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The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

V

Vanteer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 7, 2003
6
1
Hi gang,
Well, after 25 years using PC's, I own my first Mac. The new G4 D1.44. Nice design, and since I am a long time UNIX developer, I think I can get into the Mac OS 10.2.

Anyway, my real reason for this post is to have a true Mac person tell me why Apple has, what I consider, the most useless mouse. Sure it looks pretty nice, but only one button? How have they gotten away with that?

I have already switched over the the MS IntelliMouse Optical 5 button mouse, and thank goodness that with the MS driver, it works like a dream, scrolls up and down web pages, left and right clicks, forward and back webpages, and 5 custom buttons I can configure for use with FCP.

Anyone want to buy a brand new sexy looking one button mouse?

Van
 
simplicity and upgradability

Idiots and pros alike can get away with the one button. People who demand more can use the two button. My grandpa bought a cheapo PC, his first computer, when he was 86. He actually couldn't make his fingers differentiate between left and right clicking. He wouldn't have had this frustration on a Mac.
 
Re: The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

Originally posted by Vanteer
Hi gang,
Well, after 25 years using PC's, I own my first Mac. The new G4 D1.44. Nice design, and since I am a long time UNIX developer, I think I can get into the Mac OS 10.2.

Anyway, my real reason for this post is to have a true Mac person tell me why Apple has, what I consider, the most useless mouse. Sure it looks pretty nice, but only one button? How have they gotten away with that?

I have already switched over the the MS IntelliMouse Optical 5 button mouse, and thank goodness that with the MS driver, it works like a dream, scrolls up and down web pages, left and right clicks, forward and back webpages, and 5 custom buttons I can configure for use with FCP.

Anyone want to buy a brand new sexy looking one button mouse?

Van
Click to expand...

You have to go back to apple's original human interface guidelines as to why they ship a standard one button mouse. They just don't see why people shuold have to deal with lefta nd right clicking when one button will do everything. the global menu bar at the top of the screen eliminates the actual need to a 2 button mouse that is just about necessary on a PC and allows comands to always be in exactly the same place.

That said, many of us prefer multibutton mice, which is why apple has the functionality built into the OS. Especially in OS X, its aabsolutely seamless to put in a two button mouse. But for users who don't need all those extra things to remember, a one button mouse and using the global menu bar is more consistent.

So you see, there is some logic behind it. It just doesn't apply to all users.
 
It's all down to personal choice... I still get alot of use from my Pro Mouse...

But the majority of the time I use a Wacom Intuos2 tablet.... totally demolishes any mouse for creative and post work IMHO...... ;) :)
 
i also use an m$ mouse and it works great except when i'm in a finder window and try to scroll with the scroll wheel it does nothing. I loe the move but this lack of workingness bothers me. The other thing I love is that the m$ mouse have LONG CORD where as all apple parts have like one foot of cord and it sucks to move stuff around.
 
Re: simplicity and upgradability

Originally posted by acj
Idiots and pros alike can get away with the one button. People who demand more can use the two button. My grandpa bought a cheapo PC, his first computer, when he was 86. He actually couldn't make his fingers differentiate between left and right clicking. He wouldn't have had this frustration on a Mac.
Click to expand...

lol thats sad...
 
Re: Re: The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

Originally posted by strider42
You have to go back to apple's original human interface guidelines as to why they ship a standard one button mouse. They just don't see why people shuold have to deal with lefta nd right clicking when one button will do everything. the global menu bar at the top of the screen eliminates the actual need to a 2 button mouse that is just about necessary on a PC and allows comands to always be in exactly the same place.

That said, many of us prefer multibutton mice, which is why apple has the functionality built into the OS. Especially in OS X, its aabsolutely seamless to put in a two button mouse. But for users who don't need all those extra things to remember, a one button mouse and using the global menu bar is more consistent.

So you see, there is some logic behind it. It just doesn't apply to all users.
Click to expand...
How is cmd-click or fn-click or ctrl-click etc etc better/easier than right or left click? Sounds like a load of crap to me. My Amiga from 1987 came standard with a 2 button mouse.... The only 2 good reasons Apple still ships one button mice are: style, and to be different. (Notice this has nothing to do with usability)
 
Re: Re: simplicity and upgradability

Originally posted by markjones05
lol thats sad...
Click to expand...

computers are a skill. no computer on the planet is intutive. as is no car. the absolute basics of computing are physical interaction (keyboard and mouse) don't think because you picked itup fast everyone will. not everyone can drive without a bit of learning.
 
