that the mouse is symmetrical; this is important for me, since I’ve been using the mouse with my left hand for several years now.
Overall, I can say that the mouse is good and comfortable, although not perfect.
Apple is famous for its ability to attract attention even to its completely insignificant (or, to put it mildly, auxiliary) products. So the hero of today's article - the Magic Mouse - is well-known even among those who are practically not interested in Apple products. What can we say about the fans, whose cries of anticipation and delight filled the forums and blogs of both America and Europe. It’s hard to imagine such a stir around a mouse from any other manufacturer, isn’t it?
However, Apple must be given its due: Steve Jobs’ team knows how to look at familiar things (such as a mobile phone or a mouse) from an unexpected angle and release on a crowded market a model that will attract attention by its appearance alone, as well as the idea behind it. the basis of the design. A few years ago, Apple thought of releasing a phone without buttons (which soon became the standard for PDAs), but now a mouse without buttons has hit the shelves of Apple stores. And immediately everyone passionately wanted it :-) But until recently it was believed that the more buttons and all kinds of levers a mouse has, the cooler it is! But Apple changed fashion again, and radically. However, fashion is fashion, and we need to figure out how objectively this product is good and (most importantly) convenient. But let's start with general information.
History of appearance
In October 2009, Apple released a number of its products, including the iMac line of desktop computers. The new iMacs have an aluminum body, 21.5-inch and 27-inch screen diagonals, Intel processors based on Nehalem architecture, and also a new wireless Magic Mouse included. You can, however, buy an old Mighty Mouse instead, which is now simply called Apple Mouse and comes in both wired and wireless versions.
Mighty Mouse appeared on the market four years ago, and during this time it managed to collect the most controversial reviews from owners. Some people praise it for the ball, which allows you to scroll not only vertically, but also horizontally, while others criticize it because the wheel gets dirty very quickly and is impossible to clean. Apple fans note a successful design in the best “Apple” traditions, while people who are more skeptical note that convenience was sacrificed for the design - the mouse does not always distinguish between right and left clicks. In general, Mighty Mouse was an ambiguous and controversial model. Some even called it a failure. And now Apple has released Magic Mouse. You can buy the new product either together with the new iMac or separately - for 3,490 rubles (this is the price of Moscow Apple resellers).
A bit much for a mouse, isn't it? Even if we make a discount on the fact that Apple products are sold here at a huge markup, the price still looks overpriced. Does Magic Mouse deserve it?
Appearance and packaging
When you first look at the device, you want to immediately exclaim: yes, it deserves it! Apple's designers did a good job making the mouse even more stylish than the Mighty Mouse. Mighty Mouse looked perfect with Apple devices of the early 2000s, Magic Mouse is already a step into the new decade. Symmetrical shape, gracefully rounded edges, low smooth rise in the center - you admire this mouse like a work of art! She is ideal for filming in a science-fiction film or in a photo shoot for a glossy magazine.
Of course, the Apple logo is also present here, but very successfully, unobtrusively - a gray apple on a white background looks like the final and necessary touch in the composition of the whole. If you turn the mouse over, you will see a laser eye, an on/off button and a cover covering the battery compartment. The mouse runs on two standard AA batteries, and one day you will have to change them. This is very simple to do: move the black lever at the bottom - and the battery compartment cover itself is removed.
This, however, is the only removable part. Like the Mighty Mouse, Apple's new mouse does not require any disassembly.
Equipment and software
Magic Mouse comes in a compact box, the lower part of which is white (the mouse is in it), and the upper part is made of transparent plastic a la glass. On the one hand, the design of the Magic Mouse itself is played up here (so the set as a whole looks very organic), and on the other hand, the box cannot help but remind us of the packaging of the iPod nano, for example. What is surprising about the package is the absence of any disks. All we will find in the box besides the mouse is a miniature booklet with operating instructions and several inserts (warranty, certificate of conformity to European standards and a table of Bluetooth standards). However, you won't have to download any drivers. Just turn on your mouse and Bluetooht on your Mac.
Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X 10.6.2 or Mac OS X 10.5.8. However, in the second case, you will still have to download a software update for the wireless mouse (since the corresponding driver in Leopard was tailored for Mighty Mouse). “What should I do if I have Windows?” - you may ask. And I will have to disappoint you: the new Apple mouse is not yet friendly with a PC running Windows. Perhaps after some time Apple will release drivers for PC, but for now Magic Mouse can only be used on a Mac.
If your software fully complies with Apple's requirements, then after establishing a Bluetooth connection between the Mac and the mouse, go to System Settings and click on Mouse. In the window that opens, you can configure all the functions of the Magic Mouse.
