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So if Apple's own software engineers like the a two-button mouse THAT much, why doesn't Steve Jobs listen to his own people and ditch the single-button rodent?
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

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Microsoft makes a mouse an Apple lover can adore


Oct. 1, 2003


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, The Post-Standard

   Apple users need a good mouse. We've been shortchanged for too long.
   I've never been impressed with any of Apple's one-button mouse designs, not even the current one. It's got more in common with the Metropolitan Museum of Art than with a computer. It's good looking, clever and sturdy, and it actually doesn't have a button at all -- the entire mouse rocks forward when you click it -- but it's got a heavy touch, an oddity considering the feather light touch of Apple's superb keyboard.
   Worse yet, it's missing that "other" button. Apple designed its original one-button mouse at a time when three-button mice were common, and apparently decided that a Mac user would have a hard time pressing the "wrong" button if there were only one to press.
   Give me a break. Apple's own OS X operating system has some of the best context menus around, and just about every part of OS X responds to a right mouse click. It's a wonderful way to get at the many options and extra functions in various areas of the operating system, for example. You can find those functions by holding down Ctrl and pressing your single button, but that requires two hands.
   So if Apple's own software engineers like the a two-button mouse THAT much, why doesn't Steve Jobs listen to his own people and ditch the single-button rodent? I wish I knew.
   But I've stopped worrying about it, because I've found a mouse that puts Apple's efforts to shame. It's made by Microsoft, which does a much better job making hardware than software.
   The mouse that stole my affections is the newest Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer. It's so new you might not find it at stores yet. Look for the one that has a "tilt wheel" and you'll probably get the right model. It sells for about $45. (My Windows friends call it "Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0," but nothing on the box mine came in says that.)
   Five features stand out as the best of any mouse I've tried:
   It's shaped so my right hand fits it perfectly, and it supports my hand amazingly well. My right wrist no longer gets stiff after a session at the computer.
   The main buttons have a delightful touch. You don't have to exert any effort to press the buttons, but you'll never press one by mistake. They really got this right.
   Its batteries last a long time. They're not oddball rechargeables, just standard AA size. You can use rechargeable nickel cadmium or nickel metal hydride cells if you want, but cheap AA cells work just as well. The mouse turns itself on as soon as you touch it and goes to sleep quickly when it's at rest. And not having a mouse cord in the way has turned me into a lifetime fan of wireless mice.
   The wheel is no longer a device designed to imprint tire tracks on your finger. It takes very little effort to press it or roll it, and scrolling is a pleasure. It even scrolls sideways when you press the wheel to one side or the other -- a great little feature for anyone trying to read a wide spreadsheet.
   The mouse software makes all other OS X mouse drivers look dumb. You can set up any button to do just about anything. A press of the button can be a left double click, for example.
   Two small "bonus" buttons are nestled up where your thumb might be able to reach them. (Mine has to stretch.) They're programmable, too. I set mine up to send "Back" and "Forward" keystroke commands to Finder windows.
   The wireless receiver plugs into a USB port. My OS X Mac has a four-port powered USB hub (from Radio Shack) in addition to its own USB connections, and the wireless receiver has worked without a problem plugged into the powered hub.