Apple Introduces Mighty Mouse

[SiliconAddict]

Dude, I talk to people every day who get confused between single-click and double-click.

They shouldn't be using computers, shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel and in fact shouldn't be allowed outside. Its a wonder how they can even cross a street without being roadkill.
If people are so damn stupid that they can't figure our something that a chimpanzee during the Mercury program could figure out they shouldn't be allowed to participate in society. I'm dead serious. We are NOT in any way shape or form talking about rocket science here. We are taking basic cognitive functions. The association of an action with a response. If people can't deal with that. Well I guess its time to instigate a selective breeding program because somewhere the gene pool has turned into a puddle.

 

[iNatalia]

#1 - Can I walk into an Apple Store and buy this today?

just came back from the store...They'll have them next week.

#2 - Can a mouse be connected to an aluminum display without any problems?

yes

 

[youngjake]

I'm really sad that there's no Bluetooth version but I know why. The regular wired mouse doesn't really fill the "shell" at all, so its easy to put in extra equipment (touch sensor, impact sensor, scroll ball). The Bluetooth mouse already has a battery and transmitter, so there's no room left. They'll need to shrink the battery/transmitter or expand the mouse to fit both inside.

I doubt this was too much of an issue. Apple engineers certainly know how to make powerful things in small packages.

I'll bet they sell more this way. Sell a bunch or wired ones first (at a premium), lower the price later to sell more then introduce the wireless. The people who bought the wired at a premium, then buy the wireless at a premium.

Maybe. I'm a bit of a cynic.

 

[SiliconAddict]

WTH?!?!?! Its not WIFI enabled?!?! What a peice of crap!! I want my 802.11G mouse dang it!!

 

[Hemingray]

ok, maybe im wrong.

But do you disagree with my assessment that in ten years (give or take a few), no one will use a wired mouse?

I sure as heck will.

Unless by then they've taken care of three things:
1) The added weight from the batteries.
2) Lag time.
3) Interference potential.

I have no problem with using a corded mouse.

 

[Lynxpro]

Personally i would hate to see Apple support a store like Walmart. They are a ruthless company that treats its employees like dirt, not the mindset that i want Apple to be a part of. I want Apple to open more Apple Stores or possibly medium size kiosks which would get the word out better then a Walmart. Put kiosks next to the cell phones and i guarantee you will see ipod sales increase. And yes i refuse to shop at Walmart.

The Mac Mini is sold at Best Buy in a half-hearted way. If you think Wal*Mart is so bad, then perhaps you should read www.bestbuysux.com some time.

As for kiosks, Dell has done that for at least two years.

 

[dbhays]

Looks like a horse suppository

Just bought mine out of curiosity. Its not every day I can jump on the mac bandwagon and buy a new apple product, but the price was right at the apple store for education ($44.00). It was on the front page of the ed store, but now you have to search for it.

BTW - on another BBS someone said it looked like a horse suppository.

 

[MontyZ]

They shouldn't be using computers, shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel and in fact shouldn't be allowed outside. Its a wonder how they can even cross a street without being roadkill.
If people are so damn stupid that they can't figure our something that a chimpanzee during the Mercury program could figure out they shouldn't be allowed to participate in society. I'm dead serious. We are NOT in any way shape or form talking about rocket science here. We are taking basic cognitive functions. The association of an action with a response. If people can't deal with that. Well I guess its time to instigate a selective breeding program because somewhere the gene pool has turned into a puddle.

LOL! So true, so true. I find it baffling that someone who can drive a car and use a remote control or program a VCR cannot figure out how to use a mouse that has 2 buttons instead of 1 button. It might take someone a bit of time to get used to -- like 5 minutes -- but it shouldn't be a mental struggle.

Makes "Planet of the Apes" seem all the more realistic, dun'it?

 

[srobert]

BTW - on another BBS someone said it looked like a horse suppository.

Couldn't say. I don't use those. We'll have to trust the guy on this one.

 

[nagromme]

They shouldn't be using computers, shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel and in fact shouldn't be allowed outside.

