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I actually have a multi-button mouse that works well and fits my requirements (a Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical 1.1A), but I use keymappings and button mappings a lot on my Mac and would like a mouse with more buttons that I can customize.

I tried plugging in a friend's Razer mouse to my MacBook Pro (can't find the model but it had a keypad under the thumb with a round button in the center and seven numbered buttons around that). However, the mouse showed up as a keyboard to my Mac (though the cursor moved fine), and I couldn't get the extra buttons recognized as mouse clicks in the customization software I use (which is BetterTouchTool). On a Windows 7 computer I opened up Notepad and the extra buttons just typed in their number (i.e. button 1 typed a "1", etc.).

I use mostly a Mac (El Capitan 10.11.6), plus a Windows 7 computer at work, and occasionally a Linux desktop. I want the mouse to work on any of these out of the box, with the possibility for custom mappings on any of these OSes (perhaps requiring third party software).

Requirements:

  • Wired mouse
  • Scroll wheel
  • I don't know about optical or laser, but it should work on a wooden desk without a trackpad (which my current optical mouse does fine).

  • Must have MORE THAN five buttons to be worth changing. My current mouse has left click, right click, middle click, plus two extra buttons (one on each side).

    The more buttons the better so long as they are usably arranged and show up as MOUSE CLICKS to whatever customization software, not as key presses.

  • Must work on Linux, Mac and Windows.
  • Must appear to the computer as a mouse and not as a keyboard.
  • Don't care about price if it fits all the above requirements.

(Feel free to educate me on the mouse/keyboard recognition point as I expect there is probably more in play here than just the physical mouse hardware itself.)

Mice with just five buttons (rather than six or more) that fit all the other requirements are also of interest to me, since I just have the one five-button mouse and it's a model that isn't manufactured anymore.

Wildcard
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    You are unlikely to find one because of the way the HID standard is made: You can't have a lot of mouse buttons, so all mice with lots of buttons use the HID keyboard standard instead. Wouldn't it be possible to use different customization software, which can deal with this? – dirkt Jul 22 '18 at 07:37
  • Razer (and several other manufacturers) have drivers for macOS. Would this be acceptable? – JMY1000 Jul 28 '18 at 08:12
  • @JMY1000, would it work as a mouse on Linux, also? Not a deal-breaker if it doesn't, but highly preferable. – Wildcard Aug 02 '18 at 01:05
  • @Wildcard Sorry, my mind was thinking for the wrong SE site! Razer has first party drivers; Logitech and Steelseries have third party drivers. Linux tends to have better support for multiple buttons than macOS in general. Is there any number of buttons that you'd consider excessive? There are mice with 15+ buttons available, but the buttons obviously become harder to press. – JMY1000 Aug 02 '18 at 01:25
  • @JMY1000, so long as it's easy to tell them apart by feel without extensive practice, I don't think there are excessive mouse buttons. Seven in a circle around one center button seemed a more usable arrangement than the rectangular grids of 21 buttons I've sometimes seen. – Wildcard Aug 02 '18 at 01:38
  • @dirkt, according to this answer on SO, it should be possible to have at least 7 buttons within the HID standard, possibly even 18 with some trickery. The IntelliMouse I have has 5 buttons and is recognized as a mouse (not a keyboard) by all three OS lines. – Wildcard Jun 14 '20 at 00:45

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