Coding with Magic Mouse? Apple’s sleek input device has plenty of haters of all stripes. But at least one developer, who works with an M1 Max MacBook Pro, loves it. And perhaps even more surprisingly, he detests the mouse that is surely Magic Mouse’s biggest competitor, given how it shows up in most of the setups we cover.
Developer with M1 Max MacBook Pro setup loves Magic Mouse (and hates its biggest competitor)
Developer, music hobbyist and Redditor EpicSyntax (“Syn”) showcased the productive-looking setup in a post entitled, “Current MacBook Pro Setup for Software Development, Music Production & Doom Scrolling.”
We’ve covered Syn setup in the past, as it’s loaded with great gear. Namely: a still-speedy M1 Max MacBook Pro, a “punchy” set of KRK Rokit 5 speakers and a many-ported OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock. But it’s the setup that keeps on giving. Last week we looked at its nostalgia factor and the display that Syn says hits the “sweet spot,” a 34-inch Alienware model. Today we touch on a surprise that came up recently in his post’s comments — his love of Magic Mouse and hatred of one of its biggest competitors (which many programmers adore).
Coding with Magic Mouse
“I never understood coding with the Magic Mouse,” noted a commenter. “I owned two but had to let them go and replace a few months after heavy usage and get something more ergonomic.”
And to our surprise, Syn not only defended Magic Mouse for coding, but derided the immensely popular Logitech MX Master 3 and 3S mouse we see in so many setups. That would be the Logitech MX Master 3 (or 3S) wireless mouse, and if there is one mouse we see in setups more than Magic Mouse, that’s the one.
“I love the Magic Mouse. I tried most mice that supposed to be working great with Macs, but I’ve been reverting to the Magic Mouse again and again. [Also] have a mid-size hand so no ergonomic issues for me,” he said. “[And] I actually own a pair of Logitech MX Masters (one is 3s, the other is not) and to be honest, I hate them. They’re overrated, sluggish, they lag as hell using BT and the Logi Options+ software is terrible, taking like 2-3GB of RAM and randomly using 100% of my CPU for no reason.”
“I also learned as of late that this software also runs a local machine learning algo to learn stuff about your usage — and that is a big no no for me. Not to mention this mouse is a dead weight without Logitech’s proprietary software,” he added.
“Yeah I agree with you,” replied the commenter. “I use Razer mice with my Mac and it has no issues.”
Reminders or Notes app on the screen
And if you’re wondering what’s showing on Syn’s display, you’re not alone.
“Is it reminders app or the notes?” someone asked. “The interface looks different.”
“It’s the stock Reminders app,” Syn replied. “It has a feature since macOS 14 and iOS 17 to view a list as columns. Very useful!”
Shop these items now:
Input devices:
- Magic Mouse 2
- Magic Keyboard (mini)
Computer and dock:
Display:
Audio:
- KRK Rokit 5 4G studio monitor speakers
- iPod Classic
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface
- Massdrop X Sennheiser HD 58ZX Jubilee Headphones
Furniture, lighting and decor:
- Wooden desktop on electric standing desk
- LED light strip
- Funko Pop Pain toy figure
- Funko Pop Madara toy figure
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone photos usually work fine). 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, challenges and plans for new additions.
