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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > Mighty Mouse suffers from over-design

Mighty Mouse suffers from over-design
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steve477668
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Aug 6, 2007, 04:07 PM
 
ok, i got the new mighty mouse because now its got that 'middle wheel' that the previous mice didnt (and you can scroll side to side
But what happened to the right click? i still havent mastered it yet and as a result ive gone back to my old microsoft mouse...
i dont know anyone that can live without the right click, but why make a product that lacks in an essential feature?
     
PartialPants
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Aug 6, 2007, 04:10 PM
 
You have to turn on the right click option in the software.
     
steve477668  (op)
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Aug 6, 2007, 04:31 PM
 
yeah i did that but im kind of complaining that its not very responsive ie: my hand slips off the thing trying to squeeze out a left click
     
PartialPants
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Aug 6, 2007, 04:40 PM
 
oops. Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, my wireless Mighty Mouse feels the same way with me. That and the way it feels so low to the desk/mousepad that I'm back to using my wired Logitech mouse :-(
     
lpkmckenna
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Aug 6, 2007, 04:56 PM
 
If you want to right-click, you need to lift your left-click finger right off the mouse surface. If both fingers are touching the mouse, it will register a left-click.

Yeah, it sucks.
     
steve477668  (op)
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Aug 6, 2007, 08:58 PM
 
yeah lol ive tryed every technique apart from jumping on it....
no i gave it fair chance....
     
EndlessMac
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Aug 6, 2007, 10:24 PM
 
I also stopped using the new Mighty Mouse because of the horrible right-click feature. I have to press the right side in a specific way which makes a quick right-click almost impossible, so I just ended up going back to my two button Logitech mouse with a scroll wheel.

Apple seems to remain stubborn about the right-click mouse feature. Instead of making this hybrid mouse they should just accept the fact that a two button mouse is a useful feature and physically make two buttons. Apple shouldn't be different for the sake of being different. PCs do have some useful features.

One of the two common complaints I hear from PC users is that Macs are expensive and they miss the two button mouse. Both of which aren't as true as they once were but since PC and new Mac users only see a one button mouse they assume there is no right-click feature especially on laptops where many people don't even use an external mouse. It would be nice to also have two buttons on my laptop too. I do really like the side scrolling feature of the Mighty Mouse but that alone can not save it from the right-click feature because I use that a lot more.
     
tintin220
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Aug 6, 2007, 10:39 PM
 
Personally, I've never liked the Mighty Mouse. It's pretty but somewhat feature-poor and to add to that, the scroll well broke (scrolling up doesnt work) so basically, the only thing I liked about it doesn't work. :/

Well, that's why I love my S530...
♥ PowerBook G4 1.67 15" / Silver 2G iPod Nano
     
peeb
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Aug 6, 2007, 11:18 PM
 
Yep. Apple just needs to move on. My favorite mouse is a ten dollar Logitech. Two buttons and a scroll wheel.
     
Kenneth
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Aug 7, 2007, 12:53 AM
 
That's weird. I ditched my $20 Logitech wheel mouse for the mighty mouse. I do agree that the mighty mouse doesn't response to the right-click or scrolling from time to time, but I like the shape.
     
Veltliner
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Aug 7, 2007, 02:19 AM
 
I also like the mighty mouse in general.

I just disabled the two botton press. When you work in graphics software and move the mouse a lot to sliders and curves, you always fall out of the application and get the orange screen, because you naturally apply pressure to the sides of the mouse.

The sometimes sticking trackball is another downside, and cleaning has not always instant success.

Yes, right and left clicking is a pain and not quite possible on this mouse for ergonomic reasons.

So what's there left to like?

It's kind of cute, and if you don't use the right/left click feature, it's a nice mouse. I just wouldn't call it "mighty".
     
Brien
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Aug 7, 2007, 03:24 AM
 
Originally Posted by EndlessMac View Post
I also stopped using the new Mighty Mouse because of the horrible right-click feature. I have to press the right side in a specific way which makes a quick right-click almost impossible, so I just ended up going back to my two button Logitech mouse with a scroll wheel.

Apple seems to remain stubborn about the right-click mouse feature. Instead of making this hybrid mouse they should just accept the fact that a two button mouse is a useful feature and physically make two buttons. Apple shouldn't be different for the sake of being different. PCs do have some useful features.

One of the two common complaints I hear from PC users is that Macs are expensive and they miss the two button mouse. Both of which aren't as true as they once were but since PC and new Mac users only see a one button mouse they assume there is no right-click feature especially on laptops where many people don't even use an external mouse. It would be nice to also have two buttons on my laptop too. I do really like the side scrolling feature of the Mighty Mouse but that alone can not save it from the right-click feature because I use that a lot more.
Yes, but the whole finger+click on the newer notebooks is rather nifty. I think I like it better than having two actual trackpad buttons.
     
