I'm a Mac'n Mice ignoramus

[Ronin13]

A family member has asked my help in finding a good mouse for an Apple notebook (I believe it's a G4 iBook or PowerBook).

Besides Macs' mice only having one button I don't know anything about 'em.

The questions:

1: Can most standard USB mice be used with an Apple notebook?

2: Since Apple's mice only have one button, does that mean that the right mouse button won't have any use on a Mac?

3: Will the scroll wheel function properly on the native Mac drivers (like when you hook up a mouse to a Windows PC), or do you have to install the mouse's own drivers?

4: Same as question #3, but with regards to mouse buttons 4 and 5 used for going back and forward in a browser.

5: Anything else I should be aware of?

6: I was thinking of recommending something like the corded Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer that I use myself. Any reason why it shouldn't work?

 

[superjohnyo]

From what I've seen, a Mac can handle pretty much whatever mouse you throw at it. Does it have OS X?

The right click should work, and the scroll wheel should work, but you might have to manually tell it how to use the other buttons.

 

[Ronin13]

Yes, I believe it has OS X.

Does no one else here have any Mac experience?

 

[Eug]

Generic USB mice work fine.

OS X natively supports the right-click button and the scroll wheel. You'll need drivers to run some of those mice with a bazillion buttons though obviously.

I just run a single-button mouse myself with my Mac, but when my friends come over I just plug in a $10 Logitech optical mouse I picked up from the local store.

Microsoft has very good drivers for OS X, but I haven't tried the IntelliMouse Explorer specifically myself.

 

[hopejr]

I have a microsoft notebook optical mouse on my iBook G4. It works fine, especially the middle-click in Safari to open links in a new tab. You can get mouse drivers from MS that support the other buttons, but I don't like their drivers because they break the middle click that I like so much.
BTW, in Tiger, you can now switch the buttons like in Windows, for lefties.

 

[Ronin13]

Thanks for your replies!

A couple of extra questions:

1: What happens in OS X when you right click?

2: Just to be sure: If I hook up a 5 button mouse, the left and right mouse button plus the wheel will work, but I will need to install the specific mouse driver to use the 4th and 5th button, even if it's just for their default use of going back/forward in a browser?

3: Is the Microsoft IntelliPoint software the same for Windows and OS X, or do I need a special Mac IntelliPoint driver from Microsoft?

4: Does a Powerbook have a PS/2 connection?

 

[Rike]

Originally posted by: Ronin13
Thanks for your replies!

A couple of extra questions:

1: What happens in OS X when you right click?

2: Just to be sure: If I hook up a 5 button mouse, the left and right mouse button plus the wheel will work, but I will need to install the specific mouse driver to use the 4th and 5th button, even if it's just for their default use of going back/forward in a browser?

3: Is the Microsoft IntelliPoint software the same for Windows and OS X, or do I need a special Mac IntelliPoint driver from Microsoft?

4: Does a Powerbook have a PS/2 connection?

1. It's the same as "command" + click

2. Left, right, wheel, and wheel click will all work with drivers already in OS X. Buttons 4 and 5 need a driver (see below).

3. Drivers are different! Microsoft Intellipoint Drivers for Mac

4. I've never seen any Mac or Powerbook with a PS/2 connection.

Multibutton mice on Macs are great, especailly if you move from PCs to Macs a lot. I highly recommend it. :thumbsup:

 

[Ronin13]

Rike, thanks for a great reply and the driver link!

 

[Rike]

Your welcome. Here to learn, here to serve.

 

[hopejr]

BTW, ctrl+click just brings up a context menu, so right clicking on OS X has the same result as on Windows.