Need tons of help, please.

[eric2076]

1) I have a microsoft optical mouse, like 3 months old, i'm getting a weird thing when i use it on the mac. When i move the mouse slowly, the cursor moves slower. when i move it faster, it jumps fast. Is this how macs work? I hope not, it's nothing like windows. Or do i have to install some drivers? How do i install drivers on a mac, i'm a total noob! Just got a mini today!

2) I have ram that i think will work for the mini. I bought it a year and a half ago for a 2.6 ghz pc. It's the same specs I believe, and it has 333 written on it. I doubt it's high density cause it was the cheapest i bought at compusa. How would i know?

 

[puckhead193]

what kind of surface is the mouse on? if its a light colored surface, try using it on something darker. Also play around with the settings for the mouse, going to the system preference's andd click on mouse and keyboard

 

[Sogo]

well for your mouse issue, did you check the sensetivity in the prefrences? now for the ram...i dont know..if it was the cheapest you got a while ago, then its probably some really cheap ram today. The reason i say this is because mac tend to be more picky with ram, so it may work but you might get kernal panics...Uhh, you can try and see if it will work.

 

[CanadaRAM]

2) I have ram that i think will work for the mini. I bought it a year and a half ago for a 2.6 ghz pc. It's the same specs I believe, and it has 333 written on it. I doubt it's high density cause it was the cheapest i bought at compusa. How would i know?

There is absolutely no way of knowing if your unidentified module will work on any particular Mac. There are issues with chip configuration, SPD settings and even physical size that may prevent it from working. These are NOT covered by it's PC2700 designation.

 

[igucl]

Do you have the software for the MS mouse? I'm using an Intellimouse Explorer on my iMac with the included software, and it works great.

I understand your preference for the Windows-like pointer movement, although some on the forum prefer the Mac way. Anyway, I believe that with the MS software, my mouse's behavior is Windows-like.

Edit: I wouldn't take any chances with the RAM. Many have posted about their computer disasters because of bad RAM. What does crucial.com specify for your Mac?

 

[eric2076]

i tried both light and dark.

here's the problem in a more clear explanation:


i can travel like 2 feet from edge to edge while moving the mouse slowly.

while moving it fast, 2 inches.

 

[FF_productions]

u should get a new mouse, and the ram...i would get that checked on

 

[eric2076]

the mouse is 3 months old, it's a microsoft optical...

 

[spinne1]

Mouse issues: is the mouse wireless? Does it work right on the PC, and then wrong on the Mac in the same day, or if you moved it from one to the other one right after the other? Does it work properly on the PC on the same surface as it is working improperly with the Mac?

Try MouseZoom. It is not likely to fix your main problem, but it gives much more control over mouse speed, and speeds up your tracking considerably (to ridiculous levels if you wish). It can be found here: http://homepage.mac.com/bhines/mousezoom.html

Check and see if there is any debris in the pointing area. Try a solid color mouse pad (if you use a mouse pad).

Maybe your mouse is just not going to work with your Mac. Consider a Kensington or (if you can deal with only one mouse button) an Apple mouse. Or maybe you need a different model mouse to work right. Also, do have the Microsoft mouse preference pane? If not, begin your search here:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14205&vid=116427

It is unclear what version you would need. Reading through comments on that page should help clear it up. Also, try going to Microsoft's webpage and see what they have for your mouse model and Macs.

Good luck.

 

[spinne1]

PS What is the "mac way" versus the "pc way?" I've never noticed any difference when using the two platforms on my mouse behavior.

 

[eric2076]

thanks spinne, i installed microsoft drivers, that worked. yay!

 

[mkrishnan]

Ooops, problem solved, nevermind.

 

[slooksterPSV]

Just on a note, I can't use a White Apple Optical mouse on a white surface, I have to use my black logitech mouse.

 

[mkrishnan]

Weird. FWIW, I just tried my Apple BT mouse on a white sheet of paper and it worked fine. But glass is definitely straight out. Sadly, my coffee table is glass. But I mostly use my BT mouse at school, in my office, where I have a normal wooden desk.