DarkStarRed
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Aug 7, 2007, 07:46 AM
 
Strange I hold the MM with my thumb & ring-finger on the "squeeze button's" my index-finger on the wheel & middle-finger on the right-click.. leaving my little finger to rest on the table! So I can Right-click & Scroll quickly & easily moving my Index-finger to left-click when I need.. this is comfortable and the MM is very responsive. So you have Scroll & Middle-click, Left & Right-click and the forth-click or "Squeeze"
     
steve477668  (op)
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Aug 7, 2007, 10:26 AM
 
...And it doesent squeek when squeezed! .... we were promised that

personally i would like to see a nintendo wii-like mouse, just think of what you could do with something like that...
     
besson3c
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Aug 7, 2007, 10:38 AM
 
I've never found Apple's mice to be ergonomic. My wrist prefers a curved mouse shape.
     
GORDYmac
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Aug 7, 2007, 12:49 PM
 
I finally gave up and went back to my Kensington StudioMouse...$50 wasted. MM is a novel concept, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
     
auxlepli
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Aug 7, 2007, 03:50 PM
 
Mine works fine. I love it, and was thinking about buying a wireless one.
My only complaint is that I squeeze it from time to time and all my windows expose.
     
wulf
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Aug 17, 2007, 11:23 AM
 
I think the thing about the Mighty Mouse is it works well, if you hold, or use, your mouse in a particular way. If you don't happen to fall in that camp, then it sucks and will never feel ergonomic.

Keeping the 'single' button while allowing right-clicks was a design solution for Apple because they didn't want to give up the simplicity of the single button mouse for new users. So, unconfigured it is a one-button mouse, but you have the option of a right-click if you want it. I know everyone here thinks you'd have to be a complete idiot not to understand right-clicking, but there are many less adept users who just cannot get the hang of it.

Personally, I love the Mighty Mouse. I'm an FCP editor and I find the side-scrolling wheel invaluable for navigating the timeline but I do have to keep the side buttons switched off or all hell breaks loose when I'm doing any really intense mousing, as they're where my thumb and ring finger naturally rest.

The right-click isn't a problem for me; it must be that I naturally lift my left finger slightly when right-clicking. But I have a friend who cannot use the MM simply because of this, he doesn't tend to lift his left finger and so right-clicking almost never works for him.

I guess the moral is try before you buy. It's not for everyone, but for some people it can work very well. Luckily there are lots of alternatives available so people can find the mouse that suits them best.
     
auxlepli
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Aug 17, 2007, 11:59 AM
 
I don't understand all the hatred toward the Mighty Mouse. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I love mine and think it works really, really well. I bought mine like within a day or two of Apple selling it. One of these days I might even buy a Bluetooth one.
     
EndlessMac
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Aug 17, 2007, 12:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by wulf View Post
Keeping the 'single' button while allowing right-clicks was a design solution for Apple because they didn't want to give up the simplicity of the single button mouse for new users. So, unconfigured it is a one-button mouse, but you have the option of a right-click if you want it. I know everyone here thinks you'd have to be a complete idiot not to understand right-clicking, but there are many less adept users who just cannot get the hang of it.
The only new users Apple will get are from PCs so most of them are used to right-clicking. I don't doubt there are people who never understood right-clicking but they don't have to use it like they don't on PCs. On both PCs and Macs you don't have to right-click in order to use your computer. It's more of a convenience than a necessity.

Having two buttons is that way to go in my opinion because with two buttons you can choose to ignore the second button but with only one button you can't use the right-click feature. I've heard more PC users complain about the lack of a second button compared to the people who don't understand what the second button is used for so I don't believe these people are the majority. As I have mentioned above that's been a major complaint from PC users so I don't know how wise it is for Apple to stay with this one button philosophy.
     
lpkmckenna
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Aug 17, 2007, 12:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by auxlepli View Post
I don't understand all the hatred toward the Mighty Mouse. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I love mine and think it works really, really well. I bought mine like within a day or two of Apple selling it. One of these days I might even buy a Bluetooth one.
The most common complaint: the scroll ball gets clogged but can't be easily cleaned.

Another common complaint: the "squeeze" buttons are flaky.

I think the MM is almost genius, but the software implementation is too limited. I would have allowed that clicking with both fingers resting on the top was a normal click, right-finger only click was the same as right-click, and left-finger only click could do something else (like the app-switcher).

I also would have allowed left+scroll clicking, right+scroll clicking, and left+scroll+right clicking for even more options.

Also, I would have allowed the squeeze buttons to activate the "hot corners," which would otherwise be disabled (because they're too easy to activate accidentally). That way, the user could click'n'drag, squeeze, and then hit a hot-corner for a choice of four different actions. Thus, you could drag your file into any obscured window, into the Dashboard, into another Space (with Leopard), and so on.

I hope the rumors of a "multi-touch" mouse are true. Of course, I stopped using mice altogether because of the scrolling trackpad. It would take a revolutionary mouse to get me to go back, and the MM isn't it.
     
   
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