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Apple Investigating Mulittouch Mouse

not so much...

I just can't see Apple doing something half-baked as putting multi-touch into a trackpad or mouse. The gorgeous user experience of having a multi-touch screen is the direct connection between human and computer.

In summary, a multi-touch screen without the screen is somewhat useful, but far form the Apple level of "insanely great".
 
i think this is a really great idea!!!! it would take a long time to get used to using it tho, wait its by apple i think it might be pretty easy to use. i think its a really good idea. does this help to reveal any leopard things??
 
i agree with whoever said it would be like a trackpad. Instead of the current scroll ball on the MM, you could stroke 2 fingers down the mouse to scroll, just like apples trackpads. They might even remove the whole mechanical button thing on mice, and just replace it with touch buttons. Like on some mobile phones (LG Chocolate is it? called something like that, and of course the iPhone has no buttons, but thats a different concept because your touching the screen). Tap 2 fingers to right click, tap one to click. I don't think a pinch motion would be very easy to use though. But a swipe may bring new ideas to how we view things on our computer. A swipe could change page in a .pdf, or move to the next slide/photo in a slideshow (like iPhone). But I have to agree a mouse is an awkward shape to be doing funny sorts of gestures on it.
 
That sounds great! I really love my BT MightyMouse as it works better in OSX than any of my Microsoft or Razer mice, to further enhance the technology in that is music to my ears.

Roll on the UltraMouse :D
 
notsofatjames said:
i agree with whoever said it would be like a trackpad. Instead of the current scroll ball on the MM, you could stroke 2 fingers down the mouse to scroll, just like apples trackpads. They might even remove the whole mechanical button thing on mice, and just replace it with touch buttons. Like on some mobile phones (LG Chocolate is it? called something like that, and of course the iPhone has no buttons, but thats a different concept because your touching the screen). Tap 2 fingers to right click, tap one to click. I don't think a pinch motion would be very easy to use though. But a swipe may bring new ideas to how we view things on our computer. A swipe could change page in a .pdf, or move to the next slide/photo in a slideshow (like iPhone). But I have to agree a mouse is an awkward shape to be doing funny sorts of gestures on it.
Click to expand...

removing the scroll buttons i think would be a very good idea by apple. those things are really buggy and often get caught up with dust and stuff. i think the idea of the pinch mouse would be really easy and simplistic to use, could take a bit of geting used to tho.

do you still move the mouse around physcailly or do you just roll your thumb?? i would like that idea
 
bring on a multi touch mouse. sounds interesting.

but i think a device more like a keyboard would be a bit more suited.
both hands. OLED screen. changes according to the app in use.
think that super expensive keyboard (i forget the name) but multitouch.
/drool.

even though i know its not going to happen i can dream.
 
If it was 100% finger swipes (like a standalone track pad) it would be great, but if it required one moment having your hand resting over the mouse to use the buttons and the next bringing your fingers up to stroke the mouse that would not be good. Just trying that now gave me the first hint of cramp.
 
macintel4me said:
I just can't see Apple doing something half-baked as putting multi-touch into a trackpad or mouse. The gorgeous user experience of having a multi-touch screen is the direct connection between human and computer.

In summary, a multi-touch screen without the screen is somewhat useful, but far form the Apple level of "insanely great".
Click to expand...

The ergonomics of a multi-touch screen are plain improper with Apple's current computer/display designs. Could you imagine keeping your arms stretched out over your desk for extended periods of time?

In order to implement a proper touchscreen, it would have to be something that would lay flat/slightly angled (such as a POS machine or old-style table-top arcade game) or be some type of thin tablet (like those computer pads that you could see on Star Trek-TNG).

Hickman
 
Actually the engineering behind this is exactly the same as the surface. Which Microsoft made. Starting 7 years ago. This could get them into nasty trouble with Microsoft...
 
I keep thinking the best way I can see multi touch tech used to replace a mouse experience would be pretty much a wacom tablet that sits where your mouse normally would, but instead of a stylus you use your finger(s). No mouse to move around, just your hand. It would probably just take up the space that a mouse pad would normally take up.

Seems like the most ergonomic option to me since you wouldn't be holding anything and you wouldn't have to lift your hands to a screen.
 
I hope Apple will actually built this.
This would mean such an inprovement over they're Mighty Mouse.
I'm only worried about the power usage.
 
I think it'd be best to keep this simple - I don't want too many gestures with my mouse. But this is a great solution for the way the Mighty Mouse scrollball gets dirty and unusable if you aren't careful.
 
PlaceofDis said:
bring on a multi touch mouse. sounds interesting.

but i think a device more like a keyboard would be a bit more suited.
both hands. OLED screen. changes according to the app in use.
think that super expensive keyboard (i forget the name) but multitouch.
/drool.

even though i know its not going to happen i can dream.
Click to expand...

I'd love to see an OLED keyboard addon to replace the dock... imagine it attached above the keyboard, behaving just like your dock. Maybe a press+hold action to bring up the context menu....

On topic, though, I am skeptical about the multitouch mouse. I think they explored the idea, but won't go through to production with it and just wanted to let it be known that they did think of it (for patent purposes). They will almost certainly introduce something else with multitouch though, and I suspect that our first impression will be "that's a cool idea, but they left out too many features," and then we'll use it and love it. I hope.
 
I think this is Apples worst area of innovation. There hasn't been a decent mouse since the one button mouse the beige boxes had.
 
very cool, cus id like to know anyone who has a mighty mouse with a scroll ball that's functioned past 3 months of using it, lol. I'm on my second mouse and it no longer scrolls down:mad:
 
Watching many people slate Apples one button philosophy for years.
I have always thought they were simply thinking ahead. As forcing everyone to develop for one button mouse would mean that in the future (now) a single finger would suffice.
It would be cumbersome & hard to recognize a 'right click' gesture without forfeiting the two fingered scroll and enlarge.
 
Fantastic. This could be confusing to use at first, but I'll buy it as soon as it comes out.

I like how Apple is going to extremes in pursuing the idea of the one button mouse...
 
doesn't everyone?

hdasmith said:
Really? I can't rest my hand on the mouse, my hand's too big (and I'm only 5'10")! Instead, I rest my fingers on the button, and thumb and another finger grab the side. Gives me ample room for moving my fingers to the scroll wheel, or to give gestures.

On my mighty mouse, I could easily move my index and middle finger to make a pinching/separating movement or to scroll without moving any other finger or my hand.
Click to expand...

Isn't this how most people use a mouse...if you were to have your whole hand on the mouse you'd put alot of strain onto it etc???
 
MrSmith said:
If it was 100% finger swipes (like a standalone track pad) it would be great, but if it required one moment having your hand resting over the mouse to use the buttons and the next bringing your fingers up to stroke the mouse that would not be good. Just trying that now gave me the first hint of cramp.
Click to expand...

yea a touch mouse would be too useless becuase you could just click to get the same effect. Just pu tit on a trackpad...

Brian Hickman said:
The ergonomics of a multi-touch screen are plain improper with Apple's current computer/display designs. Could you imagine keeping your arms stretched out over your desk for extended periods of time?

In order to implement a proper touchscreen, it would have to be something that would lay flat/slightly angled (such as a POS machine or old-style table-top arcade game) or be some type of thin tablet (like those computer pads that you could see on Star Trek-TNG).

Hickman
Click to expand...

this would be an idiotic idea to have a multi touch touchscreen, i might as well get a punching bag with all that arm movement i'll be doing.
 
Hopefully this will be better than the mighty mouse. I want to throw one out of the window everytime I have to use it.
 
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