For Mac users that have upgraded to Lion and are using any web-based applications such as Basecamp, WordPress, Tungle or just about any webpage with a form, I’ve got a personal pet peeve.
I use the Apple Magic mouse. Essentially the surface of this mouse mimics a touch or track pad (taking advantage of the Apple branded Multi-Touch interface), like on a MacBook or the screen of your iPhone or iPad. You can use simple one, two and even three finger gestures to scroll, swipe, zoom and so on. The problem I have with the mouse is it’s just too sensitive. The Magic Mouse sensitivity makes me feel that if I breathe on the mouse my page is going to scroll or I’m going to swipe backward to a previous webpage that I viewed.
I’ve long had issues with the magic mouse and its hypersensitivity. It’s been annoying and sometimes downright frustrating. But like many things in life, I adapt, move on and occasionally mutter a profane slur at the shiny and well designed mouse with its oh so subtle grey Apple logo.
Now, however, I’m almost at the end of my rope. Frustration has turned to anger, annoyance to serious work interference. But I can’t blame it entirely on the mouse and Lion and the ability to swipe, rather than click, back to previously viewed pages. I’ve always had issues with web-based applications—or, for those feature rich and monthly subscription based tools (Basecamp, Salesforce, etc.) that are referred to SaaS (software as a service) applications. We are relying more and more on using the internet and a browser to get our work done.
Problem is, and this is where the mouse comes in, if I’m writing an article, formatting a website page, updating status or messages in my project management app, and my hyper sensitive mouse decides to swipe back a page, I’m screwed. I’ve lose my data. Sometimes I might get luck and the form still contains my content. But that’s an exception, not the norm. WordPress is particularly bothersome to me. Check out the screenshots here. You can see as the page begins to swipe, there are two WordPress page editing forms visible. This happens on a lark. Sure, maybe my lazy finger barely moved to the side, or some other motion. But once the page slides off the page and the previous page is revealed, my content is gone.
Is anyone else experiencing this problem? Used MagicPrefs?
To be sure, I don’t often use the WordPress interface to do my writing. I prefer to use traditional writing tools, or a Blog Editor like Ecto or MarsEdit. And as a side note, it should be mentioned that Ecto development has stopped. The forums are stale and there is no response from the new owner of the software. It is not usable under Lion. Makes me sad, too. Used to be THE best blog editor on the planet. I’ve now resorted back to MarsEdit, and am writing this post in the latest update. At least the developer of MarsEdit is keeping current and committed to the continued development and improvement. And for people who don’t want to get caught losing their precious data due to a Magic Mouse swipe and WordPress (or other blog or compatible CMS), get your hands on a trial of MarsEdit and let me know what you think.
But if you’re involved in web design and development, or use any of the other SaaS tools, the risk of this volatile combination of Safari and Magic Mouse is high. Though perhaps I can disable that swipe feature, I just haven’t checked.
To be fair, Safari warns you in some instances that by moving the page (even accidentally) you will lose data and it gives you the option to stay on that page. Problem is, every time I select Stay On This Page, I just end up with a blank page and the spinning page load icon.
I like the ability to use gestures on my desktop Mac. I don’t particularly like Apple Magic TrackPad, either. The mouse is too sensitive. So until this is ironed out, I’m going to be annoyed and frustrated and likely uttering profanity whenever I must succumb to using a web-based app.
I couldn’t take the Magic Mouse’s sensitivity, I got one a Razer Orochi at Fry’s:
http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/categoryID.56228400/parentCategoryID.35208800
I’ve been using it all year and it’s holding up and it’s not annoying. Because it’s a gaming mouse it’s precise, and it can run wired or wireless.
Apple Magic mouse Vs Microsoft Touch mouse http://morldtechgossips.blogspot.com/2011/10/microsoft-touch-mouse-versus-apple.html
I’m also having problems with the sensitivity of the magic mouse in Lion, which we upgraded to a few weeks ago, but it is mostly effecting me in applications like Quark or Adobe products (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator). When I use these programs I’m running into a problem where my pages and pasteboard/workspace end up moving when I don’t want them to because my finger just happens to touch the surface or when I try to click it also registers any slight movement of my finger and moves the page. It’s gotten to the point that every time it happens I just tense up and do my share of swearing. I’ve actually thought about going back to an old mouse, but I really like the ability to swipe between apps, which I have worked into my workflow, and the smart zoom.
The problem tend to happen mostly when I am typing and go to grab my mouse, so it may partially be the way I hold my mouse. I am also left handed, so I end up holding the mouse with my hand slightly angled because of my index finger and my and wonder if that has anything to do with it. I will give MagicPrefs a shot and see if it helps at all.
Very interesting. I haven’t found that went through problem in the design applications but maybe perhaps the combination of the left-handed and more working this application preps than I do. I do find it annoying when I’m working on web forms and find that I lose content and input when the screen jumps to another page. Let me know how magic preps work. I know a lot of people reading this post have e-mailed me and suggested it could be a solution. To date, it hasn’t really worked for me.
