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Mac Mouse Movement Muddled - Mac Switcher
I've just recently started using a Mac after decades (shudder) of using Windows, and one of the things that has been driving me crazy is the way the mouse moves. Over the years I've used lots of different Windows mouse drivers, some of which included an acceleration function. In fact, I believe mouse acceleration is built right into Windows XP, though it's easy to turn off.On the surface, mouse acceleration is a good idea. It allows you to travel across a relatively large amount of screen real-estate with your mouse with a relatively small (but quick) flick of the wrist, while still giving you a high level of accuracy when moving the mouse slowly.
My problem is that in OS X (Tiger) the acceleration is set by default to be fairly aggressive, and there's no way to turn it off. As if feeling like I don't know my way around a new operating system isn't bad enough, this default mouse behavior makes me feel like a complete newbie.
I googled around a bit, and at first it looked like the only solution would be to purchase a 3rd party set of mouse drivers. However, there is a free solution, but it's not going to sit well with you Apple / Mac purists. If you download Microsoft's Intellimouse drivers for Mac OS X, you can have the choice of using OS X's default mouse behavior, or using the Intellimouse settings, which severely cut back on the acceleration levels. You still get the advantage of increased accuracy at slow mouse speeds, but for the way I typically use a mouse, I'm able to be quick and accurate again, and I can stop worrying about where the speed barrier is that is going to launch my mouse pointer off into next week.
This is one of those tips that is probably only going to appeal to the new "switchers" out there like me, or maybe those that work on both Windows and Mac machines, and want more uniformity with respect to their mouse movement. But I tell ya, this simple mouse driver makes using a Mac infinitely more pleasant for me.
Oh, by the way... in true Microsoft style, installing this mouse driver requires a reboot. Who knows, maybe that's actually OS X's fault, but it seemed a tad ironic to me.
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsjulianMar 19th 2007 1:14PM
So the mouse tracking speed slider in Keyboard & Mouse isn't enough control for you? I find the slowest setting like trying to move the cursor through treacle.
Mayank GuptaMar 19th 2007 3:21PM
Hey, I just moved to a mac as well and i think i know what your talking about. what i did was: go into system preferences, then mouse and keyboard and raise the "Tracking" bar to maximum. This, in my opinion, is the best result.
SveinnMar 19th 2007 4:47PM
Try USB Overdrive
conklin94122Mar 19th 2007 6:44PM
http://homepage.mac.com/bhines/mousezoom.html
MandeBooksMar 19th 2007 7:04PM
I personally prefer the mac tracking to the PC versions out there - the PC never seems to keep up with what I am used to on the mac. I can understand it being annoying if you constantly switch back and forth, but I love the aggressive tracking on the mac side.
MxxMar 20th 2007 12:30AM
http://www.knockknock.org.uk/mac/
free opensource app that will apply WinXP mouse acceleration curve to OSX
Ben DiscoeApr 29th 2007 3:36AM
I've tried all the free solutions - MouseFix, and Intellimouse. Nothing works! I even tried recompiling MouseFix with difference values. In fact, using Intellimouse to set the speed from "slow" to "fast" has no effect at all, which makes me suspect that the latest OS X (10.4.9, Intel) is completely ignoring/overriding any attempt by user software to change the mouse.
That means i'm forever over-shooting or under-shooting, every single time i try to point at anything with the mouse. OS X's non-linear response curve goes from fast to crawl with nothing in between. And now it looks like Apple is enforcing this behavior absolutely.
Ah well, i _tried_ to switch.
MacieMouseJul 23rd 2007 2:40AM
@Jason Clarke (and the rest of the people agreeing with him)
This 'problem' is no problem at all, as matter a fact it is trash that you have carried with you when moving onto the Mac world, from 'your world' - The crazy world of MS Win.
Let me inform you why this 'acceleration enabling/ disabling' was in the Windows environment for many years (and amazingly enough up 'til XP!): To support older systems with low screen-resolutions and handicapped people - In other words, for 'abnormal situations.' Bad enough, some of you (as matter a fact a TINY percentage, more like 0,01%) has got stuck with something that you shouldn't have got used to in the first place. Because, I'm sure that NONE of you posting here this 'problem' are physically disabled, nor work on a 640x480 screen resolution.
So, in other words, your ONLY real solution to this, is the advice given to all people that are about to 'switch' or have switched: GET OVER Win, FORGET all the 'useless trash' that you were 'forced' to learn and get used to while using that stupid OS, and try to do things the normal and easy way (or you may simply say 'the Mac way!')
PS.1 - The only reason for the acceleration to be 'valid' and set accordingly, would be if you were using a tablet for graphics (ex. Wacom). But then, we are NOT talking about a mouse environment, plus that the tablets themselves have their own drivers to behave accordingly.
PS.2 - For the ones still insisting that Mac & Linux users are wrong and some of you specific ex-Win users are right, then be a semi Mac-user and download third-party software like mouseFIX or iMouseFix and set it to 'Open at Login' (hide the starting application through 'System Preferences' > 'Accounts' > 'Login Items' and check on 'Hide' for the corresponding app)