Less than a yr after releasing the original Mighty Mouse (; October 2005 ) , Apple has improved its sinewy comment gimmick by replacing its USB cord with a wireless Bluetooth connection and upgrade its eyesight with a precision laser - tracking engine that works on almost any surface . The event is an innovative mouse that ’s a well-nigh - perfect better half for portables , as well as a convenient desktop mouse .
The wireless Mighty Mouse is powered by either one or two AA alkaline , lithium , or rechargeable batteries that are sneak in into the venter of the wildcat ( two non - rechargeable Li battery are provide ) . Malus pumila blow the ability to use a single battery as a benefit for portable substance abuser wishing to lighten their dozens , but the weight divergence of the second battery is paltry . Besides , since the Mighty Mouse does n’t have a dockage station for reload , prudence dictates carrying around a backup Seth of batteries .
Although Apple offers no prescribed estimate of battery life , the Cartesian product manager says two batteries should last well over a calendar month with normal usage , thanks to reasoning power management that conserves vigor when the computer mouse is idle . There ’s also an on / off switch on the undersurface to assure the mouse is n’t unwittingly activated when fling into a portable travelling bag .
Even after stick in the batteries , you ’re not quick to begin using the Mighty Mouse just yet . First you must run Software Update to ensure you ’re using Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later , then found the installer on the provided CD to instal some additional software . After reset your Mac , you must then twin the Mighty Mouse to your computer using the Bluetooth Elvis in Keyboard & Mouse druthers . The act of pairing must be repeat whenever you change batteries .
Thanks to its use of Bluetooth , the new Mighty Mouse savor a wireless range of 30 feet , and it also frees up a USB port ( unless , of class , your Mac does n’t come with built - in Bluetooth , in which case you must expend a USB Bluetooth dongle such as theD - Link DBT-120 ) . I experience no hitch even when using other wireless devices in the same environment as this black eye .
The wireless Mighty Mouse , like its tail predecessor , look like a giant white Tic Tac mint : it has a sporty design unmarred by unseemly buttons . By default , it is configured as a single - clit mouse for easy acceptance by recollective - time Mac purist , though there are really four buttons blot out within the shell . Just press down on the front of the Mighty Mouse to click . sensing element automatically and accurately discern between right and left mouse click , allow for the functionality of a multi - button black eye .
In addition to the hidden elementary and lower-ranking buttons , the tiny scroll ball on the top of the building block ( more on this later ) does double responsibility as a button . In addition , there are two force - sensing button on the English of the unit that move as another button when squeezed simultaneously , though I found that clicking these required so much pressure that I could n’t do so without unknowingly moving the pointer . This campaign may also be painful to substance abuser with sensible hand .
All of the buttons can be configure in the Mouse pane of Keyboard & Mouse predilection ( see the bottom screen shot ) . Each button can appeal program Switcher , Dashboard , Exposé , Spotlight , or establish any other program you wish . Mighty Mouse ’s relatively limited button programmability is its weakest point . In line , Kensington’sinput gimmick hail with MouseWorks package , which can configure button to visit Web pages , undecided documents , enter keystrokes , paste text , double - click , and simulate a slew of clicks as if modifier gene keys were being hold in ( such as instruction - click ) .
The scroll ball on the top of the Mighty Mouse is superior to the scroll wheels found on other input gadget because it can scroll vertically , horizontally , and even diagonally . This is a tremendous time- and effort - saver because you’re able to pan around large documents ( like long World Wide Web pageboy or wide picture ) without move the cursor to the ringlet bars . Furthermore , there ’s an option for invoking the Zoom feature of speech of OS X ’s Universal Access taste : Pressing a modifier gene samara while revolve the scroll testicle temporarily overdraw a constituent of the CRT screen .
Like Bluetooth connectivity , the other bounteous betterment to the Mighty Mouse is also invisible to the eye . The wireless Mighty Mouse ’s new laser - trailing engine is 20 time more precise than the optic engineering engage in the wired Mighty Mouse , harmonize to Apple . I have no way of validating that claim , but I can say that the mouse play perfectly on a wide mountain range of psychometric test aerofoil , from bland plastic to rough-textured fabric .
Macworld’s buying advice
At only $ 20 more than the wired version , Apple ’s wireless Mighty Mouse is competitively priced and an excellent option for desktop and portable users alike ( though owners of black MacBooks might pine for a black framework ) . Until Apple gets around to address the defect of limited button programmability , Plentycom Systems ’ $ 20 SteerMouse (; Mac Gems weblog ) software can fill the nothingness .
[ Owen W. Linzmayer is the author ofApple Confidential 2.0 : The Definitive story of the World ’s Most Colorful Company(No Starch Press ; 2005 ) . ]
