two-button mouse for Mac?

[lordsmurf]

Does one exist... can we get right-click on MAC like we have on PC?

Yeah, I know about pressing CTRL and clicking, but that's obnoxious.

I want two buttons on a mouse. Is there something out there?

[qshartle]

OF COURSE!

I have had a 2 button for about 3 years. They speed up things a lot.


Q

[milatchi]

I have a Logitech optical "Wheel Mouse". It's black with 2 gray buttons and a scroll wheel, cost about $20.00. Well worth the $20.00

[WiseWeasel]

Any USB mouse will work natively in OS X, with right and left buttons and scrollwheel getting normal functions assigned automatically. Some manufacturers (all the name brand ones) have utilities to assign extra functions to the additional buttons. Instead of that, though, the ultimate function to assign to those extra mouse buttons are Exposé toggles, so that you can quickly navigate to the window you want with the mouse. The Exposé system preference can easily be used to assign these functions to the 3rd, 4th and 5th mouse buttons. I would suggest a Logitech MouseMan Wireless Optical Wheel mouse, as it has served me perfectly for the last 3 years or so, and freeing yourself from a wire and mouseball completely revolutionizes the whole mousing experience.

[sterno]

Any USB mouse will probably work, but do some checking before buying one of those fancy 10-buttons/6-wheels/coffeemaker models because I think some of those still don't have fully functional Mac drivers.

If you're on a budget the plain Logitech 2-button/wheel mouse is cheap ($10-15 retail in the US), widely available, and well-built. The basic Kensington models are also decent and cheap, but the one I had was just not durable enough to use with a notebook - the first time I dropped it one of the buttons quit working, and that was a short fall on to carpet.

[galactica]

do they exist

i have had one for years now... even under OS9!!!!!!!!

with OSX basically any two button mouse will work even without installing drivers.

i have the intellimouse with 5 buttons and they all work!

left
right
scroll wheel
forward (for net apps)
backward (for net apps)

i love it!

[Mauserman]

I have a 3 button mouse, and i have had a 2 button mouse and of course apples 1 button mouse, and you know what?

They all work!

[lordsmurf]

Thanks!

Had a Mac friend telling me about his one-button troubles. He asked me if they had 2-buttons, and I had no idea. I've e-mailed him this link.

Good to know. He'll probably be adding one.

[tgpo]

What I think is funny is that people on slashdot still flame mac users about having one mouse button. I have 4.

[WiseWeasel]

It's all Apple's fault. They should let you BTO Macs with 3rd party mice or NO mouse (same with keyboard), as the current crap they send us always goes straight to the trash (well, actually the closet, just in case I ever need a USB mouse or keyboard, but it's almost like a trash in there...). I hate having to pay for crap I don't use. Quite ironic that Apple sells us such crappy input devices, considering they pride themselves on ergonomic and user-centric industrial design. Saving $50 (or even $20) and choosing no mouse or keyboard in the BTO options would really give me a lot more respect for Apple on this issue.

[tgpo]

I dunno dude. I love the new keyboards.

[WiseWeasel]

Let me put it this way: they're orders of magnitude better than the ones they replaced (the mini ones with crappy directional pad, no space between F keys and number keys, and no del, help, home, end, page up, down keys. The newer ones are almost normal, but for the still too small space between F keys and numbers, and overall spongy feel to the keys. I had to get a Micro Connectors full-size USB keyboard for some semblance of a nice standard keyboard. While the new "pro" keyboards are now finally acceptable (and my mom was very happy to replace her old mini style Apple keyboard with it), they are not nearly as nice as some 3rd party full-sized ones. This Micro Connectors one (I'm using the discontinued tangerine model, quite the looker) has been perfect, has a great feel, and all the keys are where they should be, just like the real Apple extended keyboards back in the latter ADB days. Too bad the power button on the keyboard no longer works to boot my G5 (it worked fine on the G4 it replaced), but at least it's still useful to get that 'shut down', 'restart', 'sleep' dialog easily while it's running. I gave the new Apple keyboards a chance, but still couldn't live with them. But regardless, a choice during the BTO process would be very welcome.

[tgpo]

I replaced my keyboard with a wireless Logitech about a year ago, but at work I love the new model compact keyboards. They take up little room, and just feel right when using them. I also like how they removed the clear plastic top of the keyboard around the keys, it makes it very easy to clean.

[WiseWeasel]

I'll definitely give you the compactness bit. And they are well produced. My mom's keyboard tray under her desk is quite small, and the compactness of the new Apple keyboard was very welcome. It's very well built, just not like the classic Apple Extended Keyboard layout I've grown accustomed to. To me, that layout is the ultimate for Mac keyboards. I don't want volume keys, brightness keys, eject, all that nonsense . . . I want to set my F keys to do whatever I want. F12 for eject works ok, and I don't mind giving them that one key, since it's a practical shortcut. A power button on the Keyboard is very nice, and I'm quite disappointed they removed the G5's ability to boot from the keyboard's power button, but fortunately, I never boot it that way anyways, leaving it running 24/7 and only restarting to apply system software patches and upgrades. At least, those new keyboards from Apple mark their return to usability again, as their previous offerings must have been some cruel joke, based on S. Jobs' morbid sense of humor. Now about those mice...