Sounds like the people who say anyone too stupid to troubleshoot Windows shouldn't own a computer

It's not that people are "too stupid" to figure out what the two buttons do. It's that turning that knowledge into accurate, consistent HABIT is not an immediate process for everyone. It's something they have to stop and think about, and when they don't they make some mistakes.

In short, for many people, a 2-button mouse isn't impossible to use--it's annoying!

Simplicity does have value. It's not that you CAN'T use something more complex, it's that your personal, valid preference is not to.

I may be one of the few who appreciates zillion-button mice but still likes having just one button too a lot of the time. And I know MANY people to whom I would never recommend more than one button. They COULD use them, but they wouldn't--and it would NOT improve their computing experience.

In short, not everyone wants the same thing. And why should they?

I never see one-button fans saying "nobody should have multi-button mice." So why do some multi-button fans take the extreme and say "nobody should have a one-button mouse"?

Apple's got both now. Both in ONE mouse, if you share your Mac with people whose preferences are different

 

[~Shard~]

I truly do believe that this is just Apple's way of skirting the fact that for years they were ignoring a large segment of their user base that would have liked an Apple branded two/multi-button mouse. This new "Mighty Mouse" is a way for them to avoid having to admit such things. They can say, "Well traditional two button mice were problematic and they weren't really what our users wanted, but now that we have this new unnecessary and gimmicky technology to mimic a two button mouse - our type of multi-button mice are acceptable."

I made a similar comment earlier. I think this is a sneaky way for Jobs to get past the fact that he has, in essence, released a 2-button mouse w/ scroll wheel even though he markets it as though he hasn't. After all, he would hate to admit he was wrong or that he changed his mind. A smart move, really.

 

[youngjake]

They shouldn't be using computers, shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel and in fact shouldn't be allowed outside. Its a wonder how they can even cross a street without being roadkill.
If people are so damn stupid that they can't figure our something that a chimpanzee during the Mercury program could figure out they shouldn't be allowed to participate in society. I'm dead serious. We are NOT in any way shape or form talking about rocket science here. We are taking basic cognitive functions. The association of an action with a response. If people can't deal with that. Well I guess its time to instigate a selective breeding program because somewhere the gene pool has turned into a puddle.

I'm a smart guy - concerning certain things.

A jock may not be smart at computer lingo, but then again I don't know any sports lingo.

Go back in time and ask Einstein what double click means. Are you going to call him an idiot and take away his license.

I'd rather have someone who doesn't know what double click means in our society, than jerks like you.

 

[Lynxpro]

Agreed--a mid-range headless would be nice. And one lower-end display choice to go with it. But it seems that the imac G5 is the best-selling Mac, so maybe the market for what you say isn't big enough yet. It will get there I think--when Intel chips make for smaller Mac towers.

I can flip your logic. The iMac G5 sells the most because there isn't a midrange headless Mac that would outsell the iMac G5 threefold if it was introduced.

Apple seriously needs to market a 15" and 17" LCD monitor for those Mac Minis. There's no sense in chasing away customers to Dell to buy an LCD monitor to go with the Mac Mini...

 

[finchna]

i'm sure they got their permission before using the name, they're not stupid.

they did

From:

http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenew...x_gl_0802autofacescan08.html?partner=yahootix

"If you're an animation fan like Jobs—he's chairman and CEO of Pixar (nasdaq: PIXR - news - people )—you're likely wondering about one more detail: Apple said that it was granted permission to use the name of Mighty Mouse, the cartoon avenger produced by Terrytoons in 1942—when America needed a hero."

 

[tikibangout]

I'm just going by what i've been told before, but if the name Mighty Mouse was copyrighted in 1942, couldn't its copyright expired?

 

[patseguin]

I got mine and so far I don't like it. I'd say about 50% of the time the mouse does not register any right clicks. If I right click on the desktop, it usually takes 2-5 time before it works as a right click. I'll most likely return it tomorrow.

