Apple 2 button mouse?

[crossed-over]

Anyone know if a 2 button mouse is in development or on the agenda for Apple anytime soon? I love the sensitivity of my Apple pro mouse, but would prefer a 2 button mouse for playing games. I'm just wondering whether or not to hold out for an Apple 2 button mouse (if one is in the making) or just go out and buy a 3rd party mouse (if there's no such thing in the foreseeable future for Apple). Any recommendations for a 3rd party brand?

Thanks.

[Computer_Phreak]

i doubt apple will make a 2 button mouse soon, but i bought a 2 button mouse with a scrollwheel that I like a lot.

Its a Logitech optical mouse,
M-BJ58

Its about $20

[strider42]

Originally posted by crossed-over
Anyone know if a 2 button mouse is in development or on the agenda for Apple anytime soon? I love the sensitivity of my Apple pro mouse, but would prefer a 2 button mouse for playing games. I'm just wondering whether or not to hold out for an Apple 2 button mouse (if one is in the making) or just go out and buy a 3rd party mouse (if there's no such thing in the foreseeable future for Apple). Any recommendations for a 3rd party brand?

Thanks.

I wouldn't be surprised by one, but I don't expect one. Mac OS has never been made to require a two button mouse, and for new users, its just easier.

Go buy a third party mouse. It will be cheaper and offer more functions than anything apple would make anyway probably (the pro mouse is way expensive for what it is). I got an optical Ms trackball with scroll wheel, two buttons and forward and back buttons for about the same cost as the apple pro mouse, and even that is really expensive for everything I got (I only got it because it fits by hand nicely).

Think what you want about MS, but their input products are top notch. Kensington is good as well. Logitech drags its feet on mac support.

[blackpeter]

Originally posted by strider42

Logitech drags its feet on mac support.

My Wireless Mouseman Optical was fully supported under OS 9 and ran just fine under OS X for months without any software support from Logitech. Now that Logitech has software controllers for X, it runs even better.

I just like it's feel over the MS options. Not to mention that they are from, um... M$!

[gandalf55]

3rd party hardware is the way to go (exception ** i love my pro keyboard **). i have about 8 mice, and i do enjoy the pro mouse very much (can't game with it though.) my gaming mouse right now is a logitech optical job with buttons all over it and a scrollwheel. most of my mice are logitech (even a tiny one for my laptop), logitech rocks. i bought a kennsington once and it was the worst piece of crud i ever purchased. it's not even worth the price of a 6" cat 5 patch cable...

oh... and i have a griffin technology powermate and it kicks mucho asso.

[topicolo]

I wonder when Apple will admit that they were seriously wrong in staying with a single button mouse for all these years? Every other modern platform I can think of has standardized on 2+ button mice. (solaris/unix, windoze, linux, etc).
Hell, OS X even supports 3 buttons natively. Why won't apple just release the damned thing?
I guess Apple just has too much pride to admit they're wrong.

[vniow]

I doubt they'll actually make a 2-button mouse, but I would like tp see them make a 3rd party one as a BTO or something, just to give you the option.

[Spike Spiegel]

the Contour Design UniMouse is great(the optical, scroll wheel version) its got a great shape and is very customizable.

[shadowfax]

i dropped superca$h for the kensington studio mouse.
it's optical and has a scroll sensor *not a wheel*

it's absolutely out of this world. takes some getting used to, but is very configurable. i enjoy using it, and it goes with a powermac or iMac as far as looks go quite seamlessly. prima, prima, but as i said, much money. 50-60$

[medea]

check out macally's icemouse and icemouse jr, http://www.macally.com/

[JupiterZen]

Any recommendations for a 3rd party brand?

Just had the same problem choosing when I heard the idea of bluetooth mice and keyboards (maybe even by Apple).

But I got out and bought the latest Logitech MX700 cordless optical mouse. And I must say: IT ROCKS!!! ;-)

And the design goes really well with my black pro keyboard and 17" tft studio display. I would have bought a Logitech cordless/optical mouse earlier if the previous models wouldn't have been so damn ugly (especially the color).

[funkywhat2]

if they did make a two button mouse, it would probobly be sold only to pro users, like the editing keyboard was. they could make it programable, or build in with a programable scroll wheel, so zooming in and out or moving forward in a timeline, or something. Most likely not wiht the idea of scrolling long web pages (besides, a lot of scroll mouse users use the directional keys to look at web pages; i know i do!)

