What mouse do you use with OS X?

[griffman]

How about it? Apple keeps insisting that we only need one button, but I imagine many of us have made our own decisions. So what's your standard setup?

[Craig R. Arko]

Only under duress will I use a 1 button mouse on an OS X system. :)

[WillyT]

I need all three buttons with XWindows. I have 5 but the back and forward buttons don't do anything for me YET.

A 3 button wheel mouse is all I need with IE. Can't live without the wheel.

[robh]

I use a Logitech 2 button + wheel optical mouse.

It works (with compatible software) without the need to install drivers.

The scrollwheel is highly recommended. It's a great aid to navigating long web pages.

[AHunter3]

Apple ADB Mouse II

[rusto]

Kensington Turbo Mouse - don't know why they call it a "mouse" as it is a 4 button track ball.

Been using it or it's predecessor since '95...much less wrist strain to me.

[xchanyazy]

I use a cordless optical 3 button/scroll wheel logitech mouse. I really wish logitech would release drivers for it, I miss my 3rd button (thumb button) being "click and hold".

[dbhill]

Very very happy with MacAlly two-button wheel mouse.

~Dennis

[Phil St. Romain]

Logitech 2 button/scroll wheel.

It works very well, and when I have to use another Mac with only one button, I miss the added features.

[Andrew LaGow]

I use many input devices. Most of the time I use my Apple Pro 1-button. It's just so exquisitely beautiful I can't part with it for any length of time. However, on occasion I switch to my Wacom Graphire tablet, which has both a stylus and two-button mouse with a scroll wheel. I only really use the mouse for web browsing. The stylus I use for Photoshop almost exclusivley.

I'll tell ya, though, I really miss my old ADB Kensington Thinking Mouse. Four programmable buttons, great software. Best mouse I ever had.

Andy

[level9]

Same here, Pro mouse (haven't tried gaming with it yet, though) and a 12x12 Wacom. You should try UT with the tablet, awesome!
(kidding)

[peepster]

I used to only use my iBook trackpad (I notice there's no option for that!) but I got an Apple Pro Mouse the other day which I use with my left hand as the cable doesn't reach the right side!

[JayBee]

How annoying can using a mouse with the iBook be?

I've got an old graphite iBook, and the only mouse I could afford is for a pro keyboard. Great, but the cable only reaches a usable position on the right when the cable goes over the keyboard... tucking it tight behind the machine gives JUST enough play to use the mouse, but I'm sick of getting hit by the cd tray every time I accidentaly hit the eject button

MUCH happier with my new G4!! ;)

[saint.duo]

I used to use a kensington ADB orbit, but the final version of the MouseWorks software for X made the programmability of that one die in X.

So, i'm now using a Logitech optical trackball with two buttons and a wheel, which most X apps support quite nicely.

[stevetech]

I'm currently using an Explorer Trackball from Micro$oft on my Cube. If you are using a multi button mouse under OS X check out USB Overdrive X. It returns functionality to the buttons that OS X doesn't support.

-Steve

[spodie]

I use three different mice in OS X. First and foremost is my faithful Kensington Thinking Mouse. I have three of these - two of which I keep for backup purposes. This is the best mouse ever made...rubber side grips and four buttons on TOP of the mouse so they can be operated with just 2 fingers, keeping your thumb and other 2 fingers free for moving the mouse. Absolutely awesome! :D

My second mouse is a Razer Boomslang 2000, which is just killer to use in games. Rubber sides, four buttons, and a scroll wheel make this mouse a deadly piece of hardware. My only complaint is that the main button sometimes produces 2 clicks instead of one.

The third mouse I use is a Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical. Have had it for two weeks and am slowly falling in love with it.

Some of my friends say I am obsessive about my input devices. I tell them that if I am going to spend my day with one hand wrapped around a mouse, it better feel great and work even better!

[Electric Sheep]

It's multi-button (5 actually)
It's chord-able (button-combos)
It's got a scroll wheel (handy for web surfing)
It's Optical (no more dirty mouse balls :D )
It's silver/grahite (matches my G4)
It's got OS X native drivers (absolute necessity)
It's NOT a Microsoft product (thank goodness)

What's not to love?

