Apple Mighty Mouse vs Magic Mouse

So I've blown through my third Mighty Mouse in three years, and of course all Apple offers is the new Magic Mouse. I can find a few places where they are still available but I'm considering the Magic Mouse.

My questions is, for Final Cut Editors, which do you prefer? I'm going to run to the local Apple store tomorrow to play around with the Magic Mouse, but for those who've used both what are your thoughts for use in FCP?

Thanks!

For editing, the only Apple mouse I've liked in about 10 years is the default, no-frills, single-button mouse. The Mighty Mouse is horrible at accuracy and becomes unresponsive after less than a year (I used to own one -- the only mouse I ever smashed rather than use it for as long as possible). I think the Magic Mouse and the Mighty Mouse are both style over substance.

For editing, I use a cheap $30 Kensington Si300 mouse with a real scroll wheel and real buttons. I replaced it with a Microsoft mouse for a year or so, but the Kensington beat it hands down for comfort and responsiveness, and I replaced the Microsoft with another Si300. Once you learn that you can do left-right scrolling by holding down SHIFT, the Mighty Mouse's list of advantages really shrinks. A real scroll wheel beats those horrible Apple "touch" wheels to crap.


www.derekmok.com

Derek,
is this the Kensington that will interact with the 3 wheels CC in Fcp ?

I don't think I can work without my Mighty Mouse. The scroll wheel that allows me to go LEFT and RIGHT...in FCP and Avid (although the reverse motion in Avid...takes getting used to)...is a major thing for me. And that third button in Color to move the sequences...without pressing any modifier keys? That's big. I whiz up and down the sequence with that wheel....not sure what motion will do that on the MAGIC mouse.

I even have a fancy 8 button logitech mouse I use for gaming...scroll wheel only goes UP and DOWN. Need to hold SHIFT to go side to side. PAIN.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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I only use the Microsoft Bluetrack mice now - their laser tracking is awesome and 100% smooth!

Chi-Ho Lee
Film & Television Editor
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Instructor

I use a Razer Deathadder with 5 programmable macro keys and a wacom intuos tablet. The Razer is probably the most comfortable mouse I've ever used, and the laser is highly responsive and accurate.

[store.razerzone.com]

I never liked the mighty mouse because it's clunky and the scroll wheel keeps breaking down. The magic mouse feels better, until you start moving it around, then you realize the grip is bad and the mouse is heavy due to the batteries. I also use my iPhone as a track pad, but that's more for fun than for editing.



www.strypesinpost.com

> I don't think I can work without my Mighty Mouse. The scroll wheel that allows me to go
> LEFT and RIGHT...in FCP and Avid

If they would have made it possible to clean that stupid ball, it'd be a lot less of a problem for me.


www.derekmok.com

There seems to be a lingering misconception that you have to use an Apple mouse on an Apple. Any mouse will work! Whether it works well is a matter of the quality of the mouse, not its compatibility. I use, among others, a Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse that is comfortable and functional (and inexpensive). The scroll wheel not only scrolls up and down, as usual, but right and left just by pushing it right or left (no modifier keys). There's a thumb button that magnifies the screen. It's about as intuitive as you could ask for. And of course the "notebook" mouse works just as well on a tower. There's no need to spend Apple prices on these things (this one is about $30).

Scott

What I lament is that aside from the "virtual" buttons and scroll wheel on Apple mice, their shape is actually excellent. That's why I stuck with the bottom-of-the-line single-button Apple mouse for so long. These days I can't live without a scroll wheel, but if Apple would only stop with this touch-sensitive nonsense! I spend far more time fighting with the Mighty Mouse and the Magic Mouse than working. And at the end of last year, almost two years after giving up on the Mighty Mouse, I worked on a new-ish, more responsive Mighty Mouse at a post house. It's still not nearly as fast as my Kensington.


www.derekmok.com

derekmok Wrote:
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> If they would have made it possible to clean that
> stupid ball, it'd be a lot less of a problem for
> me.

Keep your hands clean...wash THEM! I've had the same mouse for two years..the ball is clean...never needed cleaning.

No one likes an editor with dirty mitts!




www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Pen & Tablet since day 1.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Derek - you hit the nail on the head. The thing I love so much about the Mighty Mouse is it's shape. The little center ball keeps overall movement to a minimum and decreases the amount of times you lift your hand or move the mouse around. The left/right movement is invaluable for me in FCP. I've tried "pretending" the Mighty was a Magic and used my fingers as if I was swiping left/right and up/down... and that's pretty much why I came on to ask everyone. Seemed to me like the mouse moved around while I was trying to move my fingers around - not so sure I want that.

I've got some errands to run this afternoon, I'm going to swing into an Apple store or maybe a Best Buy and play with the Magic. The downside on the Mighty is, now that they're not available from Apple, new ones are priced through the roof (as in $100+). Thinking I might just suck it up and learn to work with the Magic Mouse.

Thanks for all the input everybody.

-Chris

grafixjoe - which pen and tablet do you use?

Wacom Intuos are very nice - known a few people who swear by them on FCP. I use tablets for graphics, but have never managed to comfortable editing with one.

Yeah I use Wacom on all my Macs - I even have Wacom Bamboos for the MBPs. Saves my wrist from the dreaded "mouse-claw".

They also enable you to work faster imho.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Cleaning the Mighty Mouse ball is easy turn it upside down an roll it over a clean cloth with iClear on it. I have been using the Logitech MX Mouse that has a velocity scroll wheel so I can flick it and it keeps spinning lot's of buttons and features and comfortable. Logitech's chargers seem to suck badly though I have problems getting this mouse and my Harmony remote (made by Logitech) to make their connections. I have switched to the Apple Magic Trackpad and I like it a lot. Try it out at your local Apple Store.

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Dean

"When I see you floating down the gutter I'll give you a bottle of wine."
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica.

Quote

So I've blown through my third Mighty Mouse in three years, and of course all Apple offers is the new Magic Mouse.

What? The old Mighty Mouse (renamed the Apple Mouse after what I can only assume is a trademark license expiration) is still on sale, for US$49 a pop.

It's the best mouselike computer input device ever made.

What cartoon character is famous for the following phrase:

" I hate those meces to pieces"

Mr Jinx or Mr Jinks or something like that. A bad knock off of Tom and Jerry. Hanna Barbera I believe. Late 50s or early 60s.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!