What's the best multiple-button mouse for Macs?

LINUXdroid

#1 – 7:53 AM September 4, 2009

The Logitec Marble track-ball is the best, four button (no center button or scroll, boo) but at $20 you can not bet it with a stick. And you can keep it on you lap or under the covers, DAMN COLD WINTERS. ONLY one problem stupid Logitec stopped making the damn thing. IDIOTS.

everyplace

#2 – 8:23 AM September 4, 2009

The best multi-button mouse is a Wacom tablet, hands down. Their driver customization rivals the best of usb overdrive from back in the day, and the pen input reduces rsi significantly.

hectorinwa

#3 – 8:27 AM September 4, 2009

I've always been a fan of Microsoft's mice and trackballs. (mouse at work, trackball at home) though lately I've been wishing that the concept that came out a while back (with the laser approximately where a pencil tip would be) was a real product. The MS mouse (wireless intellimouse explorer) has the laser over on the lower right side, which makes it kind of non-intuitive.

As for drivers, I've always used USB Overdrive.

Arun

#4 – 8:31 AM September 4, 2009

I use a Logitech G5.

Sure I can't use logitech's software to customize it, but I can still switch dpi on the fly.

jjd

#5 – 8:51 AM September 4, 2009

As you may or may not know, the mouse that Apple ships with macintoshes is a multi-button mouse. Configured properly in the System Preferences, you can actuate three buttons plus one side button.

I'm not saying that the Apple mouse is the best in the world, but I'm happy that the mouse they ship now supports three buttons, even in X11.

If you want a wireless mouse, I'm partial to the Logitech V470 bluetooth mouse. Small, laser, three buttons + scroll wheel. No logitech support needed since there are no drivers needed to use a bluetooth mouse on the Mac. And no dongle thingy. These can be had new/refurbished for about $25 on ebay.com.

Tommy

#6 – 9:13 AM September 4, 2009

I concur with HECTORINWA. It's MS mice *and* keyboards for my Macs.

(Specific, the old Natural ergo keyboards. I hoard them.)

twofedoras

#7 – 9:23 AM September 4, 2009

I loved using the Razer Pro-Click or DeathAdder I had a pro-click for about 2.5 years and loved the "on-the-fly" sensitivity. It is greta for doing small detail work in design and the larger faster navigation.

ChibiR

#8 – 9:29 AM September 4, 2009

For me, Logitech's MX-510 is good enough and works well with the Logitech drivers on my 10.5 Macbook. However, after hearing all the horror stories about Logitech's Mac drivers and newer mice, I'm going to do some VERY thorough research before getting new Logitech hardware.

Anonymous Anonymous

#9 – 9:48 AM September 4, 2009

Razer Pro Mac Edition
hands down

zikman

#10 – 9:49 AM September 4, 2009

I don't know what anybody's talking about. I've had a logitech mx revolution for years now and it's worked fine on leopard and even now on snow leopard on my macbook. I haven't owned many specialty mice in the past, but this one is just great.

Ilya

#11 – 9:53 AM September 4, 2009

I second the vote for Razer. I use a Lachesis for my desktop, and though I haven't bothered to install the drivers, the on-the-fly sensitivity control still works.
For my MacBook, I use a Logitech wireless mouse (the kind with a mini USB dongle that stores inside the mouse). Works well, again without the drivers.

philipb

#12 – 9:56 AM September 4, 2009

I'm so neanderthal I can't even get around a 2 button mouse. Old dogs with keyboard short cuts permanently ingrained I guess.

teamshadowboat

#13 – 10:07 AM September 4, 2009

I've found the Dell MS mice with the gray buttons, black everything else, and USB cables are the only mice I've seen that don't have latency issues with Macs.

I've tried a few logitechs and wireless mice that are impossible when Photoshopping.

Gotta say, I love Macs but I really hate their keyboards and mice.

a random John

#14 – 10:13 AM September 4, 2009

I've become completely disillusioned with mice, especially on the mac. I hate cords, hate dongles, hate the fact that pressing the scroll wheel on the MX toggles the clicky scroll mode.

Ugh.

I want a bluetooth three button plus smooth scroll wheel mouse that works on the Mac. Is there such a thing? Don't say "The BT Mighty Mouse!" because I already gave mine away after hating it for 6 months.

msilver

#15 – 10:16 AM September 4, 2009

I use a cheap $5 black logitech mouse, and I never needed drivers.

I would LOVE to have one of those almost-too-many-button gaming mice from Razer but I have a bad habit of ruining keyboards and mice with liquids poured from bottles and glasses, so I tend to just get whatever is the cheapest and make do.

Lowell Goss

#16 – 10:20 AM September 4, 2009

Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0

slab

#17 – 10:45 AM September 4, 2009

I use a Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000. Comes with a dongle, but it works great without it with the bluetooth on my MacBook and my Mac mini. Also there are OS X IntelliPoint drivers, but I don't use them at all.

I snagged the OEM version from Newegg a long while ago for about $45; I don't see either the OEM or retail versions there anymore though.