[rezba]

It's a big-precise-fast ball, with 4 buttons and a scroll.
BUT : Kensington still don't develop a good driver for trackball under X.
I can't make set for differents apps, I can't set fine-graduate-acceleration.
BUT : it is so much reactive compare to the apple mouse pro !

[BurghFan]

I use the Apple Pro Mouse with three different machines; DP/G4, 600 iMac, and a Lombard/333. I somehow ended up with an extra Apple Pro Mouse, so now I'm thinking about using the extra mouse on my desktop machine, so that the left side is covered :D.

[DSHwrd]

Wow! You took the words right out of my mouth! I have the same mouse, and I have to admit, the $30 I spent on it was the best money I've EVER spent on a computer add-on(Besides my 512MB of Ram). My dad had an iMac too, and going home during christmas and using it(With his Apple Pro Mouse) was so frustrating.

I couldn't live without a three button mouse.


Originally posted by Electric Sheep
It's multi-button (5 actually)
It's chord-able (button-combos)
It's got a scroll wheel (handy for web surfing)
It's Optical (no more dirty mouse balls :D )
It's silver/grahite (matches my G4)
It's got OS X native drivers (absolute necessity)
It's NOT a Microsoft product (thank goodness)

What's not to love?

[pubtech]

You all might think this weird, but I'm partial to the MacAlly iOptiJr. It's a pretty small two-button mouse with scroll wheel, takes up very little desktop space and works fine on a white formica surface. MacAlly has mixed reputation in our office, but the little fella has treated me fine for a year or more. Also works very well with iBooks, again beacuse of the small footprint and the long USB cable.

Also have fine experience with the two-button Logitech wheel mouse. Built stronger than most mice.

If only Kensington would make a USB version of the four-button trackball with the same heft as the old ADB one. Tried the new one, but it was flimsy and didn't seem to track properly--need the pool ball weight to get it right. Ah well.

[jdsmith575]

The puck! I'll use it till I die, or it dies.

[Peganthyrus]

Kensington 'Mouseworks'.

Four buttons, scroll wheel, and a very different shape than most mice - once you get used to the different hand position it's built for, it's a LOT more comfortable than the usual parallel-to-the-desk position every other mouse is designed around.

[TommyWillB]

I have to admit that I've become adicted to the scroll wheel on my MS Mouse at work... and I really miss my old Logitech 3 button ADB mouse, but there was no easy way to use it on my new G4.

I'd buy another multibutton mouse if I could find one that was comfortable... but I have not looked hard enough.

[gowrann]

Makes even more sense in OSX!!

[babertocci]

Originally posted by jdsmith575
The puck! I'll use it till I die, or it dies.

If the puck were an animal, it would be shot to be put out of its misery.

I use my wonderful Apple Pro mouse. There are sometimes that I would like a wheel, but having never used one extensively I guess I don't have any reason to miss it.

The trackpad on the TiBook is the best trackpad I have ever used, but in the end it's still a trackpad and can't compare to a real mouse.

[TommyWillB]

Originally posted by gowrann
Makes even more sense in OSX!! Part of the reason I've been holding offis because the Logitech Web site (http://www.logitech.com/cf/support/30.cfm#software) says this:By simply connecting your Logitech USB pointing device to a Mac OS X system, you will automatically have basic point and click functionality. We are currently in the process of writing software for OS X that will allow you to take full advantage of all the features of your device. (empahasis added)

This gives the impression the neither the scroll wheel nor the 2nd button would work. Is that not the case? (If it does more than that, they should say so because I'd just go ahead and buy one...)

So which "basic" features work under OS X and which are waiting for drivers? Which programs support the scroll wheel?

Which mouse are you referring to specifically?

Lastly, thier document on cordless devices (http://www.logitech.com/lang/global/promo_images/cordless.pdf) clearly states the bluetooth is coming. With the recent announcement by Apple of Bluetooth support, should I just wait for that if I want a coordless mouse? (Will the freequencies compete?)

