Finding, Installing, and Configuring a Mouse


When the Mac was first introduced, its mouse separated it from all the computers that came before it, and those that came after it, for a long time. Until Windows and other platforms adopted the mouse as one of their primary input devices, the Mac and its mouse really stood out from the crowd. Now, the default Mac mouse stands out, but not in a good way because Mac users would really benefit from having more than one button so they don't have to use two hands to open contextual menus or perform many other actions. All other platforms come with at least a two-button mouse, and most mice also include a scroll wheel.

Choosing and Installing a Mouse

All desktop Macs come with the Apple Pro Mouse. This is an optical mouse, which means it uses light to translate your movements into input information (as opposed to the rolling ball in previous generations of mouse devices). The Apple Pro Mouse uses the entire top half as its "button," which makes using it even easier (if that is even possible). And it shares the same clear or white plastic look as the Apple Pro Keyboard. If you are happy with the standard Apple mouse, you don't need to worry about replacing it with something else.

NOTE

My input devices of choice are made by Logitech. Check out their great selection of input devices at www.logitech.com.



However, I strongly recommend that you get a mouse that has at least two buttons. The ability to right-click things to activate contextual menus and to perform other commands is much more convenient than using a key and clicking the single mouse button. Plus, if you use a mobile Mac, you might want to add a mouse for those times when you are using your iBook or PowerBook at a desk.

There are three main considerations when choosing a mouse.

One is its comfort in your hand. Mouse devices come in various shapes and sizes. Using one that is suited to your own hand cuts down on fatigue in your hand and lower arm.

Another factor is the number of buttons and other features on the mouse. Apple's mouse devices all provide a single mouse button, but other mouse devices come with two or more buttons. These buttons can be programmed to accomplish specific tasks, such as opening contextual menus. Also, some mouse devices include a scroll wheel that enables you to scroll in a window, such as a web page, without moving the mouse.

Because support for a two-button mouse with a scroll wheel is built in to the OS, (even though you won't find this indicated on the Mouse tab of the Keyboard & Mouse pane of the System Preferences application unless you have such a device installed), you should get at least a two-button mouse. This makes opening contextual menus, which are used throughout the OS and in most applications, much easier. Even better, get a mouse that includes a scroll wheel. This makes scrolling much more convenient and faster at the same time.

Third, you need to decide whether you want a wireless mouse. Because of the amount of time you spend moving a mouse, you should really consider a wireless mouse. Getting rid of the wire provides much more freedom of movement for you. As with keyboards, two types of wireless mouse devices are availablethose that use a USB transmitter and those that use Bluetooth (such as Apple's Wireless Mouse).

Like installing a keyboard, installing a mouse isn't hard.

If you use a wired mouse, just plug it in to an available USB port. If you use a USB-based wireless mouse, plug its transmitter in to an available USB port and use its controls to get the mouse and transmitter communicating.

If you use a Bluetooth mouse, use the Bluetooth configuration controls to set it up.

To learn more about Bluetooth devices, p. 847.


NOTE

Apple's wireless keyboard and mouse use Bluetooth to communicate with a Mac. You must purchase these devices separately. Hopefully, someday soon Apple will build Bluetooth support into all Macs and include the wireless keyboard and mouse. Even better, maybe someday Apple will replace its mouse design with a two-button (or more) version that includes a scroll wheel.


Configuring a Mouse

Configuring a mouse is much like configuring a keyboard; however, if you use a mouse that offers additional features (beyond a second button and a scroll wheel, which are standard features in most non-Apple mice), you need to install and configure the software that comes with that device first to take advantage of all its features. Without this software, the second button and scroll wheel will likely work as you expect but more advanced features won't work without the additional software installed.

To configure a two-button mouse with a scroll wheel), do the following:

1.

Open the Keyboard & Mouse pane of the System Preferences application.

2.

Click the Mouse tab (see Figure 29.7).

Figure 29.7. Configuring a mouse isn't hard to do.


3.

Use the Tracking Speed slider to set the tracking speed of the mouse. A faster tracking speed means that the pointer moves farther (faster) with less movement of the mouse.

4.

Use the Scrolling Speed slider to set the speed at which the wheel scrolls. Moving the slider to the right makes the scroll action faster, meaning you move up or down the screen faster.

5.

Use the Double-Click Speed slider to set the rate at which you have to click the mouse button to register a double-click. You can use the test area to check out the click speed you have set.

6.

Select the primary mouse button by clicking either the Left or Right radio buttons. By default, the left button is equivalent to the button on a single-button mouse, but you can reverse the button's roles if you prefer that setup.

If you use a mouse with a scroll wheel and several buttons, you should use the software that came with it to configure the additional controls (see Figure 29.8).

Figure 29.8. If you use a mouse with a second (or third) button and a scroll wheel, use its software to configure it.


NOTE

PowerBooks and iBooks use a trackpad instead of a mouse (although you can connect a mouse to one of these machines just as you can any other Mac).


For information about working with a trackpad, p. 329.




Special Edition Using MAC OS X Tiger
Special Edition Using Mac OS X Tiger
ISBN: 0789733919
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 317
Authors: Brad Miser

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