Magic Mouse lands at many local Apple stores
I stopped by my local Apple Store (Tucson) today for a quick look around and saw many people playing with the new Magic Mouse. I tried a few 'moves' with in and it seemed a bit nicer and more responsive than I expected. My old Apple wired mouse was starting to wear out so I asked one of the Apple guys when they were coming in. He said "20 minutes ago," so I was snared.
My first 'thrill' was opening the damned box. Like most Apple designed products, the plastic container is very pretty, but was a bit of a struggle to open. I needed a sharp knife, and then had to find the hidden tape that keeps the Magic Mouse attached to a little plastic base.
Since this is a Bluetooth mouse, I paired it to my Mac. It worked out of the box, but I knew there was a software update with new drivers, so I checked and downloaded the new software.
After a reboot, all was well. I have to say that the Magic Mouse has the fanciest control panel in system preferences I've ever seen. There is a little video illustrating how it works. I left the settings to the default, and started mousing away.
There were really no surprises. I have a 30 inch monitor, and can't get all the way across it with a single swipe because I have limited desk real estate. None of the settings would make it better.
The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn't bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right 'buttons' if you are so inclined.
Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.
The only thing I think was missing is that I'd like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I'd rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.
Otherwise, everything was good. I'll get used to the different feel. The mouse comes with batteries already installed so you're ready to go -- once you get the damned package open...
Some of my colleagues here at TUAW will be sharing their thoughts shortly. So far, even though this was a bit of an impulse purchase, the Magic Mouse seems fine.