[xchanyazy]

Using USB Overdrive, I have full functionality of my Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical. Without it, the scroll wheel worked in cocoa apps, and the 2nd mouse button worked everywhere (possibly with the exception of classic, can't remember). The thumb button worked in the finder as a regular click, but was basically useless.

Don't know about bluetooth, but you might want to wait just in case prices drop for the non-bluetooth cordlesses :)

[zs]

Everything works like xchanyazy states above. I bought it a while ago at a store that only had that mouse and was the only store in town that sold anything for Macs. I needed more buttons to play Deus Ex, man! It was hard switching over because the Apple Pro mouse is such a beautiful piece of hardware, but I needed, you know… more buttons <slapping inner arm>. I sold the Apple to my roommate who bought a TiBook. It works wonderfully well on carpet, I might add.

The Logitech control panel used in OS 9 is pretty unimpressive, so I don't expect much when they finally make it work for OS X (will they ever?). That is enough of a reason not to buy anything from them. Anyway, WTF is up with The Logitech WebWheel™?! Does anybody enjoy using this? My dad has that set to the middle click on his machine, so when I accidently click the scroll wheel (which is very sensitive on the model he has) the silly thing pops up and makes me very ANGRY! </rant>

If I wasn't such a junkie, I would have ordered a Kensington and waited.

Now I am longing for my old 4 button Kensington as others have also expressed. That mouse was simply the best mouse I have ever used. And the software rocks, too. But I had to get a USB Mac and buying an adapter was out of the question.

Former Kensington 4 button users: Did you take pleasure in watching your computer illiterate friends fumble with the lower two buttons? I know I did.:D

Look at what this site is doing to me. Now I have to go buy an optical mouse in a box.

[TommyWillB]

Originally posted by xchanyazy
Using USB Overdrive, I have full functionality of my Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical. Without it, the scroll wheel worked in cocoa apps, and the 2nd mouse button worked everywhere (possibly with the exception of classic, can't remember). The thumb button worked in the finder as a regular click, but was basically useless.

Don't know about bluetooth, but you might want to wait just in case prices drop for the non-bluetooth cordlesses :) What is USB Overdrive?

[xchanyazy]

http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=13443&db=mac

[gowrann]

TommyWillB
Part of the reason I've been holding offis because the Logitech Web site says this:


By simply connecting your Logitech USB pointing device to a Mac OS X system, you will automatically have basic point and click functionality. We are currently in the process of writing software for OS X that will allow you to take full advantage of all the features of your device. (empahasis added)


This gives the impression the neither the scroll wheel nor the 2nd button would work. Is that not the case? (If it does more than that, they should say so because I'd just go ahead and buy one...)

Which mouse are you referring to specifically?


I didn't even know logitech were making drivers for it, I just plugged it in and it works 2nd button and scroll wheel, no problems at all.

It is a M-UB48, I remember they had drivers for OS9 which could change the function of the wheel and 2nd button - this is probably what they are referring to for OSX...but I can't really see a need.

[Welles Goodrich]

I use an Intellimouse Optical with all the buttons configured for different uses in different apps, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and browsing. OSX was driving me nuts as I'm a leftie and the default drivers for multi-button mice are for righties. USB Overdrive took me one huge step closer to having OSX my primary boot partition. The latest version is still called a beta but is full featured enough and stable enough to be a final release in my experience.

[icenw]

i use my orange iBooks trackpad, or if i'm playing a game, such as starcraft i use the microsoft explorer optical mouse from my winbox (ewww)


On my G3 tower i use the puck, still gives good service, and just won't die (i have try'd killing it, such as putting sand in with the ball)

[Laura B]

I use an Apple Pro 1-button mouse, which I like for its size and elegant styling. But I'd leap to a 2-button mouse with scroll wheel in a heartbeat if I had any idea which might be closest in size to the Apple mouse. For the size of my hand, some of the others simply seem too big. Any suggestions?