Everything is done very conveniently: on the left there is a window where you can tick the necessary functions, and if you hover the mouse over one or another item, then in the window on the right we will be clearly shown how this function works (so that we can decide whether we really need it ). At the top of the window, you can adjust the speed of double-clicking, moving the mouse, and scrolling. The battery charge level of the mouse is displayed at the very bottom.
Ergonomics and capabilities of Magic Mouse
Now let's move on to the most important thing - the capabilities of Magic Mouse. How innovative is the functionality of the mouse? And how convenient is it to work with these functions? Magic Mouse copes with the main function - normal cursor movement - without any problems. The accuracy of the clicks is not satisfactory, the cursor movement is soft, smooth, without jerking. The mouse works great on almost any surface and does not require any special pads (even if you carry it on your knee!).
However, even on a flat surface, the hand quickly gets tired of holding the Magic Mouse. The mouse is low and small; it is impossible to place the entire palm of your hand on it (especially for a man), so you have to keep your half-bent hand suspended all the time. It will be suitable for pianists as a training tool :-), but for those who are used to massive big mice, the Magic Mouse will not be suitable. As well as for those who like the mouse to fit comfortably in their hand. In this case, Apple sacrificed convenience for beauty.
And this extends not only to ergonomics, but also to the way the right click is carried out here. Like the Mighty Mouse, the new mouse does not have a division into right and left buttons. The entire surface of the mouse is one large button, the right part of which is responsible for the right click, and the left part for the left one (if you noted in the settings that you need to simulate the right button). However, since the position of your finger (whether it is on the right or the left) is determined by the sensor located under the transparent button plate, only one finger should be in contact with the mouse when you click. That is, if you have your index finger on the left side of the surface and your middle finger on the right, and you try to press with your middle finger, nothing will work. Magic Mouse will interpret this as a left click.
Mighty Mouse had the same problem, but I personally expected Magic Mouse to solve this problem. Still, four years have passed... But alas. And this drawback (coupled with average ergonomics) makes it almost impossible to use the Magic Mouse in computer games. Where the outcome of the entire mission can depend on a well-timed click, Magic Mouse will constantly strive to let you down.
But where Magic Mouse shows its advantages is in web surfing and working with photographs. Touch scrolling (you simply move your finger across the mouse in the direction you want to scroll) and iPhoto photo swiping (you use two fingers to move the pages of a book) take interaction with large web pages and illustrations to a new level. level of convenience. It is also possible to enlarge the screen - to do this you need to scroll while holding down the Ctrl key (or Cmd, if you make the appropriate settings). This feature will be useful for visually impaired computer users.
Prospects
After getting acquainted with Magic Mouse, the first thought that arises is the following: the idea itself is wonderful, but its potential has only been partially realized. For example, why can't you enlarge photos by spreading your fingers (like on the iPhone)? Why can't you click without pressing - just with a short touch (like on the MacBook touchpad)? Finally, why can't you use a mouse with a PC? This is completely unclear. After all, PC support would increase the number of potential Magic Mouse buyers several times! But Apple apparently has some ideas of its own in this regard. Of course, soon after the mouse was released, all sorts of homemade driver assemblies appeared on the Internet, designed to “make friends” between the Magic Mouse and Windows PC, but personally, for example, none of them were installed on Windows 7 Ultimate. And even if it were installed, it is not a fact that all functions would be operational (and that the overall stability of operation would be normal). So for PC users who want to purchase a Magic Mouse, I still recommend waiting for the official Apple drivers. Programs that extend the functionality of Magic Mouse in the Mac environment are a completely different matter. Here, first of all, it is worth mentioning the paid MouseWizard, but there are also free analogues.
These programs give the Magic Mouse additional features, such as the middle button, launching certain applications, etc. And, in my opinion, the future of Magic Mouse depends on utilities like MouseWizard. Because the opportunity to customize the mouse for yourself and, in fact, come up with ways to communicate with it yourself is very tempting. Figuratively speaking, such utilities for Magic Mouse are like App Store applications for iPhone. And without them, the device is, of course, functional, however, they take it to another level.
Conclusions
So, let's try to summarize. But first, let's list the main advantages and disadvantages of Magic Mouse.
Pros
- magnificent appearance;
- no need to install drivers (on Mac OS X 10.6.2);
- ease of working with photographs and Internet pages;
- potential opportunities for expanding functionality;
Cons
- high price;
- average ergonomics;
- lack of proprietary drivers for PC;
- on Mac only works with the latest versions of Leopard and Snow Leopard;
- Not all gestures are supported;
- right click is inconvenient.
Well, there are still significantly more minuses than pluses. Moreover, these are critical disadvantages, making the purchase of a mouse possible and justified only for Apple fans and a narrow category of users who really liked some of the capabilities of the Magic Mouse. On the other hand, if we evaluate Magic Mouse not as an ordinary “manipulator”, but as a fashionable gadget that is designed to please the eye, decorate the interior of the room and arouse the envy of guests, then the new Apple product is unlikely to have a worthy competitor.
