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Apple announces next generation Mighty Mouse! |
Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
PM |
It may have something to do with pleasing Windows switchers who have been used to two-button mice forever. Also, the Mac OS has for a long time now had 'contextual menus' (i.e. right-click menus) which with a one-button mouse required the rather clunky 'hold down CTRL and click' to view - not exactly Apple ease-of-use either.
Apple could have released a two-button mouse years ago when 'right-click' menus first appeared in the Mac OS. They probably didn't because they wanted to spend the time and do something a bit special when they did.
The good thing with this mouse is it can still be used as a one-button mouse by old-skool die-hards (or people who prefer it simple) as it has no obvious buttons on the outer. Or, more advanced users can configure the extra buttons to work as they want.
The Apple innovation comes in the scroll any direction mini-trackball and the touch-sensitive buttons.
I presume there will be a Bluetooth version at some point, but I guess there's some technical reason (power, data transfer?) for why its wired at the moment. Or maybe its a marketing reason as Apple know they'll sell shed-loads of this wired model, then when the BT one appears they'll sell another shed-load, half of which to people who bought the wired version 6 months earlier!
BTW, free shipping from the Apple Store has been re-instated!
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[ This Message was edited by: JoolsG4 on 2005-08-03 09:53 ] |
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Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
PM |
Reviews - one with video!...
http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=300
http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008561.html
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Gigs
Joined: Jan 19, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The planet Snibertron!
PM, WWW
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It may have something to do with pleasing Windows switchers who have been used to two-button mice forever.
Or it could also have something to do with people like Logitech proving you can put alot of functionality on a mouse and still keep it quite simple. (browser back/forth, omni directional scroll with 1 button, application switching via 1 press button etc)
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Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
PM |
Mine should be arriving today, in the meantime...
Mighty Mouse dissection
Ars Technica Review
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knight4led
Joined: May 27, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Califonia, USA
PM |
I am aware of the different clicks and context menus Apple has offered ever since about OS 7. I am not disputing that new features have been added, but all along only one button on the mouse until now.
And I don't happen to think the little scroll ball is an Apple innovation, more like a gimmick to compete with Microsoft. For the past two years Microsoft mice have offered a scroll wheel that scrolled up, down, left and right in addition to having pressed state that was programmable.
I like the new mouse design, but it doesn't seem to like a typical Apple product to me. I think they are becoming less innovative and interested in directly competing with other manufacturers.
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Posted: 2005-08-03 10:48