P.S. I'll likely ditch the Apple mouse soon, anyway. Its behavior has grown sluggish, inconsistent and erratic when trying to land on anything like an icon or URL. I'm just not sure yet whether that's actually the mouse or OS X 10.1.3. People on other forums have apparently experienced the same annoying behavior, but I don't know what kind of mouse they use.

[durandal64]

I use a Microsoft Optical mouse (4 buttons plus a scroll wheel). Excellent mouse. The hardware is sound. It's the software I have problems with. Consider my dilemma.

Without installing the IntelliPoint drivers, I can only use 2 of the 4 buttons and scroll wheel use isn't controlled. However, whenever I play Quake 3 Arena or WolfMPTest, upon quitting, my mouse tracking reverts to ultra-slow, so I have to reset it and use third party prefpanes to get the mouse speed fast enough for me. This bug that causes OS X to forget mouse tracking settings is extremely annoying.

When I do install the drivers, I get a nice, comfortable tracking speed that doesn't get shut off when I exit Quake 3 or Wolf, as well as control over my other buttons, although I don't use them all that much. However, Quake 3 and Wolf no longer recognize any of my extra buttons, just the main 2 and the wheel. This sucks, since I use the wheel as a button for my reload (you can press down on the scroll wheel).

[AshBunny]

I have a Sony MSAC-US5

It's two button, optical, with a middle scroll wheel.
It also has a built-in Memory Stick reader, which is the reason I tried it on the Mac in the first place (i have a memory stick camera..)

The "wheel" is in fact a button which can be moved up or down for
scrolling, rather than a rotating wheel as such. The push-down button part of the scroll wheel doesn't do anything different than the usual left-click.

The right click pulls up menus, etc, in OS-X (but not in OS9)

There are no Mac drivers for this mouse, and yet it works great. The memory sticks are mounted on the desktop, both in OS-X and OS9.

--
Ash

[macubergeek]

I miss my sun box style mouse on my mac!
three buttons.
left one copies
middle one pastes

Can anyone suggest a work-alike for my new iMac :)

[xchanyazy]

Man, I love only having to select text to copy it - definitly on my wish list for X. You can use USB Overdrive (usboverdrive.com, I believe) to set your middle button to paste (command-v), but I haven't seen a good way to copy text.

[bahamutX]

nothing beats the APPLE OPTICAL MOUSE !!!!!!

[macubergeek]

I agree the Apple optical mouse is nice....but still dosn't give me that copy and paste love action:D

[TommyWillB]

I was in my local computer store (Not an Apple Store), and there was the Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical sitting there... So I grabbed it as an impulse buy.

I have to say I like it a lot better than my Apple Optical... This is not something that I sit and say to myself "this is great". Instead this mouse just works and does not exhibit any of the weird oddities of the Apple mouse.

Now all I have to do is to break myself of the habbit of using the contol key in conjunction with the right-mouse button that does the same thing. :)

[Marcwic]

I use the MS Intelimouse Explorer. Much better than the ugly apple pro. OK it's a nice design but not very nice to use, it's hard to know when your're clicking!

Still, it's a lot better than those rubbish ones that came with the original iMacs! My college still use them :o

[djn1]

Logitech Trackman cordless configured with USB Overdrive. A quick tip - if you map the wheel-click to the enter key you can scroll contextual menus with the wheel then click the wheel to make the selection - very useful :D

PS - don't try the beta Logitech software if you have a Logitech device, it really is worse than useless.

[bigmamma3]

i bought the Kensington Expert Mouse Pro because of the extra 6 buttons but I think the old Turbo mouse was better. The Expert Mouse Pro is too big for my hand.

[JohnB]

I use the Kensington 4 button track ball with OS X.
JohnB

[AdmiralAK]

I use an optical mouse, kensington to be precise. It's a five button one, one of them is a scroll wheel model :)

It rocks :D

[echo]

Kensington TurboBall

Since I started using one, I can't imagine how one would prefer a mouse over a trackball.

