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Apple Mouse

scroll wheel problems

Written by SM from NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

27-Aug-2007

I like Apple products but I'm very unhappy with the scroll wheel problem on the so-called "Mighty" Mouse. I found that within a few months of getting my new iMac I lost use of vertical scrolling on the mouse and had it replaced. A couple of months further on and the same problem has occurred with the replacement. The 360 degree scrolling capability is a nice idea, but it has been poorly implemented.

343 of 532 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Scroll ball clogs

Written by SR from BRISTOL

16-Oct-2007

Works fine for a couple of months, then the scroll ball clogs up. You then need to crack it open with a screwdriver (forcing open not unscrewing), unscrew the scroll ball assembly, clean the minute rollers, put it all back together and super glue the base back on.

Repeat this routine every 2 months (I've done it at least a dozen times). Helpful technical support people suggested buying a new one when I complained, and then put the phone down when I pointed out that this was rather an expensive option.

328 of 519 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Method to clean the scroll ball...

Written by LC from Sheffield

03-Nov-2007

I got my mouse around April 2007, the only problem was that my scroll ball clogged up and i could scroll down but up. So i went to my nearest Apple store and they fixed this by getting a plain piece of paper and rolling the scroll ball on the piece of paper (make sure you apply a bit of pressure if doing this!) This got rid of the dirt and avoided me buying a new mouse. So everytime my scroll ball get a bit clogged up i use this methhod to get rid of the dirt. Overall this is the best mouse i ever had!

41 of 42 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Scroll Ball Worries

Written by CH from London

11-May-2008

Like most people have said, the scroll ball on this mouse is rubbish. I don't know a single person who's had one, where the ball has lasted more than a couple of months. Sure you can use some heath robinson methods to get around it; take it apart, rub the mouse upside down like crazy for a couple of hours etc. but why should we? these things aren't cheap, and we should expect better.

If you want something that lasts, buy a PC version, if you just want something that looks nice, but is ultimately going to fail, go crazy!

65 of 100 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Very limited lifespan

Written by PK from Glasgow

30-Aug-2007

My first Mighty Mouse lasted about a month before the scroll-ball lost its downward scroll function. I was at least half an hour on the phone to Apple before they agreed to accept the return of the mouse for their investigation, and had I to agree in advance to pay for the replacement if they didn't agree that mine was faulty. The replacement mouse they sent has lasted 5 months before developing the same fault. I do not feel inclined to go through all the hassle again to try for another replacement. It seems that, on average, you can expect to get 3 months use out of a Mighty Mouse, and that makes it Mighty Expensive. I won't be buying another Apple mouse. Apple must be aware of this much-reported problem with the Mighty Mouse scroll-ball, but they just go on selling them without doing anything to rectify what is clearly a design fault.

108 of 186 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

turn it upside down before you criticise!

Written by PH from Bedford

28-Oct-2008

Instead of going off on one...just turn the mouse upside down and firmly roll it about on a flat surface...always works!

29 of 32 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Touch sensitive buttons

Written by TK from Lewes

17-Apr-2008

Forget about the scroll ball packing in. The actual clicking is the problem for me. Touch sensitive areas, whilst a great technology and perfect for the aesthetics of the mouse, are a nuisance. If you like to use right-click, then you are forced to remove your left finger from the mouse so it doesn't default left-click. This might not sound like an issue, but I like to rest my hand on the mouse, and I don't like to have my fingers in the air poised and waiting for which sided of the touch pad I will be clicking on.

Also the side buttons are just irritating. The mouse has gone haywire a couple of times now, bringing up spaces/dashboard/expose at inconvenient times.

What's wrong with a simply two button mouse with a decent scroll wheel?

While you're at it, put a forward and back button too. Disappointed.

60 of 97 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Great mouse if it were not for the scroll ball clogging up!

Written by WW from ISLEWORTH

12-Jul-2009

The Mighty Mouse would be the greatest mouse in the world if it were not for the scroll ball clogging up after a months use and refusing to scroll down. It is impossible to clean if it has more then a very little bit of dirt in it. This is a very big design flaw and one that will put a lot of people off buying.

22 of 27 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Nice Mouse but...

Written by RP from HARROW

15-Dec-2008

This mouse feels nice and for the most part is fully functional (for my requirements). It is a shame that after just over one year the scroll has stopped working as mentioned by others in this area.

I pay up for Apple products because they work. This time I am not sure if I will buy an apple mouse again until this is revised and fixed. Real shame as the product worked well for one year.

