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One button mouse versus two button mouse

Double + wheel

I use a Logitech MX700 cordless 2-button mouse. Just can't beleive how I waited so long. And I was such a big (and one of the rare) advocate of the hated iMac puck-mouse. When I got a G4, working at home, I thought I'd switch to a serious pro mouse. And it's just awsome. Always charged, ultra precise and enhances the user experience by 10X... but the most important thing, the scroll-wheel: A MUST! After using this for a year, it's just incredibly akward to go back to the Apple standard mouse occasionally and having to "control-click" and manually scroll... still looks pretty cool but definitely feels prehistoric! Even not for work, a 2-button/scrollwheel mouse is really worth it. (If yours has a few extra buttons, program Exposé on it, it a blast!)
 
callmesideburns said:
Negative. When I'm constantly using my hotkeys during work it's much much easier to just press the control key since it's always in use. I would understand if the key used to function as the right click was F1 etc....
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I think it's just a matter of preferences and habits. I use both one button and two buttons mouse, initially I really couldn't get use to the one button as I used to be a windows user but after a couple of weeks using the one button mouse, it turns out just fine. I don't mind using 2 or 1 buttons, some people are more used to 1 button while other prefer the 2 buttons.
 
broken_keyboard said:
I heard that when MS copied Mac originally, they added a second button so it wouldn't seem like an exact copy. So it was more of a legal move than a design decision.
Click to expand...

not only that, but microsoft changed quite a lot other things too:
- they moved window closing buttons from left to right, making windows easier for left-handers to use. yeah, vast majority of people are lefties?
- they moved the menu bar from the top of the screen into the top of the window, making it harder to find the menu bar - they compensated with contextual menus which makes all windows users click their multi-button mice like hell.
- instead of having a desktop and multiple windows, they tried to hide the desktop with a single fullscreen window, making windows only a little nicer looking dos. most windows users ask: what multitasking?

basically, they took out all beautiful and easy things replacing them with ugly things that are hard to use. this is my opinion as such a user that has to use windows at work and has the joy of using mac at home.
 
JFreak said:
not only that, but microsoft changed quite a lot other things too:
- they moved window closing buttons from left to right, making windows easier for left-handers to use. yeah, vast majority of people are lefties?
- they moved the menu bar from the top of the screen into the top of the window, making it harder to find the menu bar - they compensated with contextual menus which makes all windows users click their multi-button mice like hell.
- instead of having a desktop and multiple windows, they tried to hide the desktop with a single fullscreen window, making windows only a little nicer looking dos. most windows users ask: what multitasking?

basically, they took out all beautiful and easy things replacing them with ugly things that are hard to use. this is my opinion as such a user that has to use windows at work and has the joy of using mac at home.
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Ah looky another mac Zelot who knows very little about windows OS and refuses to understand how it works
 
Timelessblur said:
Ah looky another mac Zelot who knows very little about windows OS and refuses to understand how it works
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i have used windows since version 1.0 and know exactly how it works. it's just it doesn't work as good as the macintosh. i have actually better understanding how windows works than how the macintosh works (i still haven't learnt all of the macintosh gui), so it's quite offensive to be called a zealot - especially as i stated that i have to use windows at work. (that's 8 hours a day of windows - guess how many hours i want to use computer at home?)

yeah, i know very little about windows os. i have absolutely no idea why i have to press "start" key when i want to shut down the computer...
 
Timelessblur said:
Ah looky another mac Zelot who knows very little about windows OS and refuses to understand how it works
Click to expand...

Hey, JFreak backed up his opinions with reasoning, if you're going to start throwing accusations round at least have the courtesy to back it up.
 
pcpacker said:
I did a search and didn't get many good answers.

I am used to a two button mouse with my PC. I have an ImacG5 on order and am wondering how many of you prefer to use the standard one button mouse that comes with it. I use the right click features of windows quite often. Am I stupid to only use a single button with this new OS (that I know nothing about).
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2 buttons is too few for me, i need AT LEAST 3, and prefer 4+. Right clicking works in OS X pretty much just like you would expect it too, the functions are varied of course, but its the same general concept.

