Magic Mouse learns new tricks
As I suspected, more programs are on the way to add functionality to Apple’s Magic Mouse. The latest is MagicPrefs, which sports a nice interface for assigning actions to clicks and taps with one to four fingers. It also lets you set the tap sensitivity, which is a good idea. And to top it off, you can dial up the mouse’s tracking speed, which addresses a common complaint.
MagicPrefs now clocks in at version 1.1, but it still has a long way to go. Three-finger click, four-finger click and three-finger tap all do a good job of invoking Exposé in its various forms. The others, including an interesting one-finger middle axis click, are a bit sketchy. Or, as noted with an asterisk, “potentially hard to use.”
Still, I like the direction this app is taking. It’s super simple to set up and use, and has lots of handy features. For example, you can now save presets for your various needs. Gaming, anyone? Also, you can turn on real-time graphical display to see on the screen where exactly you’re clicking and tapping.
The tough part, as with similar apps, is getting everything to work smoothly. While it’s nice to have a way to tap out Exposé from your mouse, it’s not so nice to have your desktop unexpectedly appear because of an accidental tap or click. Prediction: The first developer to get it all totally right will have a hit on their hands.
Posted Monday, December 7, 2009 in Reviews
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