[nkuvu]

Originally posted by echo
Kensington TurboBall

Since I started using one, I can't imagine how one would prefer a mouse over a trackball.
I liked my Kensington trackball (I used the TurboRing as well) but I hated how often I had to clean the rollers. It seemed that I had to clean them daily. Kensington doesn't make (and doesn't have any plans to make) optical trackballs, so at work I use a Logitech Trackman (trackball, two buttons, scroll wheel, optical).

At home I'm boring and use the one button Pro mouse.

[fireproof]

Originally posted by dbhill
Very very happy with MacAlly two-button wheel mouse.

~Dennis

As am I - I've bought one for work and one for home. Even in Xwindows I prefer to work with two buttons; more than that tends to confuse the issue, I think.

[phidauex]

I use a 3 button + mousewheel Logitech wireless mouse (and their wireless keyboard).

Everything except the thumb button worked out of the box. I used USB Overdrive to activate the thumb button at first, but now Logitech has native OS X drivers! They work great, and are well programed. They work with any logitech wireless devices (keyboards, mice, trackballs, etc). The drivers are very well done, very slick, aqua-y in look and feel as well as in operation. It properly detected the exact model of keyboard and mouse, and let me choose model specific preferences. Very cool.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?languageid=1&countryid=19&page=downloads/software&CRID=320&contentid=5055&OSID=9

Thats the link, for all you logitech users.

peace,
phidauex

[gmleeii]

All I use is that flat surface between the keys and the button on my 266mHz powerbook. Between that and the arrow keys and the keyboard shortcuts who needs a mouse.

[filarion]

I´m using the compact Logitech Mouseman Traveler mouse. It´s small, comes with a pouch and complements a Powerbook really well. It uses Logitech´s 2x Optical technology too, so its accuracy is great.

[macubergeek]

Hey I see the ad for this Mouseman at Bestbuy but it dosn't mention if it supports MacosX. Where did you buy yours? From Logitech and did it come with the MacosX driver(s)?

[filarion]

There´s OSX beta drivers that work very decently on Logitech´s website. Very good value, this Mouseman.

[9KILLER]

For the first 24 months that I've used my sawtooth at work (which includes the first 8 or so months of OS X), I used a microsoft opitcal 2+scroll mouse. It was so tall, though, that my hand would constantly ache right through the center of my palm. Then, one day while rummaging through a cabinet at work, I found a USB mouse-in-a-box ball mouse. It was shaped like mac mice were supposed to be shaped. I tried it and fell in love. My only complaint was that it was a ball mouse instead of optical, but it still wasn't enough to keep it from replacing that Microsoft mouse. I've been using it for a few months, now, and would never willingly give it up.

At home I do still use my 5-button MS mouse (it was $15, and it had more buttons than the "pro" mouse that shipped with my Cube). But I've disabled the extra two "side" buttons.

On our OS X AFP/FTP/HTTP server at work (Beige G3 266 10.1.5) I have a Kensington ADB "Turbo Mouse" track ball, which I love dearly. It's ideal because it saves space, and we've stuffed that server off into a small corner. Plus, it's just cool to use. I feel like a real power-user when I'm on that machine, now. :)

[Phil St. Romain]

Welcome 9killer! Good to have you join us. We were on a thread together at Macfixit's Mac OS X Talk. I noted your departure, which is their loss but our gain. :)

Perhaps this thread (http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2430) here might be of interest to you.

Phil

[below]

Now that I finally have no more Winodows machines in my home, I found my peace with Microsoft and am a quite happy user of the wireless intellisense explorer mouse. While I used to be a die-hard "one mouse, one man, one button" fanatic, I would not want to miss the advantages of more buttons, scrollwheel and cordlessness of the microsoft mouse.

Alex

[Cadre]

Ahh, there is no option for three button + scroll pad... :cool:

Seriously though, Kensingon's Studio Mouse is a really good replacement for Apple's default mouse. The scroll pad is very nice, the pad has a lot of friction at first, but it breaks-in nicely after a couple days. That and Kensington's software is great.

[DavidRavenMoon]

I use a MS Intellimouse Optical, with USB Overdrive.

I use the forward and back buttons in web browsers and the Finder, as foward and back, and use them as copy and paste in everything else.

