To use this mouse, just install the software, plug it in, and start using it. While USB is hot pluggable, the software needs a restart to be activated, so you will not be able to use your mouse until after that action has been completed.

After installation, you may want to set up the mouse the way you like. Although most users will like the default options definitely not all will. In the Point and Scroll control panel, you can select what each button does (click, double click, control click, command click, etc.), if the scroll wheel scrolls vertical or horizontal, what pressing the scroll wheel does, and tracking speed. With these limited, but useful configurations, you can have the mouse acting the way you want.

After you have the software set up, just use the mouse like you would any other, with a few exceptions. The first thing I try in games and in other applications is the right mouse button. You would be amazed how many programs have contextual menus, or right mouse commands, that you never knew existed. This makes surfing the web, playing games, editing documents, and whole lot more so much easier. It's 100 times better than reaching for that control key every time.

The next thing you should do is test out how the scroll wheel works, and get used to it. Every 'click' of the scroll wheel advances the scroll bar by one arrow click. Holding down the control key and scrolling will move the opposite scroll bars (i.e. the horizontal bar when vertical is set as default).

Plus, if you click down the scroll wheel, little arrows will form, and it will be in perpetual scroll mode. This means one small scroll of the wheel will scroll the entire length of the document. Every consecutive scroll of the wheel will scroll the document even faster. This is great for skimming over long documents, or quickly scrolling to the bottom.

Finally, there is one more way to use the mouse, through Game Sprockets. If you have a game that takes advantage of input sprockets, by all means set up a configuration for that game. This will give you a huge edge in game play, freeing you many keys. Plus, input sprockets allows you to turn up mouse sensitivity which will supercharge your cursor. While this can be a blessing in some games, others will punish you for it.

There are a few problems with this mouse. First, it does cause problems with some applications. From freezing to not scrolling, not all compatibility issues have been resolved yet. Also, this mouse has been known to cause type 13 errors randomly when playing games. The only cures for this are save often, or unplug the mouse while playing games. Also, if the scroll arrows are not shown, the scroll wheel will not work. You will have to use the scroll bar, or move the window so the arrows are visible.

If you are looking for a mouse to replace the old one button mouse that your Mac shipped with, than this mouse may be for you. You'll discover a whole new world with that scroll wheel, and the second button makes contextual menus a breeze to activate. Just watch out for the software incompatibilities, and you will be mousing at a new level.

Pros	Cons
Three buttons (including scroll wheel) Easy scrolling of documents and windows Easy to use right or left handed Somewhat programmable Works wonderfully with Game Sprockets XLR8 engineers are still working on the software	Not as much programmability as other multi-button mice Some compatibility issues Causes type 13 errors in some games Doesn't scroll if scroll arrows are not visible
6/10 stars