New Apple Mouse features innovative Multi-Touch technology.

 

While Apple excels at creating best-in-category hardware and software, every time the company has unleashed a new mouse, well…let’s just say that their rodentia haven’t lived up to the Apple name. And sometimes their mice have just plain sucked. But now with the Magic Mouse, which brings Multi-Touch technology to the desktop, Apple has created an input device a bit more worthy of its pedigree.

Every previous Apple-branded mouse had tried to change the mousing game with innovative new features. So does the Magic Mouse, but this time Apple has succeeded, at least to some degree. The mouse is smooth and buttonless and could easily be mistaken for a piece of modern art, if not for the Apple logo on top. But make no mistake: All the usual mouse controls are available. You get two “invisible” mousing buttons (similar to the Mighty Mouse), with which you can scroll up and down, left and right, and even in 360-degree rotations.

Two rails run the length of the mouse on the bottom, alleviating the filth buildup found on other desktop rodents.

Even without the tactile feel of an actual scrollwheel, you quickly get used to swiping your finger down the middle of the mouse. In fact, you can use nearly the entire surface, swiping from the very upper tip of the mouse to the top of the Apple logo at the bottom of the mouse. Couple that with the momentum feature, which matches the speed of scrolling to the speed of your swipes, and you’ll even find yourself working more quickly.

We’re guessing that Apple considers the “money” feature to be the two-finger swipe, which lets you navigate through websites and photo galleries one page or image at a time, the same as you would with your MacBook’s trackpad. The system works, albeit awkwardly. To keep the mouse stable during swiping, you end up grasping it with your thumb on one side and your pinkie and ring finger on the other, using your middle and index finger to swipe. Typical use of the two-finger swipe spared our hands of the dreaded claw syndrome, but during intense swiping--you know, to really take the Magic Mouse for a spin--our hands began to cramp. Consider yourself warned.

Part of the cramping issue could be tied to basic ergonomic problems. Instead of having the back of the mouse higher and thicker than the front (which would give you a place to rest your palm), the mouse is a uniform curve from front to back. It’s a beautiful sight, but we wonder what the long-term effects will be on power users, especially those with larger hands.
 
The Magic Mouse suffers from the usual heavy-wireless-device complex. The added weight of batteries gives the mouse a heft that is unexpected at first glance. Those used to the wireless weight will be fine with it, while tethered mouse users may require a few days to adjust.

The Magic Mouse is a winner in the features and aesthetics departments, but its low-profile beauty could prove to be a pain for some.

Magic Mouse
COMPANY: Apple
CONTACT: www.apple.com
PRICE: $69
REQUIREMENTS: Bluetooth, Mac OS 10.5.8 or later with Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0
Beautiful design, with game-changing Multi-Touch feature.
Power swipers and those with large hands could find the mouse difficult to handle.