I had a chance to twirl the Apple Magic Mouse in my hands for a short time, kindly provided by a private person smoothly slipping into Apple glamor (Ilyusha, hello). My hand has been sharpened by many years of use for the Logitech MX510 and similar shapes, and I will compare it with it.
Magic Mouse is good, bastard, not even taken out of the box - a beautiful thing, the design is laconic, I like it. However, it often happens that beauty goes against convenience. That's what happened this time too.
The first observation is that the mouse is heavy. The base seems to be made of aluminum, plus it needs to carry a battery on board. I now have a wired mouse, but the previous ones, which were without wire, also weighed quite a bit. You can get used to it.
The profile is very low, the dimensions are small. I'm used to just pressing down on the mouse with my palm and holding it a little with my fingers. Here the palm is not involved in the process; the mouse must be held with two fingers - the thumb and the ring finger. You can probably get used to it too, but I think it will take more time.
There are two buttons - one for the index and middle fingers. There is a suspicion that physically there is only one button, the pressed area is simply tracked somehow. The button area occupies 2/3 of the length, so you can hold it with different grips; there is no rigid finger-button connection.
Touch, retouch, multi-touch. Vertical scrolling works deliciously - smoothly, evenly, and you can also turn on inertia and acceleration. This, in fact, is the main feature of Magic Mouse. You can also cross your fingers anywhere, even on your “ass.” Scrolling horizontally (with two fingers left or right) was a little annoying - my index finger is more mobile than my middle finger (AKA da finga). In general, you also need to get used to it, develop it, and adapt.
And now about the sad thing, that is, about buttons again. There is no middle button. The one that hides under the wheel of normal non-magical mice. I actively use it in the browser in order to open a link in a new tab. It doesn’t seem to be required anywhere else, but in the browser I click on the wheel almost more often than on other buttons. There is also no thumb button, but I have two of them there, their usual use is to go forward/backward in the browser. In general, the Magic Mouse is not rich in buttons. However, this is the traditional Apple approach; none of them had more than 3 buttons.
They are trying to solve the problem with the lack of a middle key on the Magic Mouse. Here, for example, is MiddleClick, which allows you to assign cmd+click (which is the middle click in the browser) to a triple tap. The solution is pretty poor. On a laptop touchpad (from which this method migrated) “tapping” (stomping?) with three fingers is much easier, since there the ring finger is free from extraneous duties. But here it needs to be moved to the top panel, distracting from “transporting” the mouse across the table. It seems to me that it’s easier to press cmd on the keyboard, or right-click and select the desired item from the context menu.
There is another solution - . Judging by the picture, it’s more successful, in my opinion. Hope hasn't died yet.
All in all, the Magic Mouse is an undeniable technological achievement. The first mouse with a touch (multi-touch!) surface on the entire “back”. But in terms of ease of everyday use, it will not suit everyone, and it will take some time to get used to in any case. By the way, about habit. If you have 2+ computers, then it’s good to equip them all with the same (or similar) mice. In the case of Magic Mouse, this is even more justified, but there are no similar ones yet. But you can easily carry it with you - the rogues rejoice!
The most intriguing thing is - is my Magic Mouse flying to me from Japan now?
Apple Magic Mouse is another drug product from Apple. These are the kind of devices that you want to buy, and having bought them, you can easily come to terms with some of the nuances and begin to learn to look at some things differently. After all, you end up with a really high-quality, stylish and functional thing in your hands, it’s convenient to work with, it’s beautiful, compact, unusual and attracts the attention of other people. Take the new line of iMac, iPod Touch, iPhone, MacBook/MacBook Pro... the list can go on for a long time, but there are always exceptions. I consider Mighty Mouse to be one of these. In general, the “mighty mouse” is good, unusual, attractive in appearance, but the small and wildly inconvenient trackball has ruined the lives of many people. People did not want to vote for it with rubles, giving their personal funds for traditional, standard, but at the same time more convenient manipulators from other manufacturers. In particular, I like Logitech products.
With the release of Magic Mouse, the situation may change dramatically. Don't believe me? Then let's try to figure out together whether the new rodent from Cupertino is really a worthy replacement not only for the Mighty Mouse, but also for any other mice living with Mac users.
So, the coveted new product was in my hands. The packaging of the gadget immediately catches your eye. What can I say - this is the apogee of minimalism. The transparent plastic box is sealed with two pieces of branded tape. Inside is a plastic stand in which the mouse itself is located, glued with another strip of adhesive tape. Simple and tasteful. At the same time, nothing hangs out, does not creak, and looks great. On the back of the package there is a brief description of the mouse's capabilities, which is useful. After all, there is no scroll wheel or trackball in the device. Without knowing the specifics of the mouse, you can get confused.