13 of 13 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Looks great dreadful to use

Written by RB

07-May-2008

The mouse looks great and the idea is sound. BUT to use it is truly awful. It lacks finesse - regardless how you set it up double clicking is dreadful and in conjunction with the scroll ball you just keep clicking when you don't want to. The buttons are positioned too far forward and my wife endlessly complains that she is therefore uncomfortable using it. But it is the scroll ball that is the worst feature - seems great when you first use it but wait until it packs up. I have cleaned it endlessly and now less than 12 months after buying my iMac it has now completely packed up. I bought Apple because I was told by its proponents that the quality was way above any PC - I feel somewhat let down.

34 of 55 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Totally useless mouse

Written by GL from Mathry

29-Feb-2008

I have had problems with this mouse since I first bought an iMac last March. It's always the same thing - the vertical scrolling. I bought a wireless mighty mouse and the scrolling soon packed up with that too. I have persevered with this wired mouse but now the scrolling will not work at all. I have tried all the various methods of cleaning it - and no joy. So, I plugged in a USB wheel mouse from my old Dell desktop and it worked perfectly. That mouse set me back £12 when I bought it in 2003 and has never given any trouble. I cannot understand how Apple can produce such a useless piece of kit like this - one that is so important to get right. If Dell can do it, why can't Apple. It is truly rubbish.

17 of 21 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Really Disappointing

Written by KO from Leeds

10-Nov-2007

I got my first mighty mouse with my iMac in June this year. Last month I had to take my mighty mouse back to the store because even just doing normal mouse orientated tasks, it was only working intermittently. They agreed to replace it (free of charge) although they did put a bit of a guilt trip on me with the 'I'm going to get into trouble for doing this to you' because I refused to leave until they did something. Now, one month on, although I can do the usually mousey stuff, like everyone else it seems, the downward scroll function of the mouse no longer works. I'm not wasting my time and energy going back to the store again, and I refuse to pay £35 for something that is going to pack up in a couple of months. Apple really need to pull up their socks with this stuff. It's really letting them down in an otherwise superb system!

42 of 71 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

OK not mighty

Written by FD from Wantage

06-Jun-2009

This mouse is more versatile than the original, anything with more than 1 click is, but the scrollwheel needs cleaning inconveniently often, and there is not a good way to do it, dirt is displaced but left in the body of the mouse. It also loses position every few minutes, the pointer shooting off to a random extreme position, wasting time.
All 3 of these mouses I have owned have these faults, so it is hardware/software not a faulty unit.
I -do- like it whilst it is working though....

17 of 22 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Sorted The RollerBall Problems!!

Written by SD from Blyth

25-Jan-2009

I have had problem after problem with my Mighty Mouse or should I say with all of them, I've had replaced since I got my Mac. Simple the rollerball just simply ceases to function after a few months of use in one direction or the other. I read a fantastic piece on here about using alcohol with a Q-Tip on the rollerball I had a disinfectant alcohol wipe and used it and I recommend it highly. The only downfall of the Mouse was the rollerball otherwise it's a fantastic bit of equipment, but now that problem has been rectified and I would now recommend it to anyone.
Thank You

12 of 12 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Useless after a few months

Written by AS from London

16-Oct-2008

this is without doubt one of the worst gadgets i have ever bought.
i bought one nearly a year ago - it's scroll wheel died after 9 months. got it replaced under warranty and the 2nd scroll wheel stopped working after 5 months. tried all the tricks on the web to clean it and get it working but still only lasts for a few hours...

the most unreliable mouse i have ever used and so expensive.

apple are aware of the engineering flaws and poor reliability encountered by customers but haven't bother doing anything about it. a significant tarnish on an otherwise impressive brand.

shame..!

14 of 17 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Great mouse, 'broken' scroll wheel easily fixable...

Written by MP from London

19-Sep-2008

Fantastic mouse ...
Just like to thank whoever put the fix up for the unresponsive scroll ball involving rolling the mouse around upside down on a bit of paper ... all the dust etc. comes out and hey presto it's good again!:)

12 of 13 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

Dirty ball

Written by FC from Liège

02-Apr-2008

It looks great in the beginning. A bit stupid that the system default settings put a left click as default both for left and right click. A friend of mine to whom I advised the mouse was frustrated that he couldn't "right click", unless I explained him he had to go to the preferences to do change the settings. That's a minor detail.

The worst part is the scroll ball. It's fantastic when it's new, but after a while the scrolling becomes unreliabe, probably through normal dirt. Even following the Apple instructions to clean it, this only helps for a couple of days. I use it in a living room with normal clean hands, not in a mecanic's work shop full of grease and oil.

46 of 81 people found this useful

Apple Mouse

The Ailing Mouse

Written by MA from Romford

21-Sep-2007

As all the reviews here say, the wheel stops spinning after only six months. If they would only allow you to open it up and get the grit out of it, it would last a lot longer but then you wouldn't buy a new one, as everyone does, after your guarantee runs out. Other than that it's a great tool, but then PC's have had these for years and they last for years too. Very poor.

47 of 83 people found this useful