Today, I got a deal on Apple’s Magic Mouse and I thought I’d give my first impressions of this little device.
First, what is it? The Magic Mouse is a Bluetooth wireless mouse with a multi-touch surface instead of the traditional multiple buttons  found on all other mice. The entire surface clicks down like any other mouse, but the top of the mouse can be used for scrolling, panning and zooming using one or two fingers. Although there is only technically one big button to click, you can setup a “Right Click” (Control-Click) using the Mouse Preference to be either on the right side or the left side (for lefties). So depending on which side of the Magic Mouse you put your finger on to click will give you different results.
What I Like
Let’s start with the things that I like about it. It’s hard not to like the sleek design! It’s so flat. This makes it great for road warriors in that it will take up less space in your bag. Speaking of in your bag, you’ll be happy to know that like the previous Mighty Mouse, Apple includes a physical on/off switch on the bottom. This is a MUST for any battery operated mouse that goes with me. The Magic Mouse runs 2 AA batteries and Apple claims you’ll get 4 months of regular use per set. I’ve never had an issue with battery life on the previous model, so it’s all good here. Once I downloaded the new driver for my MacBook Pro, I had no problem pairing and setting up the mouse. Typical Apple ease of use. Although some have complained that using the 2 finger gestures on the surface can cause you to accidentally  move the mouse, I’ve no such problems. Seems to stay in place unless I want to move it. Tracking speed is good and overall it has a really good feel.  I found a feature that I didn’t know about until I set up the mouse and that is if you hold down the Control Key and use your finger on the surface you can utilize the Zoom feature built-in to Mac OS X. I use the zoom ALL THE TIME. The two finger swiping works great in Lightroom for flipping between pictures!
What I Dislike
At the moment, it’s a little too sensitive as far as gestures. But this is my first night using it. Other than that, I see nothing but great potential using this item.
The Bottom Line
Although I paid $45 for this item from an add off Craigslist, is it worth the $69 (retail) asking price? Well if you pin me down to one word answer then I would have to say yes. The pros outweigh the cons.
Remember, you are going to have less buttons. Also mouse ergonomics are very personal to each person. It’s something you’re using day in and day out. So what’s comfortable to me, may not be for you.