Customer Reviews

Targus AMB08US Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Although I just installed this mouse 2 hours ago I think I can tell most of its pros and cons, if any more arise I'll make sure to update this review.

Im starting to love this mouse for the same reasons I loved the wireless mighty mouse, which is built for Mac and almost perfect integration with bluetooth and the mac os, so here is what I found:

Pros:
- 1 more function than mighty mouse with a 5th button.
- You can use the 4th and 5th button for almost whatever you want.
- The 4th button can be used seamlessly, better than MM.
- IT HAS NO SCROLL BALL This is by far the major advantage of this device, it has optical tracking for scrolling which means NO DIRTY BALL, no issues with the scrolling being clunky.
- The cursor seems to run very fast and very precise in the last two hours I found only a couple of issues.
-Even though it has 5 buttons its very simple to use, this looks and feels like an apple product, it looks real good with my Mac mini

Cons.
- For some reason the apps or docs dont open with double click on the finder, I've tried several twiking and have been unable to make it work, this hasn't been a big deal since you can just right click and press open, still is a little annoying. (I sent Technical support a question about this, I expect a response in a couple of days) (Double Click has worked with everything else I've tried, like icons on desktop and inside applications, it seems to be an issue with the Finder)
- Even though you can install targus drivers and software to configure the 4th and 5th buttons, there's no battey level indicator as there is with the Mighty Mouse.

UPDATE: (after a week and a half)
I have found a couple of more issues with this mouse that should matter when making a decision in buying it.

- The scrolling is not very controllable on slow scrolling apps like Firefox and Itunes Store. Its also not very precise on other apps. (it works fine on Safari)
- I haven't got a response on the double clicking issue on the Finder (see above)
- When you start your machine it doesn't recognize it right away, you have to move it and click on it for a little while before it's recognized.

I've been using this mouse for about 6 months these are my experiences. Overall, I'd say it's an excellent mouse and I'd definitely buy it again.

1) Bluetooth Syncs effortlessly with the Mac OS. After you set up the device you rarely have to think about it. It works from an impressive distance too, which is useful for advances slides in presentations.

2) There are 5 buttons plus an on/off switch for lots of flexibility. I like to customize and use all of the buttons on my mice, and the more the better in my opinion.

3) The styling is very Mac-like and the mouse looks at home next to my MacBook Pro

4) It is great on batteries. I leave it on almost all of the time and I'm amazed at how long a pair of AA's last in the thing. This is so much better then my previous Rf wireless mouse

4) The optical scroll sensor was the reason I bought this mouse. I wanted 4-way scrolling and I've read horror stories about trackball style scrollers (like Apple's Mighty Mouse) getting gummed up. It's a unique feature that I'm sure will turn up in other mice in the future. The program Smart Scroll" from [...] has really helps with the usability of the mouse. Without it the scrolling can feel a little jerky.

5) A driver update from Targus seemed to fix a lot of the problems I had with the mouse initially.

6) Depressing the optical scroll pad initiates the mouse button-3 click. You have to push the button like you mean business to get it to register a click.

7) As far as I know there are no Windows-specific drivers available. So, if you are like me and periodically use Windows via Boot Camp, buttons four and five aren't available.

I've been looking for the perfect mouse for years and years, and believe it or not, the Targus Mac Bluetooth Mouse is the closest I've ever come, and I have dozens of crappy and dead mice in my drawers to show for my search.

Targus has created a fabulous alternative for the Apple Bluetooth Wireless Mighty Mouse, and I hope has a instant hit on its hands!

Why is this the perfect mouse?

1. Just right hand feel. Great size, great glide, great center bump for my palm to rest on, great weight, sure actions of all the buttons. There is a definite left button and right button (unlike Apple Might Mouse which sometimes makes it hard to get a right click.) The mouse is symmetric - except for the thumb buttons - so it is better for left handed people that other mice with shaped to fit right hands.

2. The optical scroll wheel is insanely great. This thing isn't going to wear out in a few months like all the mechanical scroll wheels or balls, or start to not scroll in one direction (sorry Apple Mighty Mouse). The middle click it provides is solid and won't happen accidentally like tends to happen on a wheel mouse. And the optical scroll really works. Not only do you get smooth normal scrolling, you can flick your finger and get an auto continuous scroll, kind of like you get on an iPhone. Never seen another mouse do this, and it is a wonderful feature. Seems to be a hardware feature since it works on my Windows Virtual Machines, too.

3. Bluetooth - no wires, no dongles, no USB cable to a receiver (of course, this is only relevant if you have Bluetooth).

4. Very easy to install. Worked perfectly without drivers and uses standard Mac Mouse System Settings. You can also download a Mac driver that configures the thumb buttons (two of them). That worked perfectly (Targus is helping everyone by not including a CD that will be obsolete by the time the end user gets the new mouse!), and had really useful options for setting the button functions. I have mine set to "Reveal Windows" (same as F9), and Select All, two things I do a lot. But there are plenty of choices. I've had other mice with more buttons, but in reality, I never used them much because I couldn't remember what they were all set to. I think only two thumb buttons (because you do use your thumb to press them) are just right.

CAN THIS BE TRUE? Well, I think so, or I wouldn't be writing this review. There might be some very tiny issues - some might want more buttons, there is a delay after you bring your Mac out of sleep to find the mouse (but this is a Bluetooth "feature," and not the fault of this mouse), the thumb buttons don't do anything in bootcamp or virtual Windows machines. I don't know about battery life yet. But all in all, this mouse overcomes almost all the flaws I've ever seen in other mice, and I really can't say I've found any of its own. Targus seems to have solved all the driver issues mentioned in some of the other reviews, so don't let those comments stop you from getting this mouse.

