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What's the best mouse to use with the Mac Pro (besides the Magic Mouse)?

MS IME 3.0 (SS, SE, Alienware Black, Blue) X06's and X08's. In Win7 I have hacked USB port for 500Hz polling. Using since 2004 or so. You can get them used for cheap. Not the fancy ones though, thy are like 150.00+. It is the original mouse the Deathadder ripped off. Also it is slightly bigger and slower @400DPI but it has great frame per second and no movement prediction.
 
This
 

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AkuskaUK said:
I still have my old one of them! That reminds me, i need to dig that out!
Click to expand...

I don't like mice, they're short enough to rub my pinky on the mousepad which drives me nuts..I played with every mouse in between France and Czech before I bought that track ball.
 
I do 3d modeling, and just love this Rat MMO 7. Matched with their Glide9 aluminum pad, I think it's hard to beat.
 

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I've been using a Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse for years. I'm on my second one. The programmable keys are great. I use my Apple Magic Mouse with my Macbook Air.

Lou
 
Personally I use a trackball. I like the Logitech cordless optical trackman. It's an "older" model that I got used to using and I became very comfortable with them. I like this model for the position of the trackball and the fact that I spend 10 hours a day at work in front of a computer with one and then come home and spend another 5-6 hours at home with one and my wrist doesn't bother me. When I was using a mouse I had horrible wrist pain.

I own 4 of these.
 

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Mice I've personally tried:

- Cyborg RAT 9:

Little or no software support for Mac OS X. The extra buttons basically don't work. Mad Catz had published some kind of "driver" for the mouse, but for a simple configuration utility it was extremely bloated, slow, and unstable. I couldn't get it working, and the palm rest felt flimsy on my unit so I took it back. Also won't track on a SteelSeries I-2 glass mousepad.

- Razer Mamba:

No OS X support when I bought mine. The thumb buttons foolishly come configured as keyboard keys rather then extra mouse buttons that OS X can actually use. The software for Windows was slow, bloated, and somewhat unstable when I tried it under VMware to configure the mouse. Wouldn't track my SteelSeries I-2 glass mousepad, so I took it back. Too expensive for too little.

- SteelSeries Sensei:

Excellent mouse, awesome built-in hardware configuration. Horrible driver software for OS X, totally bloated and extremely slow (what the **** is with custom user interfaces for a friggin' mouse configuration utility?). If you can deal with that, then the mouse itself is a very nice unit. Probably the best wired mouse I've ever used. Tracks fine on the SS I-2 glass mousepad.

- Logitech Performance MX:

I'm on my third unit in ~5 years now. I keep coming back because they work out of the box with Mac OS X and require zero software to operate all the buttons. The mechanical scroll wheel mechanism is pretty nifty too- you click the centre button and it disengages the scroll wheel click, which lets you fling the wheel in either direction and it coasts to a gentle stop. Great for zooming around in 3D programs and seeking through long documents. I have no complaints about this mouse, other then the fact that it requires a weird USB cable to charge since there is no dock. Tracks fine on every surface I've thrown at it, including glass (!). I think the DarkField sensor is unparalleled in this regard.

- Wacom Intuos 4 Large Tablet:

Uh, it's a tablet. Personally, I hate using it as a mouse, and the mouse that comes with it is a weird piece of crap that feels absolutely wrong in every way. It's a dream to use with the pen for inking, painting, and sculpting applications (ie, Photoshop, Illustrator, ZBrush, Mudbox, etc)- anything that requires pressure sensitivity. For everything else, I've typically got mine shoved to the side and I'll be using my Performance MX on my glass mousepad instead. I've tried several times to get used to the Wacom as a primary means of input but I can never get around how awkward it feels for typical desktop use. IMHO these are specialty tools for specific uses, so I wouldn't consider them suitable for general mouse input.

-SC
 
For 22 years a trackball for precision work and Wacom Tablet for expressive work.

I've tried all kinds of trackballs from Kensington, Logitech but always find my best comfort with the large billiard ball size from Kensington, using a #K64325 "Expert Mouse" now & really love having the scroll wheel very fast for PS & 3d work and the software incl. is great for assigning buttons and control.

I understand some people prefer the full lift mouse, its all they have ever known, and companies have improved by going optical. but if you can take the short time to acclimatize to the trackball its much faster and precise. One thing that is distinctly different is the muscle groups you use with a Trackball, you will be using your fingertips more than your arm & wrist. When you place your cursor on a point it will stay exactly where you left it & when you decide to click a point it will not jump even one pixel.

PS. How much could one expect to get for the Magic Mouse that came with my MP?
Good luck!
 
ScottishCaptain said:
Mice I've personally tried:
- Wacom Intuos 4 Large Tablet:

Uh, it's a tablet. Personally, I hate using it as a mouse, and the mouse that comes with it is a weird piece of crap that feels absolutely wrong in every way. It's a dream to use with the pen for inking, painting, and sculpting applications (ie, Photoshop, Illustrator, ZBrush, Mudbox, etc)- anything that requires pressure sensitivity. For everything else, I've typically got mine shoved to the side and I'll be using my Performance MX on my glass mousepad instead. I've tried several times to get used to the Wacom as a primary means of input but I can never get around how awkward it feels for typical desktop use. IMHO these are specialty tools for specific uses, so I wouldn't consider them suitable for general mouse input.

