Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Do I need a mouse?

T

tehsprayer

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 27, 2013
44
0
I recently just ordered my first macbook, the macbook air!

The trackpad is so phenomenal is there a reason to even get a mouse?
I will be using at home, school notes/work and going away on sport tournaments.

I was looking at the magic mouse but that's a hard $70 to swallow just for multitouch mouse when the touchpad already has multitouch.

What do you think?:apple::apple::apple:
 
Not really. But if you decide to buy one, please don't pick the Magic Mouse... it's expensive and it sucks.

You'll be better off with an average USB/bluetooth mouse.
 
ylrd said:
Not really. But if you decide to buy one, please don't pick the Magic Mouse... it's expensive and it sucks.

You'll be better off with an average USB/bluetooth mouse.
Click to expand...

Okay, it seems to be so thin it looks like it's not even ergonomic.

Would you recommend like a small bluetooth $30 mouse?
 
I would try it for awhile without a mouse. I hated the trackpad on my Dell laptop and added a mouse to it, but on the MacBook Air the trackpad works very well. It took me a little while to adapt to some of the gestures.
 
try Magic Mouse in a store first

Hi, before you consider parting with that much cash for the magic mouse please try it in a retail store. I would not carry it to my car if they gave me one. Difficult to use, at least for me.


I like trackpad on MBA. If you need a mouse buy one you like.
 
You can do almost everything with the trackpad, but there are still some things where i prefer a mouse, most of it related to drag&drop and 'heavy desktop work'.

For everyday tasks you really don't need it. Regarding the Magic Mouse I'll support the opinion that it sucks.
 
I would just try the trackpad first. I like the trackpad on my MBA so much that I don't even want a mouse. If I ever get a desktop computer again I will probably buy a Magic Trackpad just because it's so much better than a mouse.
 
If you are a writer or an editor, it is damned difficult to work on your copy with a touchpad, and much easier to do so with a mouse.

I'd like to find a bluetooth mouse that works well with a laptop without taking up a USB port. Any suggestions besides the Magic Mouse? :D
 
I have a Magic Mouse on my office desktop iMac, and am wrestling with the transition from a notebook with only a touchpoint (tiny joystick) to the MBA with a trackpad. The only gripe that I have is that every gesture on the trackpad needs one more finger than it does on the Magic Mouse, so I find myself backing up in a web browser when trying to swap between desktops more than I'd like.

The Magic Mouse is a strange creature for sure, but once you get used to the low profile and touch gestures it is a functional user interface device. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it eats AA batteries and has a habit of dropping files on occasion mid-drag, but the battery thing is apparently fixable now with a charger base and rechargeable battery pack from Apple.

The MBA is the first notebook that I've used where I did not have a problem with the trackpad, due to the mechanical click versus tap that others use. It is frustrating to be typing along and have your thumb accidentally brush the trackpad, resulting in a mouse click that throws the cursor for a loop. Haven't had an accidental click yet in a week with my new MBA.....
 
I use a Magic mouse at work and home. I love it.

Get a rechargeable battery set from apple. It works perfect.
 
tehsprayer said:
I recently just ordered my first macbook, the macbook air!

The trackpad is so phenomenal is there a reason to even get a mouse?
I will be using at home, school notes/work and going away on sport tournaments.

I was looking at the magic mouse but that's a hard $70 to swallow just for multitouch mouse when the touchpad already has multitouch.

What do you think?:apple::apple::apple:
Click to expand...

i agree with the advice you've already been given.... the trackpad for me is worth the price of admission to the Mac family alone... try it out without for a while and then get one if you change your mind.

the only reason to get a mouse in my opinion would be if you're planning on plugging into an external. in which case i would still get the Magic Trackpad before i got the magic mouse...
 
tehsprayer said:
Okay, it seems to be so thin it looks like it's not even ergonomic.

Would you recommend like a small bluetooth $30 mouse?
Click to expand...

