A Tale of Two Mac Mice…
Although most PC mice out there will work out of the box with a Mac, there really isn’t anything out there that bridges the gap between the look of Apple’s Mighty Mouse while still including that really handy right mouse button. Targus took this problem head on and created two new mice to address those needs…
The Wireless Mouse for Mac (Model # AMW43US) and Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac (Model # AMB08US) are basically twins. Except for a slightly different colored trim for the rubberized portion of the mouse (gray for the Bluetooth version and white for the Wireless version), they look pretty much identical. Measuring 4.64″ x 2.51″ x 1.45″ and weighing 4.7 oz, the mice have a fairly low profile, making it easy to slip it into any notebook bag. Both of them share the same touch sensitive sensor that is used on the Bluetooth Presenter for Mac, but instead of managing cursor movement, it works as a four way scroll wheel instead…without the wheel part of course. The cursor is controlled by a 1200 dpi laser sensor embedded in the belly.
While the Bluetooth version connects easily to most new Macs and Macbooks, the wireless version uses 2.4Ghz wireless technology and a small dongle that can be stored under the top cover when not in use. The dongle is actually small enough to keep plugged in all the time. Both mice use two AA batteries for power and employ manual on/off switches to help conserve power when not in use.
I’ve actually been using the Bluetooth version for a few weeks now, and find the shape of the mouse very comfortable. The mouse movement was also quite responsive. The only thing that takes a lot of getting used to is the fact that there is no physical scroll wheel and you really need to perfect your touch to keep the sensor doing what you want it to do. I’ve found that when not paying attention at times, I’d scroll right past where I wanted to navigate to.
The Wireless Mouse for Mac hits the shelves at $49.99 US while the Bluetooth version can be found for around $69.99 US.
Tis The Season For Sharing Between Mac and PC
If you don’t have your Mac and PC sharing a network, the easiest way to move files back and forth used to be with a USB Flash Drive via the Sneaker Net. Targus has brought forth a product that makes it even easier…
The File Share Cable for Mac (Model # ACC9602US) creates an intimate connection between Mac and PC. Installation is super easy as the software is built right into the product and shows up as a mounted disc image on either Mac or PC. Once you click the setup and install the software, you’ll be greeted by an FTP like interface which is accessible on either the PC side or the Mac side. Your choice. You can then drag and drop files, move files and make it that much more difficult for your Mac and PC to co-exist, or for that matter, keep your PC around if you really planned on switching to Mac in the first place. This is also a particularly useful gadget for people that use a Mac at work and want to quickly transfer files to work on with their Mac, and then right back on to their PC for the office.
The small size of this product at 3.3″ x 1.3″ x .51″ and a measly 1.7 oz makes it easy enough to just carry with you, just in case you run into a friend that you need to poach files from and happens to have a PC. At $49.99 US, the price is also quite reasonable and combined with the ease of use, makes sense for anyone in a Mac and PC environment.