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clarkgoble · Apr 26, 2003, 11:54 PM

http://www.macobserver.com/columns/d...20030425.shtml

What does everyone think? Basically it is a combination of the mouse and the dial from the iPod.

I'd *love* that. While I like the idea of a scroll wheel, the way it is implemented isn't exactly ergonomic.

The only thing I'd worry about is if apple didn't include a context menu button on such a mouse. On the other hand if Apple did release such a mouse you can be sure a lot of others will license the idea and ship similar mice *with* two mice buttons.

Sage · Apr 27, 2003, 12:08 AM

That would be great! I also find that the scroll wheel isn't in a great position on most mice... heck, sometimes I get so sick of it that I actually use the dreaded scroll bars. I think that this would be a really, really good idea.

DeathMan · Apr 27, 2003, 12:26 AM

I would like to not have to lift my finger to continue scrolling, and I also think it would get apple out of the (right-click bad) thing that they're doing, and thus can't use a standard multi button mouse.

I think it could be a good idea. I don't mind right clicking. My question is, if you're left handed is right clicking still right clicking, or do you make it the outside is the right click, and the inside is the normal click?

Mac Guru · Apr 27, 2003, 01:02 AM

I think that'd be sweet!!! Imagine being able to scub through video and audio with a wheel very similar to the very devices used to scrub.... This is a VERY good way to scroll.

With a vertical wheel you have to remove your finger and place it back down again... this way, you don't need to 'lift a finger' to scroll through even the most lengthy of documents.

GO APPLE if this is true.

Mac Guru

OptimusG4 · Apr 27, 2003, 01:05 AM

Another fine example of innovation.

Appleman · Apr 27, 2003, 01:46 AM

Didn't Kensington had something like that a while ago? Something with a ring.

Yes: here it is!

Developer · Apr 27, 2003, 02:06 AM

Originally posted by OptimusG4:
Another fine example of innovation.

I think that little nipple would be more useful.

Adam Betts · Apr 27, 2003, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by Appleman:
Didn't Kensington had something like that a while ago? Something with a ring.

Yes: here it is!

I've owned it before... Returned it. My finger almost ran out of wrinkles (aka fingerprint)

Appleman · Apr 27, 2003, 02:13 AM

Originally posted by Adam Betts:
I've owned it before... Returned it. My finger almost ran out of wrinkles (aka fingerprint)

When it came out, I really liked the idea. But I actually never saw/used one. Now Apple is coming with the same idea. Suddenly Apple is the "innovator" again.
Like they innovated the mouse, the floppy, the lcd-screen...not.

Cipher13 · Apr 27, 2003, 05:26 AM

Sounds dumb to me. I'd rather not get carpal tunnel any sooner than I'm going to already.

Peter · Apr 27, 2003, 05:43 AM

It looks okay ,I would like the current Apple mouse to be tilted on its side, so it is tipped. With a small touchpad on it (1cm2) on it, this can be used as a scroller. So you would scroll with your thumb

TC · Apr 27, 2003, 07:16 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
I'd rather not get carpal tunnel any sooner than I'm going to already.

Lurn to use your left hand sometimes and as a bonus it feels like someone else is doing it!

Appleman · Apr 27, 2003, 07:40 AM

Originally posted by TC:
Lurn to use your left hand sometimes and as a bonus it feels like someone else is doing it!

Cipher13 · Apr 27, 2003, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by TC:
Lurn to use your left hand sometimes and as a bonus it feels like someone else is doing it!

I love being ambidextrous

*ahem*

Peter · Apr 27, 2003, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
I love being ambidextrous

*ahem*

Show off

People will think you are crazy, walking down the street talking to your mouse

mark9939 · Apr 27, 2003, 09:19 AM

Mac Rumors reported this this morning...

According to reliable sources, Apple is planning on introducing a minor revision to the current Keyboard and Mouse.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the new devices will not bring more exotic features to the Apple accessories. According to reports, the new items will not support Bluetooth and the mouse will still only sport one button.

Very dissapointing if true.

JLL · Apr 27, 2003, 09:23 AM

Could anyone here be so kind to show me the way back to the Mac OS X forum?

I must have made a wrong turn somewhere.

Visnaut · Apr 27, 2003, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
It looks okay ,I would like the current Apple mouse to be tilted on its side, so it is tipped. With a small touchpad on it (1cm2) on it, this can be used as a scroller. So you would scroll with your thumb

This wouldn't really solve the problem of having to constantly lift a finger to do a repetitive motion. You'd only be changing which finger you're scrolling with as opposed to regular scroll wheel mice now.

I do like the idea of a touchpad tho, and it would be cool if Apple enhanced the current Pro mouse to have a touch-sensitive zone (seamlessly integrated with the entire mouse surface of course) that you could use to gesture. So that if i wanted to scroll down a page, I would simply trace my finger in a clockwise motion over the surface of the mouse. Or hell, you could also imitate the motion of a scroll wheel mouse too, since all of this would be user definable. I think that would be pretty cool.

On the topic of touchpads and such, i really wish Apple would let you use one of those generic Palm pens on the surface of iBook or Powerbook touchpads in order to use Inkwell hand-writing recognition. I don't think there's any hardware limitation to this, its something that could be implemented in software. Perhaps with a haxie even? With some sort of toggle between pointing and writing. It would be a winner for 'book users, IMO.

Cipher13 · Apr 27, 2003, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by JLL:
Could anyone here be so kind to show me the way back to the Mac OS X forum?

