If you’ve ever switched from a PC to a Mac, there’s no doubt that you’ve realized that moving the mouse just isn’t the same– like something doesn’t feel right. I really noticed it when I was younger and played video games that needed precision, and maybe you have experienced it too.
That sensation is called mouse acceleration– basically the faster you move the mouse the less distance your hand has to travel to get from point A on the screen to point B and the slower you move, the more distance you have to move the mouse to get from point A to point B. If you whipped the mouse left and slowly dragged it right, starting and ending at the same spot, you’ll find your cursor in a different position from where you started! Go ahead and try it! It was originally implemented to help precision and help those who have issues clicking and dragging in a minimal amount of space, but if you’re not used it it, it can definitely throw you off. This mainly applies to those who use an actual mouse compared to a trackpad or tablet.
I’ve used several mice, from cheap to expensive gaming status, and this affects it all– especially in situations where you need to meticulously cut something out, or you’re brushing something so small and delicate on a mask.
Instructions
- Go to http://smoothmouse.com to download SmoothMouse
- Click the blatantly obvious green download button.
- Navigate to the Downloads folder (or wherever you saved the .pkg) and double click it.
- Follow simple instructions on the screen for installation.
- Examine the Smooth Mouse preference pane in the System Preferences that popped up as well as the nice green circle with the checkmark.
- Click the checkbox for Enable Mouse and select Acceleration for Windows.
- Throw away the leftover cheese ‘cuz you’ve got no more whining to do. Get it? No cheese for that whi… wine… because.. you don’t.. need. have..any.
Anyway. If anything else, now you shouldn’t feel strange when you’re constantly switching from a Mac and PC with an external mouse! The great thing about this is that if you don’t like it, you can always disable and uninstall this little thing! You’ll be able to find the uninstall section under the About tab in the SmoothMouse preference pane.
Mykii Liu is a professional portrait picture person in Las Vegas, NV.
You can find more of Mykii’s articles HERE.
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Filed under: Opinion, Software, Technique & Tutorials Tagged: Mykii, Mykii Liu, OS X, tips 
