Filed under: Hardware
On using Mighty Mouse correctly
While I have not yet had the pleasure of trying out Apple's new Mighty Mouse (and I won't buy one until its tail has been snipped), a number of lucky souls have. It seems that a few of you are having trouble with the mouse, stating that it just isn't working like it should. Maury McCown at RAILhead Design thinks he has the answer: You're holding it incorrectly.Maury notes that he gets proper response from the mouse if he's sure to wrap his fingers all the way around the front, ensuring that he's in contact with those infamous "touch sensitive areas" (they're not buttons, right, Steve?). He notes that most people don't hold a mouse like this, and I think he's right. Glancing at my own hand as I use my Microsoft multi-button mouse, I am, in fact, holding it as depicted in the "Wrong" photo above.
If you've gotten one of these mice, what has your experience been? Let us know.
[Via I Heart Apple]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
w.e. said 8:41PM on 8-08-2005
It looks like the mouse might even be good for its users. Those who do it right should be less likely to get carpal tunnel.
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Lewis said 4:14PM on 8-08-2005
I tried one out at the apple store. I had no problems. Although I hold my mouse the "right" way, so I guess it should work well.
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narco said 4:16PM on 8-08-2005
I tested one for the first time yesterday. I went there thinking it was going to totally blow because of all the negative reactions I've read about. After testing it out, I absolutely LOVED the thing -- but even though L.A. has a billion Apple stores, not one of them carried it. In fact, most of them said they sold out within hours of the announcement.
I use the USB Apple Pro mouse (I have a BT pro mouse, but hate the battery life). Honestly, I didn't see that much of a difference from using the one button mouse vs. the mighty mouse (I can't believe they're sticking with that name!). The way I hold the one button mouse is exactly how you're supposed to hold the new one. I always have my thumb and ring finger on the side "buttons," and I have the two fingers on top.
Basically, the mighty mouse feels natural. The only thing I noticed is that I had to life up my "left" finger in order to right-click, but that's something i can get used to. I also like the fact that if you have both fingers pressed down, it makes a "left-click." I didn't really dig the scroll-nipple, but it's something I guess I can get used to. It just felt too weird, it's hard to explain.
Overall, I love it. I want to buy it and I think it's worth the $49.
Fishes,
narco.
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Teejay said 4:19PM on 8-08-2005
My Mighty Mouse was ordered within 10 minutes of the announcement and was delivered to me (in the UK) 2 days later. I use it with 10.3.7 and hold it as the _left hand_ picture and it works just fine. In fact the sensors work up to (just under) 1 inch _back_ from the scroll wheel (which itself is superb). I've not altered my hand position from the original 1 button mouse although I concede that the side buttons are probably in the wrong place but I won't use them anyway. The Mighty Mouse is excellent, I can't fault it and unlike a lot of those writing about it, I'm actually using it.
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Brian said 4:25PM on 8-08-2005
FYI,
The pictures above are labled incorrectly, the right picture is actually wrong and vice versa.
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Brian said 4:26PM on 8-08-2005
Nevermind, it got fixed
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narco said 4:27PM on 8-08-2005
Brian,
The pictures are actually labeled correctly. You can tell because he can press the side button with his thumb.
Fishes,
narco.
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Chris K said 9:50PM on 8-08-2005
You're supposed to do WHAT to the touch-sensitive areas!? Yegads! Is this a family site! :)
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AHM said 5:04PM on 8-08-2005
The other point the I Heart Macs link makes is that holding the mouse the "wrong" way (palm on desk while using mouse, using wrist instead of arm to move mouse) is a great way of injuring yourself through pressure on the median nerve, resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome.
Similarly, your wrist rest for your keyboard is for resting your wrists while you're NOT typing or using the mouse. If you rest them while typing, you're putting stress on that tunnel.
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Chris K said 5:15PM on 8-08-2005
Well crap, I've been doing that for...ummm... almost 20 years now, AHM!
Actually, I'm not doing EXACTLY that... I rest my wrist on the pad, and move the mouse with my fingers. My wrist moves very little, and only to flex up and down when moving the mouse forward and back. I'ven ever gotten a sore wrist this way, although being raised on Nintendo and an Apple IIgs since grade school, I imagine my hands are abnormally flexible.
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Bill Buckley said 11:36AM on 8-09-2005
I was having some issues yesterday. The mouse started scrolling by itsel and when I moved the cursor I kept getting my dasboard up. After a reboot the issue went away. Other that the one act up I have been very happy with it and the side buttons actually make Expose much more useful.
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Stuart said 8:17PM on 8-09-2005
I am a lefty and I got my Mighty Mouse on Saturday. For a while it drove me bonkers because the right click seemed entirely erratic until I figured out that I couldn't be touching the left button while attempting a right click. Um, what? Sorrry, but that is nonsense. I use my mouse with my left hand, and while the MM appears to be Lefty-friendly, it is kind of not. I've gotten used to it (stubbornly refusing so far to return to my Microsoft 2 buttoner), but I don't know if it is love...
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Justin France said 2:01AM on 8-09-2005
If you need a "how to", just because it has two touch areas that its pretty clear to see Apple has dropped the ball here.
Its a mouse - we shouldn't be having these conversations.
How many years did it take them to release a multi-button mouse?
Sounding like a bit of a cock-up to me - can't wait to try it for myself, mind.
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squeaky clean said 2:35PM on 8-10-2005
oddly enough, i think i need to get a cat.
my mighty mouse squeaks everytime i click it. it's remarkably annoying to me and definitely drives the people sitting next to me crazy. i know they're just plotting to itchy & scratchy me...
i'm taking my mouse back to the apple store tomorrow to get it replaced.
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Jim MacCormaic said 3:00PM on 8-09-2005
Looks like I'll have no problems using Mighty so, since I already hold my Apple Wireless mouse the 'right' way. I won't take the plunge, though, until a Bluetooth version comes out.
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Praveen said 4:29PM on 8-09-2005
Yeah, i've heard you need to lift your pointer (left) finger when right clicking and that absolutely destroyed any chance of me being interested in this mouse. Its amazing otherwise, but that is just absolute GARBAGE. Its imo one of the dumbest technical mistakes apple has ever made. absolutely dumfounded. Make me WORK to use a 2 button mouse?
btw im an apple fanboy just like the rest of you - im not trolling :D
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nick botulism said 5:57PM on 8-09-2005
i used to hold my mice the 'wrong' way -- resting my palm on the desk, using my fingers to maneuver. in fact i used to prefer really tiny mice for that reason. that was until i was hit with a severe case of tendonitis that was bad enough that i was afraid i'd never have proper use of my hands again. i did recover, but now i always hold my mouse properly, and use the large muscles in my arms to move the mouse, not my wrist/fingers. it took a while to get used to, but now it's completely natural and well worth the change.
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Jonathan said 1:56PM on 8-11-2005
I just started using the Mighty Mouse, and even after looking at your right/wrong guide I still can't get the right-click button to work. Also, the scroll wheel is flimsy.
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GenesysX said 5:48AM on 8-16-2005
I bought one as soon as it was in the London Store and I love the scroll ball but I can't get used to having to lift my left click finger of the button to get a right click. Have used many two, three and four button mice on Mac and PC and have never had to do this. Highly annoying.
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mike said 5:28PM on 8-22-2005
Mighty Mouse is one reason i'm back to the conventional optical computer mouse (vs. pen-shaped optical mouse). I'm loving it.
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