Full FeedApple’s worst product to date; the Mighty Mouse
Apple is usually at the leading edge when it comes to great design and usability for their products, but it seems like they made a terrible exception for the Mighty Mouse. This little input device is probably one of the worst products I have ever used with a computer. It does look nice and the buttons on the sides are really helpful, but overall this device needs a lot of work.
For one, it is expected that the right click on a Mighty Mouse won’t work 100% of the time from the beginning, or even 50% for that matter. Why not? Good question. Right clicking is one of the most often used tasks on a computer, so it should be easy. I know you can simply Ctrl + Click, but you should have the option to simply click.
Second, and more importantly, the scroll wheel. This thing is great… for about a week. Then it just acts as a dirt collector and doesn’t scroll up or down anymore, just side to side.
So why has Apple neglected this product for so long? It’s in need of a serious update because in the current state it is at right now, it just doesn’t live up to what you expect from an Apple product. My question for you is, how could it become more like an Apple product? Well, it’s a mouse, and Apple should know that it doesn’t have to look great, it just has to be usable. Maybe they could include some of their awesome multi-touch functionality on the mouse to use for scrolling, then we wouldn’t have to worry about dirty wheels. What else do you think they could do?
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We all are entitled to our opinions. On that note, I have to disagree with you 100%. Maybe you received a faulty product, but my right click has failed to work maybe 5 times since i got my mouse last september. My scroll wheel has collected dirt, and has stopped working once. Just rub the scroll wheel on a clean shirt or something similar and that will clean any dirt out.
Secondly, Apple has put out many other products that are much worse. Think about things like Newton, Pippin, the TAM, the original Macintosh TV, the Apple IIC, the Lisa, and, despite looking so damn good, the G4 Cube.
Also, this mouse is nowhere near the failure that was the Hockey Puck Mouse. The mouse that was included with the G3 iMac was not only ugly as sin, it is one of the least functional mice I have ever had the displeasure of using.
Next time, if you have an opinion, please back it up with decent information, and maybe look at some decent sources before forming that opinion.
on May 25, 2008 at 03:20 PM - LINKYeah… not by a long shot. The Mighty Mouse has a few flaws, but is one of the best mice I’ve used. And it’s really ergonomic.
on May 25, 2008 at 04:04 PM - LINKI have to disagree as well. The only problem I have ever had with the Mighty Mouse was a software problem (it alerts you like a month in advance before the batteries die). I love my mighty mouse! Also it was not even close to the failure that was the hockey puck mouse (and I have used one, my aunt has an old iMac-blue-that shipped with one)
on May 25, 2008 at 04:52 PM - LINKIn my opinion the mighty mouse has only one problem, the scroll wheel gets easily dirty which affects its functionality but if you are very careful and clean your hands when you use it you’ll enjoy of the best mouse ever! I disagree 100% with this post’s author.
on May 25, 2008 at 06:54 PM - LINKperhaps calling it the “worst product to date” is what everyone disagrees with, but being a heavy user of the mighty mouse and having serviced them about 5 times at our university library tells me that Josh is actually right about the scroll wheel. as for the misfiring right-click, i’ve seen that problem too, and it’s especially irritating when you’re gaming (a time when missing a click will cost you a life). the problem with the scroll wheel is the same problem with the 1st generation mice in that the mechanical rolly ball is, well, mechanical. it WILL get gunk in there that will muck up its functionality. are there some folks who own these that don’t have problems with the rolly ball? of course! but one person’s anecdotal experience “doth not the facts make.” why then do some have problems and some don’t? perhaps some of you are kinder to your mice and never eat around them, perhaps you eat around it, but only occasionally such that its never really a problem because you never get dirty, perhaps you simply never eat foods that would get your hands dirty or you DO eat dirty foods, but don’t use your mouse at that time! i mean, there are literally hundreds of ways to explain away why some don’t have the problem. what we DO know is that mechanical movements are subject to dirt, and dirt impedes performance with time…....... as i said, i’ve serviced these mice enough times to know that simply wiping them on a t-shirt isn’t always gonna do the trick. my girlfriend has also had a mighty mouse for 2 years and her’s works perfectly, unlike my piggy self who is on his second one. in short, the mouse’s scroll wheel is definitely its weakest point, followed by its occasional mis-clicking, at least based on the numbers of these mice i’ve worked with. i also know that people (like my girlfriend) who are quite “nice” to their mice (or even “not so nice”) are probably going to be thinking the mouse is perfectly adequate… but for those of us who are a bit “rude” to our equipment, yes, it is an irritant and i honestly believe that apple should find a way to make the tracking system optical because there is more than one person out there who uses their equipment heavily enough to be bothered by this.
