excel for mac

[rewardinheaven]

I need help. The only mac application I have found that is more difficult than on a PC is Excel.
The magic mouse is so hyper-sensitive that I cannot keep the sheet in one place. The slightest touch, or even a draught it seems sometimes, causes the sheet to scroll, usually meaning I lose columns A to about G before I notice. I have found no way to stop this.

One suggestion was to use F14 as a scroll lock. My minimal keyboard, as well as having no scroll lock, page up, page down, home, end or delete, has function keys only up to 12. I know that some of the above can be imitated with various combinations of the keys that are provided and am slowly learning them. But nothing helps with the infuriating scrolling.

Help please, for the sake of my sanity!

 

[Kaveman]

Move your finger across, on the Magic mouse finger placement is everything.

Or get a different mouse.

 

[rewardinheaven]

Move your finger across, on the Magic mouse finger placement is everything.

Or get a different mouse.

Thanks for the prompt reply but I don't really follow you. I don't think it's the position of my finger but the fact that if my finger hits the sloping cover of the mouse and then slides even slightly to the left the worksheet also slides left.

I accept a new mouse would solve it, presumably one with a scrolling wheel like on my pc, but I like the mac mouse otherwise.

rewardinheaven

 

[rewardinheaven]

Move your finger across, on the Magic mouse finger placement is everything.

Or get a different mouse.

Kaveman, I was too hasty. I think I see what you mean. So long as I keep my finger in the middle of the mouse I can do a left click without causing scrolling. Now I have to stop the up and down scrolling.

I excuse you if you think I have got Parkinson's. As far as I know I don't.

rewardinheaven

 

[Kaveman]

No, I agree its a hard device to truly master.

The middle section is for scrolling up and down, extreme left and right to click, and try to lift your finger right off the mouse when moving from left to right. Or use 2 different fingers, one for left click, one for right.

There's a few settings in System Preferences > Mouse.

I also have a Trackpad so do my scrolling via that.

 

[rewardinheaven]

No, I agree its a hard device to truly master.

The middle section is for scrolling up and down, extreme left and right to click, and try to lift your finger right off the mouse when moving from left to right. Or use 2 different fingers, one for left click, one for right.

There's a few settings in System Preferences > Mouse.

I also have a Trackpad so do my scrolling via that.

The two finger tip is a good one. It helps me keep my left finger still. The interesting thing is that with two fingers on the mouse I get a left click effect whichever finger I press. I have to lift my left finger off to get a right click!

Many thanks.

 

[Kaveman]

Yep, I should have said, don't have 2 fingers down, the Mac knows the difference.

 

[Morhass]

Have you tried Numbers?

 

[rewardinheaven]

Have you tried Numbers?

Numbers? As in Leviticus, . . . Deuteronomy?

 

[Morhass]

Lol! Just got home from Church, too...
No, more as in the book of JobS... Numbers is the spreadsheet from Apple's iWork Suite... There are a few things that it doesn't do that Excel does do, but about 80% of people who used to use Excel find that Numbers does everything they need, and some of it much more nicely... Even if you don't find its a perfect fit for you, the cost of giving it a go is minimal: Apple Menu > App Store...

 

[rewardinheaven]

Lol! Just got home from Church, too...
No, more as in the book of JobS... Numbers is the spreadsheet from Apple's iWork Suite... There are a few things that it doesn't do that Excel does do, but about 80% of people who used to use Excel find that Numbers does everything they need, and some of it much more nicely... Even if you don't find its a perfect fit for you, the cost of giving it a go is minimal: Apple Menu > App Store...

Many thanks for that. I'm new to Mac and hadn't got round to looking at that stuff. The two finger trick was working but this is bulletproof and will save me having to renew the MS licence in a few months. Nice to find a lateral approach on these forums. Apart from pivot tables I think it will handle everything I normally use. Solved.

 

[LuisDesigns]

Morhass...I had same problem you're facing now...I had the magic mouse...changed it to the logitech wireless mouse ( you have them from low to higher price ranges ), I got the biggest one since I also work in graphic design, surely would fit you needs perfectly if you work alot with excel. Mine was around 80 euros but well worth it. Just a tip

 

[Morhass]

Thanks, Luis… For me, numbers is cheaper, and a nicer fix! Cheers

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

I second numbers, iWork in my humble opinion produces much more beautiful documents than MS, and is more versatil