Apple Pro Mouse (M8690G/A)

I absolutely hate the mouse that came with the original iMac and Mac G3 systems. It was, in a word, something that should have never been designed. I tried to like that little round, awkward, hockey puck of a mouse, but I never could tolerate it.

I realize that Apple, as usual, was trying to come out with something that was ergonomic, functional and pleasing to the eye. The hockey puck, though, was just plain awful. Apple has manufactured such junk before, and the company seems to have adopted a slogan of sorts -- "It might take a couple of tries, but we'll eventually get it right."

The new Pro Mouse is, simply put, a fantastic device. How can one get excited about a mouse? I'm excited about this mouse, and I'll tell you why.

First of all, gone is the round shape of that terrible, terrible hockey puck. The Pro Mouse is shaped like an ordinary one and fits the hand nicely. It feels like a device that promotes the ability of the user to point at items on the screen naturally. Isn't that what a mouse is supposed to do?

Also, it's designed in a way that's pleasing on the eyes. It's clear plastic and allows the user to see the "inards," for want of a better word. The components of the mouse are covered with a smokish-colored piece of plastic that has a white apple stamped on it. It all looks very good and, yes, you can even see the guts of the thing.

The most noticeable thing about the mouse, though, is the absence of a track ball. No longer is it necessary to clean crud from inside a mouse that's acting strangely as the track ball has been replaced by a beam of light. I don't even notice the beam anymore as this functions like a brand new, perfectly cleaned "track ball" mouse, but it works that way all the time. This thing, I do believe, functions as well as or better than any mouse I've ever used.

Also, there is no button. The whole case is, in fact, a button and one "clicks" by simply pressing down on the case. It doesn't matter where your finger rests on the top of this thing as you can click where your fingers naturally fall. This mouse "feels" so natural, in fact, that you might not even notice the good design of it after a time. The case, naturally, acts as only one "button," much the same as typical mice for Macs.

Apple, long ago, tried to get away from the "grey box" look of computers and components and had this wacky idea that something that functions well can also be aesthetically pleasing. This mouse is a product of that philosophy. Excited about a mouse? You'd better believe I am. Pick one of these up and you will be, too.