Codepope

#18 – 10:45 AM September 4, 2009

For me it's a Microsoft Blutrack Explorer Mouse and Microsoft's drivers. Works like a dream. For more esoteric control, I recommend ControllerMate (http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/) which is just everything you want to hack and customise the bejesus out of your USB devices.

The Life Of Bryan

#19 – 10:52 AM September 4, 2009

Yeah, Logitech stuff isn't bad as long as you don't let their software anywhere near your machine. Kensington used to be the gold standard, but I've ended up regretting the last two trackballs I purchased from them.

I never thought I would, but I've gotten quite comfortable using the trackpad on my CrackBook full-time at home. At work I have a bunch of $10 Kensington K72213 2.5-button mice floating around, and I find them adequate.

Anyone know of a source for cheap 1-button USB mice? They would make life so much easier in our student lab where most of the students have no computer experience and figure the most prominent feature must be what you "mash."

mzed

#20 – 11:00 AM September 4, 2009

I'll second a vote for the Wacom. It also makes a great music controller. Unfortunately, some applications (I'm looking at you, Ableton Live) aren't perfect with it.

I switch between that and a Evoluent mouse:
http://www.evoluent.com/vm3.html

As you might guess, tendon health is a primary concern for me.

gobo

#21 – 11:22 AM September 4, 2009

I love my Kensington Expert Mouse (aka trackball) but I don't love it as much as the ones they made three or four years ago. The new ones feel a lot cheaper.

Mark Crummett

#22 – 11:37 AM September 4, 2009

I've always liked Kensington mice, mostly because of the software. It lets you customise the buttons ad infinitum. The hardware seems pretty solid, too.

Anonymous Anonymous

#23 – 11:50 AM September 4, 2009

ummm... since Macs are so incredibly wonderfully easy to use, why isn't there already an Apple driver that allows people to use multi-button pointing devices?

Maybe it could even tell users at the time of configuration that one-button mice are morally superior or something.

I know about the whole Jobs stranglehold on the closed hardware-software synergistic ecosystem, and in most ways it produces excellent results, but not to offer this basic support is kind of dumbass.

---not an M$ apologist

haineux

#24 – 12:10 PM September 4, 2009

JWZ was having trouble because he wanted to change a mouse event into a different one, and also change some keyboard events into different ones. (ie. use middle-mouse-button as Command-left-mouse-button, and swap Control and Command keys.)

The two (grody hack) pieces of software he was using started interacting differently in Snow. He's sorted things out and is all happy again.

To be clear: 99.9% of mice and keyboards speak a language called USB HID, and Mac OS X is perfectly compatible with it, even though it apparently was a Microsoft standard at some point in the past. (Note that reading the HID specification can cause severe health problems such as claviceps minor, keyboard shape imprints on one's face.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_human_interface_device_class

Yeah, it sucks that there are such grody hacks (kernel extensions) to do simple stuff like event modification. I think 10.5 and 10.6 have better APIs which would make these kinds of utilities less grody. Maybe someday a better solution will take hold.

danilo

#25 – 12:26 PM September 4, 2009

Logitech's mice are superb but their software is some of the crummiest garbage in the history of the world.

I use the superb ControllerMate for all USB devices and never install proprietary software.

http://www.orderedbytes.com/

It's exceptionally good at what it does. It'll let you unlock as much or as little functionality as you need from any HID device, lightyears beyond what you'd ever get from a mouse vendor's crappy software. Also great for keyboards, joysticks, anything USB HID, basically.

jerwin

#26 – 12:33 PM September 4, 2009

I've get the mighty mouse. No, I won't claim that it's the best. Far from it, in fact. The mouse seems to delight in detecting a button press when none is forthcoming. I believe it has something to with capacitors and static electricity. Short of using my left hand to ground myself to my Imac, are there any solutions to this problem?

daryl

#27 – 1:28 PM September 4, 2009

I'm using the Microsoft Natural 7000. http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=095

The mouse takes a bit to get used to, but the keyboard is phenomenal, the only thing i wish i could do was make that stupid zoom slider into something more useful.

techdeviant

#28 – 1:37 PM September 4, 2009

I've got the Targus wireless mouse for Mac. It comes with a USB dongle. Occasionally I do have the problem where I click and it doesn't register on the screen. You can program the buttons but you have to install some Targus software, which seems to work on my machine, running 10.5. I was mostly looking for a replacement for the mighty mouse with good side scrolling, which this one does OK at and doesn't seem to get dirty at all. My biggest concern these days is that I need to remember to turn off the mouse on Friday when I leave work for the weekend, or it drains the battery super fast. I wish you could plug it in to a docking station or something instead.

heavyboots

#29 – 1:55 PM September 4, 2009

Utilitarian Best: Microsoft Intellimouse 5-button for about $20. Full built-in support by the OS. 5-buttons (program 4 and 5 for Expose Show All, Show Desktop functions!), ambidexstrous-compatible, optical and cheap enough to replace without whining. What's more to ask for?

I *have* had 2 or 3 users switch to the Mighty Mouse, but probably 20 of our workstation users here use these to great effect.

Snazzier options: Razer & Logitech mice both work great. I own one of each.