on May 25, 2008 at 07:35 PM - LINKI wouldn’t go so far to say the Mighty Mouse is the worst Apple product ever, but it does have some flaws. I have to clean out the scroll wheel every three weeks or so, and about one in every 50 right clicks fail. Also, it goes through a pair of batteries in about three weeks, but other then that, its the best mouse I have ever used, both from an ergonomics and functionality standpoint. You can do so much to customize its functions. I have it set for primary click on the left, secondary (right) click on the right, tertiary function, and the side buttons as application switcher. I have yet to hear of a more functional mouse. The mouse definitely could be improved, and it isn’t the best Apple product ever, by a long shot, but also by a long shot, it isn’t the worst.
on May 25, 2008 at 07:45 PM - LINKAhh, nope. Sorry, but, I disagree. Yes it could be better, but it doesn’t deserve to be called Apple’s worst product. I try two MS mouse and two logitech mouse before I finally got to buy one for my Mac mini. I can’t understand what took me so long to get one. I’m not a power user, and I don’t need more than 3 buttons on my mouse and the mighty mouse does the job. I’m not sure what other Apple product would be worst but Apple’s mighty mouse is definitely not it.
on May 25, 2008 at 11:11 PM - LINKYou guys are correct in that it’s very ergonomic, I love how it fits into my palm. However, as many of you pointed out and agreed with, the main flaw in the device is how to solve the problem of dirt clogging the track wheel. It may have been a little strong to call it Apple’s “worst product,” but it shows that it could use a little work.
on May 25, 2008 at 11:16 PM - LINKI find that the easiest way to clean the dirt out of the scroll wheel is to rub it vigorously on a shirt or a clean cloth. Always worked for me.
on May 26, 2008 at 08:16 AM - LINKThe trick with rubbing the scroll ball on a cloth will work for a while, but eventually, lint will also get stuck inside the mechanism and make things worse. The last time it lost one of its scrolling directions, I couldn’t fix it with any amount of rubbing. But with a bit of skill, the MM can be disassembled and the scroll mechanism will work for months if cleaned thoroughly. There’s one part which needs to be glued to put the mouse back together, but by using silicone kit as glue, it’s easy to take it apart the inevitable next time.
on May 26, 2008 at 08:48 AM - LINKI know it’s not easy to come up with a dirt-proof alternative for the scroll ball, but there should be a way to make it optical. Making it a bit larger could also reduce the sensitivity to dirt.
As for right clicking, it will always work if you put your fingers in the right place. It’s not a matter of the electronics not working.
I have to disagree 100 percent! I would go 180 degrees and say it is one of the BEST Apple products. Mine has never failed to work properly. Sure the scroll wheel gets a little dirty, but they all do! Sounds like you have an ax to grind and all over a mouse!
on May 26, 2008 at 10:03 PM - LINKWow. I wish someone would send me a working MM, cuz mine sucks. I love the scroll wheel when it works, but seems to gunk up too quickly. Right click failure around 30-40%. Not to mention you can’t do combination clicks. I use my middle button for Exposé, and often drag a file from one window to another via Exposé. Not with the MM, though. One thing you failed to mention is the side button(s)…useless. My hand hurts just thinking about squeezing it.
on May 27, 2008 at 11:40 AM - LINKI appreciate the design aesthetic, but would rather have something that works. Replacing the MM was my first task after getting my iMac.
