Mention the hockey puck apple mouse to any seasoned computer user and you'll most likely hear groans. No one can debate that as an efficient, ergonomic mouse, the Apple USB "hockey puck" mouse did not cut it. However, now there's a reason to rejoice! After (quite) a long while, Apple has listened to the many complaints and released a new mouse! Bigger, better and shinier than before!
Initial Impressions
The very first thing that many people will notice is the mouse button - or the lack thereof. The Apple Pro Mouse is a button in itself, with the entire mouse capable of clicking. Many may say that Apple is crazy - going down from a one button mouse to a zero button mouse - Nay! I say. Apple has merely improved on the technology that is the one button mouse. The mouse is amazingly easy to click. With 2/3/4/(and yes!)5 button mice I often have to look down and check to see which one I'm clicking. It may be that my manual dexterity isn't great, but still - check and click is still a pain. The Apple Pro Mouse clicks like how a mouse should click - simply and easily. Is your index/middle/ring finger getting tired from doing all those clicks? Simply switch fingers - or better yet, use the palm of your hand (put a whole new dimension to holding the power in the palm of your hand, huh?).
The second thing that most users will notice is the sheer beauty of the thing. Now - I thought that the G4 was the pinnacle of Apple design. Boy, was I wrong. The Apple Pro Mouse is, simply put, a marvel to behold. Every angle, every sculptured curve, every sparkling gray highlight looks to have been hand crafted by a master. The first day I used it, I drew a crowd. Many could not believe it was a mouse - heck, many thought that a mouse did not have the right to look so damned pretty. Well, here's the proof.
The Optical Mouse
The other big change in the Apple Pro Mouse is that it's optical. What this means is that there is no mouse ball, there is no more need to take out and clean dirty mouse parts. The Apple Pro Mouse works by light alone - and that's where I have a problem. No, it's not the fact that it's optical. It's not the fact that it won't work on reflective surfaces very well. It's the fact that the optical light is so damned bright! Every time I lift up the mouse from a surface, I run a risk of going blind. My god! I had residual "red spots" for over half an hour just from accidently looking into the light on the first day I got it. Well - just a word of caution. If you value your sight, don't look under the mouse while it's on - you see better that way, I promise.
Performance
The Apple Pro Mouse performs like a mouse should perform - smooth, accurate and ergonomic. The size is just right (no pun intended) for either hand. A lefty can use the mouse just as easily as a righty.
The only problem with the mouse? The optical sensor can get confused sometimes - if you move too fast, for instance.
Overall, the Apple Pro Mouse is what it should be: simple, ergonomic and sheer beauty. No other mouse in the market now can match the pure elegance of the Apple Pro Mouse.
Somehow, I doubt that any non-apple mouse ever will.
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