[AssassyN]

Well, sorta...it's actually Panther screenshots clearly stating that it's for installing a Apple Wireless Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard. Now I wonder if this new mouse will finally include two mouse buttons?

[CheesePuff]

ohhhh... ohhhhh... ohhhh

[paulscan]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
ohhhh... ohhhhh... ohhhh

Don't hurt yourself over there, buddy. It's just a mouse.

<sarcasm> Microsoft was first, anyway. </sarcasm>

[sailin74]

It's not even a mouse. It's a blank control panel.

[paulscan]

Originally posted by sailin74:
It's not even a mouse. It's a blank control panel.

Satisfied?

[chrisutley]

No way his royal stubborness will allow a second button on the mouse. It's SO much easier to press a mouse button and a key on the keyboard. I mean why involve just one hand when you can involve two?

Every since the hockey puck, Apple has made horrible mice.

[jasong]

Oh come on, be fair . . . Apple has ALWAYS made horrible mice.

-- Jason

[MindFad]

I'd love the current mouse a little more if it had another button and possibly a scrollwheel. I love the design -- but I don't like holding control to right-click or grabbing scrollbars to drag anymore. My MS mouse spoiled me.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally posted by MindFad:
I'd love the current mouse a little more if it had another button and possibly a scrollwheel. I love the design -- but I don't like holding control to right-click or grabbing scrollbars to drag anymore. My MS mouse spoiled me.

The current Apple mouse design isn't possible with another button and a scrollwheel. I suspect adding another button and a scrollwheel would fundamentally change exactly what you like about the current design.

[MindFad]

Another button would probably work without actually changing its size or design, but a scrowheel may be a problem. If anyone could design it while keeping it basically the same, APple could, I'm sure. For now, MS mouse, possibly a Kensington in the future (those are pretty snazzy).

[DeathMan]

[iFix Rene]

Apple WILL NOT release a 2 button mouse
if you want one so bad get a 3rd party one
right?
If they would they would have to change it
on the iBook/PowerBook too and they wont
coz it will look horrible and is unworkable
( HW design philosophy atm= simple and
minimal)

Apple= easy= only one button
this snapshot from an old Apple add says it
all imo

[DVD Plaza]

Those Apple ads always came across to me as "Mac users are so stupid they can only handle a single button".

Oh well, holding down CTRL whenever you want to right click makes perfect sense - perhaps toilets should only have a single button and you hold down a CTRL key on the toilet roll in order to do a full flush. I mean really, we're that dumb we need a more complicated way to do things.

[rnicoll]

I've currently got a PC (for games), and have just ordered myself a shiny new G5, which at this rate won't arrive this side of the apocalypse, but nevermind. Anyway, rather than having a seperate keyboard & mouse for each, I've thought about the MS bluetooth mouse & keyboard combo (yes, I know, I'm evil and will probably burn in hell for such thoughts).

Now, the question is, is it likely to work okay with the Mac? Has anyone tried this yet?

[Eriamjh]

How is having to push the Ctrl key simpler than just right-clicking?

I think Apple needs to at least OFFER a two button mouse for no charge. Let the users decide.

[videian28]

I think the only thing that keeps me from buying a apple laptop is the one button issue, sad but true

hopefully they get off their high horse and realize people are not as stupid as they think, 2 buttons will not be a bad thing

[dr. zoidberg]

*wipes sweat from front* uh huh.... now that "Pics!" in the title is just sliiightly misleading, isn�t it? i mean i have seen those screeners before, and for some reason now i was really expecting some ding-dang hardware shots...

*phew*.

[iFix Rene]

comparing operation of a mouse or a
computer with doing things in the bath
room strikes me as a little peculiar
but who am I?




there is plenty of software
wich allows you to click and hold
and get the context menu that way

[Diggory Laycock]

here's the real mouse:



Yours wasn't even certified!

[Busemann]

Originally posted by iFix Rene:
Apple WILL NOT release a 2 button mouse
if you want one so bad get a 3rd party one
right?
If they would they would have to change it
on the iBook/PowerBook too and they wont
coz it will look horrible and is unworkable
( HW design philosophy atm= simple and
minimal)

Apple= easy= only one button
this snapshot from an old Apple add says it
all imo

OH NO!! I pushed the wrong button!!

