14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s Discussions support forums are getting filled with negative Magic Mouse posts, most of which appear to be complaints regarding the peripheral’s functionality, compatibility with older hardware, and even its shape and size. TUAW has shown that a simple keyword search on the forums pulls up countless threads singing pretty much the same tune -
Magic Mouse is not so magic.
“Hi, Just bought the new iMac 27" everything was perfect till now,” one Apple Discussions user reports. “My magic mouse does not scroll anymore, all I can do is point and click. At first I [thought] its [sic] because I installed bootcamp with windows 7 but even when i delete bootcamp the mouse still does not work. Please Help.”
Although most people buying the Magic Mouse for older hardware (earlier Macs) are required to download and install a software update addressing compatibility issues, the same thing cannot be said about new-generation iMacs, which ship with the new Magic Mouse in the box, and should ensure perfect compatibility with the peripheral. For this particular user, the mouse may well be faulty.
Another “happy” owner of a Magic Mouse claims that, “besides the beauty not much else is there. [It’s] More like a regular mouse, not very comfortable to hold, I have big hands and the mouse seems to disappear under my palm.”
“...anyone else using the new magic mouse and feel that the slick silver material on the sides could be a little tackier?” another Discussions poster asks.
One user seems to have the typical compatibility-case on his hands: “I just bought a Magic Mouse for my MacBook. I got it connected and it is tracking great, but the multitouch surface doesn't seem to work. I can't scroll or swipe or anything on it. All I can do is point and click. What should I do?”
Just to be clear, in all cases, those who are not using one of the new iMacs introduced in October 2009 are required to download and install Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0. You can learn more here.
“Hi, I was reading the support guide for the magic mouse and it says you need wireless mouse software update 1.0,” goes another post, whose author seems to be more in the loop, so to speak. Still, he not 100% up to speed, as his post continues to reveal: “Where do you get that update? Does it come with the mouse? I've tried to download it via SoftwareUpdate, but it says my software is updated. Is it possible I already have it?”
It is not clear exactly how many such Apple Discussions posts can really point the finger at Apple. The Magic Mouse has indeed received mixed reviews. Softpedia’s Mac editor is still waiting for the Magic Mouse shipping to arrive in this part of the world. As soon as we get our hands on it, we’ll be carrying out tests with it on at least three different Macs to see how it performs.