Q: Poor Bluetooth reception and jerky mouse

Interestingly out of the blue a very nice women telephoned me from Apple Executive Relations. She mentioned the mail I had sent to Mr Jobs and went on to explain that they knew about the problem and asked me if I wanted to get it repaired. Also she had spent the time to read this Discussion and my blog saying it was interesting and very helpful. My answer was I didn't want it fixed as I had done it myself and can't be several days without my MAC.
But not all Apple executive relations staff are so helpful. I phoned them asking to speak to Mrs.x (the nice women) and the man wouldn't transfer me, asked me what the problem was and started telling me that is could me the mouse at fault and some other bull.

So all of you who want apple to sort it I think you should insist a little harder until Apple take you serious.

Well, nice to meet you guys. Here is another Bluetooth victim. I read all the stuff on the web now and concluded i don't want to change anything to the mac myself. Apple is the responsible one. Too bad Apple is not actively helping us it seems from the list? I feel sad i have paid so much and apparently the money does not go to customer care that's for sure.

sigh...

Message was edited by: MonmacPro

Still waiting for some alternative to spending money and losing a USB port. Unacceptable!

I think they should redesign the magic mouse and not fix the tower. I have one and it really starts to hurt your fingers when you use it all day long. This mouse is a carpal tunnel nightmare!!! Cool design but way too low of a profile. Your hand should not lay that flat when it's on the mouse. Plus they took the center scroll wheel away and the two extra buttons on the sides. I use all of these on my Mighty Mouse.

Mark Delgrosso wrote:
I think they should redesign the magic mouse and not fix the tower. I have one and it really starts to hurt your fingers when you use it all day long. This mouse is a carpal tunnel nightmare!!! Cool design but way too low of a profile. Your hand should not lay that flat when it's on the mouse. Plus they took the center scroll wheel away and the two extra buttons on the sides. I use all of these on my Mighty Mouse.

NO. They should redesign the bluetooth antenna.
If you use BetterTouchTool which works great with the Magic mouse you can program touch commands the way you want. If anything Apple should improve the software for the Magic Mouse.

Success: the Targus USB Bluetooth adapter Staples sells for $25 works with the Magic Mouse! This is on an 8 x 2.8GHz 2008 Mac Pro running 10.6.3. This tiny (I mean tiny) adapter supports BT wake from sleep and everything; the only thing is that it draws more power than the wired keyboard's USB port (plugged into a 30" Cinema Display) supplies, so I had to plug it into another USB hub.

Yeah baby.

I live quite a distance from any Apple Store, so they sent a guy out.

He just replaced the Bluetooth module (not the antenna).
It seemed to work ok while he was here.
5 minutes after he left it started doing the same thing.
If I turn the computer sideways, so the back of the computer has a straight shot to the mouse it worked fine.

Then I got a Bluetooth firmware update.
I didn't notice anything, but today the moused started 'creeping' by itself!
I think I saw something in the release notes that the firmware was supposed to fix that.

Dang, looks like I'll re-open the case with Apple (I'd better turn the computer 'normally' again and make sure it really fails again).
I mentioned a new antenna but they wouldn't send one.

I have a newer machine, they moved the antenna and the module from the older ones.
(I had to tell the tech where it was)

Mark

Ag. Not so fast.

It wakes up when I touch the BT mouse, but scrolling doesn't work until I restart (only l/r clicking). My hunch is that it's not reading the prefs properly, because it comes back with the tracking speed much faster than I'm leaving it when I sleep the machine.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Follow-up: I bought a D-Link adapter, but they're now on rev. C and neither of two Macs recognized it. D-Link's overseas tech support advised me to return it; apparently they're having issues now.

So I've ordered the U.FL Mini Pci to RP-SMA CABLE Nobblynoel advises here: http://nobblynoel.wordpress.com/.

I'd have done that first, but it's not available in town.

Spoke to a tech at the Genius Bar yesterday while they were diagnosing my broken PSU. He said that if the MP is not on the desk with the mouse/kb then BT connection will struggle

Yes but a lot of people including me don't want an ugly case on the desk. Should have bought an Imac then..LOL..
Ask he what do if you want it under the desk.. Not such a Genius hey..

Just had a thought. Why don't Apple buy in bulk a load of antenna cables, antennas and pci blacks already with a hole and send them to all the folks with BT problems. This would sort the problem, make all Mac Pro users happy and only cost Apple a few pounds.
Maybe they are happy making money out of Tech support phone calls..
I hope Apple employees read this forum.....

Message was edited by: nobblynoel

Ok my turn for an UPDATE again.
I have been working on this still, all this time, almost on a daily basis. To sum up:
1. An Apple tech replaced my BT modual and, guess what, it still did not work.
2. He came back out to replcase the BT antenna, I asked him to pop it on and before he took the case off that we just try the antenna and MM with the antenna taped to the inside, over the processors (by the removal panel)and guess what? IT was MUCH WORSE. In fact, it would not work at all!

A couple of notes here. Keep in mind that with the BT antenna in its "designed" location, it It works a bit, to be sure, just a weak signal right. With it inside it does not even work FOR ONE SECOND. IT WILL NOT EVEN CONNECT UP TO THE MOUSE FROM 3 FEET AWAY. When I took the side off the MP with the antenna in its regular place, it DID NOT HELP THE SIGNAL TO LEAVE THE SIDE OFF. With the antenna taped inside the MP, the BT signal is UNUSEABLE.

Ok, well we kind of new that. I would add that while going though all this I touched an OHM meter to the outside of the MP case, with the leads just an inch form each other, THERE IS NO CONNECTION!!! The case has, from what I understand, an anodized aluminium finish. This means that the case is considered an INSULATOR NOT A CONDUCTOR. No wonder the signal cannot get out!

So anyway, believe it or not, Apple is sending me a whole new MP of the sam genre. Why? I am not sure, but it is being processed as we speak. I still do not think the MM will work with the replacment MP. Why would Apple just not try this new MP of the same ilk with a MM themselves to verify that it works, rather than having me do the troubleshooting!!!

Any guess if the new MP will work with the MM???
FYI, Apple has told me that they are working on the problem still, the fix is on the way, but they cannot admit to a problem until they have a reasonable soluction. Yes, they did say that. I am starting to believe they do not have an idea for a fix.

Time will tell, I will let you know how it goes once I get the new MP. Oh, boy.