I use the mouse wheel button to open a new tab in Mozilla.

[G4Man]

I'm with Phil and robh: Logitech two-button with scroll wheel. Someone on the forums here suggested it would work with no added drivers, they were absolutely correct. I would not willingly go back to a single button mouse.

[Treavize]

I just bought the Logitech Optical WheelMouse. It works great. The flashes of red light that pore out of the translucent sides of the mouse are distracting and anoying. Can I paint the sides of the mouse to block the red glare? It looks so ugly compared to my Apple Pro mouse ( which seems to be broken). I wish Apple or someone would make a two button wheel mose that is as nice as the Apple Pro. how about a bottonless two button mouse with a small trckpad to replace the scroll wheel.

[logo]

To all owners of Logitech Optical 2 Button + Wheel Mouse:

Mine is crashing IE 5.2 in Jaguar whenever right-clicking a link! :(

Anyone else experienced this?

This happens without any additional drivers, with the newest logitech control center, with USB Overdrive.

This said, it works fine everywhere else, without any extra drivers needed....

[G4Man]

Sorry logo, no help from here. I'm still running 10.1.2 - which puts me in the Neolithic of OS X updates. Rather than a mouse driver update are you sure you don't need an IE update of some sort? Just guessing here...

To Treavize: I don't see why you couldn't block out the sides of the Logitech optical mouse with paint or tape or something. Since reading your post I've been playing with mine a bit to see what keys the mouse to light up. Appears to be responding only to movement, not to reflected light off a hand grasping it. I agree it's not as stylish as the Apple mouse, but it's more comfortable in my hand and I really like the ability to "right click". THE most comfortable mouse I've handled is actually a (gasp!) Microsoft scroll wheel mouse. the domed shape relaxes my hand when I'm using it. But I already had bought the Logitech, and it works well enough.

[logo]

G4Man. I'm running the newest version of IE, guess the one with Jaguar is the newest.

That's what is giving me a hard time to figure it out, so I thought I'd ask here!

[T_Rex123]

The Graphire works well with OS X, and it does include a two-button/scrollwheel mouse. With pressure sensitivity I love to use a stylus and tablet with Photoshop and Illustrator, etc.

tim

[logo]

Sorry for closing my problem late:

The IE Crash bug with jaguar 10.2 and the optical mouse man stems from the Zingg Contextual Menu Item.

See also:
http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5250

[El Jordo]

Apple Pro Mouse, black version. I'd love a scroll wheel and another button, but I make do.

[DougAdams]

Best $20 bucks I've spent in a while. And if I whack it too hard in frustration, I just run around the corner to Staples and buy another one or three!

The scrollwheel is highly recommended. It's a great aid to navigating long web pages.

...like this one!

[trafalger]

For my PBG4, I like to use the PocketMouse Pro. A nice little two-button with scroll wheel, and a retractable cord. The other nice thing is that the cord is so thin, you don't feel it when you move the mouse around. It almost feels like you're using a wireless mouse. And it's small enough to fit in about any laptop bag, but at the same time substantial enough that you don't feel like you're using a sub-standard mouse.

http://www.maccessories.com/products/pro_mic_d1072.html

For at home though, I'm still torn between the Logitech MX 500, Kensington Iridio I can't decide which one to buy, one that will go with the MacAlly IceKey that I'll be ordering next week.


Tim

[SunByrne]

Logitech MX700. Optical, cordless, many buttons. VERY cool...

[alaninabox]

once I got my first scroll wheel mouse i got hooked. I have real trouble (lots of cusing) when i don't have one (usually when i'm fixing my sisters Purple iMac with that damn hockey thing). I think if apple thinks we only need one button they should atleast add a scroll wheel (now wouldn't that look interesting one button and a scroll?) I use the Kensington portable 3button scroll optical mouse (it has a retractable cord :D ) for my Ti 800 and a logitec 3 button optical scroll mouse for my B/W G3 300.