My experience with the Mighty Mouse has been a pretty negative one as well. It may be a faulty product, but on occasion, mine does the “squeeze click” uncontrollably. My sqeeze click is set to show expose, so it’s VERY annoying when this happens. Almost makes the computer un-usable until it stops malfunctioning.
on May 27, 2008 at 01:37 PM - LINKI’ve had both a wired and wireless mighty mouse and although many people have had their complaints, I find the MM to be a great Apple product. As long as you are gentle with it and try to not use the scroll wheel with greasy fingers, it works perfectly fine. And the right click failing is a matter of where your fingers are located on the mouse. There is no separate physical right button so the mouse senses the presence of your fingers on the separate sides to determine if it’s a left or right click. If the mouse registers a left click instead of a right it’s because of improper fingering. It may seem annoying but when you realize it’s just a fact of Apple’s desire for a seamless mouse body it is only a matter of getting used to the somewhat awkward right-click fingering. Mighty mouse can only be considered a poor product based on improper usage, although a tip here or there from Apple would be helpful.
on May 27, 2008 at 08:32 PM - LINKHi, I also felt it necessary to chime in with my two cents. “Apple’s Worst Product” is a great hook to grab people’s attention - especially Apple fans. It sure got my attention! Like most of the others who have joined the discussion, it’s painfully obvious that the Mighty Mouse is NOT in the above mentioned category of product. Far from it. I have had mine since it first appeared on my local Apple Store shelf, so well over a year and a half now - and with no problems at all. In fact, I’ve only just recently had give the scroll ball a quick cleaning: Turn the mouse upside down and push and roll the ball vigorously for a few seconds. BOOM - back to day one new! The only part of this mouse that I don’t find myself using is the two side buttons. I find them a bit difficult to press in, so I’ve never really taken the time to use them. Not a big deal, when you have other options for buttons. I have also owned the wireless version, and use it with my laptop for editing video, along with the newly redesigned wireless keyboard. I could not be happier with any of them.
If you use ANY Apple product long enough, you will come up with a few minor tweaks that could improve on the product. But, as a general rule, Apple products are so far ahead of the quality curve that it almost sounds like we’re being whining, when it comes to the complaints we lodge!
on May 27, 2008 at 09:45 PM - LINKHm, two days ago i probably would have agreed, as the wheel got stuck every few minutes or so.
So i decided to open it up, and clean it, which got me even more annoyed: You can only open it, by breaking the “ring” on the bottom.
Is the possibilty to open and clean it really too much to be asked for, apple? Especially, as a mechanically working scroll-ball is known to be prone to dirt? I probably will never understand that policy, but never mind…
After breaking away the “ring” at the bottom, stemming it open easily, unplugging two cables and removing three screws, i was able to completly clean the scroll-ball.
on September 27, 2008 at 08:56 PM - LINKAfter reassembling it and attaching the mouse-cable to the scroll-balls-socket with a wire it works like on the first day.
I love this mouse, there is no other one on the market, which could replace it when using OSX :)
I have to agree with this article. I have been using apple products since 1984 and love their OS but sometimes they make design decisions that show they really have no clue about certain aspects of the business. I purchased a new 2.8ghz dual quadcore and was totally astounded by the cheap feel of the new mighty mouse. Not only does it feel like a plastic piece of garbage in my hand, when you lift it up it will track the angle of your lift and shoot the mouse randomly accross the screen (maybe this can be avoided with a different mousepad, but why then was that not included?). The buttons on the side have no feedback and the tiny track ball in the center of the device seems to only disctract me. Lucky I have a logictec USB game mouse handy - it’s large - never mistracks with it’s optical laser and its heavy. I like a mouse I can feel personally and shaped for my large American hands. I don’t know who is responcible for apple’s mouse design but I wish they would study more before they release something that makes them look like idiots. Don’t even get me started on this 2d keyboard! Talk about unsatisfying keypushes >< ack.
on January 15, 2009 at 05:27 PM - LINKI agree its really ergonomic and all, but I hate the clicking mechanism of the Mighty Mouse. Its got the clicker at the bottom, so while playing FPS games, its really irritating as theres a delay in the clicking. The right click seems to work everywhere consistently, except in FPS games. right-clicking works about 70% of the times in Counterstrike (which is bad enough), whereas my 5-6 year old cordless Logitech works like a charm. It’s my only disappointment with Apple.
on August 11, 2009 at 03:57 AM - LINK