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Mouse recommendations for Powerbook?

N

Nspace

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 13, 2004
204
0
Toronto, Canada
I am looking to get a mouse to take with me for use with my powerbook that is on the way.

I definately want at least a two button scroll wheel. Right now on my desktop I use a Logitech MX 700 mouse and I love that, if helps.

I can get a standard 2 button optical mouse with scroll wheel, corded, for 15 dollars canadian (11 USD), or I can spend some more money and get something better.

The blue tooth version of my current mouse is nice ( I am assuming that since the laptop has bluetooth built in I wouldnt have to use Logitech's receiver) but it is rather expensive.

I was also looking at this when it becomes available:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=3,CONTENTID=7732,ad=hp_elbared

As well as (has anyone used the retractable corded mice?)

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=3,CONTENTID=8142


Wireless would be nice, but it seems like it could be a hassle running out of batteries on the road etc. It would be something I would rather not worry about, so I am leaning more towards one with a cord.

Anyways if anyone could give me any advice or share what they use that would be great. Thanks!

Tom
 
Just use your USB mouse, or one that's around when you really need one. I bought a mouse with my Powerbook, but now I never use it, you'll grow to love the trackpad.
 
I am using the PB primarily for graphics so I doubt I will be using the trackpad very much.

The macmouse above is nice, but it is rather pricey.
 
Kingsnapped said:
Just use your USB mouse, or one that's around when you really need one. I bought a mouse with my Powerbook, but now I never use it, you'll grow to love the trackpad.
Click to expand...
Um... I actually don't really like the trackpad and use my mouse almost exclusively.
I would suggest a bluetooth mouse since bluetooth is built into the powerbooks, so you wouldn't have to use any of your USB ports or have any wires. Plus they're worth the extra $20 or so, I think.
 
Which bluetooth mouse would you suggest, is there anything realtively cheap?

The bluetooth logitech one, mx900, is 150 canadian. That is a little out of my price range for a mouse lol.

I would wait for the bluetooth mac mouse if I knew it would be affordable. 40 USD for their other mouse seems retarded.
 
I have the Logitech Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks - Silver ( 931006-0403 ) which looks similar to the first link you posted only it's a dark silver (slightly darker than the Powerbook finish). I like it alot. I also couldn't justify buying a Bluetooth mouse for the prices they're going for. Until the prices of Bluetooth mice drop, I will be perfectly happy with this one.
 
Nspace said:
I am using the PB primarily for graphics so I doubt I will be using the trackpad very much.

The macmouse above is nice, but it is rather pricey.
Click to expand...

get a small pen pad if you will use it for graphics. wacom makes awesome tablets.
 
Im using the MSI800 Aluminum mouse until the new MacMice BT mouse comes out,hopefully in silver. The MSI800 matches the PB perfectly,never had any problems with it.

1d_1_b.JPG
 
well in my particular case...i hate the trackpad........it's OK to fool around with it for a little while .......but not too much........i just NEED something in my hand to click! :p hehe

i was thinking about a good (and goodlooking too) mouse for my powerbook....and i fell in love with the Logitech MX series (500, 510, 700, 900)....the way they look...oh my god...it's great!

hhehehe...anyways......after thinking about it for a while....i didn't want the cordless one (i had a cordless mouse with the PC and damn it....you have to be on top of it (batteries or charge..) and i didn't wanna do that anymore......so...........

no bluetooth either (too pricey) so i bought the Logitech MX 510 (optical WITH cord......and i'm happy happy happy.......honestly the cord doesnt bother me at all hehehehee.......you just need to acomodate it and it'll be fine!

i DO plan to use bluetooth, but that'll be when i buy a desktop G5 (probably in two years or so!) and i'll get the bluetooth keyboard and mouse! :D but till then.....its cord and laptop keyboard to me (hey by the way.....this keyboard RULES!!...i'm growing to love it MORE than the regular keyboards!)
 
Thanks for the replies so far, the msi800 one looks good, although matching the powerbook really isn't an issue.

I already have a wacom tablet that I frequently use on my desktop but I don't like the mouse it comes with at all, so thats not really an option.

Anyone used the mice with the retractable cords?
 
just to make deciding more difficult i'll suggest this mouse...

http://www.macally.com/new/new_btmouse.html

i've had it for almost two weeks now and i'm pretty happy with it - no drivers needed and the two buttons and scroll wheel work very well. it's a shame that the mac sys prefs can't see the battery level for the mouse (like it does for the apple bt keyboard), and the lack of an off button - i tried carrying it around with me in my backpack, but obviously kept triggering one of the click buttons because i've managed to almost drain the AA batteries already. i'm either just going to leave it at home or take out a battery.

those 'faults' aside, it tracks well and is nice to use :)
 
I have a mx900 and I like it. The extra keys mapped to exposé functions which is what i wanted them to do, no drivers required.

The battery lasts more than a day of moderate-heavy usage, and i've had it last days of very light usage. Note that it really matters because it charges very quickly.

My only qualms about it are that there is no off button (for traveling), and the light blinks while it is charging, which makes sleep difficult.
 
This might make no difference in your decision, but my brother, who travels a lot, actually prefers to use a corded mouse with his PB - simply because, when he tried using a cordless mouse, it tended to fall on the airplane floor and be a hassle, whereas a corded one just hung there and he could pull it back up. Not that he's that much of a klutz, but, with people going past him to use the bathroom, people reclining the seats in front of him, etc., he stuck with a corded one.
 
Jsw that is actually a pretty interesting tip, I never thought of that.

I ended up being cheap and got the 11 dollar mouse I mentioned earlier. It is all black, which in a way seems to look ok with the Powerbook, not that cosmetics was a big issue but it just made more sense.

Mapping buttons to expose features is a good idea, perhaps I can make the scroll wheel click do something like that. If the bluetooth mice come down in price soon, I will definately use the money I saved and put it towards something like that.

At least i have found out some of the cool mice that are available from this thread :D Thanks to everyone that posted.
 
Wait for this like half of everyone else :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I agree with dav. A bluetooth silver mouse is the best option. Nspace: There is no point in having built in bluetooth on your powerbook if you you dont make the best of it (printer, mouse, mobile phone ..etc). Then again, no point is spending £100 yet. ;)
 
With rebates from the Logitech, the Bluetooth Mouse/Keyboard combo is a little less than $100 on Amazon.com. A very good deal for a product that retails at $199.99. I just picked them up and I am very impressed. I love OS X's abilities to support non-supported devices :D
 
The Microsoft Bluetooth Wireless Intellimouse Explorer is a cheaper alternative to Logitech's MX900 Bluetooth. It's available on amazon.com for $63.88, compared to the MX900's $79.79, also on amazon.com.

microsoft http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...76729?v=glance&s=electronics&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER

logitech http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...16536-0376729?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282

I sort of resembles Logitech's MX700 and MX900. I still like my MX700 more though than the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse--I'm addicted to the buttons on my Logitech that you press in and it scrolls (much more responsively than any scrollwheel I have used).
 
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I bought this Kensington mouse and it worked great. It's smaller than a normal mouse, but not as small as those tiny notebook mice that are out there.

It's a retractable USB mouse, but the entire cord retracts into a little compartment on the mouse, I like it a lot.

Oh, and it's reasonably priced too.
 
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