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BALLESS MOUSE WITHOUT A TAIL

You might think a computer mouse without a ball and tail would be operating under a handicap. To the contrary, the Logitech Cordless MouseMan Optical is to date, the best mouse I've plugged into my computer. Instead of the old fashioned rubberized ball with mechanical wheels to sense movement, this mouse uses light to literally see almost any surface for precision tracking. Since there are no moving parts, the optical mouse is not as sensitive to debris that can cause your cursor to intermittently freeze on the screen. Plus optical tracking is vastly superior when it comes to accuracy.

As you glide the Cordless MouseMan Optical along the surface, a reddish, pulsating glow emanates from within and is visible through the mouse's translucent shell. The light responds by intensifying and pulsing in proportion to your movement. This serves as a visual confirmation that the mouse is operating properly while adding a pleasurable quality to its use. It just looks really cool. The organic styling of the MouseMan is balanced by its ergonomic design, giving it a solid feel that's both aesthetically and functionally pleasing. Placement of the two primary buttons along with the thumb and scroll wheel buttons are a perfect fit for the average sized hand.

The addition of Logitech's radio cordless technology to this MouseMan model makes this my mouse of choice. Unlike my former mouse that was connected to the USB port on the side of my keyboard, I no longer have to worry about tripping over the dangling cord. The tiny receiver unit plugs into any USB or PS/2 port. Included software supports both PC and Macintosh platforms. The software lets you configure the mouse buttons and wheel to almost any needed keystroke and mouse click combination. A nice addition to the software is the WebWheel. Pressing down on the scroll wheel evokes the WebWheel utility that lets you more easily navigate within your web browser. You can scroll back and forth, or jump to any favorite bookmark without having to mouse over to the menu bar on the browser.

The Cordless MouseMan Optical runs on two AA alkaline batteries. Logitech says you'll get around three months of fairly heavy use thanks to their energy conservation system. The mouse has four levels of power operation, dropping down to the lowest level after a period of inactivity. But even at the lowest level, there is no detectable lag when you're ready to use the mouse again. The moment you touch the mouse, it's instantly back in action. The built-in battery detection system warns you on screen when batteries are low and need to be replaced. If you're looking for the best mouse around, this may just be the one. $69.95.

www.logitech.com

QUESTION:

I just upgraded from a G3 to a new G4 desktop Macintosh. As I was transferring everything from the old to the new, I was dumbfounded to discover that Apple has eliminated the port that accepts sound input from a microphone! How am I supposed to use all of my sound recording software if there's no place for a microphone?

ANSWER:

Ever since I can remember, Apple has always had a microphone input on every Mac until the newer G4's appeared. I'm not sure why Apple chose to do this but they have. So unless you want to spend some big bucks on a sound card with a mic jack, you basically have one other way to add sound input and that's through the USB port. Griffin Technology offers the iMic Audio Adapter. Looking much like a silver yo-yo, the iMic plugs into any available USB port and gives you both mic and line level input signals. A built in switch lets you choose between input sensitivity. It also provides a line level output jack in case you want to record any sounds your Mac might be making. What really makes the iMic slick is that it requires no additional software drivers. It works in conjunction with Apple's Audio Extension and USB software. $35.

www.griffintechnology.com