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Apple debuting two-button mouse?

stoid said:
This move almost seems un-Apple. I would expect them to come up with some sort of navigation device that would make current offerings look like toys rather than pulling a me-too sort of thing. However, I've never used a two-button mouse that was as easy as a single button mouse, so maybe if Apple's two-button mouse is better than what I've seen it might be worth checking out.
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no offense to you at all, but just out of curiosity... how difficult is it to use a two button mouse? You simply use your middle finger instead of your index finger. And if your middle finger doesn;t work, you use your index finger again.
 
stoid said:
This move almost seems un-Apple. I would expect them to come up with some sort of navigation device that would make current offerings look like toys rather than pulling a me-too sort of thing. However, I've never used a two-button mouse that was as easy as a single button mouse, so maybe if Apple's two-button mouse is better than what I've seen it might be worth checking out.
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Well, if the story is correct, it must be something fairly cool, as creating a regular two button mouse isn't exactly rocket science.

I think it'll have a flexible OLED display which shows menu options, the current iTunes song, and current QT movie trailers. Plus, I expect it will contain a microphone, so users can enjoy pretending they're Scotty in Star Trek IV. Ideally, there will be no buttons - it'll monitor skin conductivity to deduce a user's desired motion without requiring them to move at all. Perhaps I'm hoping for too much.
 
Our art director puts out four 500-page books a year with a one-button mouse.

First Mac and Pc to Pc and Mac on the iPod boxes.

No FireWire cables in the box with iPods next.

Two button mice with scroll wheels?

*run for your lives*
 
iGary said:
Our art director puts out four 500-page books a year with a one-button mouse.
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He could do eight 1000-page books with a multi-button mouse. ;)

Another rumored new Apple mouse feature: mood mice (they change color based upon the temperature of your hand).
 
As long as they don't make "two-button trackpads", they can make as many buttons on their mice as they want. Since I started using laptops (Pismo -> iBook) I gave up mice, all together. On some occasion I've been forced to fix some PC-laptops, and the worse thing about them (software excluded) is the "two-button trackpad", often above the trackpad, making them next to useless (the only things worse are the small "joystick-thingies", but I wont go there... ;))

A two-button scroll-wheel mouse where the scroll-wheel doubles - no pun intended - as a third button, is better for desktop computers, and it's about time that Apple makes their own. They should still deliver all machines with a one button mouse, but let people replace it with a two-button if they so desire... then everybody be happy (except the borderline insane people who needs more buttons than two - three including the scrollwheel :p)
 
Only 2 buttons? At this rate, we'll get 5 button and a scroll wheel mouse in the year 2130.
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
On some occasion I've been forced to fix some PC-laptops, and the worse thing about them (software excluded) is the "two-button trackpad", often above the trackpad, making them next to useless (the only things worse are the small "joystick-thingies", but I wont go there... ;))
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I have a PC laptop that I have to use for certain applications within my company. It's got 2 buttons above the trackpad, two below it, and one of those "joystick-thingies." I'm always hitting the wrong damn button - mainly because defining the button use is almost impossible on that thing. POS.
 
Lacero said:
Only 2 buttons? At this rate, we'll get 5 button and a scroll wheel mouse in the year 2130.
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Hate to destroy their 3rd-party market, you know ;)

Besides, does it really matter what kind of mouse you use? To each their own. I love my 5-button trackball, but I know people who do high-end image manipulation with a single-button mouse. Others like a Wacom tablet. Whatever.
 
mgargan1 said:
no offense to you at all, but just out of curiosity... how difficult is it to use a two button mouse? You simply use your middle finger instead of your index finger. And if your middle finger doesn;t work, you use your index finger again.
Click to expand...

I grew up with Apple's simplicity and one button mouse. When I got to the university, they have predominantly Windows boxes with two button mice. It took me a number of weeks to get used to remembering which button to press, and giving instructions to someone is more difficult because you have to always include right-click or left-click, and remember which side is where. Maybe I'm just stupid, but it's an added level of confusion. Maybe if the right button was smaller since it only handles secondary tasks it would make more sense. To me, the two button mouse just seems to be a cop out for making an intuitive system.
 
brap said:
Wow.

I don't get it, though. Power users won't be happy with anything less than 6 buttons
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Put down the crack pipe. There a a buttload of "power users" who do ok with one button, and most just have 2 buttons and a click scroll wheel.
 
It's probably time for a two-button mouse. However, I hope Apple will try to ensure one-button functionality for the forseeable future. One of my huge pet peeves about windows is all the hidden functionality with right-clicking. How are you supposed to know when a right-click command is available?

Re: scroll wheel. If apple does do a two-button mouse, I suspect they'll figure out a way to duplicate scroll wheel functionality. How a two-button drag to scroll?
 
After reading this thread, there seems to be a lot of strong feelings in many camps - one button, two button, three button, 5/6 button. I guess it all comes down to preference, but mousing seems to be a rather personal thing. People who use computers often seem to get attached to how they mouse. It is what it is, but how can you be upset by Apple offering more options?

