I had been waiting for this mouse for months. When they were first announced, I ran to the nearest Apple Store to try it out with the new iMacs and I was sort of disappointed at first because of the "sharp" edges everyone was talking about and was initially doubtful about the gestures.
Knowing this, I still picked one up anyway yesterday when they hit stores individually and after 24 hours of solid usage, I have to say it's also the best mouse I've owned. This is not an ergonomic mouse. It wasn't meant to be. If you are prone to neurological or orthopedic problems in your hand, best to go with another mouse. It's not a power user's mouse either. If you need 14 different hot buttons because you're a multitasker or gamer, this was not meant for you. There are other mice out there for that. For the normal user though, which is what a lot of Mac users are, it's almost perfect.
The edges are not sharp at all once you sit down at a desk and use it. At a store while standing up at a counter, the mouse feels entirely different and I wish people wouldn't disregard it simply at first trial. The gestures become second nature after about a few hours. You'll feel like you've been using it for years and Apple scores a lot of points in my book for that. It really becomes intuitive. When we sit down at a computer at work, the keyboard is just a keyboard and the mouse is just a mouse. Not so much for this. I don't remember the last time I used a computer peripheral and had to stop what I was doing and actively marvel at how well it works. We need products like these. Without conceptual designs like this that actually make it into the real world, we'd never progress technologically, aesthetically, nor as humans. The mouse feels very cutting edge and it works really well in my opinion. I feel like people who have dismissed it early haven't really had the chance with it for more than half an hour standing at an Apple Store table.
Personally, I don't see the tap-to-click function coming to this mouse. It'd be too easy to misclick if you ever lifted your hand off the mouse, which will happen. As for three finger swiping, I'm doubtful of that too. The surface might be too restrictive for three fingers. I have relatively small hands and the mouse feels just the right size. Two fingers are already cutting it close. I could see them giving us the option of remapping the two-finger gestures though because I'm pretty sure it's all software.
The two plastic tracks that the mouse rests on might sound a little loud at first moving on a bare wooden desk, but after just a few hours, it starts to break in and becomes completely smooth. I'm not sure why some people were complaining about the tracking speed too. I have a 23" widescreen and the tracking speed is set to about 60%.
Build quality and design are pure Apple. I've never seen a more beautiful mouse to be honest-- even the people who dislike the mouse will have to concede that, I think. You really pay for the attention to details. Just remove the battery latch at the bottom and see what I mean. So this is mainly for the people who are still on the fence about it, if it helps you decide. But as with all Apple products, the reputation really just precedes itself. It'll sell no matter how many hate on it. There were only three left when I got to the store yesterday, so no need for more testimonial. If you really need Dashboard or Expose, use keyboard shortcuts or hot corners for the time being. Making small concessions like these are part of the design process. Design doesn't just stop with the designers-- it extends to the user also. I'm sure Apple or some other programmer will allow it in the future with an update.
I don't know how I'm going to face the Dell mouse at work anymore after this. It's like how I can't stand to use other laptop trackpads after using the new glass trackpads on the unibodies.
Knowing this, I still picked one up anyway yesterday when they hit stores individually and after 24 hours of solid usage, I have to say it's also the best mouse I've owned. This is not an ergonomic mouse. It wasn't meant to be. If you are prone to neurological or orthopedic problems in your hand, best to go with another mouse. It's not a power user's mouse either. If you need 14 different hot buttons because you're a multitasker or gamer, this was not meant for you. There are other mice out there for that. For the normal user though, which is what a lot of Mac users are, it's almost perfect.
The edges are not sharp at all once you sit down at a desk and use it. At a store while standing up at a counter, the mouse feels entirely different and I wish people wouldn't disregard it simply at first trial. The gestures become second nature after about a few hours. You'll feel like you've been using it for years and Apple scores a lot of points in my book for that. It really becomes intuitive. When we sit down at a computer at work, the keyboard is just a keyboard and the mouse is just a mouse. Not so much for this. I don't remember the last time I used a computer peripheral and had to stop what I was doing and actively marvel at how well it works. We need products like these. Without conceptual designs like this that actually make it into the real world, we'd never progress technologically, aesthetically, nor as humans. The mouse feels very cutting edge and it works really well in my opinion. I feel like people who have dismissed it early haven't really had the chance with it for more than half an hour standing at an Apple Store table.
Personally, I don't see the tap-to-click function coming to this mouse. It'd be too easy to misclick if you ever lifted your hand off the mouse, which will happen. As for three finger swiping, I'm doubtful of that too. The surface might be too restrictive for three fingers. I have relatively small hands and the mouse feels just the right size. Two fingers are already cutting it close. I could see them giving us the option of remapping the two-finger gestures though because I'm pretty sure it's all software.
The two plastic tracks that the mouse rests on might sound a little loud at first moving on a bare wooden desk, but after just a few hours, it starts to break in and becomes completely smooth. I'm not sure why some people were complaining about the tracking speed too. I have a 23" widescreen and the tracking speed is set to about 60%.
Build quality and design are pure Apple. I've never seen a more beautiful mouse to be honest-- even the people who dislike the mouse will have to concede that, I think. You really pay for the attention to details. Just remove the battery latch at the bottom and see what I mean. So this is mainly for the people who are still on the fence about it, if it helps you decide. But as with all Apple products, the reputation really just precedes itself. It'll sell no matter how many hate on it. There were only three left when I got to the store yesterday, so no need for more testimonial. If you really need Dashboard or Expose, use keyboard shortcuts or hot corners for the time being. Making small concessions like these are part of the design process. Design doesn't just stop with the designers-- it extends to the user also. I'm sure Apple or some other programmer will allow it in the future with an update.
I don't know how I'm going to face the Dell mouse at work anymore after this. It's like how I can't stand to use other laptop trackpads after using the new glass trackpads on the unibodies.
