Apple’s ‘controversial’ Mighty Mouse lives on with some TLC [Setups]

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The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
Photo: Rafiq_Kobayashi@Reddit.com

Here at Setups Central we love spotting people working with gear we rarely or never see. Today’s featured setup includes rarities in the form of its input devices.

One of the peripherals is a high-quality Leopold mechanical keyboard and the other is an original Apple Mighty Mouse, which first came out in 2005. It was the company’s first mouse with more than one button as well as a trackball.

The setup’s owner called the mouse “kind of controversial.” And it was.

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MacBook Pro setup features rarely seen input devices: Apple Mighty Mouse and Leopold keyboard

Redditor Rafiq_Kobayashi displayed his workstation in a post entitled, “LG ergo 27″ 2017 MacBook Pro Setup.” He built the setup around a 2017 MacBook Pro connected to a 27-inch LG 4K monitor. And though he also sports an Xbox Series S for gaming, he said he’s not a big-time gamer.

A commenter asked about the unfamiliar mouse and how Rafiq likes the Xbox with the Mac.

“It’s an Apple wireless Mighty Mouse model A1197, a kind of controversial mouse,” Rafiq replied. “I bought second hand, it does need some quality of life software to make it feel better. But over all very satisfied with it.”

He added he’s “extremely surprised with the Xbox price and performance, I’m not a huge gamer but it’s definitely a nice addition.”

Another commenter seemed skeptical about the Mighty Mouse.

“I‘ll give that mouse one year till the scroll wheel will spasm into all directions without you touching it,” they said. “The sad thing, even cleaning it won‘t help.”

But Rafiq disagreed, despite the mouse’s somewhat spotty reputation. With some TLC, he got it working perfectly.

“Honestly, when I bought it the scroll wheel did not work, I disassembled it and cleaned the components now it works flawlessly. It wasn’t as difficult as the internet made it seem to be … ( I’m not saying it’s easy),” he said.

Here's a closer look at the input devices. The Mighty Mouse came out in 2005.
Here’s a closer look at the input devices. The Mighty Mouse came out in 2005.
Photo: Rafiq_Kobayashi@Reddit.com

What was ‘controversial’ about the Mighty Mouse?

Apple first released the Mighty Mouse in 2005. It had two buttons — a first among Apple mice — and a miniature trackball for scrolling. In its first year it was a wired device, but Apple made it wireless via Bluetooth, with laser tracking, in 2006. Cupertino discontinued the mouse in 2009, making way for the multi-touch Magic Mouse.

There are two reasons people sometimes call the Mighty Mouse controversial. One is that a medical devices company made a mouse by the same name and fought about it with Apple in court. That led to a brief name change from Mighty Mouse to Apple Mouse, prior to the release of the Magic Mouse.

The other reason for controversy is that the mouse gained a bad reputation for shoddy performance.

Some people complained about the scrolling. The trackball assembly would get clogged with dust and dirt. Others disliked the buttons because they were designed for separate use but you could accidentally press both at once.

However, opinions varied wildly. Some people loved the rounded, pill-shaped device, finding it the perfect size and shape for their hands.

Surprisingly, you can find the Mighty Mouse on Amazon for $20 to $25.

Premium Leopold mechanical keyboard

Rafiq’s other input device also rarely surfaces among the setups we find. It’s a Leopold FC660M wireless mechanical keyboard. Leopold is based in South Korea and makes its keyboards in China.

The keeb is a 65% layout board with a reputation for a sturdy build. It includes some premium features, too, like Double Shot PBT keycaps and hot-swappable Cherry MX switches. It comes in several colors and goes for about $160.

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If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.

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