Honestly, I had mixed feelings when my new iMac27 came with that tiny wireless keyboard and the new wireless Magic Mouse. But WOW! The Magic Mouse rocks. It's awesome, terrific, wonderful and the best ever. After a week with the new iMac I cannot imagine ever using another mouse again.
What makes the Magic Mouse so great? It feels like you're using an iPhone! That's because the top of the Magic Mouse is really a Multi-Touch surface with gesture support. So instead of driving a scroll wheel or that funky microball in earlier Apple mice, you scroll exactly like you do on an iPhone. There's the same wonderful precision and, just like on the iPhone, you can scroll with "momentum," i.e. whip up and down pages (or any other direction) and then stop on a dime.
The Magic Mouse feels so much like an iPhone, it's eery. I halfway expect it to ring and be a phone, too. And now, when I look at my 3GS, I almost wish I could use it as a mouse for my iMac in addition to everything else it does. I mean, why not? The iPhone and the Magic Mouse are about the same size, the mouse's multi-touch area is about the same as the iPhone screen, and they feel eerily the same.
I think what's happening here is that Apple is increasingly incorporating the best interface features of the iPhone into its computers (and vice versa). It's a clear win-win situation. Anyway, if you haven't tried the new Magic Mouse, check it out somewhere. It'll blow you away.
Interesting. Would you
Interesting. Would you recommend it for MacBook Pro (my first step besides the iPhone into the Apple world)? I know lots of folks love the MacBook Pro touchpad, but so far I am not sold. Or is the Magic Mouse like the touchpad, and I haven't taken the time to learn the gestures?
BTW WELCOME!!!!! For those of you who have been around for a while, you'll remember the great Pen Computing magazine. That was Conrad's. You can now keep up with Conrad's musings here and at http://pencomputing.com/
welcom
Yes, welcome to you, Conrad. Great having you as one of our bloggers. I'm really hoping to try the new mouse. It's great the Apple just keeps breaking new ground with their technology.
Jim
Magic Mouse
I am using the Magic Mouse
I am using the Magic Mouse with my MacBook Pro as well. To create a Bluetooth connection with a new device, turn the mouse off and back on, and it will be discovered. You can then connect and disconnect the mouse via the BT panel in System Preferences. I am not a total fan of the MacPro touchpad myself, mainly because the gestures are not universally implemented. In order for gestures to become second nature, they have to be iPhone-style intuitive and they have to work everywhere and without fail. The reason why I think the Magic Mouse is so terrific is largely because its capacitive touch surface allows for FAR more precise scrolling than ever before, and having "gravity" as well makes a giant difference.