Windows hack enables full Magic Mouse compatibility

Nov 23, 2009 09:32 GMT  ·  By

A report posted at UneasySilence claims that a hack is now available to enable full Magic Mouse (Multi-Touch) support on Windows. Evidently, a Mac is still required, while the Windows guest must be running in Boot Camp, Apple’s OS X utility that allows Mac owners to selectively boot in different operating systems.

The report in question reveals that, “Thanks to a little hackery from Apple’s Bluetooth Update [...] the Magic Mouses driver was extracted via WinRAR resulting in a 32bit version and a 64bit version that you can install on any ordinary Windows PC that will enable all the scrolling ‘magic’ of the Magic Mouse.”

Apple’s Bluetooth Update 1.0 for Windows, posted last month, improves the performance of the Apple Bluetooth devices when running Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista on a Mac computer using Boot Camp. In a Support document, Apple states that, “This update improves the performance of the Apple Bluetooth devices while running Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista on the iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers using Boot Camp.”

Those who wish to benefit from the features of the Magic Mouse on Windows aren’t required to extract the Magic Mouses driver themselves, but rather download the 32bit version or 64bit version provided by the aforementioned website. Softpedia does not condone hacking or the use of hacks on / with Apple hardware and / or software. This article has a purely informational nature and doesn’t suggest that readers should proceed with downloading said hacks.

Upon introducing the elusive and expensive peripheral, Apple revealed that the device could be a single or multi-button mouse with an advanced gesture support, thanks to its seamless, touch-sensitive enclosure. Users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backwards through photos, by using intuitive gestures. Left-handed or right-handed users can access System Preferences on Mac OS X and easily configure multi-button or gesture commands, just like with older mice.