Magic Mouse is absolutely symmetrical and if it weren’t for the signature apple logo on its surface, it would be difficult to determine which side to grab the rodent from.
The top covering is made of transparent glossy plastic. The white backing hides fingerprints that appear on the surface of the device during operation. In addition, the gloss looks impressive, although in this case there is a disadvantage in its presence, but we’ll talk about that later.
The lower part is completely aluminum. On the lid hiding the battery compartment there is another logo with a nibbled apple. It can be removed very easily - just slide the black lever at the bottom of the gadget. This will give you access to the batteries. The Magic Mouse has two AA Energizer batteries - they are included in the kit. There is an LED indicator above the power switch familiar from iPod players. When the mouse is turned on, it glows green.
I also want to pay attention to the plastic strips to the left and right of the battery compartment. The material used here is different from most mice - it is not as smooth, but at the same time, it seems to me, it is more resistant to wear. That is, the mouse seems to be able to be used on any surface, be it a tabletop, a sofa, or a sheet of paper, without fear of wear on the working surface of the device.
The mouse is very compact and thin, although heavy. However, its mass does not interfere with work. In the photographs below, the hero of the review is compared with the Logitech MX Revolution and MX Nano mice.
Magic Mouse has one physical button. In fact, the entire surface of the mouse is this very button, which clicks quite loudly, if not deliciously. Very similar to the clicks of the touchpad on the MacBook Unibody. It was this element of Apple laptops, only taken outside, that the new mouse reminded me of.
The product is connected to a computer via Bluetooth. In Mac OS X 10.6.2, the device was recognized without problems and started working in no time. If the gadget is installed on a PC with Mac OS X 10.5.8, then you need to download the corresponding update from the Apple website, otherwise Magic Mouse will not work.
After connecting the mouse to the MacBook Pro 990, the first thing I noticed was the very slow movement of the cursor with the rodent. No problem, I went into the mouse options and set the maximum speed. It got better, but still somehow slow. I connected the Logitech MX Nano - the cursor “flies” even at medium speed settings, then I went back to the Magic Mouse - it was unusually slow. I walked away from the computer, drank tea, talked to my son, and an hour later returned to the gadget - everything seemed to be fine with speed. It looks like it's a matter of habit. But still, for me there is no reserve of speed. I feel more or less comfortable only when the cursor movement speed is set to the maximum value in the mouse settings.
Additional options are also installed there, such as simulating the right mouse button (clicking on the right side of the mouse works like a right button), screen scale and scrolling with inertia. I really liked the scrolling with inertia, it’s a pity that this is not available in the touchpad settings. When activated, page scrolling resembles that of the iPhone, that is, the scrolling stops smoothly and not instantly. Moreover, the screen scaling occurs just as smoothly and with inertia.
As I mentioned above, the Magic Mouse resembles a MacBook touchpad placed outside. Instead of a scroll wheel or an awkward trackball, it has a touchpad. It works in the same way as a touchpad, allowing you to scroll through lists with the touch of a finger, move between photos or web pages using the so-called two-finger swipes, and zoom in on the image at the cursor location (you also need to use the keyboard - hold down the Control button). Officially, this is all that Apple allows you to do with the touchpad of the manipulator, but with the help of third-party utilities, for example, BetterTouchTool or MouseWizard 5.1, its capabilities can be expanded.
I really liked the mouse in my work - it is really convenient. However, I note that the finger does not glide very well on the glossy coating, but over time you get used to it and do not experience any inconvenience. If I owned an iMac with the “mighty” or any other mouse, I would instantly change my rodent to the Magic Mouse, even despite the insane price that local suppliers charge for it. But there's nothing you can do about it. The gadget has not yet been officially imported into the country. In addition, the effect of novelty and pre-holiday fever is triggered. As a result, while the cost in the US is about $70, in its home country it is offered for $110 or more. Although it is not a fact that official supplies will somehow change the price for the better for the consumer.
But I am the owner of a MacBook Pro, with which I have not used a mouse for a long time. I'm used to working only with the touchpad, and it's enough for me for everything, including basic image editing. Casual games are, of course, much more convenient to play with a mouse than with a touchpad. I enjoyed playing Peggle Nights and Zuma’s Revenge - the Magic Mouse performed just fine, but for games I have a large, bulky, but powerful Windows PC with an equally healthy Logitech MX Revolution mouse. But the new pointing device from Apple is not officially compatible with Windows. Of course, you can dance with a tambourine, but I don’t see the point in it. For the same serious computer games, an ordinary rodent is better suited.