Pros
- No more wires on your desk, looks better than any other mouse, laser tracking works much better than an optical sensor
Cons
- Heavy to use, battery life unknown, expensive, fails to fix the accessibility concerns surrounding the multi-button sensor and side buttons
Our Verdict
At £49 it’s not cheap. Add to that £39 for a wireless keyboard, plus a regular supply of batteries (or a charger) and you’re looking at an expensive solution to removing the wires from your desk. Having said that, the Wireless Mighty Mouse is by far the most elegant way to control your Mac.
When Apple first introduced the Mighty Mouse it was heralded as a revolution in the way Apple thought. Its release saw the end of a single-button operating system, and was a visible sign that Apple’s philosophy had changed.
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Another visible sign was the return of wires to our desks. The iMac, in particular, always looked better with a wireless keyboard and mouse and it’s taken almost a year for Apple to release a wireless successor.
Aesthetically and functionally the Wireless Mighty Mouse remains identical to the original, with all the ups and downs that go with it. Inside, however, sits a laser tracking system that replaces the old optical sensor. Apple claims this provides 20 times more accuracy, although we didn’t notice any difference. It does, however, enable the device to work on a much wider array of desk surfaces and the cursor doesn’t jump sporadically to the corner of the screen any more.
Sadly, the underside no longer glows red like the strip lighting on a boy racer’s car. Instead, a far more mundane green LED signifies that everything is working. Another new touch is a sliding cover for the sensor that switches off the mouse and conveniently protects the laser during transportation.
When loaded up with two AA batteries the Wireless Mighty Mouse is heavy to use. This can cause the mouse to overshoot when you want it to stop, making it far more difficult to control accurately. Fortunately, Apple has had the common sense to ensure that it can run off just one battery, making it much more manageable. Even so, it remains noticeably heavier than the wired version.
Battery life may well be an issue too. In the Mouse Settings you’ll find a new power meter that displays how the battery is getting on. One thing that isn’t clear, though, is just how long it’ll last overall. Apple describes the battery life as ‘great’, but isn’t giving more specific information. At the time of going to press our mouse was still doing ‘great’, but we’re guessing at how long it’ll stay that way. You may want to factor into the price a decent set of chargeable batteries.