I got my beautiful 24″ iMac less than a week ago to replace the abused 1st Generation Mac Mini where I previously did much of my work. The screen is gorgeous, processor fast, and the graphics top notch. I’m even getting used to the smaller keyboard. But after less than a week’s worth of use, the Mighty Mouse had already started to fail. The tiny little gray scroll ball refused to scroll down, even though scrolling left, right, up and any other direction worked just fine. Thankfully Google came to the rescue and helped Mighty Mouse get back to work.
Based on the comments from this one blog post, it seems the Mighty Mouse has been prone to scroll ball deficiencies since its inception a few years ago. Luckily the solution is as simple as the design, and any (or all) of the steps below should get Mighty Mouse back up to speed.
- Press the scroll ball down really hard and then mouse around
- Blow around the scroll ball with compressed air
- Turn the mouse upside down and place on a piece of paper, push down, rolling the scroll bar around on the paper
- Try step three with a slightly damp scroll ball for better results
I’m not sure if this is proof of a poorly designed product that placed aesthetics over function… or if it is proof that too many people eat and drink at their desks, wear perfumes and lotions, or otherwise have contaminants on their hands that make the Mighty Mouse dirty. Regardless, at least there is a simple fix.
But if mine started protesting after less than a weeks time, does that mean my mouse is too sensitive or my hands overly dirty? Time will tell I suppose, but it might be time to stop eating lunch at my desk.
