Ah, Magic Mouse. How beautiful you are. How I’ve dreamed of you… I’ve had three days with Apple’s new mouse, Magic Mouse. Check out my review.

Concept:

Pushing the boundaries and redefining products has always been on Apple’s agenda. I think they’ve outdone themselves yet again with this mouse. No physical buttons and no scroll wheel/ball? Pretty amazing. And with the Multi-Touch surface, Apple sets a new benchmark in mouse usability. They give users the fluidity that previous products did not achieve (industry-wide, not just for Apple).

Design:

People always underestimate the power of simplicity. Simplicity is not simple. Reduction is one of the most difficult tasks in design. It’s easy to add functions or buttons – but try to take them away, scrape the design down to it’s bare bones. It’s not as easy as it seems.

I really don’t have any major complaints about the design. It’s fantastic. A minimalist dream. It feels modern, progressive, and smart.

Ergonomics:

Some users feel the mouse is too thin. Some don’t like the multi-touch surface, they need tangible buttons. Somehow, for me, the mouse feels great and intuitive. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to the new glass trackpad on my MacbookPro. Maybe it’s because I don’t have large hands. Maybe it’s because I want to like it so much.

Battery Life:

Not sure about this one yet. TBD. It says about 87% after only been a few days. This thing is supposed to last a few months, yea? The outlook is bleak.

Cost:

Competitive pricing. It’s definitely worth the cost of just $69.

Precision:

It’s really worlds better than the Wireless Mighty Mouse. I didn’t have a problem with the wired predecessor, but the wireless version lacked the precision and control that I need when designing. This mouse comes close to the Wired Mighty Mouse but just doesn’t hit the mark.

I’d say if you are a casual Mac user, then definitely check this one out. Browsing the web and doing everyday functions are a breeze. But when you really need to get down to the nitty gritty, a laggy mouse just won’t cut it. I’ll definitely give it more time before I consider reverting back, but just something to note from an early adopter.

Function:

The right and left clicks work perfectly despite the allusions of appearances. 360 degree scrolling is excellent. Scrolling with momentum is a nice addition. Two finger swipe is definitely a step in the right direction, though its applications are a bit limited right now. Other than in Apple’s native applications, there’s not much use for this. (I don’t even use this function on my Macbook Pro.)

It would be fantastic for Apple to add some alternative (or additional) multi-touch gestures. I’d love to have a command to show the desktop (much like 4-finger swipe up on Mac Laptops). Perhaps 2-finger swipe could be programable?

Also, I don’t think removing a Middle/Third Click was smart though. There should be some way to have 3 button options. Right Matt? Know what I’m sayin’?

Summary:

Many years ago, I had the Kensington Studio Mouse with its trackpad-like Scroll Sensor. While it seemed revolutionary at the time, it was kind of a hot mess and never evolved.

Since then I’ve autonomously decided to use Apple mice, and it worked out pretty well. They seem to keep making strides in the right direction. Shall I continue that trend? Should I stick to the Magic Mouse? I think it’s worth trying.

But what about everyone else? Well, if you can work at a moderate pace with no care for lag, this is the perfect mouse for you. If beauty and ergonomics weigh more heavily than precision and speed, go out and grab the Magic Mouse.  Or wait and see if they release a wired version.

Now if only Apple updated their displays…

Epilogue:

I returned to the office today (Rokkan) and to my good trusty Mighty Mouse. I didn’t think I’d notice any difference when using it, seeing as how I wasn’t using the Magic Mouse for very long. I was 100% wrong. It feels like a big blob under my hand. While clicking around in Photoshop was fine, holding the thing was a bit uncomfortable. Who would’ve thought?! Now I’m not even sure what to do. Keep using the Magic Mouse at home, become more comfortable with it, and eventually switch my mouse at work? I feel like I need to just “deal” with the lagging and precision issue. I never imagined reverting would be this bothersome. Crazy.

I’ll keep you updated…

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