Mouse acceleration curve in Mac ? Solution ?

I have done just about everything that a customer can do about this issue.

I've done the research into alternative drivers and understand the issue with the Mac OS mouse acceleration curve well (the shape of the acceleration curve at slow speeds is substantially different than Windows).



1.) USBOverdrive, SteerMouse, and derivatives of MouseFix all just allow you to adjust acceleration with some major adjustment of the acceleration curve, but none of this exactly copies the Windows curve.

2.) There is software out there (the name escapes me right now) that allows you to re-write the acceleration curve form scratch. Kudos to the author on this one, but frankly I find it just too obnoxious to use regularly. Every time you switch mice, you need to re-write your acceleration curve. This isn't a very Mac-like solution. Certainly not "it just works."

3.) The Microsoft Intellipoint drivers do optionally replace the acceleration curve with linear acceleration. Many say that this is the solution if you use a Microsoft mouse, but it's also an oversimplification. Windows only uses linear acceleration if "Enhance Pointer Precision" is disabled. Otherwise Windows uses a curve of its own which feels much better than the relatively unnatural linear acceleration. Unfortunately, the Intellipoint drivers for Mac don't do that.



I have called Apple Care about this issue, if for nothing else than report the case. They seemed totally unaware of the problem. I find this frustrating, because a Google search or a search on these very forums makes the issue fairly obvious. MANY switchers have a very real and serious comfort issue with mice on Mac OS. Apple is, as Steve says, an "engineering company"--they know solutions to fix this problem (such as an optional Windows curve mouse setting). They just haven't prioritized it as an issue.

I've given feedback on the official OS X feedback form. I've logged a support case. I've even toss a well-worded mail off to Steve's address, just to say I've done all I could. I really encourage everyone having issues with mice on the Mac to contact Apple and log the case.

Add me to the list. The mouse movement drives me crazy.
And I'm sick to death of the people who don't have the problem, so they don't care if other people have the problem.

"I'm an apologist for all things Mac, and I have zero intuitive sense of hand-eye coordination or muscle memory, so I just push the mouse around like a Pavlovian lab rat until I get to the button I want to push. I'm scared of someone changing the default to something else."

Hey, I have a very tight feel for my mouse, and can practically wave my hand in the dark and get what I want on a PC, and EVEN WITH THE TRACKPAD on the Mac. But when I'm doing spreadsheet work, I NEED a mouse. And I just bought this **** $70.00 Magic Mouse and I want to throw it out the window.

Why won't Apple make a simple selection for a few different acceleration response curves? Spite. SPITE.

They want you to take it and like it. It's all part of the philosophy that they know what is good for you, so they will pick out the one style of shoe, and the one size that you need to wear. If you want to be cool, you will squeeze your foot into it.

Love my Mac more than my PC for many, many reasons. But my body, brain, hand, and reflexive feedback system of equilibrium will never "get used to" the acceleration response curve of the Mac OSX mouse driver in its current state.

THANKS A PANTLOAD APPLE for not allowing many users to be happy, when implementing a solution would take one programmer one day to resolve.

Yep another name to the list here.
It's instantly noticeable, I tried downloading usb overdrive and it works but you lose the magic mouse touch capabilities which is frustrating.

I tried my microsoft sidewinder mouse with the intellipoint but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Impossible to "get used to it"

Try using a third-party mouse driver like SteerMouse or USB Overdrive - VersionTracker or MacUpdate.

Yes, it would be nice to have an Apple solution. Where we could just go to System Preferences - Mouse and make changes there. It's so limited what you can do.

Bump. This is extremely annoying and I'd really like a fix... Thanks!

Hi guys,

I have exactly the same problem. Ok, I am new on Mac but I cannot work seriously now with my MBP.
I tried all the software I found on internet but nothing. I cannot fix the problem. Does anyone have any new idea?

toc toc, apple?

I'm going to give Apple some feedback. Seems like the simple thing to do would be to give users the option to go back to the OS9 curve.

The mouse is just one of the most important connections between user and machine.

I have been using Apple products for a very long time, starting with an Apple //e. I've had an Mac SE, an Apple Clone (APC PowerPC 200Mhz 604e), a Powerbook G4, and finally a Macbook Pro. I've also been using Windows and Linux since 2000. Up until I got my Powerbook G4, I have always wished Windows and Linux mouse acceleration would feel as natural as all the years I've been using Macs. Now, I wish my mouse in MacOS X would feel as natural as Windows XP or Linux 2.6 kernel.

Please Apple, fix the mouse acceleration curve. My mouse now feels like I'm running Windows 3.1 or Windows NT; 18 year old operating systems.

I'm a new mac user and I notice this as well.

Especially playing world of warcraft trying to be accurate on clicking abilities. Usb overdrive compensates for 85% of the problem, but I'd rather have the curve like I had it in windows.

This is a real problem for MAC when you switch from XP as I am switched 3 years ago. Until now, I read all the articles on the net and trying to find a solution, unfortunately neither the single command lines (killthemouseaccel) to shareware programs like steermouse or usb drive doesn't work like the XP does.

I even bought 6 mouses during 2 years to try kensington, logitech and microsoft drivers with different DPI values.

I sent feedback, bug report to apple and signed even a petition online. I installed a clean XP to test the hardware and found there is no problem with hardware but the software which controls the mouse *****.

Lastweek, I started to look HP laptops maybe to switched back to XP since mouse is highly important for me as I use the same computer on work and home which is totally more than 10 hours a day. That is shame to buy a new laptop just only for a mouse, everybody around thinks I am crazy!

On the other hand, during the last update, I realized something very surprised, which is during the update process (I mean just after the click restart button for the updates), the system closed everything except a single update installation process. In that moment, I feel the mouse gained its freedom and acceleration was similar to XP, I didn't have too much time to test further but, it may be a clue for the programmers to start somewhere for fixing the apple mouse acceleration cancer.


If anybody and the company found a real and precise solution, I'll be the 1st to test it!!!

Apple seems to think that it's just a matter of getting used to. But it's not. A lot of people, including me, prefer to use a Mac at home but have to use a Windows machine at work. There's no way of getting used to a specific acceleration curve if you are using both OSes on a daily basis.
Why Apple can't offer an option to adjust this is totally beyond me.

This is not a "List". It is just fellow Mac users. I would encourage you to file a bug or feature enhancement with Apple at either:

BugReporter
<http://bugreporter.apple.com>
Free ADC (Apple Developer Connection) account needed for BugReporter.
Anyone can get a free account at:
<http://developer.apple.com/programs/register/>

And/Or

Mac OS X Feedback
<http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html>

The more people that actually communicate with Apple, the more likely they might take notice. This forum will not do that.