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218 Comments
- jotux, on 10/12/2007, -25/+169In a few years Jobs will premiere the new iMouse that will have a proper second button. All the mac people will Ooo and Ahh at it, and hail apple as cutting edge.
- 7of7, on 10/12/2007, -17/+100Where did they go wrong? Their current mice are horrible. The mighty mouse dual click action is bizarre and unpredictable. I like the scroll ball, but the rocker click is unbearable. The other clear plastic ones are basically unusable for anything more than clicking on links on the internet.
- noreturn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+78The Mighty Mouse was a step in the right direction, but as stated, the right clicking is ridiculous (you have to remove all fingers except the one on the right side for it to register), and the side buttons are so hard to use, it's virtually useless. Still, I don't know why you would buy an overpriced Apple mouse when any third party mouse useable on a Windows box will work just fine on a Mac.
Last attempt at a summary:
Square -> More round -> Too round -> Just about right -> "Let's give it a clitoris" - jotux, on 10/12/2007, -4/+62Better summary of the article:
square->less square->round - SirNoobius, on 10/12/2007, -27/+85they make fun of other people but here we have a company who can't even design a proper mouse.
- iomegaboy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+45Bless their hearts, but apple's mice have always been the weakest link.
- ghm101, on 10/12/2007, -6/+38Hey Apple, just stick 2 buttons on the bloody thing.
- econoar, on 10/12/2007, -9/+39I don't really mind the functionally of the Mighty Mouse but I hate the scroll ball. It gets really fishy after some use and even gets clogged up.
- Akaji, on 10/12/2007, -36/+65Really? I thought it was the near-impossibility of upgrades, lack of games, lack of overall programs, lack of Mac-knowledgeable programmers, AND the one-button mice...
- brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -11/+39"All the mac people will Ooo and Ahh at it, and hail apple as cutting edge."
Don't forget accusing microsoft of copying it. - Aggaman, on 10/12/2007, -10/+37And another thing.
The Macintosh is designed to be used with two hands. One hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse. You can access the contextual menus with control-click.
I'm guessing that many users would rather use their computers one-handed. I really hope this isn't because of porn, but I bet that it is. - Nick22, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25Die evil hockey puck mouse
- lickmygiggle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Don't get the bluetooth one if you're going to get a mighty mouse for gaming. The lag isn't noticeable when in photoshop or illustrator, but jesus is that thing slow when you're being shot at.
- Speed, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24Burried for numerous inaccuracies.
For one, considering that many people have and still do try to avoid Apple mice because of crappy design, I don't think they can take credit for popularizing the mouse.
Second, The Pro Mouse was NOT a laser mouse, it was an optical mouse, they are not the same thing. - STKD, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24They don't "share credit" for the mouse. Xerox gets full credit for that. Apple simply did what they do best and the thing they like to claim others did the most - copied it.
- dtfinch, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20Most of the $3-$5 mice I see online get better reviews than Apple's have ever gotten (from PC users). They're entirely unresponsive to market demands. Everything has to look like some sort of futuristic toy with them, even at the cost of reduced functionality and intuitiveness.
- heyitsme23, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15I have been using macs for 8 years, and I only used an apple mouse (other than trackpad) for the first year, it was the ADB Desktop Mouse II. Since then I have used logitech wireless mice, and now a GE optical. For any kind of professional photoshop, 3d or video editing work I found the apple mice to just not be good enough.
- razorgator, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19"Apple Computer is responsible for the mouse interface standard used by today's computers."
It took them 20 years to add a second button to their mouse.
How is this setting a standard? - BrainInAJar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15archcvd: "It uses an LED."
don't tell Boston - UglieJosh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14You know there must be a problem with an Apple product when even the Digg community says that it is inferior.....
- rauz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15I would say "RTFA" but obviously you didn't even read the ***** description of this story. GJ.
- inactive, on 05/12/2008, -1/+13It would be easy for them to implement it so that right click works the same way as left click (whichever side the pressure is put on).
It's impossible to play a game, because you have to constantly lift your left finger up, which is incredibly frustrating. Like someone said, it's style over substance. - jman8888, on 10/12/2007, -7/+19Mac Pro can use any Vid Card that has drivers (Most apperanly) or even be flashed. And they use intel CPU's And the older ones can have upgrades... http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/accelerators/
New Processors.. (Lots of people buy like 300mhz ones and just upgrade)
Mac programs are written in C. And You can upgrade Minis (Minus the Card and that sucks) But macpros can use anything (People have upgraded from quad to octo core. Put 7800GTX's in there. They just need a mid tower for the rest of us and i'll switch. But dont say you cant upgrade.. - jotux, on 10/12/2007, -13/+24"it's style over substance."