[retcynnm]

I've got my scroll-wheel button set to command-click (for opening folders in a new window), and the thumb button set for option click (for Cocoa Gestures and bypassing the log-out/restart/shut-down dialoges). I really like the Logitech control Center prefpane.

If your using a PB/iBook without a mouse and miss the scroll-wheel, check out uControl (http://www.gnufoo.org/ucontrol/).

[EmAn]

Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical

[JohnB]

I use Kennsington's Expert Mouse

[djn1]

OK, here's a new one. I'm currently using a Cirque EasyCat trackpad in conjunction with a Goldtouch keyboard. The EasyCat has two buttons (easily programmed with USB Overdrive), a split trackpad (clicking the top right corner emulates the right button), and a scroll function utilising the right edge of the trackpad. All in all it's pretty easy to use and way nicer than the majority of built-in trackpads I've used.

[c.i.t]

My Kensington mouse died on me...one button at a time till the point where I needed to quickly buy a new mouse. Went to staples and the only one was a Microsoft Optical for $15. Not a bad price, and hey, its a great mouse. It works just as well as my Kensington.

[tsugaru]

Microsoft. No matter how much one hates them, they make kick-@$$ mice. I have an MS Wheel Mouse Optical Blue. Best mouse ever.

[Corpus]

Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro.

TrackBall w/4 mouse buttons,6 quick launch buttons,and a scroll wheel.

[mnewman]

Originally posted by SunByrne
Logitech MX700. Optical, cordless, many buttons. VERY cool...

Did you install the Logitech drivers or just plug it in?

[ruminator]

I like the Kensington Optical Elite.
Its a 5 button mouse with a scroll wheel
It's programmable for individual applications
It's the right size and shape for my hand
It's USB / PS2 connectable
It's around 25 bucks
It works well for me.
The only poblem is that it's mfgd. outside the U.S.A.

[torndownunit]

I just got a new Logitech Opitcal Mouse to replace my 4 year old Kensington (2 button, scroll). The Logitech mouse is very nice to use. Best of all it was only $25 Canadian which isn't bad.

[iowacornfreak]

MS's 5-button scroll-wheel corded USB optical mouse, the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0, kicks butt. Love it under OS 10.2.3 and 9.2.2. It's the only MS thing I own except Office X, and I have nothing but good things to say about it (very unlike Office X). It's light but stable, well-sculpetd for a wide range of hand sizes, has an effortless glide reminiscent of air hockey tables, excellent optical tracking even for fine graphics/detail work, great cursor acceleratikon and tracking bosst for large screens, good X driver software with lots of customizable features. The cordless version is an absolute dog, though. Get corded, and save batteries/charging.

iowacornfreak

[theRegent]

At my doctor's advice in response to the beginnings of serious wrist pain, I recently swapped over to a trackball. (For the detail minded: Neither I or my doctor are suggesting that mouse vs. trackball is necessarily better in regards to RSIs, simply that making a change could help avoid repetition. I'll probably swap back in a few months.)

I've been using almost exclusively Kensington products for almost 10 years but my recent search brough me to Logitech's Cordless Optical Trackman (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?page=products/details&CRID=6&CONTENTID=5006&countryid=19&languageid=1). While the arrangement and labeling of some of the buttons has a somewhat pre-determined (and well conceived) usage, software allows reassignment of up to eight buttons and a scroll wheel.

Admittedly, it's a little pricey, but combined with USB Overdrive and a liberal helping of application specific settings this is turning out to be a choice I'm exceptionally happy with.

[apevear]

I had one of these given to me by a Kensington rep at MacWorld in January.This mouse is way cool! Has 3 buttons and a scroll pad(not wheel) OS X drivers(with its own pref panel), chordable, adjustable tracking speed. Has its own charging cradle and comes with 2 rechargeable AAA batteries or can use regular alkaline. Can sit in the cradle with alkaline batteries because the charger is smart enough to know not to try to charge the alkalines. Matches the Apple Pro Keyboard(White). I tried a MicroSoft Wireless but found it a bit bulky because of the AA batteries it used. This mouse is the greatest!:)

[Art O'Neil]

I used the Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro until after six months it went bad on me. Now I use the Microsoft Optical Mouse with two buttons and a scroll wheel.

