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Review: Macally's iOptiJr Optical Mouse is Perfect for PowerBooks

by Paul Cesarini

Macally

SRP / SP:	$49 / $42
Requirements:	MacOS 8.6 or later; Any desktop or notebook computer with an available USB port
What's Hot:	Small and functional design; multi-colored "jackets"
What's Not:	Software not included in box; Somewhat expensive

Following on the heels of the mini-mouse product trend from Apple, Targus, and other companies, uber-input device specialist Macally has released the iOptiJr, and optical mini-mouse ideally suited for children or mobile computing. It's a little pricey for such a tiny device, but has virtually cornered the market for small, optical mice.

Mini-mice are generally about 33% smaller than their full-sized counterparts. Apple's now-infamous (and thankfully discontinued) hockey puck mouse could technically be classified a mini-mouse, which was half the problem with it. Mini-mice are fine for kids or adults with small hands, but usually result in hand-cramps when used repeatedly by those with full-sized hands. The key here is the phrase "used repeatedly". Mini-mice are ideally suited for infrequent and/or specialized use. For mobile professionals, the small form factor of mini-mice makes them ideal: they pack away well, don't take-up much countertop or "podiumtop" space, and the newer, optical ones don't even need a mousepad.

The iOptiJr sports three buttons, one on either side and a clickable scroll wheel button, three snap-on color "jackets" (green, blue, and gray), and a three foot cord. The mouse itself has a fairly solid feel to it, and both the button and wheel click very responsively. While the color jackets are perhaps a nice touch and are admittedly well-hued to their respective iBook colors, they're a novelty at best.

As with most Macally products, the packaging and documentation is simple, clean, and effective. The downside, also as with most Macally products, is the lack of included drivers in the box. Sure, from a cost-effectiveness perspective it's easier to just list a url in the documentation than to include a CD. Still, it would be nice to have immediate and full functionality at the start. The mouse, of course, works fine in one-button mode until the drivers are installed.

After finding, downloading, and installing the Macally USB Mouse/Trackball software (currently version 3.0.1), I was impressed by the ease of use and general functionality of this little ambidextrous mouse. The scroll wheel worked well in virtually all applications, except when scrolling through a large PDF file on the web. The three buttons were fully programmable, and the optical eye tracked well on every surface. Note: glass and mirrors are still problems for all optical mice. If you absolutely need to use an optical input device on these types of surfaces, go with an optical trackball.

With the possible exception of Contour Design's MiniPro Mouse, Macally appears to have a lock on optical mice for road warriors, or any of my three nephews. At the very least, the iOptiJr is the only small, optical mouse I've seen with a scroll wheel -- and one that actually works.

I've been using a Targus USB Mobile Mini-Mouse for the past year or so while on business trips. While this has generally worked well, the programmable buttons, scroll wheel, and optical tracking of the iOptiJr weighs in favor of my switching. Yes, $49 is somewhat expensive for such a small mouse, but since it is one of the only such mice out there, it's well worth the price.