I have a similar issue. Mainly in Indesign, I’ll click and move an element and the pasteboard flies off in one direction or another (along with my clicked element). I think the issue is the capacitive sensor reads too low on the mouse and my palm just under my ring finger or pinky finger touches the mouse.
Yeah. I have the problem in Indesign quite a bit, too. Crazy thing just jumps any time my hand or finger is in close proximity to the Magic Mouse. Frustrating. And I have it happen particularly in Safari and unfortunately when I’m editing a web form, whereas many web forms lose any text I’ve populated into the form fields, as in WordPress and others.
Intersting note on the capacitive sensor, I wish there were more settings for such things.
Hi, I have had the same issues. It’s my fault, my finger would unknowingly gently brush part of the mouse and off I would go, whizzing 10 spreads up the document.
I am using http://magicprefs.com/ and I have reduced the size of the swipe area for up and down swipes to a thinner section just down the centre of the mouse. This stops my stray fingers moving things around. I had “purchase new mouse” on my todo list as it was driving me mad. I have since crossed this off the list 🙂
Thanks for the solution.
It works great for me! I had not seen your message, so I first replied to another post (by Jasper) that was thanking you.
It’s is beyond frustrating. I swear I’m not even on the mouse sometimes (especially in Firefox) and everything disappears and I’m on the previous page. No warning. no visible swipe. Just completely gone and no way to get it back. AUGH!!! How do you fix this????
This issue of sensitivity plagues so many users. Best thing is to play with mouse settings under system settings and find something workable. It won’t solve the problem, but you might be able to minimize the random jumps when not even touching the mouse. Good luck and please report back here if you have luck or not!
thanks!!!
Do you really think we haven’t tried that? Come on now silly.
You’d be surprised!
Of course, but I’ve also seen many Mac users not ever touch their mouse settings — so one never knows. I certainly adjusted mine, but it doesn’t work right and I still lose work.
Did you try the Magic Prefs?
As of OS X 10.10.5 Magic Prefs seems to have stopped working completely. Too bad, it really worked and I have not found anything like it available now.
It’s is beyond frustrating. I swear I’m not even on the mouse sometimes (especially in forms on Firefox) and everything disappears and I’m on the previous page. No warning. No visible swipe. Just completely gone and no way to get it back. AUGH!!! How do you fix this???? I have tried adjusting the sensitivity and that does nothing to fix the problem. VERY tired of losing data.
http://magicprefs.com/ is amazing. Thanks Tony
Great solution, thanks! Saved me a lot of frustration.
I explain this solution a bit below:
The touch-sensitive area of this mouse can be controlled with the free app MagicPrefs (not clear why Apple does not provide something this useful):
download it from http://magicprefs.com/ and install
then go to its Preferences
in the new window that opens, click on Configure Scrolling, at the bottom right
you will then see the sensitive area of your mouse
click and drag to reduce that area
I had found that especially touching the edges of the mouse start the random scrolling
so, I made the touch-sensitive area for scrolling very small, and in the top-middle of the mouse, about where the scroll-wheel would be on a normal 😉 mouse.
Costi
Awesome Consti — That’s great news. I like your adjustment of the sensitive area to be small. I hadn’t thought of that. Great tips for people coming here to try to make sense of the crazy jumping and erratic scrolling of the Apple Magic Mouse. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for posting about this on your blog.
Apple’s discussion forums were not very useful. Even chatting with Apple people did not help. (They asked me to do SMC reset …) I will try and contact them again and mention about this solution. In the meantime, I posted a message on the solution also on a related Apple discussion forum.
Costi
I have the same pet peeve. The Magic mouse is a piece of junk. I would have expected better from Apple than this. I too have spent hours on a project only to have it disappear like a fart in the wind. I think Apple should be made to pay us for our troubles or give us something that works, even if they have to borrow it from Microsoft.
Classic “fart in the wind” and “borrow it from Microsoft” — it seems pretty simple, the multi-touch on iPads and iPhones works damn good — why can’t they make the mouse work the same.
its not a well designed mouse. It does not fit my hand well, my ring finger and pinky are subjegated under my hand in a terrible fashion. Why do you list all of these problems, in addtion to not even fitting a women’s hand, my pages zooming all over the place, drives me crazy and call it “well designed”. Its ANYTHING but! I want to slam it into the wall half the time. It is singularly the worst mouse ever made.
I have these annoying settings turned off – its still doing it.
This is a serious problem when drafting in Confluence. In fact, today alone (I’m tired, been up late, my hands are heavy), I’ve lost 4 drafts. I’m going out to buy a logitech tomorrow. GRRRR.
I have the exact same issues. It’s so frustrating. I’ll breathe on it and somehow it wants to delete my emails due to the “slide left”.
is there a solution?
fuck this mouse