Anyways, I have grown accustomed to using MORE mouse buttons in OS X than in XP due to Expose. Click the thumb button along the grip and show all windows (VERY handy, switch from full size webpage, to email, to itunes, to adium in one click, find your app, and select it :D expose is genius). The scroll wheel (vertical only, i want a tilt wheel) can be clicked to see the desktop (access the HD, recent D/L's, and VERY handy for spring loaded folders).

1 button is SO INEFFICIENT it's borderline denial that they haven't tossed the idea already. Sure it's simple. Computers are not meant to be dumbed down! I don't want simple, I want efficient, intuitive use, not key combo's with mouse clicks to get a contextual menu, I have enough of that in design apps.
 
BrianKonarsMac said:
1 button is SO INEFFICIENT it's borderline denial that they haven't tossed the idea already. Sure it's simple. Computers are not meant to be dumbed down! I don't want simple, I want efficient, intuitive use, not key combo's with mouse clicks to get a contextual menu, I have enough of that in design apps.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about this. If you want real efficiency then learn the menu shortcut keys. A mouse with 5 buttons will not beat someone who knows the shortcut keys, since browsing is inheriently more inefficient than direct access.

In fact the pressing of ctrl for context menus is a good reminder that you should be using the keyboard in the first place. Putting a second keyboard on your mouse is not the solution...
 
Eventually got a 2 button mouse.

I used to have an Atari STE before I got a my G3. I broke the ADB mouse within 18 months, wore out the microswitch from clicking it on the left handside. The WAY OVERPRICED one button apple mouse I had to buy as a replacement lasted quite a bit longer after I got used to clicking in the middle but other than short cuts that involve CTRL + OPTION + CLICK or something along those lines where it's just plain easier to remember the keys and ignore right click, I think the measly £11 it cost for a 2 button optical mouse with click and scroll was money well spent.

right click is WAY easier than control click for ANYTHING involving contextual menus. The scrollwheel is VERY handy in so many situations, especially netscape where the idiotic way it always focuses on the address bar everytime a page loads so you can't navigate a up and down a page with the keyboard makes it essential.
 
Having all options to be navigated through the application and with a single button adds clutter on the application level. Having second tier options available with a secondary button via a menu at any point reduces strain as movement and time to reach those options is reduced. Same for scroll wheels. I couldn't care less for Apples desktops and the respective mice which are offered as I simply connect a third party trackball with two buttons and a scrollwheel, but the inavailability of a multi button laptop option is what to date keeps me from going for Apples mobile offerings.
 
i love my 6 button mouse w scrollwheel and arrows and so on... first of all i think it's super usefull and practical...

Secondly i think it's a far more sofisticated and intuitive way of interacting with a computer than the keyboard. Yes, it makes you "think" less - because it's intuitive... This was the whole point of introducing the spacial user interface and the accompanying mouse! Pure genious. What mac is all about.

And i can very well imagine that mice will be far more elaborate in the future - the 3D mouse that will accompany the 3D desktop... perhaps something like those yummy gloves they wear in "minority report"...

A
 
I think that if you believe that Apple really needs to include a multi-button mouse with its computers, then you should also agree that all PCs should come with a mouse that has not only regular left/right-click buttons but also a scroll wheel that acts as a middle-click button and also allows horizontal scrolling (tilt wheel, i guess), and dual thumb buttons. Oh wait, my pinky finger is not doing anything, Okay, it also needs at least one button underneath it! Man, that would be intuitive! ;)
 
mx700

Well i've found having 8 buttons and a scroll wheel on my mouse allows me to sit in a much more relaxed position when using the computer.
I can sit at my desk with the comfy chair all the way back and my feet on the desk as i don't need to get to the keyboard.

On my mouse I have , left click, right click, send to trash, empty trash, close window, quite program, open applications folder and expose all windows.