I'd recommend waiting till you've tried it with just the trackpad for a week or two. If you want a mouse, find one you like or have liked in the past. I agree with everyone else who dislikes the magic mouse. I use a magic trackpad with desktop systems.
 
tehsprayer said:
Okay, it seems to be so thin it looks like it's not even ergonomic.
Click to expand...

The thing about the magic mouse is that you're not supposed to rest your palm on it. That could interfere with the touch sensing afterall. It works best if you grip the sides with your thumb and pinky.
 
The trackpad is amazing...when it works

I have had some annoying problems with my 7 month old 2012 MBA. Sometimes when I'm moving the cursor around it will think I am hard clicking and start selecting everything, it's enough to drive you insane. Sometimes it won't do it for a month and then all of a sudden it will start doing it again. I have a feeling when too much oil gets deposited on the pad it starts to build up and the trackpad receives the sensation of hard clicking when you don't apply that much pressure. Cleaning it doesn't seem to do much
 
Any suggestions on a bluetooth mouse?

To help me and other people that may be interested.
 
tehsprayer said:
Okay, it seems to be so thin it looks like it's not even ergonomic.

Would you recommend like a small bluetooth $30 mouse?
Click to expand...

If you use a MacBook as a laptop, a mouse is totally and utterly pointless.

You can attach an external monitor or two, and an external mouse and keyboard and use the MacBook as a desktop computer. In that case, everything is cabled anyway and you use a cheap wired mouse. No reason to pay for wireless, since you are wired to the monitor anyway.
 
When you are Photoshopping a picture, and try to border-select the contour of an object, I would imagine trackpad-ging it would be difficult.

To me wired mouse best. Cheap, no lag whatsoever, lots of choices.
 
Mrbobb said:
When you are Photoshopping a picture, and try to border-select the contour of an object, I would imagine trackpad-ging it would be difficult.

To me wired mouse best. Cheap, no lag whatsoever, lots of choices.
Click to expand...

Agreed, and the same is true if you are working with a manuscript and need to move copy around. A mouse or trackball gives you the precision you need. A trackpad is sloppy.
 
My air is my primary machine and I work without an external monitor. I highly prefer using a mouse at home whenever I'm working on multiple applications, word processing, or gaming. Any wireless/optical mouse should be fine. Currently using the Logitech M510 and it's terrific for my basic needs. Aside from the ease of use factor, I figure that giving the trackpad a rest will increase longevity.
 
tehsprayer said:
Okay, it seems to be so thin it looks like it's not even ergonomic.

Would you recommend like a small bluetooth $30 mouse?
Click to expand...

Yep. One good thing about other mice is that they have a scroll-wheel, which is pretty useful to close tabs on Chrome. You can't do that with the Magic Mouse... besides, a normal mouse is much comfier to use.
 
I use a mouse at home, but agree that the trackpad is so good that I don't bother to bring a mouse with me on the road. YMMV. Once you use it for a little while, you'll have a better idea of what is required for your tasks.
 
Last edited:
I swap between trackpad & magic mouse depending what mood I'm in.

I like both, although after a few hours using the magic mouse your hand will start to ache as the hand position on it, isnt the best by any means!
 
tehsprayer said:
I recently just ordered my first macbook, the macbook air!

The trackpad is so phenomenal is there a reason to even get a mouse?
I will be using at home, school notes/work and going away on sport tournaments.

I was looking at the magic mouse but that's a hard $70 to swallow just for multitouch mouse when the touchpad already has multitouch.

What do you think?:apple::apple::apple:
Click to expand...


Nope. the pad is awesome.

Nowadays, most notebooks have touch screens with Windows 8. Press and click. But I do a lot of presentations and powerpoint and such. So I need to copy paste or whatever. The pad is just awesome for that.

:apple:
 
You definitely don't need a mouse. The touchpad on the Macs is the best in the game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back