SteveJack says the Mac world is ready for the productivity gains a standard two-button scroll-wheel mouse from Apple would provide.
“I have been a Mac user since The Beginning,” SteveJack writes. “I have used a one-button mouse, as per Steve Jobs’ decree, until mid May 2003. That’s a long time. Then, while in Best Buy, of all places, I picked up a Kensington Pocket Mouse Pro because I wanted an inexpensive mouse that would travel well in my backpack. And, of course, I liked the retractable cord that winds into mouse’s body via its ‘garage door.’ After three weeks with it, I can safely say, the time has come for Apple to ship a two-button mouse with a scroll wheel standard.”
Read SteveJack’s full article in the MacDailyNews Opinion section here.
This what my wife says. I want a mouse that looks as good as my iMac though.
I completely disagree with the author.
Apple designs their products with the most computer-illiterate user in mind, but they include the flexibility to allow the most experienced ones to add whatever they want.
Many have difficulty with simple drag-and-drop, and I think it would amplify all of the problems as well as the help instructions to include right-click and left-click.
In addition, the author must live in a fantasy world where there are no left handed users (5% of the population that prefer to swap the functions of right and left mouse buttons) nor physically or mentally disabled users. A close friend of mine has very limited motion of his arms with no motion in his hands and fingers. He loves his Mac, and anything with any Microsoft OS is almost useless to him. MS OS has become so dependant upon the 2-button mouse that it is difficult, if not impossible, to use an Apple mouse on their systems.
All products should be designed to be as simple as possible, and leave it up to the user to make as complex as they like. To start with a complex device alienates a vast majority, and forces us non-geeks to try to understand a complex system and make it simpler. How uncaring can a designer be? Perhaps we should remove the space wasting wheelchair ramps and force all of the paraplegics to design their own wheelchair to navigate stairs.
Until you have seen the smile and sigh of relief of someone with very limited motion use a Mac for the first time (after years of struggling to adapt), you may never appreciate how beautiful a one-button mouse can be.
If the world were nothing but right-handed, fully abled, computer geeks I would agree with the author, but being that I live in the real world, I think Apple has a great product for EVERYONE!
Aryugaetu, you’re talking about people comprising far less than 1% of Mac OS X users. So, we should all suffer because of them? Aren’t they covered by SteveJack’s suggestion that Apple continue to make the uni-button mouse available as an option? I want my two-button scroll mouse for Apple pronto.
Part 1:
I am a graphic designer, and would be qualified as a “power-user”, why? ‘cos I use my computer to do “things” as efficient as possible, since time is money! I have been a Mac user for more than 10 years now, and I can honestly say, the 1 buttoned mouse AND a 2 hand operation is the most efficient and time saving method over the two buttoned mouse [I know, because my employment change has forced me to use XP everyday at work for close to 9 months now] here are my experiences and thoughts:
Once you learn and used to the Mac short cuts [i.e. Apple/Command + x or the famous “Macintosh Claw”] is a sure way to do things right the FIRST time with out LOOKING [and consistent through out most apps]. In many instance [that I’m so used to the speed and productivity that Mac brings] I use the right-click on a PC when I want to create a new folder – which is the only “quick” way when there’s no actual “quick” keyboard shortcuts [yes, I know Alt key allows you to scroll through the menu, but is it quick? No, its slow because you have to look], that I accidentally created a short-cut instead, or when I want to rename a file it thinks I want to delete – they are one above the other!!! then I have to undo and try again… two button mouse slows me down EVERY time, because I have to be patient and LOOK at what the contextual menu SAYS. So who ever says its for the “power-users” obviously are not or not knowing what they are talking about!
Part 2
Now, as I have said my job as graphic designer has taught me not to use tools pallet or pull down menus in Illustrator or PShop most of the time, ‘cos 1] it’s much cleaner to work and see the whole page with out all the clatters; 2] it takes time to click / change a tool or pull down menus with the mouse every time; 3] 2 hand co-ordination comes naturally when you become a “power-user” just like a touch typist don’t LOOK at what he or she’s doing but concentrate on the work! a 2 button mouse breaks that concentration since you have to FIND the right command ALL the time. 4] a true “power user” do MORE with LESS clicks! 5] if you don’t believe me, look at most of the duo-platformed graphic apps on PC, 99% of their keyboard shortcuts are same as Macs’ User Guideline! except their Command key is where the Control key is on a Mac, and its painful to use long term wise because you’d have to use your pinkies instead of the thumb – making you twist / stretch your wrist TOO far [eg. to Open or Print on a PC could be painful with one hand -therefore resulting RSI… man! I’d have a Mac any day!
The scroll is USEFUL to read long vertical type of apps such as Email and Web Browsers [my question is can you read faster than you scroll? If not, then its not a necessity, think about it], but apart from that I don’t see them as necessity, remember the arrow key works just the same if you don’t want to drag with your mouse… and in the graphic apps I use and mentioned above doesn’t work with a scroll at ALL! EVEN on a PC! I’d still have to use the space bar to pane [which is more efficient anyway, remember scroll wheel is only a 2 way operation not 4 or 8 or more]. I only use contextual menus when the short cut is too far to reach without getting RSI [eg. show/hide-guide in Illustrator or selecting brush sizes in PShop… I mean its not like the Control key is too far for the “power-user’s” to reach from their usual stance: thumb on Command, pinkie on Control, ready to rock!
Part 3
In conclusion, nothing is faster than the quick Mac-Claw action and a single mouse for the TRUE power user, if you have to rely on contextual menus to do things then you are either not a “power-user” because you don’t really need the speed or productivity or you’re too lazy to actually pull-down menus or know the shortcuts, or you have been a PC user for too long that you just don’t get it. I’m sure a lot of the Mac “power-users” would agree with me, but usually they are so busy powering away doing what they do best… dancing away on their keyboard than whining about the 1 button mouse which comes standard [for good reasons!].