Review: MacAlly iceMouse

Mice are an indispensable part of any computer system, whether it runs some version of the Mac OS, Windows, or even Linux. Unfortunately, many users, who do not share in the 1984 philosophy that one button rules them all, find that the stock mouse that comes with their Macs is less than adequate.

There are many different kids of mice, with many different features to replace the hockey puck or other one-button marvel at your desk. MacAlly’s $39.99 iceMouse is an update of the company’s iOptinet/iSweet family, designed to match almost any new Mac.

iceMouse

iceMouse (Bottom)

iceMouse Buttons

Reviewing mice is difficult. Hand size and personal preferences play an important role in choosing the perfect mouse. This review will help in deciding if the iceMouse should be on your shopping list.

The iceMouse has a standard two-button/scroll wheel layout, found on almost all low-end to midrange mice. The clickable scroll wheel is large and gives tactile feedback with each turn, like almost any other scroll wheel-equipped mouse. The iceMouse is optical, so there are no rollers or ball to clean, and it will work on almost any surface.

The iceMouse is made of glossy white plastic with a clear bottom. A clear cover is snapped on top (in this product’s iOptinet/iSweet days, this could be changed for other colors to match the various iMacs). Thanks to the clear cover over the white plastic, dust and dirt aren’t as visible.

The iceMouse is connected to any free USB port with a 3′ USB cable, enough for most users to plug it into a keyboard or a laptop, but not the back of a Power Mac. The mouse works fine without any special drivers loaded, but is given added functionality with them. MacAlly Mouse/Trackball is an application used to configure application-specific and global settings. Settings such as cursor speed, left/right/scroll wheel button settings, and the speed of the scroll wheel can all be adjusted. We liked the ability to click with modifier keys, allowing us to select multiple items by clicking the scroll wheel.

To get some other opinions, I had my parents try it out when I was visiting them. My dad had no problem adjusting from their worn-out Logitech mouse to the iceMouse. My mom thought that the iceMouse was a little too “flat” to get the best hold on it (she liked the Contour UniMouse, but was also not a fan of Apple’s Pro Mouse). The iceMouse itself is roughly the same size as the Apple Pro Mouse, so owners of that will have no trouble adjusting.

The iceMouse might seem a tad pricey at just under $40 for a basic two button/scroll mouse, but the software has a lot of features and a three-year warranty is included, making it a worthwhile purchase.