[tgpo]

I agree. Making Two-Button standard for their mice would be great.

[keri]

I too love my two-button (Logitech scroll wheel) mouse -- have used it for years on my various Macs.

However, since Jan. (since Apple replaced my PB G4's screen), my mouse has been causing kernel panics in OSX (10.2.6). I've not been able to correlate this to anything -- I can run for hours before experiencing the KP, or I can get it immediately (even before launching an app.).

If I switch to a Logitech trackball, no problems...

Yes, I have the latest MouseWare stuff downloaded. No, the mouse itself doesn't seem to be 'bad' (it works on 2 PCs and also in my OS9 partition).

Any ideas???

~ keri

[WiseWeasel]

Yeah, ditch the mouseware software, and use the default functions assigned to the various buttons in OSX natively, and maybe assign Expose functions to the extra ones.

[keri]

Yeah, ditch the mouseware software, and use the default functions assigned to the various buttons in OSX natively, and maybe assign Expose functions to the extra ones.

I would like to try this.

First, how do I remove the LCC software from System Preferences? I tried 'the obvious' (delete, drag to trash, searching for 'remove' and 'uninstall' in HELP), all with no success.

Second, I looked at the 'mouse' System Preferences and don't see where I can assign functions to buttons. (and what do you mean by "assign Expose functions"?)

Thanks!

[galactica]

not familar with your mouse program, but perhaps the installer you used has an uninstaller?!

as for expose assigned keys, in system prefs you have EXPOSE
click that and on the bottom you have MOUSE assignable buttons

he was just saying let the OS natively assign the left and right buttons and scroll wheel [which it should do] and you can if you want assign the extra buttons to expose functions [natively F9. 10 .11]

[keri]

not familar with your mouse program, but perhaps the installer you used has an uninstaller?!

oh, duh! Yes, that is where the uninstall was. I have now uninstalled the LCC software/drivers. I'll see if I get the KP in OSX.

But I now have a follow-on concern. The native mouse tracking speed is WAY too slow for my liking (even at the highest setting). So I'm beginning to look at another mouse -- the Kensington line appears to get kudos.

as for expose assigned keys, in system prefs you have EXPOSE
click that and on the bottom you have MOUSE assignable buttons

I don't have anything called 'Expose' in my System Preferences. Sounds like a custom add-in (?)

he was just saying let the OS natively assign the left and right buttons and scroll wheel [which it should do] and you can if you want assign the extra buttons to expose functions [natively F9. 10 .11]

Yes, now that I'm back to the 'nked' mouse functionality I see that I have two buttons and a scroll, which is really all I need. Except, of course, for the tracking speed which I had grown used to. <sigh>

Thanks for the speedy reply and, esp., for pointing me to the 'uninstall'!

[tgpo]

I don't have anything called 'Expose' in my System Preferences. Sounds like a custom add-in (?)

Expose is only in 10.3

[WiseWeasel]

You could try using MouseZoom to speed up the mouse. There are a few other options for this, but this seems to be the latest one, it's not a kernel extension (thus more stable and less dangerous) and it's freeware.

[keri]

You could try using MouseZoom to speed up the mouse. There are a few other options for this, but this seems to be the latest one, it's not a kernel extension (thus more stable and less dangerous) and it's freeware.

Wowie! This is the quickest fix I've ever experienced. Thank you VERY much.

The download was quick; the instructions were clear; and I have more than enough mouse ZIP to move across both monitors.

Thank you! Thank you!

[MikieV]

A "Swiss Army Knife" for attaching any USB device to Macs is USB Overdrive.

Shareware, and overkill for a two-button mouse, but been around for a long time. Webite says it now working correctly with 10.3

Link: http://www.usboverdrive.com/

Mike

[galactica]

Mike

Just testing quote. seems to not be working in this post..

edit: thats wierd... works for me!

[WiseWeasel]

He probably checked "Disable BBCode in this post" while posting comments. Maybe he has that option toggled in his user profile.

[galactica]

yep...
right on the money. I fixed the ones already there, man how much nicer that looks

keri, if you are going to quote can you please take off disable BBcode from your profile.

[keri]

keri, if you are going to quote can you please take off disable BBcode from your profile.

Is this better? I have updated my profile and also confirmed that the BBCode box for this post is unchecked. (Sorry - I didn't/don't know what BBCode is so it seemed safer to disable it.)

[redwudz]

I wouldn't be without a scroll mouse for my MAC. I took the hocky puck they supplied and put in on a shelf as soon as I got my MAC. Got to try Mouse Zoom as the pointer speed has always been irritatingly slow.