Some of the other reviews have said the optical scroll is sensitive and hard to use. I've managed to get my system mouse settings adjusted so that I find scrolling works smoothly with every app I use. But I'll admit it is sensitive to the settings - even the double click speed - you'll likely have to fiddle more than once to get it to work just right. And it does take a little getting used to how the sensor works - it is an optical sensor, and it will detect motion when you just barely brush the scroll "button". But after a while, it becomes quite natural to exert just the right amount of touch. It will feel quite different than a mechanical ball or wheel, but it still works great.

Attention TARGUS: Get a full Windows driver for this mouse available immediately! While it is a Mac Mouse from the core - models Mac Style and functionality - I can see no technical reasons this (and its USB brother) couldn't be huge hits on Windows, too.

Other notes: I can only assume that the Targus Wireless Mouse for Mac will work just as well. It is a bit cheaper, but uses a USB dongle instead of Bluetooth.

I was in the market for a bluetooth mouse since my logitech wireless mice don't work well with the new aluminum unibody macbook pros (seems the casing blocks most of the signal causing stuttering issues) . Bought the Targus Bluetooth Mouse for Mac and first tried it out on my office Windows PC. With the exception of not being able to program buttons 4 & 5 it worked flawlessly! Then I take it home to use with my Mac and immediately run into issues with scrolling. I was having difficulties controlling scroll speeds with both Firefox and Safari. The new Targus 2.0.0b drivers still only allow one to program the number 4 & 5 buttons but nothing else. There is some control over scrolling with the built-in mouse preferences but it's still rather "jumpy" and sensitive. Also, there is no support for a battery indicator. Once Targus gets their driver up to standards this could be a great mouse. The irony is that now I am using my Dell Bluetooth mouse with the Mac and the Targus mouse with my work PC!

POSITIVES:
-Optical Scroll ball (also a negative, see below).
-Great click feel, especially the middle-click. Some of the new Microsoft mice are nearly impossible to middle click. This mouse has exactly the right resistance. A gentle "pop".
-Great looks
-Bottom material slides exceptionally well on my table - much less resistance than a mighty mouse and less prone to accumulating gunk on the bottom.
-Lighter than a mighty mouse

NEGATIVES:
-The optical scroll is crazy sensitive. The only way to get it to work the way you want is to install the 3rd party utility "Smart Scroll" [...] - which costs money and uses a hacky method of modifying the OS.
-After a week the bluetooth started dropping out on me every 10 seconds (other reviewers have noted this - I tested with new batteries and cross checked with another bluetooth mouse)
-Scrolling can be a bit jumpy (this is assuaged with the "smart scroll" utility described above.)

VERDICT:
Wait for the next generation of this mouse. Major usability issues inhibit what will hopefully become the best mouse in the world.

I bought this Targus bluetooth mouse and have been using it on my new Mac Mini for about one week. The mouse is built sturdy and fits in the palm of my hand comfortably. I like the hard rubber material around the sides of the mouse, very durable. The mouse is very accurate and I love the optical scroll button on top of the mouse, very accurate, smooth (scroll speed can be adjusted in driver software) and easy to clean. Zooming in MacOS is done by pressing the apple button on the keyboard and moving finger on optical scroll button on top of the mouse. At about $17, you don't want to miss this fantastic value. Why pay $70 for an apple mouse?

I had some reservations about purchasing this. From an aesthetic standpoint, I would have preferred a shorter, rounder body. I also had heard mixed reviews regarding the optical tracking pad.

That being said, I found amazon's price to be fantastic on this model, knew Targus to be a dependable and high-quality brand, and more than anything, was super curious about the optical tracking pad.

I received the item a couple of days ago. I popped in the included batteries, waited for my computer to pick up on the bluetooth signal and off we went. No special setup required (although I did install the drivers from Targus's website later on for more precise adjustment of the settings), and it was super fast, and obviously incredibly easy.

The mouse looks much better out of the box than I expected. There's an attractive and comfortable wide gray rubber band that goes all the way around and the plastic body is more a very light gray color instead of white. It looks really nice next to my silver MBP.

The optical track pad is very cool and very easy to use. I'm a fast scoller anyway..which is maybe why this appeals to me so much more than other users (I'm the girl that practically jogs through the mall to get what I need and get out in as little time as possible - I like to get to where I'm going). The tracking is speedy, but not difficult to control. My husband, who usually uses a mouse with a scroll wheel, and is not as fast a scroller, found it easy to use as well.

The track pad is also a button and it's awesome. The feel of the button is very satisfying and comes programmed to bring up the dashboard. This can be customized along with two additional buttons on the left side of the mouse. I haven't fiddled much with these yet, so can't comment on them.

One last thing...I needed a new mouse because I am an illustrator that uses the mouse heavily. I was experiencing a lot of hand pain with my previous setup and the Targus gives me great support through the palm of my hand and has significantly improved my comfort level throughout the day.

woohoo!

Perfect mice .. but you need to download the Mac driver from targus website and it will work like magic .

the mice work without the driver but the driver fix scrolling and tracking sensitivity issues.

Recommended for all MACers .

I have not be disappointed with this mouse. My MacBook Pro identifies it quickly. The optical scroll, something I have never used, is a great addition. I am very happy with this mouse. It tracks extremely well on our antique wood table, a couch or my desk.

This mouse synced right up with my iMac 21 inch screen. Looks great, works well. I had to move the mouse setting to its absolute slowest tracking speed to have any control over the pointer/cursor. Now I have control over the pointer, but I have to lift the mouse while moving the pointer across the screen.