MAC Retina - Do You Find The Mouse Frustrating?

[Bazza01]

I have had my Mac Retina for about 6 months now and still I can not get used to the mouse even though I have changed it for another non Apple mouse.

I don't know if it's the retina screen and the fact that the icons are so small but I find it difficult to execute pinpoint accuracy when applying the mouse pointer to tabs within browsers, selecting between text and generally anything that requires the mouse pointer to be positioned within a very small area.

Maybe I'm not explaining this well but it just isn't fluid or a comfortable experience and I wondered if it's just me.

I switched to the MAC because I heard so many good things about it and having an iPhone and iPad it seemed a natural progression.

How sad is it that when I switch on my PC it seems second nature when using the mouse and is far less frustrating than when I use the mouse on the MAC.

Suffice to say I am not considering switching back to the PC but I did wonder if this experience is just being felt by me.

 

[PatrickCocoa]

It's not you, it's that Window's translation of mouse movements to cursor movements is subtlety different from OS X's. So you've been trained by Windows on what to expect the cursor to do when you move the mouse.

There's not much you can realistically do, other than keep using the Mac and get used to it, or get rid of the Mac (which you said you weren't considering).

On a related note, on the Mac you may want to consider getting a Magic Trackpad and getting rid of the mouse (at least for non-game apps). It may take a month or two to get used to the trackpad, but I made the transition a few years ago and love the trackpad. It's hard to describe, but controlling the cursor my waving your fingers gives you more control and more fluidity than the mouse.

 

[Bazza01]

It's not you, it's that Window's translation of mouse movements to cursor movements is subtlety different from OS X's. So you've been trained by Windows on what to expect the cursor to do when you move the mouse.

There's not much you can realistically do, other than keep using the Mac and get used to it, or get rid of the Mac (which you said you weren't considering).

On a related note, on the Mac you may want to consider getting a Magic Trackpad and getting rid of the mouse (at least for non-game apps). It may take a month or two to get used to the trackpad, but I made the transition a few years ago and love the trackpad. It's hard to describe, but controlling the cursor my waving your fingers gives you more control and more fluidity than the mouse.

Hi Patrick, Thanks for your reply.

Interesting to hear about the translation process between OS X and Windows, I never even considered that.

Well that makes more sense of the issue and clearly it wouldn't be just me that would find a difference.

I actually have a trackpad and I do find it very good to use but I often resort to the mouse as I have my work laptop (PC) in front of my MAC with a mouse mat containing both the MAC and PC mice. I just find it easier and quicker to switch between the two.

The MAC mouse is an irritant for now but hopefully will get better as time goes on. The MAC has so many pluses compared to the PC so I won't be switching back.

Thanks again for replying.

 

[dyt1983]

The MAC mouse is an irritant for now but hopefully will get better as time goes on. The MAC has so many pluses compared to the PC so I won't be switching back.

If you don't want to get used to the Mac way of mouse/cursor movement, you can give "Smooth Mouse" a try.

 

[Bazza01]

If you don't want to get used to the Mac way of mouse/cursor movement, you can give "Smooth Mouse" a try.

Thanks. I've never heard of that and the website doesn't give much info but the release notes suggest a major release is due soon so may be worth trying.

Thank you.