Mighty Mouse (#3): Solution for Firefox scroll-button conflict; Usability issues; more

Solution for Firefox scroll-button conflict We previously reported on an issue where when using the Mighty Mouse's scroll ball in the Web browser Firefox, horizontal movement (of the scroll wheel) moves the user back and forth through recently visited pages by default. However, a number of users report that when attempting to scroll vertically, the horizontal (page switching) function is inadvertently invoked.

MacFixIt reader Mike Evangelist notes a simple solution that involves changing a Firefox setting via the following steps:

1. Go to about:config (i.e. type it in FireFox' address field)
2. set mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.action to 0

Buttons cannot be clicked while another is held Several users have noted that unlike some other multi-button mice, the Mighty Mouse cannot accept new clicks from buttons while another button is being held down.

This poses an issue if the user is, for instance, attempting to drag files from one application, then switch applications using another button in mid-drag, and drop the files. For example:

1. You select several picture files in the Finder, and begin to drag them using a left-click
2. You use another button to switch iPhoto to the foremost application, while still holding the left button
3. You drop the images into iPhoto, releasing the left button.

With the Mighty Mouse, step two is impossible as multiple buttons cannot be in use simultaneously.

Right button sometimes does not respond to clicks Several users have noted difficulty using the Mighty Mouse's right button.

The Mighty Mouse uses a touch-sensitive surface to determine which side of the device a click is coming from, executing a right or left click as indicated. However, in some cases, if a users finger resides on the left side of the mouse surface while the right side is clicked, the right click will fail or a left click will be executed instead.

The obvious, but inconvenient solutions are to either change mouse handling to remove the left-click finger while a right-click is attempted, or re-configure the Mighty Mouse to use one of the side buttons as a right-click mechanism.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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