I must have made a wrong turn somewhere.

About face, first right, second left, first right, and it's the big padded door at the end.

JLL · Apr 27, 2003, 09:57 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
About face, first right, second left, first right, and it's the big padded door at the end.

MaxPower2k3 · Apr 27, 2003, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by Visnaut:
On the topic of touchpads and such, i really wish Apple would let you use one of those generic Palm pens on the surface of iBook or Powerbook touchpads in order to use Inkwell hand-writing recognition. I don't think there's any hardware limitation to this, its something that could be implemented in software. Perhaps with a haxie even? With some sort of toggle between pointing and writing. It would be a winner for 'book users, IMO.

i've always wondered at this, too. it obviously knows where your finger is on the trackpad, and, like you said, even a third party program can track where the mouse pointer is. it would be great to use styli and grafiti-style writing to jot down some notes.

zcasper · Apr 27, 2003, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by MaxPower2k3:
i've always wondered at this, too. it obviously knows where your finger is on the trackpad, and, like you said, even a third party program can track where the mouse pointer is. it would be great to use styli and grafiti-style writing to jot down some notes.

No, this is a hardware limitation. The touchpads use electrical properties of your finger. Check it out here: http://www.synaptics.com/technology/cps.cfm

Zach

MaxPower2k3 · Apr 27, 2003, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by zcasper:
No, this is a hardware limitation. The touchpads use electrical properties of your finger. Check it out here: http://www.synaptics.com/technology/cps.cfm

Zach

even so, couldn't you still use a finger instead of a stylus for inkwell? sorry for getting kind of off topic, but i think this would be a fairly good alternative to a WACOM tablet (for those that don't want to pay $100+) as far as handwriting recognition goes

OptimusG4 · Apr 27, 2003, 11:17 AM

Originally posted by Appleman:
When it came out, I really liked the idea. But I actually never saw/used one. Now Apple is coming with the same idea. Suddenly Apple is the "innovator" again.
Like they innovated the mouse, the floppy, the lcd-screen...not.

No, but they know how to do it right, you know, get the WOW effect that the other companies try for.

JLL · Apr 27, 2003, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by Appleman:
Like they innovated the mouse, the floppy, the lcd-screen...not.

Innovated does not mean invented!!

Scifience · Apr 27, 2003, 01:25 PM

Personally, I think that would be annoying. I'm used to the regular scroll wheels.

Hawkeye · Apr 27, 2003, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by Scifience:
Personally, I think that would be annoying. I'm used to the regular scroll wheels.

Yeah, and the GUI was so annoying, too. Afterall, I was so used to using the DOS command line. Oh, and OS X not crashing all the time, it's quite annoying as well. I was so used to OS 9 freezing.

Things change, my friend.

clarkgoble · Apr 27, 2003, 04:09 PM

Regulard scroll wheels really are not ergonomic. I love the concept, but none of the ideas I've seen to replace them are better. (i.e. middle mouse mutton that scrolls as you drag the mouse)

I haven't seen Kensington's attempt at a unique scroll wheel. It isn't on their site so it must have been something truly horrible. However just because they had a bad implementation doesn't mean the idea is bad. As I said, I think a combination ipod control with a mouse would work wonders.

To the person who tried a Kensignton mouse and said it wore down his fingertip - how did it compare to the iPod trackwheel? Note that the second generation iPods use the electrostatic pad ala a trackpad and don't have moving parts.

Visnaut · 05:41 PM

Originally posted by zcasper:
No, this is a hardware limitation. The touchpads use electrical properties of your finger. Check it out here: http://www.synaptics.com/technology/cps.cfm

Thanks for the link. On that page it mentions:

Whenever two electrically conductive objects come near to each other without touching, their electric fields interact to form capacitance. [...] The human finger is also an electrical conductor.

So, in theory, wouldn't any electrical conductor work? Damn, wish I had my gf's PB to test stuff out on the trackpad... anyone ever tried experimenting with this before? Perhaps with copper wire?

I know this is off-topic, but i still think it would be awesome if there was a haxie available that would jimmy-rig inkwell onto any pointing device, not just tablets.

Appleman · Apr 27, 2003, 06:57 PM

Originally posted by Visnaut:
Thanks for the link. On that page it mentions:
So, in theory, wouldn't any electrical conductor work? Damn, wish I had my gf's PB to test stuff out on the trackpad... anyone ever tried experimenting with this before? Perhaps with copper wire?

I know this is off-topic, but i still think it would be awesome if there was a haxie available that would jimmy-rig inkwell onto any pointing device, not just tablets.

Guess this is (again) software-related? I mean the Mac needs to understand the input via the trackpad and the linkage to the Ink software.

fortepianissimo · Apr 27, 2003, 07:35 PM

On the topic of touchpads and such, i really wish Apple would let you use one of those generic Palm pens on the surface of iBook or Powerbook touchpads in order to use Inkwell hand-writing recognition. I don't think there's any hardware limitation to this, its something that could be implemented in software. Perhaps with a haxie even? With some sort of toggle between pointing and writing. It would be a winner for 'book users, IMO. [/B]

yeww..! just the thought of sharpen things scratching on a metal surface makes me puke... (i'm allergic to that kind of sound sorry)

dettociao · Apr 27, 2003, 08:35 PM

Boy this might be beating a dead horse... but... wrong forum?

Coxy · Apr 27, 2003, 11:57 PM

Conductive objects *will* work on a touchpad.
I don't think that they've got a good enough sensor for use instead of a graphics tablet, though.