That sums up a lot of mac products. - sundancekid503, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13The mighty mouse sucks for gaming. Both left and right mouse buttons cannot be pressed at the same time. --- It may not sound like a big deal, but I found a lot things I just couldn't do in some games because of this. Also the trackball, while cool at first, seems to break down very easily. It's a sexy mouse, but it just doesn't go the distance.
My "Mighty Mouse" has been retired. - GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Logitech G5, Microsoft Ultimate...there are other mouse out there that are much better.
- hansamurai, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@noreturn
Yes, there are only a smattering of kids programming for the Windows platform. I guess basically every game developer is made up of a smattering of kids. - archcvd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Thank you! I was hoping someone else caught that. It uses an LED.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+95 minutes ago bought Logitech G7 Laser instead of Mighty crap. Happy...
- adstretch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Just use a microsoft mouse. the 4 button models are some of the best designed mice i have ever used (if you're right handed that is). The quality was a complete surprise to me as it came from M$ but this thing is a rock, works with my mac, doesnt eat AA's like i thought it would, and is incredibly comfortable. i used to use logitec, and i had the mac pro mouse for my powerbook, but on my mini, its microsofts mouse all the way.
- jaypeg, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13For the sake of historical accuracy, the mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart around 1964 while working at Sandford Research Institute. He later patented his invention in 1970.
But Engelbart and Xerox's mouse were both simple point and click devices. Apple actually gave us the rest of the mouse behaviors we all know and love: double click, click and hold, click and drag, drag and drop, multiple clicks and more.
The original Mac GUI was never a direct copy of Xerox's GUI. Nor did it use any of Xerox's code. Most of the development work for the Lisa GUI was complete before Apple's famous visit to PARC. Apple already had former PARC engineers on its team and would continue to attract them afterwards. So you could certainly say
that the Apple engineers were inspired by Xerox's use of the desktop metaphor, but to say Xerox invented the Mac GUI is a complete distortion that seeks to limit the degree of Apple's actual contribution to desktop computing.
Apple pioneered perhaps the largest GUI innovation. The Mac Toolbox. The GUI religion that says "all apps under the Mac OS will subscribe to the following conventions" and those conventions started with the top menu bar and the fixed position of the Apple, File, Edit, Special, Window, Help menus. Standardized Open, Save, Alert dialogs, Control Panels, Windows, Buttons, Variable width text. All the things that brought consistency between applications and intuitive simplicity to computers for the first time. Pretty well everything you take for granted in the Windows GUI all started on Mac. - estvir, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Everyone says go OSX in Windows topics so I'll have a stab.
Go Microsoft (Or Logitech). Either have awesome mice [and keyboards] and absolutely anything Apple tries to produce away.
I've been using my MS IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 for ~3 years and it's in near-perfect condition and has never failed me. Not to mention it's comfortable as hell, good 'performance' and the software provided by Microsoft for it is damn good. I have a friend who bought a comparable Logitech one at the same time and he's still using it too. - Jawsh91, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Ya, I just got a new iMac and the mighty mouse has been pretty unpredictable, it's IMPOSSIBLE to right-click even after playing with it for a while in the system preferences.
- etruscan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10That's hockey puck mouse was AWFUL... as you used it, it would slowly turn in your hand until "up-down" was slightly... diagonal. The "whole mouse as a button" idea was also pretty bad, because one false move sent you clicking on things you never meant to click on. The mighty mouse scroll wheel is terribly small and inconvenient. I'll be the first to admit that Apple makes some very cool products. But mice? For a company that brought the mouse into the popular consciousness, they sure can't seem to design one that's functional these days.
- Aldrenean, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Man, all this laser engine 1800 dpi crap... The best one is still the original, fashioned lovingly out of a block of wood, with two metal discs on the bottom for true analog input. Plus that sweet red button... man I'd like me some classic mouse.
http://www.afrlhorizons.com/Briefs/Mar02/Images/OSR103G2.jpg - tacocat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8i think the first mouse came out in the 60s. It had three buttons. I'd google more info but I'm really wasted right now.
- LaughingMan11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Xerox did not invent the mouse. That credit goes to Doug Engelbart, who I credit as the man responsible for everything.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Engelbart
Tacocat, you're right. The first mouse was invented in the 60s, by Doug Engelbart. A picture of it is on his wiki page.
Apple does deserve credit for bringing the mouse into the mainstream by making it into a central part of a consumer product for the first time in history, and not just a research project. Same goes for GUIs. - judgeFire, on 10/12/2007, -10/+16"Like someone said, it's style over substance."
