[skutsch]

Since most of the world is righty, why did Apple put the ports on the left? For people plugging in mice (or sickos like myself who plug in giant trackballs), it could be annoying to wrap the cord around the back. Or would be annoying if I wasn't a righty who used his left hand for mousing. But still, why did Apple favor lefties? Is Job's left-handed? Is it a political statement?

carl

[Circa]

I know why,

The reason is simply because the majority of peole are right handed. And if you had a whole bunch of cords on your right you would have your mouse there as well and it could get really crowded. Make sense now? It may offer a bit of convenience, but in when your actually using your comp just imagine all of these courds next to where your mouse is.

[SupahCoolX]

Circa's right. Just imagine having a CD burner, external hard drive, phone cord, ethernet cable, headphones, Palm Hotsync cradle, and DV camera all where your mouse is on the desk. Not too comfy. This is the pain that lefties must deal with, but that's their own fault for being, well, not quite right

I happen to be left handed, and I use the machine, on my desk, right next to my workstation all day long for email and checking websites as I build and upload them from the other machine.

In any case, I use a mouse while at my desk, and I wondered the same thing: why on the left? It works very well for me, but i've wrapped that mouse around to the right to see if the other 90% even has a chance, and no... there's not enough cord on the mouse to use it on the right side of the iBook.

So, I'm way glad they're on the left.

[NateMarg]

well there is more than enough cord on any mouse except apple's. All other usb mice have very long cords because they need to reach the cpu on windoze machines.

[nigeljedi]

Dang! I was wondering the same thing. I'm a righty, and I figured that the Apple Pro mouse wouldn't reach along the back. I guess I could use a USB extension cord. I understand the reasoning behind the "peripherals on the 'other' side, though."

[Circa]

yep [/LIST]

[Circa]

yep

[Mac Guru]

I think there should be a single USB port on the right side in the back for mice... everything else should plug in where it normally does.

Mac Guru

[Vader's Robotic Stump]

It is harder to take out a CD with your left hand. Ports aren't that hard to do.

[waffffffle]

I think it's the CD thing too. Apple has always put the CD on the right. I like it better when it goes out the right side (as opposed to the front on the ti) and it's easy to take off using my right hand. I also am not allowed to use a mouse (my mom was so pissed at me when I forced her into buying me a Pismo (as oppsed to an iBook) for college that she wouldn't buy me a mouse. I've now become very keyboard savy and have gotten pretty good at avoiding the trackpad (except now in OS X none of my little utilities work!!!!! I really really need programmable function keys and a lot more short cuts. It looks to me that Quickeys will be the first of it's kind out for X and I think I'll have no other choice but to buy it even though I don't use it now.)

[ion]

mac guru - well sure thats a great idea for when the screen isnt open

[Heman]

I prefer them at the back except the audio.
Imagine when you have all firewire, USB and RJ45 cable plugged in, you will see what a messy thing it is, be it on the left or right. :o