Now I'm convinced; The cons far outweigh the pros

[osiris]

It would be nice to see an Apple multi-button mouse. I'm so use to my Kensington 5 button mouse that one button seems almost Neanderthal.

[Short Circuit]

I just want anything else than the eMac keyboard thank you.

W

[Conscript]

Originally posted by iFix Rene:
Apple WILL NOT release a 2 button mouse
if you want one so bad get a 3rd party one
right?

wanna bet?

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by iFix Rene:
Apple WILL NOT release a 2 button mouse
if you want one so bad get a 3rd party one
right?
If they would they would have to change it
on the iBook/PowerBook too and they wont
coz it will look horrible and is unworkable

I love the logic in this position. Unworkable! 2-buttons are unworkable!

Makes you feel sorry for the other 97% of the market that has multi-button mice. They spent all this money for a computer only to find that it's unworkable. What frustration.

[MattiMattMatt]

Originally posted by DeathMan:

CLEVER!

[Eriamjh]

Originally posted by DeathMan:

Are those "Blue Teeth" or has the mouse swallowed someone's buttocks?

[GORDYmac]

Originally posted by iFix Rene:

All that pic does is show how long Apple has been behind the rest of the industry. Is that the mouse for the original Mac? Mac Plus? So, nearly 20 years and we still don't have a decent 2 button mouse from Apple, while every mouse vendor in the world (Mac & PC) sells 2+ button mouses [or mice] exclusively?

[cwasko]

Yea, I'll be highly disappointed if the mouse is not 2 button w/ scroll. I've been dying for a BT mouse and KB for a while now... and it will be a serious let down. Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

[chrisutley]

My Logitech mouse has 5 buttons, and I admit they aren't easy to get use to. I had to go to a training for a week, and then spent countless nights trying to remember the difference between right and left click. Sometimes I still right click stuff, BUT I double-click when I should single click and then when I left what click I single click.

It's so confusing!

[juanpacolopez]

Originally posted by rnicoll:
I've currently got a PC (for games), and have just ordered myself a shiny new G5, which at this rate won't arrive this side of the apocalypse, but nevermind. Anyway, rather than having a seperate keyboard & mouse for each, I've thought about the MS bluetooth mouse & keyboard combo (yes, I know, I'm evil and will probably burn in hell for such thoughts).

Now, the question is, is it likely to work okay with the Mac? Has anyone tried this yet?

We had a thread going recently in the PowerBook thread about wireless mice (or at least they were mentioned for a while)....

I know there was someone in there who said the MS BT mouse (don't know about the keyboard) worked find in his 12" PB. So, I'd imagine it should work just fine in a G5 providing you got the BTO BlueTooth antenna.

[employee#0]

Maybe I�m too thick, but I really don�t understand the need for a second button� I mean I understand the second button, but I don�t need it. Isn�t the one button mouse part of Thinking Different?

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by employee#0:
Maybe I�m too thick, but I really don�t understand the need for a second button� I mean I understand the second button, but I don�t need it. Isn�t the one button mouse part of Thinking Different?

No. It's part of I-CAME-UP-WITH-THE-MOUSE-FIRST-AND-IT-HAD-ONLY-ONE-BUTTON-SO-IT'S-ALWAYS-GONNA-HAVE-JUST-ONE-BUTTON-DAMMIT-NO-MATTER-WHAT!

To be fair, one button on the Mac works a lot better than one button on a PC, but two-buttons works better on both.

[MindFad]

I'm much more productive with two buttons. I can't stand using Photoshop or any other graphics apps with one button. Heh, try using Maya with one button. Apple, just give in already.

[mosch]

Originally posted by videian28:
I think the only thing that keeps me from buying a apple laptop is the one button issue, sad but true

hopefully they get off their high horse and realize people are not as stupid as they think, 2 buttons will not be a bad thing

The single button on the laptops really isn't hard to get used to. I mean really, how hard is it to hold down a modifier key while you click?

It took me about a day before I found ctrl-click as natural as right-click, and since then I really haven't cared whether my mouse has 1, 2 or 3 buttons.

[Ganesha]

Since no one made this point yet...

Which mice has a cover on its LED?

[kstor]

My 2� on the mouse issue...

I have a 12PB and a bluetooth mouse would be incredibly sweet. Now hopefully this is how it will be implemented.