Mac OS X has two button and scrollwheel mouse support. Just plug in any USB mouse, and off you go. If you want more functionality add the third party drivers of that mouse. Both Logitech and Kensington make their own Mac compatible drivers.
There is USB Overdrive which is a nice shareware to enhance mice functionality as well.
 
Re: Re: Re: The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

Originally posted by yzedf
How is cmd-click or fn-click or ctrl-click etc etc better/easier than right or left click? Sounds like a load of crap to me. My Amiga from 1987 came standard with a 2 button mouse.... The only 2 good reasons Apple still ships one button mice are: style, and to be different. (Notice this has nothing to do with usability)
Click to expand...

Click and hold is pretty damn easy though, isn't it?

To be user friendly everyone has to be able to use it out of the box. I have a part time job doing in-home computer training, and I work mostly with elderly people. I once tried to teach someone the whole left-click, right-click thing, and it was Hell on Earth for both of us. Eventually, I just told her to open the window and click on whatever option she needed. Then, I tought someone with an old Performa. She had a hard time with her trackball, but the one button on it was simple enough. She cought on almost immediately. And she's more than content with waiting half a second to click and hold, instead of control clicking.
 
I think apple likes to take away as many buttons as possible, in order to minimize the potential for the user to start jamming on the buttons when the system starts to hang. Think about it: no button to eject cds, no restart buttons on current macs, one button mouse... Less buttons to push makes you less likely to press them impulsively. I know that when i'm waiting for the crosswalk to turn, i'll press the button 20 x at least, even when i know that it won't do anything.

-m
 
Re: Re: Re: The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

Originally posted by yzedf
How is cmd-click or fn-click or ctrl-click etc etc better/easier than right or left click? Sounds like a load of crap to me. My Amiga from 1987 came standard with a 2 button mouse.... The only 2 good reasons Apple still ships one button mice are: style, and to be different. (Notice this has nothing to do with usability)
Click to expand...

you miss the point. You don't have to use the right click at all. You can use the menu bar. There's nothing you can't do with the menu bar, thats why its there (notice its missing in windows, which is why they need the right click more). Thats how the human interface guidelines work. If they don't work for you, you simply add a two or more button mouse. whats the big deal. I think it would be cool if apple offered an optional two button mouse with scrollwheel, but then everyone would still say its not as good as their three button mouse or 4 button mouse. its a lot easier to teach people who know nothing about computers one button rather than two, especially when the second one is entirely redundant with the global menu bar.

Its not about it being easier all the time. Its about it being consistent. There are lots of things in this world that make things a lot easier once you know how to do them, but they are very hard for those how don't know how, or at least confusing. the one button mouse makes things mroe consistent for new users, and you can just add the two button mouse if thats what you like to use.

And what does your amiga have to do with anything? its a totally different system with a totally different set of priorities.

I have a two button mouse with scroll wheel and forward and back buttons for my browser myself. I love it, but the one button mouse isn't there just for style. there was a thought process behind it. Just because you like having more buttons doesn't mean you should just say that everyone should feel the same way you do.
 
For absolute beginners to a GUI, a single button is easiest. As a beginner gains experience, he/she can learn to use more mouse buttons and modifier keys. The other extreme is to use a mouse with many buttons (example: the Contour Design ShuttlePro). But the more buttons there are, the more a beginner thinks he/she has to learn, and the more fear it produces, even though anyone can be told "just ignore those extra buttons until you need them." Right-clicking is more convenient than Control-clicking, but the advantage of a one-button mouse is that you don't have to know anything about right-clicking or Control-clicking on your first day learning to use a GUI.

In previous decades, most computer purchasers were newbies, so Apple's simplicity philosophy was more appropriate. These days, the percentage is much lower - I'll bet that most computers are purchased by people who've used one before. That's why I think Apple's one-button mouse is out of date. A two-button or three-button mouse with a scrollwheel would be more appropriate for most computer buyers.
 
Originally posted by Doctor Q
For absolute beginners to a GUI, a single button is easiest. As a beginner gains experience, he/she can learn to use more mouse buttons and modifier keys. The other extreme is to use a mouse with many buttons (example: the Contour Design ShuttlePro). But the more buttons there are, the more a beginner thinks he/she has to learn, and the more fear it produces, even though anyone can be told "just ignore those extra buttons until you need them." Right-clicking is more convenient than Control-clicking, but the advantage of a one-button mouse is that you don't have to know anything about right-clicking or Control-clicking on your first day learning to use a GUI.

