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Fixing the mouse speed on Mac OSX
09/16/07
Fixing the mouse speed on Mac OSX
Ok, I've been annoyed by this since the very first day I've been using my Mac Mini: the mouse feels weird, very weird. Broken actually!
Part of my problem was the Bluetooth operating range, which I could only fix by moving the mac nearer to where I usually use my mouse in my living room.
However, the core problem is still the acceleration curve. When you move the mouse on OSX, it first moves verrrry slowly, so you move it faster and when you reach a certain speed the mouse suddenly accelerates like crazy.
This is not controllable through the "tracking speed" slider in the control panel. The tracking speed is only the fastest the mouse will go. (And you can actually make it go even faster!) But my problem is not with how fast it would eventually get. My problem is with how freaking slow it initially starts (even at max traking speed).
Solutions
Apple's been stubbornly unresponsive to this problem, as they always are, especially when the mouse is at stake (took them 10 years to aknowlege the need for a right button... good luck with acceleration!)
Fortunately, since the last time I checked (errr... 2005 
), third party fixes now work well on intel Macs.
Check these out:
- USB Overdrive (no bluetooth support, but you can try it as long as you need)
- SteerMouse (15 days trial only but it can handle the bluetooth Mighty mouse)
Since I'm trying to do some desk work right now and have a wired mouse, I'm currently and happily using USB Overdrive with these settings:
- Speed: 120 dpi (feels like Windows fast
) - Acceleration: 50% (no longer feels like sticking to the mouse pad )
I'll try SteerMouse when I go back to "Media Player" configuration...
14 comments
USB Overdrive now supports bluetooth. It works perfectly with my mighty mouse. 
You should take a look at ControllerMate[1] too. Although a bit daunting at first, this apps is much more powerful than the other two and at $15 it's a real bargain.[1]http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/
oh my god! thank you very much for this spot! Cos I feel this problem as well and if I am telling this to somebody, they dont understand what I mean, but you have the same feelinggreat
it would be cool if we could find out how many dpi is 6/11 in windows and how many % the acceleration is when enhance pointer precision is on.i am trying to play starcraft on mac and i am just so used to this mouse setting. i guess 200 dpi with 50% acceleration is pretty close to the good old windows settings, but it would be cool if we knew 100%.
thanks for the info, it's really useful! At least I can take crappy mouse support off my pet peeve list for Macs ;) 
Okay after tons of research I have figured out how to fix the apple mac scrolling acceleration problem. Non of the programs mentioned work for me. They just lessen the serverity of the algorithm. I wrote up a deal on how to fix it completely so you can scroll like you did in windows and linux. Here is the link:http://www.l337tech.com/tips-and-tricks/fix-mac-mouse-acceleration-and-scrolling-speed/
How to do it with Magic Mouse? :/There is no separate drivers for that (or I can't find)
dude thank you ....You expressed the exact feelings and needs i was feeling with my new 27 imac, .... and every mouse i tried on it ...
Your Help was amazing ...
Keep up the good work ....
Greetings from Greece...
For Magic Mouse you can use the Magic Driver from here: http://plentycom.jp/en/magicdriver/index.html With this you can adjust tracking speed AND sensitivity - works great for me on 10.6.6 and my Magic Mouse is finally usable! However the developers are considering dropping development of this, and the current beta expires in April, so that would mean bye-bye adjusting the acceleration curve. (Magic Driver has plenty of other features, too.) So if it works for you and you like it, WRITE to the developers to tell them to continue development! They probably don't know how many people out there would want their driver if only they knew about it. 
You can all try out magicprefs.com, is free and amazing ;) 
magicprefs doesn't seem to fix sensitivity, which is Francois' (and my) main problem with mice on Apple.Even worse: Plentycom discontinues the Magic Driver, which worked perfectly fine for me.
Strangely enough, I have the opposite problem with my mouse.... When you first move it, it is quite fast (relatively) and then when I reach where I need to go, it slows down, so that I have to keep re-adjusting (moving the mouse again) to get it where I want it to go. Not sure if it's my Mac mini or Mac OS X or the USB mouse itself... but Windows mouse on Windows XP is so much more accurate... ... Using a mouse on a Mac just seems "sluggish."
and what can we use unter lion ??? none seem to work? 
My God! Thanks for making this post!!! My wrist is freakin' killing me. Can't feel my hand anymore due to this mac mouse control (feels more like un-control).
You're right about them mac os programmers taking a decade to put a right button. They got their own little world to play with uncaring about little important things like this.
Their problem is actually their ego. Can't accept the fact that Windows captures 90% of the market even though macOS is pretty darn good.
They should listen more and solve problems much more.
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