Recommendation for Multi-Button Mouse?

[waterstrum]

My beloved Microsoft wireless mouse died about 4 months ago (discontinued and no support) and I have been using the Logitech Performance Mouse MX.
I'm not happy with it.
The 3.3 Control Center is O.K. but not giving me the response I'm looking for.
I keep playing with the acceleration and it never gets comfortable.

My secondary bugaboo is the scroll wheel button.
For years I have assigned this to option/click.
With DP and my old mice, this always worked flawlessly.
With the Logitech, it works about 50% of the time.
I returned one and the second one exhibits the same behavior.
Their tech support has no clue as to why.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a current multi-button mouse that works well with DP?

[Shooshie]

I have my own reasons for wanting to use an Apple Magic Trackpad. I was afraid I would not be able to work long periods with it in DP, but I was wrong. I've been using it for DP since I got it. I do keep my Kensington Wireless Turbo Mouse Pro (1999 vintage) handy, just in case I ever feel like I'm getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or something, but I have not used it one time since I got the Trackpad.

I must say that it took determination to learn to use the Magic Trackpad at a level that made it more attractive to use than the Turbo Mouse Pro. I cannot recommend it for everyone. But for those who want to use it, and who are willing to take their time setting it up, this is an amazing device. Scrolling is one of the chief benefits. Nothing scrolls as well as the Magic Trackpad. Nothing.

I use a 3rd Party app written to expand its features. That app is JiTouch. Another one is called Better Touch Tool, but I have found it to be inferior (and causes bugs) compared to JiTouch. Essentially, JiTouch gives you a few dozen commands that are gotten by dragging two fingers, three fingers, holding one finger and tapping another, holding two fingers and tapping one, and many, many more gestures.

In addition, you can draw shapes -- letters (as in fonts) -- and it will issue a command. These can be application specific, universal, or any combination thereof.

It takes time to learn these gestures. It takes even more time to apply gestures to an app and learn which gestures you really need to use, and which to avoid, and what commands to assign to them. But you do figure it out, and it becomes second nature. It's just such a revolutionary shift in control -- it's just a stationary flat surface -- that it's not like getting a direct replacement for some device you've had in the past.

I will never go back to a mouse again. I will probably never go back to a trackball. I do use a tablet for Photoshop and Illustrator, and sometimes for DP, but the trackpad is now my only input device besides the tablet. I'd say it takes 3 to 5 months to really get comfortable with using it and doing all the different gestures it can do, but you'll be doing the basic things in 10 minutes.

Just an idea. I use it. I love it and will always use it, but I don't expect anyone else to. Those who do, and who stick to it until they get it right, will be amply rewarded.

Shooshie

[Dwetmaster]

I'd say keep the logitech and get controllermate. You'll even be able to send MIDI information with your mouse..:
http://www.orderedbytes.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Killahurts]

I have a Magic Trackpad and a Magic mouse. I use them both, actually. Trackpad for pretty much everything, and Mouse for editing in DP and some other things. If you want to stick with a mouse, I highly recommend the Magic Mouse. Best mouse on the planet. Wrist fatigue, carpal tunnel syndrome, all that is a thing of the past for me. No moving parts other than the clicker, is a multi touchscreen surface (like the trackpad), and scrolling is on a whole new level from a regular mouse. You won't be sorry if you get one of these.

[Shooshie]

What Killahurts said is probably the best compromise between a mouse and trackpad. You still get the gestures and scrolling, plus you've got the familiarity of the mouse. Definitely worthy of consideration.

Shoosh

[pencilina]

I'm particularly crazy about my kensington expert mouse trackball. Which is the third kensington trackball I've had in 13 years and I think the best one they've made.

[Tritonemusic]

+1 for Magic Mouse. I created a DP Recording template via BTT that allows me to record from across the room, using the Magic Mouse to control DP's transport. It's programmed to Play, Stop, Rewind, Undo and Record. Since I don't have an iPhone and DP Control, I think this is a pretty good substitute.

[mesaken]

I've been using the Microsoft Wireless Ergonomic Desktop 7000. I love the mouse and
keyboard. The mouse is very large and comfortable and the software is great. It has good range. I use the scroll wheel button to "move to original time stamp."

I'm not sure if you can get the mouse separately. My mouse stopped working shortly before
the 3-year warranty was up. Microsoft verified the manufacturing date from my serial number and sent me a new keyboard and mouse as they both use the same transmitter, i.e. only one USB port. Great customer service!

[Prime Mover]

I've always stuck with the Mighty Mouse that came with my Mac Pro. I've never used a Magic Mouse (is it just a wireless version of the Mighty Mouse?) but I love the 2D scroll wheel on the mighty mouse. I always miss it when I'm at work, where we use conventional wheel mice.

[Shooshie]

Magic Mouse is an odd bird (but a great one). It's a "mouse" with a trackpad on top. No scroll wheels or extra buttons. The pad does all that. It uses gestures -- hand motions, finger patterns and combinations. It's like speaking in sign language to the Mac.

The Magic Mouse is an "in-between" for the Magic Trackpad. The Magic Trackpad is a large trackpad, with no mouse. It's a little much for some people to take just leaping to it cold turkey, so the Magic Mouse is a good in-between, because it still has a mouse underneath the trackpad.

You should take a look at the Apple Store or something. They only work with the latest couple of OS versions, like 10.6.5 and 10.6.6. Snow Leopard. They don't work with earlier versions of OSX. I guess that means they are Intel Only.

Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'd recommend trying SteerMouse as a controller as well. The Logitech drivers have sucked for a long time now. I'm using the now out of production Logitech MX Revolution and have already been able to replace the battery and clean the contacts very easily when I had any problems at all. If it were to die on me, I'd spring for a replacement. They are going for upwards of $200 on Amazon right now (they were $80 new a few years ago) but it is the ONLY mouse with a 'side wheel' (thumb wheel) and count 'em, 11 buttons and a built in clutch for the scroll wheel. I tried the newer version but it doesn't hold up against the trusty original version. Great in DP and FInale as well as all my other apps. Of course, SteerMouse is what makes it worth it all, IMO. Others use USB Overdrive but I dropped it (after years of use) after trying SteerMouse.

I'm just s...

[jlaudon]

+1 on the Magic Mouse - highly configurable via BTT. And after all these years of having eczema on my mouse hand (left hand), it's magically cleared up after starting to use this mouse, as well as no more arm pain. Magic...

[MIDI Life Crisis]

...after all these years of having eczema on my mouse hand (left hand), it's magically cleared up after starting to use this mouse...

TMI but there is surely that post is ripe with jokes about blindness.

[n2mpujack]

I'm particularly crazy about my kensington expert mouse trackball. Which is the third kensington trackball I've had in 13 years and I think the best one they've made.

Agreed on the Kensington. Some aren't nuts about the latest software for it because there's no application-specific setups for the buttons but the lack of wrist problems for me from using a regular mouse far outweigh app-specific setups.

Used to use the MX Performance Revolution mouse until the left and right click switches started going south on me.

Apple's Mighty Mouse is the absolute worst mouse ever made. Tried the Magic Mouse and not nuts about that either. Gesture control I don't need - between learning keyboard shortcuts and the Kensington's 4 buttons I have all I need. Another nice thing with the Kensington is either left or right-handed users can use it.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Used to use the MX Performance Revolution mouse until the left and right click switches started going south on me.

I had this too about a month ago. I opened the mouse and cleaned the contacts. Good as new. It was dust in my case.