I'm' sure they are not getting rid of the one-button mouse. They are just going to offer another option. I thought options were good. Think Different, right? So why do you want everyone to think "one-button mouse"?

I have a MS 5-button scroll wheel BT mouse on my PC. After looking around for BT mice (there aren't all that many out there) I ended up getting the Apple one-button BT mouse. It is not as bad as I thought it would be. OS X require much less right-clicking than Windows. Still, I really miss the right-mouse button for mouse gesturing in Firefox. More than right-clicking I miss the scroll wheel, a lot!

I tried using my MS BT mouse on the Apple, but it didn't seem to track well. I have read that it doesn't work that well unless you use the included USB BT dongle, but that's not very elegant on my mini that has BT built-in. If it had worked well, I would have just bought a second MS BT mouse. So, if Apple comes out with a two button BT mouse with scroll wheel, I will buy it in a heart beat. Just a question of what to do with my old one-button mouse? I suppose I could donate it to iGary's collection. :)
 
I love my one button mouse, in fact when others use my computer I plug in the 2 button mouse. Sometimes when using my 2 button I will still control-click :p

I bet the new powerbooks will have a 2 button trackpad. :eek:
 
This is good news, anyone thinking about the white pro mouse be aware it doesnt have the same FPS as the old Black mouse. Apple went cheap on us with its optical sensor when they lowered its price. Just wanted to mention that for anyone who may be needing to replace a old black pro mouse.
 
A 2 button mouse would be useless for me.

When I'm using my laptop everywhere but my desk, I use the trackpad. Laptop trackpads with more than one mouse button to me are useless, its just too akward to hit that right mouse button. When I have my laptop at my desk, I use my 5-button Intellimouse. I use the 5 buttons to work Expose, and I love it. I barely use the right mouse button (Ctrl-click) though because I'm so use to ctrl-clicking now.

So its either 5 buttons or 1, Apple. Not 2! We want our Expose buttons!
 
wordmunger said:
It's probably time for a two-button mouse. However, I hope Apple will try to ensure one-button functionality for the forseeable future. One of my huge pet peeves about windows is all the hidden functionality with right-clicking. How are you supposed to know when a right-click command is available?

Re: scroll wheel. If apple does do a two-button mouse, I suspect they'll figure out a way to duplicate scroll wheel functionality. How a two-button drag to scroll?
Click to expand...
I agree the one-button focused interface would be good to keep in mind moving forward for consistency. However, if you use multiple OSes, you quickly learn that it is all about familiarity.

For example, using Windows I'm used to right-clicking everything to look for more options. If I wonder what properties an object/file has or what actions I can perform on it, I right-click it. Right-clicking is the assumed way to find out more about something in Windows. Once you understand that concept, I believe it is rather intuitive.

Apple has similar things in its software that are not intuitive, until you know it. Once you know it, all of a sudden it seems so intuitive. Dragging my CDs, disks, network connections and iPod into the "Trash" isn't something that seems intuitive to me. I remember working at the college lab when I was school. So many people would freak out when I would tell them to drag their floppy disk to the trash. "Well, won't that erase everything!?!?" they would cry out. No, no, trust me - just do it. :)

Another Apple thing that still catches me sometimes is random sections of dialogs appearing. You see little arrows on dialogs, you click them... and poof the dialog grows and new options are present. This is not nearly as common in the Windows world, although I have seen it once or twice. Windows most often uses tabbed dialogs, so I am used to looking for tabs, not arrows in the middle of dialogs that causes them to sprout new options. :)

Just a matter of familiarizing yourself with new ways of doing things.
 
horray about time! *looks over at my un-opened one button apple mouse"

no offence to anyone who uses the one button mouse but once you've gotten used to 2 buttons a scroll wheel it's just uncomfortable using a 1 button mouse. My roomies G3 has a 1 button mouse on it and everytime I need to use it for something I feel like I'm missing a finger.
 
Peyote said:
Put down the crack pipe. There a a buttload of "power users" who do ok with one button, and most just have 2 buttons and a click scroll wheel.
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Read between the lines, dude.

If you want more buttons, then you'll get more buttons, but the one-button mouse is both iconic and adequate. If you think I'm insinuating that to be a 'power user' you must have a 75 button mouse it's you who should perhaps cut back.
 
jsw said:
He could do eight 1000-page books with a multi-button mouse. ;)

Another rumored new Apple mouse feature: mood mice (they change color based upon the temperature of your hand).
Click to expand...

Nah..this guy is amazing; he's Mr. Keyboard shortcut. He's a bunch of fun to watch.
 
The leaks just keep coming eh? I wouldn't want to be standing next to Steve in an elevator knowing that I was the one leaking information about future products. Freaking crazy people. To be able to work for a company like Apple and risk not only your job, but your freedom to give out information to a website :rolleyes:

iGary said:
Nah..this guy is amazing; he's Mr. Keyboard shortcut. He's a bunch of fun to watch.
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Keyboard shortcuts are GREAT :D Most of what I do in Photoshop CS for my photography business is done with the keyboard. Moving around in Finder too. Fast and efficient.
 
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