- Ideally, it would come with rechargeable batteries and a detachable firewire or usb cable. When the power gets low, plug the cable in: the mouse charges from the computer and you can still use it as a regular wired mouse. No charger, no cradle, no hassle.
Simple, functional, totally Apple.

- Regardless, I won't buy the mouse unless it has 2 buttons and a scroll wheel. The convenience of this far outweighs the convenience of wireless.
However, I think it makes complete sense for Apple to release a 2 button bt mouse now. Why? The traditional argument is that new users are confused by two buttons. However, it is clear that advanced users prefer 2 or more buttons and a scroll wheel (I haven't heard a single graphic designer or coder say they'd rather have less buttons) and end up having to use third party mouses instead.
But who would a) have a pro machine with integrated bluetooth? (ie g5 or powerbook) b) be willing to spend significant amounts ($100) on a mouse + keyboard? Well, the pro users of course, not your average consumer!
So by releasing a 2 button bluetooth mouse, Apple is in fact targetting the users that would most benefit from it!
I'm really hoping that this is what they're thinking too...

- Lastly, regarding the comments on the current mouse, I think Apple could easily integrate a second button and scroll wheel into the design. Place the second button and the scroll wheel horizontally under the thumb.
The mouse looks the same to a beginner user, with the additional features hidden on the side.

Anyway, odds are that I'll keep using my M$ mouse because Apple won't implement any of this, but I can still day dream...

KStor

[f1000]

I think the mouse LED cover switch is an elegant way to both turn off the mouse and protect its optical sensor from dust when carried with a PowerBook.

Someone over at MacRumors suggested a regenerative keyboard that powers itself through its key presses. I think the idea is fantastic and feasible. Perhaps a pendulum mechanism in the mouse could keep it charged up, too (like certain expensive watches), sans batteries.

In any case, I hope the new Apple wireless mouse is rechargeable via USB or Firewire. My Logitech mouse, for example, needs to be recharged every two weeks (NiMH batteries). My Logitech keyboard on the other hand lasts forever on 4 AA batteries.

[munificent]

i believe apple's mice only have one button in order to not favor right-handed people. if you use a 2-button mouse left-handed, the dominant button has to be clicked with a less dominant finger.

also note that apple keyboards always have usb ports on either side so that you can plug the mouse into whichever side you want.

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
No. It's part of I-CAME-UP-WITH-THE-MOUSE-FIRST-AND-IT-HAD-ONLY-ONE-BUTTON-SO-IT'S-ALWAYS-GONNA-HAVE-JUST-ONE-BUTTON-DAMMIT-NO-MATTER-WHAT!

That's why when Apple DOES release a multi-button mouse (and they will do it sometime) it'll either happen in two ways:

1) discreetly and with no fanfare so they don't have to admit it. Maybe with some incremental processor speed bump. or

2) At some show so SJ can say how Apple listens to their customers and have relented to releasing a multi-button mouse. Like the spring-loaded announcement.

My guess it'll be the #1.

[zigzag]

Originally posted by munificent:
i believe apple's mice only have one button in order to not favor right-handed people. if you use a 2-button mouse left-handed, the dominant button has to be clicked with a less dominant finger.

I believe this could be easily overcome just by re-programming the buttons.

That said, I'm satisfied with one button. Hell, I didn't even dislike the hockey puck. Oh well, I'm crazy.

[curmi]

Shouldn't the text in the first image say "No mouses have been found..."?

This is probably a debatable point because 'mouses' does sound odd (even if it is perfectly correct in the case of a device called a 'mouse', not a rodent). For this reason, Apple should replace "Mice" with the singular "Mouse"...

[MacsGalor]

Originally posted by Short Circuit:
I just want anything else than the eMac keyboard thank you.

W

Glad I'm not the only one!

[kstor]

1) discreetly and with no fanfare so they don't have to admit it. Maybe with some incremental processor speed bump

I have to disagree, I think Apple ought to advertise it as much as possible.

For the 5% Apple users or so, the reaction will be "So they were wrong and stubborn all this time... but wait, we have a 2 button mouse now. Hurray!"

For the 95% Windows users, it will be one less argument against the switch.

KStor

BTW, I can't figure out how the "insert quote" option works. I feel stoopid.

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by kstor:
I have to disagree, I think Apple ought to advertise it as much as possible.

For the 5% Apple users or so, the reaction will be "So they were wrong and stubborn all this time... but wait, we have a 2 button mouse now. Hurray!"