[9KILLER]

On my PB17, I usually hook up to this nice little wireless Pocket Mouse Pro because I hate trackpads. It's a solid little mouse with that delightful Kensington form factor. Fits my hand perfectly, button-click is nice and crisp, and scroll wheel has just enough resistance.

But... It has some quirks.

It requires it's own (included) receiver that plugs in via USB to communicate with your mac. When I bought it, I was hoping that I could just use the PB17's built-in bluetooth, but it never saw the mouse. The mouse will only communicate with the receiver. (I've heard reports of a Microsoft Wireless BlueTooth mouse working out of the box, no configuration needed. Go figure.) Needless to say, the receiver is unnecessary clutter, IMO, and should have been necessary only for non-bluetooth Macs.

Also, since it's battery powered, it "sleeps" when not used for more than a few minutes, and this results in a few seconds of non-responsive mouse the next time you come back to it. This never fails to annoy me - and it happens all the time.

Also, I've been having an issue recently were the buttons (both left and right) will fail to de-click, and I'll end up dragging a selection box or window around the screen even when my fingers aren't holding a button down. Another click will shake it loose, but it's still very annoying. I don't know if it's a hardware or software issue because the button mechanics "feel" perfect.

Anyway, after writing all this down, I guess there's enough stuff for me to actually be dissatisfied with it. Which is really surprising because I've loved every other Kensington device I've come in contact with. That's why I chose this mouse, in the first place. Other than these (significant) flaws, it does perform as expected.

[djkowall]

I tried to stay with the Apple Pro mouse but swtiched to the Logitech Trackman with thumb ball, 2 buttons and a scroll wheel. I couldn't get used to moving the mouse around...this one only takes up as much desk space as it covers.

Unfortunately, NO mouse will scroll within the AppleWorks suite and I spend most of my time in spreadsheets, muttering.

[Jacques]

Are you able to set your scroll wheel to 'page up' and 'page down' to simulate scrolling somewhat? Perhaps you can have your scroll behave this way, for AppleWorks only - let us know if it works.

[djkowall]

I'll have to check within the Logitech control panel...currently, I have the scroll wheel set to be a double click when pressed.

There's a lot of people waiting for AW to incorporate scrolling; it's the longest list in the Wish List portion of their forum.

[djkowall]

The scroll wheel only has 2 options: one is the scroll speed acceleration and the other is what you want to do when clicking it: click, double click, triple click, click lock, right click. Those are the same options that are available for the right and left buttons.

Just as I thought, I'm screwed in AW. It's not a problem in any other application.

[Jacques]

Does anyone know if it can be done with USB Overdrive?

[Welles Goodrich]

Nope, sorry. It needs to be written into the application.:mad:

[Jacques]

It can be done, I read someone else's success in another thread (search 'appleworks scroll' in these forums)

On top of that, here's an email I just received from Griffin..

Unfortunately we are limited by the application just like the scroll wheel
mouse is. If you are using the PowerMate you can set it to send the up and
down arrows or the Page up and Page down keys since AppleWorks does not
subscribe to the scroll event that is part of the OS.

Kip

Tech Support
Griffin Technology


> AppleWorks does not scroll with a scroll-wheel mouse, it's crazy.
>
> Is your PowerMate able to scroll AppleWork documents?

This will also work with any scroll wheel mouse..

[theRegent]

The "pageup/pagedown" trick can be accomplished with USBOverdrive, I use it in several applications that don't support the scroll wheel.

The "scrolling" is a bit twitchy, but it's noticably less frustrating that pushing at the wheel and having nothing happen.

There was an application for which where it didn't work, however. I don't remember what it was, but it was something with multiple panes and it seemed as though USBOverdrive couldn't sort out which scroll bar to manipulate., instead, all three of them just sort of twitched. I would test it out on AppleWorks right now, but I don't have it installed.

[DragonLatino]

5 buttons (chordable) + scrollwheel.

Great mouse.