You may have noticed an increase in Magic Mouse slander recently, and like me, you may wonder why a product that came out six years ago is getting this much attention again. Well, you can blame the new Mac Studio.
When Apple released the Mac Studio, it also released a black version of its Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, and because of that, people seem to want to dredge up old issues. I have even seen a TikTok creator go as far as to say that Apple's "new" mouse was problematic. So let's get things clear; the Magic Mouse hasn't been changed since the Magic Mouse 2 came out in 2015. We've seen some new colors, but not a new mouse.
Many people will tell you that the Magic Mouse sucks, and they will always point to the way the mouse charges as their reasoning. However, I think the Magic Mouse gets a lousy rap unnecessarily.
The charging issue is overblown
Yes, you can't charge the Magic Mouse and use it simultaneously. The Lightning port is located on the bottom of the mouse, meaning when you want to charge it, you have to turn it over and plug it in, leaving it in a position somewhat reminiscent of a turtle that is down on its luck. Heck, we just found out that even if you find a way to charge the mouse and use it simultaneously, it still doesn't work.
Is that the most optimal design? No. Does it make the Magic Mouse unusable? No!
The battery, on a full charge, will last several weeks. The Magic Mouse is the only mouse I use with my M1 iMac, and I consistently get anywhere from 6-8 weeks on a full charge. That's using the mouse 40-50 hours each week for work, plus other fun activities in the evenings like gaming, photo editing, etc.
"But it takes so long to charge," you might say. Charging your Magic Mouse from 0-100% does indeed take about 2 hours, but can you not find two hours in over a month to charge up your mouse in the grand scheme of things? Plus, that doesn't consider that nothing stops you from charging your mouse for, say, two minutes if you need a little more juice to finish your workday or your current task. Only a couple of minutes of charging should give you eight-to-nine hours of battery life. So close your Apple Watch stand ring, get another cup of coffee, or whatever suits you. Then plug it in when you're done for the day, and a full charge will keep you rolling for another month or more.
I understand that if you're in the middle of the workday, and your mouse dies on you, rendering it useless, that will suck. However, macOS Monterey will warn you when the device is getting low. Plus, by looking at your Bluetooth connections, you can see the current battery percentage of your Magic Mouse at any time with one click of the menu bar. Getting caught off guard with a Magic Mouse that's completely dead is very easy to avoid.
I'm not saying the Magic Mouse couldn't be improved, or that should Apple ever release a third version, the charging solution shouldn't be better. But, the "charging problem" is not really that much of an issue for the amount of flak the Magic Mouse receives.
Its useability outweighs its downsides
The gestures on the Magic Mouse have me zipping through macOS so seamlessly — particularly the side-scrolling — that the charging woes people express very quickly fall by the wayside.
Slide a single finger to scroll in any direction, swipe a single finger sideways to gesture forward or backward inside apps, double-tap to zoom, double-tap with two fingers for Mission Control — the functionality easily outweighs any negatives.
Don't like the Magic Mouse; plenty of other options
There are plenty of other reasons to hate on the Magic Mouse because ultimately, what mouse you like to use comes down to personal preference.
Suppose you don't like the Magic Mouse because it's not the most ergonomic design, or there are no customizable buttons. In that case, there are many great alternatives to the Magic Mouse that offer a different experience.
But, to say the Magic Mouse is bad because of how it charges is a cop-out. It's been this way for six years; no one getting a Magic Mouse in 2022 is surprised by how it charges.
It's a good mouse with a sub-optimal design, and that's okay.