For the 95% Windows users, it will be one less argument against the switch.

KStor

BTW, I can't figure out how the "insert quote" option works. I feel stoopid.

I don't know what they 'ought' to do. It's mouse-nuts to me. As long as they do it. That is, release a multi-button mouse. Those were just some options I saw.

Note: Insert quotes works automatically. Just hit the reply button and type your response outside the last [/QUOTE]. Simple as that. Play with it. You can always hit the back button to erase.

[Graymalkin]

The premise of the entire MacOS experience is to only need one button. The desktop metaphor is carried by the one mouse design. Your hands don't have metafunctions. If you right click your hand it will not turn into a pencil or give you some options. The click to manipulate paradigm is supposed to match that of your hand. When you grasp or manipulate different things the commands from brain to hand are pretty similar, only the end result changes. The same with a one button mouse, the message from brain to mouse finger is identical but the action performed is different depending on the application. This works very well for many users.

Right clicks are nice shortcuts but they should not be required to operate a computer. I use the right mouse button quite a bit but I'm not dependent on it to use my Powerbook. In fact I really like only a single mouse button on my Powerbook. When I have to use a PC laptop I look like a buffoon. There's too many damn buttons cluttering up most trackpads. It is too easy to hit the right button at the wrong time. With my Powerbook it is pretty much improbable you can hit the wrong button. I think the one button mouse in general works fine and if you want more buttons spend the twenty bucks to get a Logitech optical mouse.

I'm also at a loss to understand this Bluetooth obsession. You can't get any farther away from your computer than your monitor will allow. Bluetooth just means you're going to have two more devices that need batteries and have shoddy connections to your desktop. I've put myself between a T68i and my Powerbook while running iSync, the BT connection was dropped. I'm an excellent receptor for ?2.4GHz radio waves as I'm filled to the brim with water. If I come between my G5 and keyboard or some such I stand a good chance of losing a Q3A Deathmatch. I'd rather just have a regular USB setup and plug my keyboard into an ADC monitor. A ADC extender means I could get farther from my tower than Bluetooth would allow and be more reliable. My mouse also wouldn't die after a long NWN game session.

[videian28]

the point is that one button mice hurt sales from switchers

take it for what you will, it's true. hell i switched a bit over 2 years ago, started with an emac, then when full bore for the 17" PB.

my biggest bitch? no right button, talk about a pain in the ass.. I no longer own that one (that of course was not the only reason lol)

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by Graymalkin:
The premise of the entire MacOS experience is to only need one button.

The bottom line is that the computer is a tool. Nothing more. Would you be happy with a hammer with two claw ends and you had to turn it sideways to hit a nail? It'll work it's just not the most efficient way.

There is nothing sacrosanct about a one-button mouse. Get over it. A multi-button mouse is more efficient. I've used one for over 4 years. It's not a fantasy, it's a fact. I get more done, quicker with a scroll-wheel and a five button mouse.

Apple should, at least, make it an option. After spending $2000+ on a computer, why should somebody have to spend extra for a better designed accessory? It's bad enough that they don't come with enough RAM installed.

BTW, I agree on the Bluetooth. I don't see the big deal. I'd have to use one to see the big advantage. I use a cordless, optical mouse but I could easily go back to a corded one.

[f1000]

A one-button mouse (and the user interface built around it) is fundamental to the Mac OS experience; nevertheless, I appreciate the fact that Apple has built right-clicking support into Mac OS X and believe that multi-buttoned mice are appropriate for those who can adeptly use them.

I may not be able to play a piano, but that doesn�t mean I should chastise others for doing so with more than one finger.

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/pe...roeder_big.gif

[Geordiekeith]

I was "brought up" on Macs, using and owing Pluses, Classics, LCs, PowerMacs, Powerbooks and currently a Powerbook G3, but my work dictates that I use the company IBM portable with Microslush programs. The only thing I have found that PCs do better is the mouse (Apple's original invention), especially the two button mouse and scrollwheel. That is why I use a Logitech wireless mouse on the powerbook, and on my back-up (a G3 boosted 6400) I use a Kensington 4-button trackball.
If you seriously use context menus or download from the Internet the second button is a boon and use soon becomes automatic, like the scroll wheel.

[vmpaul]

What advantage does Bluetooth bring to a wireless cordless mouse/keyboard that the current technology (RF, I think?) doesn't?

Just curious.