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
i dropped superca$h for the kensington studio mouse.
it's optical and has a scroll sensor *not a wheel*

it's absolutely out of this world. takes some getting used to, but is very configurable. i enjoy using it, and it goes with a powermac or iMac as far as looks go quite seamlessly. prima, prima, but as i said, much money. 50-60$

That's not any more than the Apple mouse! And you get more buttons and a scroll sensor to boot.

To me, the sensible purchase would definitely be that over the Apple mouse. Like I've said many times whenever a mouse thread comes up, since I've moved on to the three-button mouse with scroll wheel, I'll never go back.

[cosmicsoftceo]

No, Apple is right. One of the most confusing things for new users/non computer users is the two-button mouse. It's best to keep things simple. The idea behind Macintosh was the "noun, then verb" philosophy. First, you select an object (the noun) then the verb (the menu item). A two-button mouse blurs that philosophy. Also, there's the problem of confusing interfaces with the two-button mouse. If you right click-drag a file on Windows, you get a completely different menu that says "Copy Here, Move Here, Cancel". That confuses even me. Sure, you get it, I get it, but 80% of people just don't get it and never use the right mouse button. If you want a two-button mouse, buy it on your own.

Just because others support it doesn't mean it's good. Every other platform has "standardized" on big, bulky machines that take up way to much room and sound like jet engines. That doesn't mean Mac should. The whole point of Macintosh is to "think different".

Just my viewpoint.

Originally posted by topicolo
I wonder when Apple will admit that they were seriously wrong in staying with a single button mouse for all these years? Every other modern platform I can think of has standardized on 2+ button mice. (solaris/unix, windoze, linux, etc).
Hell, OS X even supports 3 buttons natively. Why won't apple just release the damned thing?
I guess Apple just has too much pride to admit they're wrong.

[{1984}]

i don;t think Apple will make a mouse, but there is a third party 2 button mose with scroll wheel that looks a lot like the pro mouse... i have it, very nice... The third party pro mouse...

[vniow]

Originally posted by cosmicsoftceo


Just because others support it doesn't mean it's good. Every other platform has "standardized" on big, bulky machines that take up way to much room and sound like jet engines. That doesn't mean Mac should. The whole point of Macintosh is to "think different".

Just my viewpoint.

Think Different, yes, but different doesn't always mean better.
I for one HATE the Apple mouse, control clicking is way more frustrating than right clicking, I'm always pushing a bit too hard so I accidentally click on something I don't want to click on and it's got no scroll wheel which I find to be really inconvienent now that every other mouse I've used has had one.

They can keep making it for all I care, what they should do is make a 2-button/scroll wheel counterpart as an option which would surely cannabalize 1 button sales, but I couldn't give a rat's ass.

And even to new computer users, having another button with another function isn't that heard to learn, they're going to be using the left button mostly anywayz, so I don't see what all the fuss is about.
And remember that those additional menus are also in OSX.

I think it is pride, they've made a big deal abouut the Mac simpler and easier to use and the 1 button mouse is supposed to represent that to a certain extent, but I find it simpler and easier with a full features 2 button scroll wheel mouse.

[Pepzhez]

I really don't believe that anyone, including a person who has never before touched a computer, is going to become consternated when confronted with the alleged intracacies of a 2-button mouse. The stubborn committment to the 1-button mouse is Apple's arrogance, plain and simple. It is rather condescending also, i.e. - "computer users can't possibly figure out the use and functions of two buttons!" The manipulation and use of a pen or pencil is far more involved than the operation of any multi-button mouse, and I am fairly 100% certain that any new computer user knows how to write!

(Not to mention that control-clicking is far more cumbersome than right clicking, and right clicking is more easily intuitive, no doubt about that.)

The real reason that Apple will not be introducing a 2-button mouse any time soon (if ever) is that Apple apps do not take advantage of right clicking, unfortunately. Including a 2-button mouse as a stock item would only highlight a limitation on Apple apps.

I've recently switched to a Logitech Marble Mouse - a 4-button optical trackball that can be had for around $25 (I highly recommend the Marble Mouse). Immediately after plugging it in, I can't believe that I ever got anything done with the Apple Pro Mouse. Why in the world did I stick with that thing for so long? Now I only wish that Final Cut Pro had right clicking features. That would make things even faster.

Oh, and if you are planning to run *nix apps on OS X, a 2-button mouse is an absolute necessity. I use the GIMP as a Photoshop alternative, and I defy anyone to make much use out of this app if you are using the Apple Pro Mouse. Unless, of course, you enjoy performing approximately 100 control-click operations every couple of minutes.

