AppleInsider | Review: Apple Mighty Mouse

Apple Mighty Mouse

August 3, 2005 EST
By AppleInsider Staff

Company:
Apple Computer

Web site
www.Apple.com

Price:
Apple Mighty Mouse
US $49.00

So we've been toying with Apple's new Mighty Mouse for about a day now. Being on the east coast this Tuesday, we were lucky enough to be one of the first to grab one of these puppies, long before Apple's retail stores opened in California.

Packaging and Basics

Each Mighty Mouse comes packaged in a square black and white box, which flips open like the cardboard housing of a New York style cheesecake. Compared to the AirPort Express or iPod, the Mighty Mouse packaging materials are far less enchanting. Inside the box, a warranty pamphlet, software CD and user guide lay loosely atop the Mighty Mouse, which itself is nestled within a grey egg-crate of its own size and shape. No other items are contained inside.

On the outside of the box is a small sticker indicating that the Mighty Mouse was designed by Apple in California and manufactured in Malaysia. System requirements are also pasted on the box, seemingly in last minute fashion. There may be a reason for that:

According to our sources, Mighty Mouse (developed under the code-name 'Houdini') was originally due to ship alongside Tiger in late April but was held back for additional quality assurance measures. It's compatible with Macs running any version of Mac OS X that have a USB 1.1 or 2.0 port, but requires Mac OS X 10.4.2 to unlock its full array of programable options. The mouse is also compatible with Windows 2000 or XP.

On practically all Mac OS X systems, the Mighty Mouse will act as a multibutton scrolling mouse straight out of the box. If you're running Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.4.1, you'll be able to assign primary and secondary mouse buttons, and set a button to activate Expose. Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.4.1 users can also display the Dashboard.

Mighty Mouse Software and Preferences

If your Mac OS X is up-to-date at version 10.4.2, Apple recommends that you install the software included on the Mighty Mouse Software Disc. (Users of previous versions of the Mac OS X are advised against running the install.) Once the Mighty Mouse software has been installed, which for some reason required a whopping 150-someodd megabytes of space on our 15-inch PowerBook, Mac OS X 10.4.2 users will gain additional access to enable or disable scrolling, and launch and switch between applications.

After whisking through the Mighty Mouse software installation and a quick system restart, you'll want to launch the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane in the system preference panel to perform your customization. There you'll find drop down menus that let you customize all four of Mighty Mouse's buttons: left, right, side, and scroll ball.

The left and right mouse buttons may be consolidated into one, interchanged, or programmed to launch any specific application on your hard drive. They may also be programmed to activate Expose, Dashboard, Spotlight or the Application Switcher.

With the exception of being designated as either the primary or secondary mouse button, the scroll ball (which also acts as a button when pressed) can perform all the functions of the left and right buttons, or act as a third mouse button. Similarly, the side buttons, which are activated by squeezing the Mighty Mouse, can perform the same functions as the scroll ball or act as a fourth mouse button. (You can also disable the scroll and side buttons if you'd like.)

Impressions

The Mighty Mouse is exactly the same size and shape as the Apple Pro mouse, which we found to be abnormally large by today's standards. If you've been using a smaller or mini mouse, you may find the feel of the Mighty Mouse uncomfortable at first.

For the most part, the Mighty Mouse does an awesome job of distinguishing between single, left and right mouse clicks. In fact, we have yet to run into a problem in this department. However, the way Apple positioned the side buttons made it almost impossible for us to trigger them without readjusting the placement of our hand on the mouse. This major inconvenience is a result of the side buttons being placed too far up on the device.

Of course you could address the side button issue by altering the way you hold the mouse, but that may throw off the positioning of your finger on the scroll ball -- arguably the best part of the Mighty Mouse. In short, the scroll ball is phenomenal. We couldn't get enough of it and will likely learn to deal with the mouse's shortcomings in order to continue using its scroll ball feature.

The scroll ball is soft, smooth, and natural feeling. It's also very responsive, allowing you to scroll line by line, page by page, horizontally, diagonally, or practically in any direction or fashion you wish. Because the scroll ball is so tiny, it allows you to cover more surface area with a single scroll than most scroll-wheel enabled mice. (We're not sure how we'll be able to clean the scroll ball when it becomes dirty, as there appears to be no safe way to open the Mighty Mouse.)

We also found the Mighty Mouse's 29-inch USB cord to be adequate, but for most people that will depend on your computer and setup. The fact that Mighty Mouse sports a cord at all -- and is not a Bluetooth wireless mouse -- has already drawn some complaints from Apple enthusiasts. Call us crazy, but we found this to be a positive. Apple's current wireless mouse requires a set of AA batteries, which make it darn heavy and, in our opinion, a pain in the neck when you need to move at an extremely fast pace. By contrast, keeping the Mighty Mouse corded has left it very light and easily maneuvered.

Conclusion

Overall, the Mighty Mouse is a pretty impressive gadget that you'll most definitely want to try at some point. If Apple shrunk Mighty Mouse in size, even slightly, we'd call it a "must have." Perhaps the greatest feature of the device (other than the scroll ball) is that it allows you to activate Expose or Dashboard without paying attention to positioning the mouse pointer on the screen or reaching for the keyboard.

So should you run out and grab one right now? It really depends on your budget. If you've been saving for precisely the right new mouse and can't afford to be unhappy with your initial selection, we suggest taking a stroll down to your local Apple store and first taking one for a test drive. That way you'll know for sure whether you like the feel (and size) of the mouse. On the other hand, if the Mighty Mouse interests you and you have the 50 bucks, pick one up. Even if you decide not to use it as your primary mouse, you'll easily find someone who will.

Where to Buy

You can order a Mighty Mouse from Amazon.com through these links for just $46.99, where your purchase will help support AppleInsider. You can also pick one up at your local Apple retail store or the Apple online store.

Extras: You can use these links to view a version of Apple's Mighty Mouse press release and some early photos of the device. Additionally, there is ongoing discussion of the Mighty Mouse taking place on the AppleInsider Forums.

Pros: Lightweight, precise, and easy to use. Saves time. Fantastic scroll ball feature. Simple install. It's made by Apple.

Cons: The overall size of the mouse is a bit large. Side buttons poorly positioned. No apparent way to open and clean mouse if scroll ball becomes dirty.

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