 

[nubero]

From looking at it i think it still actually clicks down like the older one button mouse, but it senses the pressure on top. If there is more pressure on the left side when you "click" then it registers a left click, and vice-versa for the right. I gather they are smart enough to know that some people keep both fingers on the buttons when clicking one so it will probably take the one with the most pressure applied.

All true but then again why have a little speaker that makes clicking sound then? My guess is, that the actual micro switch is gone and they emulate it by making the click sound while solely relying on the pressure sensors.

Another Question: Does anyone know if the Ball is really a ball? Or is it more like that red knob on the ThinkPads? I never liked those for moving the cursor around but i can very well imagine them for scrolling (which needn't be so precise).

 

[Pipian]

Is this only available in Apple Stores? If so, I'm disappointed in New Mexico, as there are no Apple Stores here, Versus Dallas where I came from.

 

[macidiot]

Those thinkpad knobs were weird and felt like someone jammed a pencil eraser into your keyboard. The mighty mouse ball is a true ball, apparently.

A scrollwheel gives you X, Mighty Mouse ball gives you X and Y.

I think the ball is a nice idea. But I'm wondering how in the world you can clean that thing when it eventually gets gunked up, which it will. And I'm trying to figure out how its going to work. It seems really tiny. And how its going to work ergonomically. I can see trying to work that thing with a fingertip, like the IBM nipple-thing, creating a painful finger position. And how are you supposed to move the mouse? It looks like gripping it would cause the touch sensitive sides to activate. Guess I need to make a trip to the Apple store.

It looks like a typical Apple mouse. Great style, not so great ergonomics. At least it has 2 buttons. Better late than never. And at least its not shaped like a hockey puck.

 

[NewSc2]

we need a bluetooth, rechargeable dock version like the Logitech MX900. Unless the battery life will be as long as my wireless apple keyboard (2 months usage, still 4/5 battery life )

 

[mklos]

Is this only available in Apple Stores? If so, I'm disappointed in New Mexico, as there are no Apple Stores here, Versus Dallas where I came from.

These are also on the Apple Online Apple Store as well as probably any Mac Reseller online such as MacMall, MacConnection, etc....

 

[MontyZ]

At least it has 2 buttons. Better late than never. And at least its not shaped like a hockey puck.

Not a hockey puck. It's apparently similar to a "horse suppository." So, think of that while you push it around on your desk.

 

[feffer37]

I'll buy one.

Wish that it was compatible with panther for customization purposes though, it seems kind of silly that you couldn't customize it with ANY version of OSX.

But then again, Apple needs more reasons for us to pay for a Tiger Upgrade

 

[macidiot]

Honestly, there are. I work with several people who get confused over right/left click and they're dyed in the wool Windows folk who have never been near a Mac in their lives. It works like this - they are happily left clicking their way through an program. You're telling them what to do next. Suddenly, you introduce a single right click into the flow to go to Properties or something. Now for the next 10 or so clicks, they'll ask you whether you want them to right click or left click when beforehand they weren't thinking about it.

I'm not saying that experienced computer users (Mac or PC) can't cope with 2 buttons but for inexperienced/nervous users, they really do get surprisingly confused. I'm constantly astonished by it given that most of them have had PCs on their desks for years tho none of them would describe themselves as power users. Then again, keyboard shortcuts scare them even more!

I use 2 buttons happily at work although I do notice my ring finger gets weary after a while. And I use my Powerbook with a single button at home (I had a 2 button mouse plugged in for a month after I switched) but then realised that I was so rarely right clicking that I could cope with one.

Its a valid point that new users might be a little confused with 2 button mice. But considering that at this point that basically means 3 year olds, I don't know if its necessarily relevant.

 

[CiBoys]

I'll buy one.

Wish that it was compatible with panther for customization purposes though, it seems kind of silly that you couldn't customize it with ANY version of OSX.

But then again, Apple needs more reasons for us to pay for a Tiger Upgrade

i think you'll just not have the Spotlight and the Dashboard function on the selection in the System Preferences. If you use the MM on Panther, i think you can still use it for the Expose, but i can't confirm that because i'm running on 10.4.2.