Without installing any additional drivers, ALL buttons on the Logitech work, including speed sensitivity. All but the right-side buttons work on the Razer Diamondback. (Oddly 6 & 7 are hardwired to scroll up/down behavior.)

I've never tried to install drivers for either--that way lies madness and kernel panics, imho.

#18: Any mouse scroll wheel converts to left-right behavior if you hold the shift key down. Unless you're in InDesign where they intentionally f'd it up with CS3 and beyond.

kawayama

#30 – 7:49 PM September 4, 2009

a wacom board all the way. ALL the way. especially the intuos4. drool.

ginshirou

#31 – 8:31 PM September 4, 2009

That newspaper database company didn't happen to start with a B and end with aseview, did it?

If you can't say, blog once for yes, twice for no.

Chris Tucker

#32 – 9:48 PM September 4, 2009

"Gotta say, I love Macs but I really hate their keyboards and mice."

Original Apple Extended Keyboard.

BEST. APPLE. KEYBOARD. EVER.

Using it now on my Dual Processor G5, via the Griffin iMate ADB to USB adaptor.

20+ years old, works like the day it came off the assembly line. OK, it DOES lack the "media keys". My Griffin PowerMate is programmed to work with CoverSutra. Controlling volume and pause in iTunes. MUCH more convenient than "media keys".

Mouse is a wired MS IntelliMouse Explorer. 4 buttons, scrollwheel. USB Overdrive. Cannot be beat.

b.nystedt

#33 – 10:16 AM September 5, 2009

It's weird that I just faced this conundrum this week. My wireless mighty mouse kept getting clogged really badly and so I tried to get Apple to replace it since the 'Dashboard' downpress on the scroll ball wouldn't work any longer. A $70 mouse shouldn't only last 3 years, I said. Apple employee tells me there's nothing they can do. So, I trekked to Fry's (ugh) and picked up a Logitech MX620. It's got the nice freewheeling scroll, I was able to programme it without the Logitech software (only one button doesn't work but whatever) and it was only like $50. Sure, the downside is that I really hate the fact that there's a wireless reciever dongle but I plugged it into my Aluminium keyboard and it stays mostly tucked out of the way, leaving the back of my Mac mini free of obstruction. I'm happy so far. Much more ergonomic than the mighty mouse.

cosedcasket

#34 – 10:42 PM September 5, 2009

I've been using the Kensington Expert Mouse (formerly the Turbo Mouse) for 20 years now, and I can't imagine working any other way. I've tried oodles of other trackballs, including other ones from Kensington, and they've all been crap. The Expert Mouse is the all-time champion for me.

That being said, I wish the current version of the Expert Mouse still had the row of programmable buttons across the top. I miss them dearly!

mdh

#35 – 11:28 AM September 6, 2009

my MS Wireless Optical Mouse and Keyboard are a great match for my li'l old mini. I don't need much, and as such, MS has satisfied me this one time.

jeff.c

#36 – 2:02 PM September 6, 2009

Has anybody used a rocketfish bluetooth mouse with their mac? I have one on the way and have read some really good reviews, but Who knows.........

Wilbur

#37 – 9:42 AM September 8, 2009

I wanted a wireless bluetooth mouse for ages for my mac, as one of my USB slots on my ibook is a bit dodgy. I was gonna buy the logitec mouse, but saw a microsoft notebook mouse 5000 in a shop and got it instead and I'm dead happy with it. It's got 4 buttons (2 front + scroll wheel/button + thumb button). I love tapping the dashboard button in the middle and quickly reaching the desktop with the thumb button. it's a little small so beware all ye big hairy handed beasts out there.

akku

#38 – 12:31 AM September 9, 2009

Hi, I am using Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro Wireless for my Mac notebook, with four main buttons, a scroll wheel, and six additional “DirectLaunch” buttons for one-touch access to my favorite applications and Web addresses.

Downpressor

#39 – 8:07 AM September 9, 2009

Surprised that there are so few trackball fans here. I've been using the MS Optical Trackball Explorer for many years now. Too bad its discontinued as it fits my hands perfect and the ball is on the left as it should be. 5 buttons with exposé mappings as above.

Anonymous Anonymous

#40 – 9:53 AM September 9, 2009

What's a dongle?

Delphi

#41 – 7:03 AM September 10, 2009

Logitech MX Revolution + Steermouse button customization program

J France

#42 – 8:19 AM September 11, 2009

Teamshadowboat uses the same Dell mouse I do - it's amazingly effective for a throwaway.

Probably under the bar for what you're using.

And the "Moghty Mouse" is just shit. FOr years they said they didnt need a two button mouse, and when they finally made it - it was shit! Utter shit!

Every time I use one I see Jobs laughing maniacally about buttons. It needs two physical buttons. Or at least drastically improve what it's trying to do with the one.

Jonny

#43 – 11:39 PM September 11, 2009

@Slab I have the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 as well. It works great once it's on/awake, but takes a minute or so to actually *work* with my iMac, which annoys the shit out of me. I don't use the stupid dongle, but why's it gotta be such a pain in the ass?

Any better Bluetooth mice out there?