It took a while, but I finally found one in stock at an Apple retail store, and I’ve spent the past couple days using it as my primary mouse. How well suited is it to web work? I suppose that depends on your work environment, but it won’t be replacing my usual desktop mouse anytime soon, and I’ll tell you why.

First, let me provide some context. For some time now, I’ve been using the Microsoft Explorer BlueTrack mouse. I have big hands and that device is ergonomically designed to accommodate a larger grip. Also, tracking has never been an issue, nor has connectivity with the included dongle. So it would be fair to say that I’m coming from a rather satisfied position.

That said, I did enjoy my time with the Magic Mouse. I went in with a fair degree of skepticism, since my only previous experience with Mac mice had always been disappointing. I used the Mighty Mouse supplied with my iMac for about three days before mixed up right and left clicks and erratic tracking sent me screaming into the arms of another.

Both right and left click differentiation, and tracking are completely fixed with the new Magic Mouse. A new laser replaces the old optical tracking component, and despite the fact that there’s still a single, unbroken surface for both clicks, Apple’s engineers have improved the device’s guts.

There’s also the matter of the Mighty Mouse’s scroll nub, which used to frequently stop working due to dust and dirt build-up. Now it’s gone completely, replaced by touch scroll functionality. Just drag your finger down the surface of the mouse, around 3/4 of the length of the device, and it scrolls. It works very well, and supports both horizontal and vertical scrolling.

The reasons the Magic Mouse will never become my primary desktop mouse are twofold. For one, it’s too small for comfortable use for extended periods of time, in my opinion. Second, it lacks a third button, which means that I can’t assign Exposé functions to said button. Considering how often I use that feature of OS X in the course of my work, I can never give it up. A recent post at our sister site TheAppleBlog shows I don’t have to, but a simple button click is still much simpler than using that workaround.

If you’ve managed to get hold of a Magic Mouse, let us know what you think of the device below.

While just acquiring and setting up new gear is cause enough for celebration, better still is getting great deals on new work-related stuff. For instance, re-purposing an old SLR camera bag as the perfect clandestine portable HDD/DVD-RW/cable tote, or having Best Buy match the deep discount a much smaller competitor is offering on a 16GB SDHC card.

Gear-swapping via Craigslist or with friends and colleagues is another favorite pastime of mine. Through straight-up trades, I acquired my first film SLR camera (a Canon Rebel that’s still in great shape), a flatbed scanner with a special film/slide slot in the lid for archiving my parents’ extensive collection, and a Palm T|X that for a long time served as my go-to mobile device.

I’m curious about the hardware-sourcing habits of other similarly positioned freelancers. Do folks normally buy new, as might be expected from those who largely write about the cutting edge of remote working trends? Or is the preferred method to look for deals on gently used or refurbished goods in order to keep costs down and profit margins high? Personally, I find my own gear strategy to be a blend of both, though as a general rule it tends to lean strongly towards the new-and-shiny end of the spectrum — an approach much noted and frowned upon by my significant other.

Any and all tips, tricks, and strategies you have to share would be greatly appreciated, and maybe we can all save a few bucks in the process! So my question for you is, how do you manage your hardware/home office/tools and supplies acquisition process?

Image by SlipStreamJC from flickr

My first thought was that this would be a productivity killer, since it makes my TV and home theater in general that much more distracting. Generally speaking, I resist the urge to have the TV on in the background when I’m working, and instead listen to music at a relatively low volume. For the past couple days, though, since the arrival of the Mac mini, I’ve had the TV on pretty much the entire time I’m working, and I’m noticing an improvement in my work practices, rather than any negative effect.

I find I can more easily keep up with a steady flow of information thanks to having a net-connected desktop constantly attached to my television, in addition to having another laptop or desktop (in this case, my MacBook or iMac) as my primary workhorse machine. At a very basic level, I can have fewer applications running simultaneously on my MacBook, which lessens the system’s use of resources, decreasing fan noise.

The real benefit is that I can keep potential distractions contained, while still making them available for consultation should I need them. Applications like TweetDeck can run on the Mini and be at hand should I require Twitter, without intruding if I’m on a roll, work-wise. I can even background email and IM in the same way if I’m working with a particularly tight timeline.

Because I can compartmentalize, I find that distractions are less tempting and more organized. In other words, I’m in complete control of them, and not the other way around. Using the text zoom and accessibility options built-in to OS X, I can also use my TV as a reference monitor while keeping my MacBook unburdened by wired connections to actual secondary monitors.

If you’ve been holding out on an HTPC purchase because you were worried it would not provide any professional benefit, or even actually hurt your work, take a second look at what’s out there and reevaluate your work flow. Sometimes a perceived productivity threat can actually be a blessing in disguise.

Have you already incorporated an HTPC into your work flow? Share your experiences with us in the comments.

Of course, there are plenty of sub-$1000 laptops on the market already – you can buy Dell’s Inspiron line at prices from $499 up, and if you’re willing to compromise down to the “netbook” level of machine, with a 9-inch screen, you can find pricing under $400. But those cheaper machines are not, of course, Macs.

As a happy Mac owner already, the new price point isn’t much of a temptation to me – we’ve already got two MacBooks in the office, and being developers, we’re unlikely to go for a low-end notebook in any case. But I wonder whether it will contribute significantly to Apple’s ever-growing share of the laptop market.

If you’re not yet a MacBook user, what do you think? Could a new, cheaper Mac laptop tempt you to switch? Or are you firmly committed to some alternative, despite the pressure to join the cool kids?