I'll never go back to a one-button mouse either.

[Pepzhez]

And I should also add that a every single Windows user (and let's face it, that's what most people are) is familiar with the (at least) 2-button mouse. Do you know what is the number one complaint I have heard from people who I have convinced to swith to Mac? They love everything about the Mac and the OS, but they always say that they can't stand the one button mouse! As a friend of mine told me last week, right after purchasing a new imac (she was always a Windows user prior to this), "I love almost everything about this machine. The computer itself and OS X make me feel like I am 20 years into the future. But that damn single button mouse brings me back to 1960!"

Since Tuesday was her birthday, I went out and bought her a 4-button Logitech mouse. Now she is completely satisfied with her Mac.

If you really want more people to switch to Apple, the mouse issue is a serious issue to consider.

[medea]

Originally posted by Pepzhez
I really don't believe that anyone, including a person who has never before touched a computer, is going to become consternated when confronted with the alleged intracacies of a 2-button mouse.

Well don't be surprised, when I was doing ISP support I had all kinds of problems with people and mice, like people trying to use their mouse as a foot pedal, and as one infamous story goes "the customer kept saying that he cant doubleclick on the icon because everytime he tries he cant see the icon any more......turns out he was placing the mouse on the monitor when trying to click on the icon....."
both of these are sooo true that it is almost not funny.

[edit]oh and I love my apple pro mouse in all it's one-button glory"[edit]

[hesdeadjim]

I actually like the one button mouse to a point. My whole family (immediate family of 8) are pc users except me and my brother. And you know what, only one uses the second button regurally and that is only for games. Hell, even my GF, a recent switcher never used the second button. The truth is, most PC users, except pro users, use the second button.

That being said, once one gets used to the second button, its hard to go back. Ask any mac user who has switched from a one button mouse and I bet they wouldn't go back.

One last thing, every standard mouse I used with a PC, I didn't enjoy. When I was a PC user, I ended up going out and buying a better mouse anyway, so I just see it as part of the computer world.

[SilvorX]

the only time i ever want a 2nd button is when im using mozilla, and the macs i use daily (old candy imacs) have a cruddy ctrl key
2nd button wouldnt be needed on a mac any time soon for most ppl, but i'll probably be using my m$ mouse tho when i get my mac since i spent lots of money on it n its the ONLY ms product that hasnt caused any troubles on me yet lol

[MacBandit]

I'm glad someone started a thread on mice I've had a question for a while. I've been considering a mouse with a scroll wheel. I could care less about a second button. But here's the deal I'm a gamer and I'm wondering if there is anything to the high dpi rates of the Razer Boomslang mice. I don't want to spend my money on another mouse without know this. Any help would be nice espcially input if you have one or have used one on a mac.

[j763]

Go buy a logitech and get over it!!!

surely there's something better to discuss than computer mice?

[APPLEP58]

FIRST OF ALL:

Apple doesn't MAKE your mouse, The designed NOTHING but the asthetics;

Second: You most likely already own a Logitech mouse, or a Fujitsu, don't believe me?

CHECK YOUR SYSTEM PROFILER! go into the USB section, look under the vendor information, most Apple USB keyboards and Mice are made by Fujitsu, newer models are made by Logitech; there is no visible difference, only the serial number will tell it apart aside from teh Profiler, you'll also be pleased to know that the Apple "pro" mouse also works on a PC just as well, and vice versa for USB mice.

[nixd2001]

Originally posted by topicolo
I wonder when Apple will admit that they were seriously wrong in staying with a single button mouse for all these years? Every other modern platform I can think of has standardized on 2+ button mice. (solaris/unix, windoze, linux, etc).
Hell, OS X even supports 3 buttons natively. Why won't apple just release the damned thing?
I guess Apple just has too much pride to admit they're wrong.

If only the world was as simple as there being a "right" number of mouse buttons, along with a clear logical test that one could apply that demonstrated that N buttons was the only "right" answer. If there are more mice with 2 buttons than 1, it doesn't follow in logic (even if it might in less rigorous disciplines such as consumer opinion) that therefore 2 is the right answer and 1 is the wrong answer. Is 2 the right answer or 3? if you go for 2, what's the third button for? If you go for 3, what if you've only got 2 buttons (and I don't count clicking both at once as being a quality design decision). The old Atari ST supported 16 buttons at the software layer - was the ST right?

It's easy to say you'd personally rather have more mouse buttons. But it doesn't mean one number is wrong and another number is right - that's just the way of the world.