“Apple’s new ‘Magic Mouse’ [comes] without any physical buttons,” Stephen Williams reports for The New York Times. “The input device—now available for $69—is itself the button, Apple says. Using technology employed on the iPhone and iPod Touch, the top of Magic Mouse is a sensor that reads touch gestures to scroll, pan, swipe and click on documents and in applications.”
“The new device is Bluetooth-enabled for wireless use, and Apple says its equally friendly to either left or right hands,” Williams reports. “But it will work only with Macs running Leopard version 10.5.8 or later; Windows users need not apply.”
Williams reports, “Magic Mouse also ships with a new range of desktop iMacs, announced Tuesday, as was an updated, bottom-of-the-line MacBook for $999.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
Looks like a cool addition to the Apple hardware line. I’m buying a new 27″ iMac for sure.
Yep, I guess everyone will just have to, er, Get a Mac. As the phrase goes and the queues stretch.
It is interesting to see the white space under the iMac screen slowly getting narrower with every new version. In a couple of years, that 2″ white band will be gone completely and iMacs will look exactly like the Displays Apple sells. You could then literally have your computer hanging from the wall acting both as computer and TV.
Decisions, decisions!!
There’s one problem with that – bootcamp. Don’t want to have to have a separate mouse for bootcamp. This will work great for with my macbook pro, though.
@ Maconymous
> It is interesting to see the white space under the iMac screen slowly getting narrower
One reason it looks even narrower (although it may be narrower), is because the new screens are 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the previous 16:10. The wide screens are getting even wider. I personally like what was previously the “standard” aspect ratio of 4:3 (or 16:12). I find vertical space to be more useful than horizontal space; I think eyes are better at looking up and down, versus side to side.
Microsoft already has their copy machines running full tilt to copy this Magic Mouse. You watch a few months from now. MS New IntelliTouch Mouse. Brand new, we’ve been working on it for five years now. It’s just pure coincidence that it came to release just as after Apple releases their copy Magic Mouse.
I’ve hated every Apple mouse I’ve ever tried. Hopefully they got it right this time.
just ordered mine
Yeah right!!!!
Apple is going to ignore the entire widows market just for snob appeal,I don’t think so!
The same thing happened with the Original IPOD.
But guess what, They conceded and now firewire is a thing of the past.Long Live USB.
I suspect that the magic mouse will be available for Microsoft products within the next 6 months once people get a chance to see and play with it.
I want one but I am not going to buy a Mac just for the mouse.
Maconymous….White space below the screen? Are you looking at the 5 year old used imacs or what?
Just ordered my new mouse. Hope it is as great as the macbook pro touchpad…
All they need is a driver. How hard would it be to write a driver? They already HAVE Windows developers (iTunes/iPod/Safari team).
@NCIceman
That’s a good point about bootcamp. I’m sure they will have a simple driver for the mouse for Windows. You just can’t do the gestures on Windows or something.
I’m trying to imagine using this new touch-mouse. If I rest my finger on the button area I’m going to register a click, right? I always rest my finger on the button, so what will I do now, hold it up in the air all day?
Hope someone tells me I’ve got the wrong idea about how this thing is supposed to work.
What? No pinch gestures? WTF?
That doesnt make any sense. It will have to have drivers for those new iMac users to be able to use Windows on there!
So, will it work for Windows running under Fusion. Hardly use Windows except for testing (and Freecell) but want one mouse to rule them all.
I agree with the bootcamp problem. I was wondering how the mouse would work with games, which is all I ever use windows for.
Now I have a real problem, I’ve been waiting on the the mouse since my old mouse is acting up. It looks like I’ll have to find something else. I would prefer a bluetooth mouse, since both my usb ports are usually filled. Now I’ll have to do something more creative.
They ought to make it xp compatible, but not Seven! (or Vista). Then, once you’re hooked, you can’t upgrade to Seven!
@Wingsy
I’m guessing you have to physically click for right and left clicks just like on the mighty mouse, but it will also read swipes on the surface as well. Just a guess
Ordered one to test it out.
Wingsy, it’ll probably behave just like the Macbook touchpads. I can rest a finger on there forever and it won’t register a click until I lift my finger up and tap it again.
That said… I’m interested to see how drag-and-drop works now. At least the Macbook touchpads still physically clicked, there’s no mention of that with the Magic Mouse.
“That doesnt make any sense. It will have to have drivers for those new iMac users to be able to use Windows on there!”
Doubt it, the Magic Mouse can work like a regular mouse as well.
“All they need is a driver. How hard would it be to write a driver? They already HAVE Windows developers (iTunes/iPod/Safari team).”
Why would they? They have created something new and unique. I am sure they aren’t making a ton per mouse, so the extra sales probably aren’t great incentive. However, if this attracts more people to a mac, then they can make some money.
If anyone bothered to watch the video, they would have found out that the entire mouse is a physical button (just like the Mighty Mouse). You can rest your entire hand on this mouse, move the mouse around with it, and it wouldn’t click until you pressed down on it. If you need finger gestures, though, you’d need to lift the fingers and move/swipe/slide across the surface.
Anyone used to the old Mouse Pro (the clear-surface, single-button predecessor of the Mighty Mouse) can continue and use it the same way. Those used to Mighty Mouse, with pressure-sensitive area around the right-click button can also continue and use the new one the same way.
You should watch the iMac video, hosted by Johnny Ive. He explains the logic behind the Magic Mouse.
@NCIceman
As thethirdshoe mentions, there will likely be a solution under Bootcamp. I’ve got Windows running on my Macbook Pro at times, and there are drivers to allow the multitouch trackpad to function under Windows.
There may be some limitations, in the extent of gestures. But the basic, typical mouse-like functionality would likely be there, including left and right clicks. Still, it would be nice to see this issue addressed specifically. Maybe keep an eye on the forums.