Why does the mouse lag on Macs?

I'm not hallucinating. The mouse lags (original apple mouse, intellimouse explorer 3) on my Powermac G5, iBook and eMac. Why is this? Is there any way around it? There is a definite delay in response in my mouse movements. Anyone else experience this? Is this just another mac thing?

No problem here. Did you check your System Preferences/Mouse options to see that the Tracking isn't set to low?

You still might be hallucinating even without the "Mouse" thing. With that much acupuncture you have to be having some pretty weird dreams. Doesn't that hurt?

No propbs here either. Sounds a bit wierd, maybe there's something up with the USB port you're using?

I noticed the same thing. Along with a jerky scroll speed and text taking a second to appear after I type it. I'm getting the felling that mac users are just use to this and don't see it as an issue.

I've talked to a number of people all recently switched to macs who complain of the same thing.

archer75 said:

I noticed the same thing. Along with a jerky scroll speed and text taking a second to appear after I type it. I'm getting the felling that mac users are just use to this and don't see it as an issue.

I've talked to a number of people all recently switched to macs who complain of the same thing.

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That is not a common problem.

No problems on either my Power Mac G5 or the iMack G5, no lag or drag or time lapse anywhere here.

Lorn said:

I'm not hallucinating. The mouse lags (original apple mouse, intellimouse explorer 3) on my Powermac G5, iBook and eMac. Why is this? Is there any way around it? There is a definite delay in response in my mouse movements. Anyone else experience this? Is this just another mac thing?

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Trust me..If the mouse actually did commonly lag on the Mac platform, macintosh would indeed not be the standard choice for graphic designers..

That is either a problem with your mouse(I don't like Microsoft mice, but that's just me) or a problem specific to your computer. This is NOT a problem on the OS.

Lorn said:

I'm not hallucinating. The mouse lags (original apple mouse, intellimouse explorer 3) on my Powermac G5, iBook and eMac. Why is this? Is there any way around it? There is a definite delay in response in my mouse movements. Anyone else experience this? Is this just another mac thing?

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Mine sometimes feels a bit laggy, the scroll wheel is where I really notice it acting odd, it isn't very smooth. My tracking speed and scroll speed are set to the max but I wish I could set it higher.

Actually now that I have been paying attention to it, it isn't laggy, it uses what Windows calls mouse acceleration which I turn off, where if you move you mouse an inch really fast it can take the cursor from one side of the screen to the other, while if you move it an inch really slow, it'll only move the cursor a fraction of the way across the screen.

On (much) older macs the input delay was a symptom of a hardware problem. On modern Macs the input - typing or mouse movement - should start immediately even when response time is set to slow. The only time I've seen this is when something else is interferring with the input (such as a program in the background) or when the mouse is not tracking well on the desk surface.

I just installed the microsoft software for my mouse, it feels a lot better now, I can actually adjust the scroll to a fast enough speed. It also enabled me to use the other 2 buttons, which I had become very used to.

When I first got my PowerMac (first Mac) I noticed the same "problem." The Mac handles mouse acceleration much differently than the PC. The mouse isn't nearly as responsible, and if you trying moving the mouse at a slow speed, the mouse crawls painfully slow. This can be corrected with a utility called USB Overdrive. It is what I am using to have the mouse work like it would in Windows. This is expecially important when gaming.

archer75 said:

I noticed the same thing. Along with a jerky scroll speed and text taking a second to appear after I type it. I'm getting the felling that mac users are just use to this and don't see it as an issue.

I've talked to a number of people all recently switched to macs who complain of the same thing.

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I think you're right. I had been using PCs for about 7 years until I started working on an eMac machine - noticed the mouse immediately. After that I got myself an iBook - noticed the mouse immediately. I then took the plunge and got my dual G5 system and STILL noticed it. I had used ALL of the original mice for all of the Apple systems, but the Micrsoft mouse also exhibits the same problem.

and i've used windows PCs forever, and got my first apple computer(PowerBook G4) last summer, and I haven't noticed any difference.

JRJ26 said:

and i've used windows PCs forever, and got my first apple computer(PowerBook G4) last summer, and I haven't noticed any difference.

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Same here, I don't know what all the fuss is about. I use PCs and Macs on a daily basis and have never been bothered by any difference.

Amen-Moses

The Mac does use an accelleration curve when moving the mouse pointer. So if you want to move the pointer all the way across the screen, move it quickly; if you're doing some precise graphics editing, use a slow and steady hand.

Windows uses a linear correlation, so if you move a PC mouse one inch it will move some distance x; if you move it two inches, it'll move 2x on the screen no matter how quickly or slowly you do it.

Being used to the Mac, I find a PC mouse to be intollerably skittish. If I'm trying to hit a small target, I have to hold my hand absolutely still and approach very slowly, and hope I don't sneeze. If an ant sighs, I'll miss and have to go back and try again. The Mac mouse is so much more precise.

I'm sure you get used to the way the two systems work after a while.

If you've used Macs and PCs for a long time, then you wouldn't notice the difference. It's switches who are using the Mac for the first time that have a problem with the mouse. The Windows curser doesn't accelerate in a linear fasion, but it doesn't accelerate as fast.

technologist said:

Windows uses a linear correlation, so if you move a PC mouse one inch it will move some distance x; if you move it two inches, it'll move 2x on the screen no matter how quickly or slowly you do it.

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Actually XP doesn't, it just uses a different acceleration curve, which I am more used to.

In linux I find the mouse works the same way as on the mac. I am very innacurate with the mouse on my mac and it drives me nuts. I will have to try that USB accelerator program.

Hi, I agree with everyone who says there mouse lags. I use Linux as well as windows on a regular basis, and it drives me nuts using this mac! Don't get me wrong I absolutely love the mac, but I can't stand to use it without vnc'ing / synergy into it from a windows or linux box. If i'm an inch off my "Post Quick Reply button" it will take me moving the WHOLE MOUSE PAD to get it to move 3 inches b/c it's slow b/c I'm moving slow. Is there any way to make it act like windows/linux? They feel much more responsive. I feel like I'm waiting on this accursed mouse to catch up with me half the time... *growl*..