In previous decades, most computer purchasers were newbies, so Apple's simplicity philosophy was more appropriate. These days, the percentage is much lower - I'll bet that most computers are purchased by people who've used one before. That's why I think Apple's one-button mouse is out of date. A two-button or three-button mouse with a scrollwheel would be more appropriate for most computer buyers.
Click to expand...

Actually, it isn't only for beginners. My mom, who my no stretch of the means a beginner (she use to run all her finances on an original Mac), still can't distinguish between a left and right click on her PC. Mind you she has had this PC for almost 4 years. Hell, she still double clicks website links. My girlfriend's mother is in a similar boat. Both would benefit from a single button mouse. Also, my mom does realize what the right click does, but she would never use it unless she absolutely had too.

The biggest deal with the one button mouse is that PC users aren't use to it (God knows I wasn't). In fact, a lot of PC users don't ge the whole one button thing, which is fine. They always can get a nicer mouse.
 
Originally posted by Doctor Q
That's why I think Apple's one-button mouse is out of date.
Click to expand...

I think anything but a one button optical puck is out of date.
Bring back the puck so that I can control my mousing with a thumb and two fingers. I want my arm, wrist and edge of hand to remain on on the table whilst manouvering the mouse like a cross-section of a fat pencil.

Anything less is a step backward.

The second button should be part of yer keyboard shortcuts that you'd still need even if you had a five button mouse. One button optical puck with bluetooth, thankyou.:)
 
I must admit the one button apple pro mouse never left my unable to do anything.

HOWEVER

my family have had two of thses mice and both developed a connection problem where the cable reces the mouse itself. In fairness my one got quite a beating from me but my mothers was treated like gold and hers broke too..

I now use an intelli mouse
 
I always give them to the kids

First the puck mouse with the Bondi blue and then the pro mouse from my quicksilver went to the kids to play with. I'm hooked on MS mice.
 
Originally posted by MarksEvilTwin
"Yeah, whoops, we've been wrong all that time, two buttons it is, folks! Our bad!"

Mark
Click to expand...

Its kind of like after centuries of proof when the Catholic Church finally admitted the world was round....
 
Originally posted by kettle
I think anything but a one button optical puck is out of date.
Bring back the puck so that I can control my mousing with a thumb and two fingers. I want my arm, wrist and edge of hand to remain on on the table whilst manouvering the mouse like a cross-section of a fat pencil.
Click to expand...
When I use a round mouse, I find it hard to keep it facing the right way because there's no tactile way to know when it is straight. I have to divert my eyes from the screen to align the moues with the cord facing away, or notice that cursor movement is skewed because I have the mouse pointing slightly north-northeast or north-northwest. Whether one button or two (I have some of each, depending on computer), none of my mice can be round.
 
Yea i think the apple pro mosue is a biit crap as well
i have a 12 inch powerbook and bought a black pro mouse the cord cant even fit over to the other side but now i have a macally small mouse its so small
gr8 for on the move
 
People fail to realize that because its just 1 big button the Apple Pro Mouse is the easiest on the wrists and fingers. I'm a graphic artist who spends long hours on the computer and love that I can position my hand in whatever way feels comfortable.

It would be nice if Apple could find a way to add an extra button and scroll wheel to the mouse ( wireless of course ) without losing its comfort.
 
I can solve the input device issue with two words: foot pedals. We use our feet when we drive a car. We use our feet when we play the piano. Why are they under your desk or table doing nothing at all while your hands are trying to deal with mouse buttons and modifier keys?
 
Re: Re: The Apple Mouse - What am I missing?

Originally posted by strider42
You have to go back to apple's original human interface guidelines as to why they ship a standard one button mouse. They just don't see why people shuold have to deal with lefta nd right clicking when one button will do everything. the global menu bar at the top of the screen eliminates the actual need to a 2 button mouse that is just about necessary on a PC and allows comands to always be in exactly the same place.

That said, many of us prefer multibutton mice, which is why apple has the functionality built into the OS. Especially in OS X, its aabsolutely seamless to put in a two button mouse. But for users who don't need all those extra things to remember, a one button mouse and using the global menu bar is more consistent.

So you see, there is some logic behind it. It just doesn't apply to all users.
Click to expand...

which is exactly why apple should allow the more demanding users an apple option for 2button/scroll wheel mice.
 
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