An interesting "feature" of the iMac hockey puck mouse is the ability to secure the mouse ball. Lab instructors in schools love being able to secure their mouse balls because of the tendency toward mouse ball theft.

To secure your mouse ball in a puck-style mouse, look for the hole in the ball retainer ring. You can use a Mac tool in this hole to press open a latching mechanism which will allow you to rotate the retainer a couple of millimeters further clockwise. Releasing the latching mechanism and removing the Mac tool effectively locks the ring onto the mouse, making theft more difficult.
The mouse that comes packaged with most of the Macintosh iMac and G3 computers is quite an odd one indeed. It is generally referred to as the hockey puck, for it is round and its similar diameter to the aforementioned sporting item.

Actually called the Apple USB Mouse, the iMac mouse is translucent blue/green and white plastic with a half blue, half white mouse ball.

Though the USB interface is superior to that of PS2 the length of the USB cable attached to the mouse is rather short (about only 2 feet) and is designed to be connected to the iMac keyboard which has two USB ports on the sides of it. The short length of the cable is an inconvenience if one wishes to use the mouse on a machine that does not have a keyboard with USB ports.

In addition to a short cable, the iMac mouse also suffers from orientation problems. Because of the round shape one can unintentionally rotate the mouse slightly while manuvering it. This makes the cursor move (for example) NW when the mouse is moved N. Being that the machintosh is still known as the favored machine for artists, you would think that a superior mouse would be included with these machines.

This author reccomends a Wacom pen tablet for anyone serious in computer art.

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