Maceffects transparent ADB mouse button extremely stiff.

[InsufficientPostage]

Hey all, is anybody else’s clear ADB mouse button super stiff? It’s so hard to click that it’s almost uncomfortable. It works fine, but I end up using a beige ADB Mouse II most of the time because it’s just so much easier. I suspect that it’s due to the design of the “hinge” being directly integrated into the top case, whereas the original uses two separate pieces plastic welded together. For anyone that has used their clear shell a lot: does it ever “wear in” and become easier or should I just go back to the beige shell when I install my TT Design optical mouse board in there?

 

[JDW]

I own a MacEffects clear mouse too and found it too stiff for me as well, but that is by design.

Mark J. (owner of MacEffects) told me back in the day that he wanted to keep tooling costs reasonable (in order to keep the end user cost lower), so he didn't create a separate plastic piece for the button like Apple did. Tooling costs thousands of dollars, and sales of those transparent mice by MacEffects number in the hundreds, not tens of thousands, so money saved on reduced tooling really does impact our cost at the end user level.

Even so, the end result is the mouse button is much stiffer than a stock mouse, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to get any less stiff over time. I ultimately went back to the beige shell for my own clicking pleasure. That, to me, outweighs the clear aesthetics. It's kind of a shame, but again, I do understand the cost mindedness that went behind that decision.

 

[InsufficientPostage]

Yeah absolutely. I understand that the cost of two injection molding dies would probably be prohibitive. It’s a bummer to hear that it doesn’t get less stiff.

I might just transfer the wire from the old ball-mouse board to the TT Design optical board, and then hack up a black Svideo cable and keep the maceffects mouse a ball mouse for display.