I am still using the original Magic Mouse that I’ve had for about 8 years now. It works, but I seem to be charging batteries once a week. The rails underneath also get quite dirty and it has a tendency to lose the connection at various points during the day for no obvious reason. I have a cheap logitech for a laptop that suffers none of these shortcomings.
I figured it was time to buy the magic mouse 2, but then I wondered if there are better options out there for a Mac, especially given the price point. Any thoughts on the best option, thinking about many hours a day in use during web design? It needs to be comfortable and precise. If it can work decently well in Photoshop without instantly needing the Wacom pen that would be a bonus.
Magic Mouse 2 is a pain when it needs charging due to the idiotic lightning port being on its underside. It’s not the end of the world, you just have to plan ahead.
I hadn’t thought of a trackpad. That might be worth looking at. If the mouse only needs to be charged occasionally like the keyboard that might not be a big deal.
Are you using an old MacPro? I had the same issues with my 2009 MacPro and bluetooth mice/keyboards. The same mice/keyboards work just fine with a newer iMac. Enloop batteries seem to last much longer than normal rechargeable AA’s for me.
Yes I am and even with the Eneloop batteries it still requires bits of paper stuffed in there to reduce the frequency of dropped connections. I’ve just this minute ordered a Tecknet M012 on the recommendation of a friend who says it is incredibly comfortable and reduces RSI. It’s totally different in shape, but pretty cheap, so worth a punt.
I used to use a lot of Eneloop before most my mice and trackpads became chargeable. To be honest they aren’t as amazing as advertised - they do lose charge capacity fast after a year or two. The black pro ones are definitely better. Still an improvement on regular rechargeables like Energizer but not the “guaranteed to hold 70% charge for 10 years” they claim. I use them now in my TV / media player and AC unit controllers - don’t expect them to be pushed too hard with them.
I’ve been using the white ones for years now and bought a bunch more recently. They seem to last reasonably well when not in use, but in the case of the mouse where I’m using it all day I tend to get no more than a week or so of life before recharging. I suspect the Apple mouse is just heavy on these AA batteries. The little Logitech seems to last months with just a single battery and it gets plenty of use from others here.
The great things I’ve found about the Eneloop batteries is that they can genuinely be charged countless times without problems. In the past I’ve had batteries from other makers that start failing or having very reduced capacity after just a few charges. I always discharge fully and then recharge slowly, but with the other batteries it can require a full refresh cycle just to rebuild capacity and they lose charge very quickly just sat in a box.
About a year ago I switched from the old Apple wireless keyboard to the new one and it’s so much better not having to change the batteries there as well. Much like the mouse, the old one kept losing the connection and this never happens with the new one.
OK thanks, I’m giving that a go now. It seems you have to put the foil over the pushers that meet the flat end of the battery. If you try the other end it never makes a connection. This has certainly been temperamental for years now.
I’ve done that now and it seems fine so far. This has always been a problem here, even with the Eneloop. Wouldn’t it be ironic, finding the solution a day before a replacement arrives after years of stuffing paper in there. Time will tell how the Tecknet works, otherwise I think it will be a Trackpad.
I have a Wacom as well. Great for Photoshop, but I tend to prefer a mouse for general web design. Never used a Trackpad, so that would be leap into the unknown.
I extended the life of my original Magic Mouse by several years by applying about 6 layers of Scotch Tape to each of the rails. About once a month I’d have to peel the thick layer off (all the layers come off with one pull, so no big deal) and reapply. When I finally decided it was time to replace, I tried (spent $$ on) three different highly rated mice. I despised each of them. So, I finally broke down and bought a Magic Mouse 2. Love, again. As far as the charging port - yep, it’s a pain. But, every now and then I simply unplug my Magic Keyboard and plug the mouse in for an overnight charge. Works great. (lol, when my original keyboard needed to be replaced, I “saved” money by purchasing a cheap look alike. That lasted ONE DAY - before I drove over to Microcenter for a wireless Magic Keyboard 2).
I think I’m lucky in so much as I visit Sim Lim Square in Singapore every 4 or 5 months. There’s a shop on the top floor that buys and sells anything Apple. It’s a quagmire of electronics. The bonus is they sit on so much 2nd hand stuff that you can pick up accessories for a bargain, the computers and phones are a good price but not great. I’ve bought a dozen Magic Mice and a few trackpads from the long box you get with iMacs, usually keyboard missing, for two thirds of the price of new. Unused. Still with the blanket on.
I wonder how long these built in batteries are likely to last. I guess I’ve had this new keyboard about a year and only charged it a few times. Is this one of those things were new is convenient, but only lasts a couple years?
A while back I purchased some cordless phones that were quite cool, however they used custom batteries that had to be sourced via the manufacturer. When they started dying quickly I contacted them, only to discover they were no longer available. Since then I’ve only used phones that take the commonly available AAA batteries.
I’ve had the Magic Mouse 2 since Early spring 2016 and still going strong. i’d guess it lasts about a month of pretty regular use before needing a charge. Yes the charge plug on the bottom is a bit of a pain, but if it does run out of charge you can plug it in for about 10 minutes and get enough of a charge to last about a day.
Same with me. I also got the Magic Trackpad2 and Keyboard2 at the same time. All last weeks between charge. The trackpad is absolutely brilliant (especially compared to the old v1 ones) but I still use a mouse for precision things.