This works out great for me (and probably only me) it allows me to move the least amount and relax while using my home machine . The only time I have to sit up etc is when I need to type and be more alert anyway.
 
aus_dave said:
Try the one button mouse and control clicking for a while, and see what you think of it. I used it for a short time but I need quicker access to application options for objects (e.g. with InDesign) which right clicking provides.

With browsers you can also click on the scroll wheel to open new tabs, which is a very useful feature.
Click to expand...

control clicking works great, in fact I used to prefer the single button mouse; but once you have mapped expose keys to a multi button mouse you won't ever be able to go bacek
 
I love how anything that's down to personal taste gets people going so much!

"Hello my name's mpw and I'm a two button'd mouse user. It's been 10secs. since I last scrolled."

Please help me.

Just to fan the flames.
The keyboard I'm using comes with two keys for '4' but using other keys in combination the same keys will also give me;
$ = Shift(two to choose from!) & 4(the one above the alph keys)
€ = Shift & Alt & 4
€ = Alt Gr &
(moves cursor back a space) = Shift & 4(on number pad)

and there may be more madness hidden away!

Also what's with the alphabet? I did 11years at school with ABC... and the keyboard goes QWE... I mean WTF? It's an ergonomic mess.

As someone already posted bring on the touch screen. Not only simple but eco friendly too. Think of the saved plastic on mice of any kind keyboards and the energy savings because we can all turn the heating off and use PC's with our mittens on!
 
Well I can explain the poor logic in the keyboard set up. Well modren logic.

Orginal It was a great idea and the reasoning behind it was very sound. The orginal set up for pre QWERT keyboards allowed for faster typing but the problem was that people would typing faster than the old machincal type writers could go so they would always get jammed up. So they changed to a more ineffencted keyboard set up to slow people down by making moving around all the most commonly hit letters away from the fingers that can move the fastest and you have to phylic move you finger around the keybaord. It was very good idea. Now when we started getting type writers that would type fast enough to keep up with people under the fast and best set up well there was no way to go back to it since people where to used to the QWERT set up. Everyone today who knows how to type uses that set up for the most part

I have seen a PLUM keyboard that I have been told is a much more effencet set up of keys just well it would require relearning how to type.

Btw the name for the diffent set up come from how the top left keys are set up. QWERT and then there is PLUM. Just figure I shead some light on what appears to be a very illogicl keyboard set up but in releality was a very logic set up but it took over as a standarded.
 
Could be tough going

mpw said:
As someone already posted bring on the touch screen
Click to expand...

I think it would be very hard for someone accustomed to a multi-button/scroll-wheel mouse to switch to a touch screen. I'm sure some people would scream bloody murder if they were forced to use it and would demand to be able to still use their "fancy" mouse. :mad:

Those users that are very comfortable with a single-button mouse would make the transition much easier. :)
 
dejo said:
I think it would be very hard for someone accustomed to a multi-button/scroll-wheel mouse to switch to a touch screen. I'm sure some people would scream bloody murder if they were forced to use it and would demand to be able to still use their "fancy" mouse. :mad:

Those users that are very comfortable with a single-button mouse would make the transition much easier. :)
Click to expand...

I think he was being sarcastic
 
personly I have used touch screens before. They are good for some things but there is a lot of stuff that the mouse is plannly better. Touch screens are good when you have to click on a lot of buttons and would work to replace things like cash registers but when you have to work in the OS it self they are just a pain to deal with
 
pcpacker said:
I have a touch screen at home and I hate it. I plugged a mouse in.
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I 'hate' tuna. Should I try a mouse instead?

WHY do you hate you touchscreen? Is is awkward to use? Did it sleep with your girl? Does it always turn up late stinking of booze and fags?
 
pcpacker said:
I have a touch screen at home and I hate it. I plugged a mouse in.
Click to expand...

mpw said:
I 'hate' tuna. Should I try a mouse instead?

WHY do you hate you touchscreen? Is is awkward to use? Did it sleep with your girl? Does it always turn up late stinking of booze and fags?
Click to expand...


What the hell was that all about? :confused: :D
 
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