The Mighty Mouse attempts to solve a problem; how to present a mouse as one-button by default, while allowing advanced users to transform it into a two- (or more) button mouse?
Style is not the reason Macs have a mouse with one button.
There are two reasons. First, it is easier for users such as seniors, little kids or people with minor motoric problems. I have taught classes for computer newbies and with PC classrooms you end up with a lot of 'no, the other left button' guidance. This is frustrating as hell - try it if you don't believe me, teaching is very educational :p.
Second, it keeps developers at bay. The Mac is designed for one button use, where the contextual mouse menu doesn't magically contain items that can't be found in the main menus. On Windows, there are apps that actually do that. Good luck trying to use them with a touchscreen or a stylus. Or a custom system for people with advanced motoric problems.
A more obvious way to design a friendly two button mouse would have been to make the secondary button smaller, as a 'menu button' and the primary button a large, easy-to-hit thing. However, that would have been tough to do symmetrically, with lefties in mind. So Apple chose to do what they did.
One big button that can be turned into two, for both types of handedness. - munkeyman, on 10/12/2007, -17/+23jman: Try going down to the local PC store and buying a new motherboard or CPU for a Mac. Impossible! Or upgrading graphics - you can't use any GFX card in there, it can only be one card which has been blessed by the blood of 10 Apple virgins.
- sekhui, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6''it is easier for users such as seniors, little kids or people with minor motoric problems.''
if you match this description, a mac is right for you. - GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Thanks for *not* eating my edit, Digg.
Logitech G5, Microsoft Ultimate...there are other mice out there that are much better. In my opinion, the Mighty Mouse is one product where Apple got too design-conscientious, and didn't really keep the features in mind. My G5 has on-the-go sensitivity control, which is heaven in gaming and Photoshop. The 360 degree scrolling is a nice aspect, but it doesn't feel that great. I much prefer my Thinkpad T43's scroll button, to be honest...
I don't see the need to use Apple's mouse. I prefer getting a mouse from a dedicated peripheral company, or the Microsoft Ultimate series -- their new Keyboard / Mouse set is amazingly comfortable, and the new mouse is riddled with features. What is it, the Wireless 7000? Really ugly, but really great.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/ultimatekeyboard/default.mspx
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2142,CONTENTID=10715 - jake57, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@metlin
"The biggest problem with Apple's one-button mouse philosophy is that it sucks for notebooks and laptops. I almost went in for a MacBook pro, and what stopped me was the fact that if I installed either Windows (thanks to BootCamp) or Linux (YellowDog) on it, I could not use the trackpad."
Actually, The Boot Camp drivers install the two finger right click (two fingers on trackpad = right click) and the Control-Click method. - legalcondom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I used a mighty mouse the other day and didn't notice this problem. I then realized that I've been picking up my fingers whenever I click, guess it only affects certain people. I liked the feel of the mouse, but I'm probably not going to replace my microsoft mouse any time because of it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6most people accept xerox alto as the grandaddy of guis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface#Evolution_of_graphic_user_interfaces - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6As all the turbo-nerds wet themselves over the observation that it took Apple 20 years to release a two button mouse, let's clarify the situation a little bit.
When you talk about the right mouse button, you're really talking about context-sensitive "popup" menus. The original Mac systems didn't have context-sensitive menus, so there was only a need for one mouse button.
Context menus appeared on both Classic Mac and OS X (NEXTSTEP) in the late 80s/early 90s, long before they appeared in Windows. So while PCs have always had two button mouses, the right mouse button didn't actually do *anything* until Windows 95 came along, at which point the second mouse button became the context menu button.
The Context Menu button is so pervasive on Windows that they actually added a key for it on the Windows keyboard. The problem with this is that too many developers rely on Context Menus as a crutch, instead of putting more thought into the primary interface. As such, you simply can't get very far in Windows without a second mouse button to launch Context Menus. That is not the case in OS X, where Context Menus are widely available but rarely needed. - Farkle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5To correct some of the iRevisionist history above, Lisa was 1983, the Mac was 1984, and the mouse ws created in "...the early 1960s when Douglas Engelbart created a small, mouse-shapped device with three protuding control buttons...at SRI..." Source: Premiere Issue, MACWORLD, page 28. Now STFU unless you can beat that as source.
- Speed, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11Keep in mind that it took this company 20 fricken years to have a right click mouse. Now all they need (in terms of mice) is a right buttoned mouse.
- fuzzynyanko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Yeah, just avoid the Microsoft "Basic" mice. Those suck, but the other ones (like the natural) are good.
- awalles, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Apple should stick to what ther're good at, making plastic music toys, and leave computer peripherals to Logitech and co.
- Spr0k3t, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Where is that "bury - lame" option?
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