-SC
Click to expand...

Looks like they've changed the mouse design in future versions, but I swear by my Intuos 3 mouse. Precise and easy to use once you get used to positioning it on the tablet.
 
I found the magic mouse that came with my Mac Pro was giving me pains in the hand and wrist after very little use. It looks nice but is not ergonomically designed for human hands, at least not hands like mine. It now sits in a drawer unused. The main problem is it is trying to combine being held as a mouse with acting as a flat finger gesture input device.

Instead I bought a cheap microsoft wired white mouse which works very well, is comfortable and I don't have to worry about replacing batteries (the magic mouse used to also lose communication with the computer from time to time).

Apple seem to design their keyboards and mice for visual appearance rather than to be actually used.
 
Unfortunately they don't make it anymore, but I have a still-working Logitech MX Revolution and I absolutely love it.
 
snarfquest said:
Personally I use a trackball. I like the Logitech cordless optical trackman. It's an "older" model that I got used to using and I became very comfortable with them. I like this model for the position of the trackball and the fact that I spend 10 hours a day at work in front of a computer with one and then come home and spend another 5-6 hours at home with one and my wrist doesn't bother me. When I was using a mouse I had horrible wrist pain.

I own 4 of these.
Click to expand...

I have three, spread out on work and at home. They are unfortunately discontinued in Sweden so I'm desperately looking for a replacement since the usb-radio-thingamabob has stopped working on one and is glitchy on one. And, Logitech has not made that trackball work with their unifying receivers. It's a pity. It's easily the best trackball I've tried.
 
ScottishCaptain said:
Mice I've personally tried:

- Cyborg RAT 9:

Little or no software support for Mac OS X. The extra buttons basically don't work. Mad Catz had published some kind of "driver" for the mouse, but for a simple configuration utility it was extremely bloated, slow, and unstable. I couldn't get it working, and the palm rest felt flimsy on my unit so I took it back. Also won't track on a SteelSeries I-2 glass mousepad.

- Razer Mamba:

No OS X support when I bought mine. The thumb buttons foolishly come configured as keyboard keys rather then extra mouse buttons that OS X can actually use. The software for Windows was slow, bloated, and somewhat unstable when I tried it under VMware to configure the mouse. Wouldn't track my SteelSeries I-2 glass mousepad, so I took it back. Too expensive for too little.

- SteelSeries Sensei:

Excellent mouse, awesome built-in hardware configuration. Horrible driver software for OS X, totally bloated and extremely slow (what the **** is with custom user interfaces for a friggin' mouse configuration utility?). If you can deal with that, then the mouse itself is a very nice unit. Probably the best wired mouse I've ever used. Tracks fine on the SS I-2 glass mousepad.

- Logitech Performance MX:

I'm on my third unit in ~5 years now. I keep coming back because they work out of the box with Mac OS X and require zero software to operate all the buttons. The mechanical scroll wheel mechanism is pretty nifty too- you click the centre button and it disengages the scroll wheel click, which lets you fling the wheel in either direction and it coasts to a gentle stop. Great for zooming around in 3D programs and seeking through long documents. I have no complaints about this mouse, other then the fact that it requires a weird USB cable to charge since there is no dock. Tracks fine on every surface I've thrown at it, including glass (!). I think the DarkField sensor is unparalleled in this regard.

- Wacom Intuos 4 Large Tablet:

Uh, it's a tablet. Personally, I hate using it as a mouse, and the mouse that comes with it is a weird piece of crap that feels absolutely wrong in every way. It's a dream to use with the pen for inking, painting, and sculpting applications (ie, Photoshop, Illustrator, ZBrush, Mudbox, etc)- anything that requires pressure sensitivity. For everything else, I've typically got mine shoved to the side and I'll be using my Performance MX on my glass mousepad instead. I've tried several times to get used to the Wacom as a primary means of input but I can never get around how awkward it feels for typical desktop use. IMHO these are specialty tools for specific uses, so I wouldn't consider them suitable for general mouse input.

-SC
Click to expand...

The entire Rat line works great in OSX now. Download the latest software! All buttons program, and work flawlessly!
 
CaptainChunk said:
My cheap Logitech M500 has always gotten the job done for me. It's comfortable and it tracks pretty well. Can't beat the warranty, either (3 years hassle-free replacement). It ain't cordless, but that doesn't matter to me because it's only $30.
Click to expand...

Here's another vote for the Logitech M500 corded mouse. Especially as we are talking about a mouse for a stationary desktop, I find a corded mouse the most hassle-free and reliable.

Oh, and the M500's turbo scroll is a gem.

RGDS,
 
SamWavy said:
Hey Mac Rumours Users,

Quick question...

What is possibly the best mouse to use with the Mac Pro Desktop? besides the Magic Mouse. My mac pro came with the magic mouse and its just not my type. Looking for comfort (I'll be using it for long), rechargeable, easy to connect, bluetooth etc. I have mid-sized hands. So far I'm thinking of the getting Logitech Performance Mouse MX. Let me know your suggestions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I use the Logitech Performance MX (M950) with my Mac Pro and I love it, the programable buttons on it are great too.
 
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