With an oldie, but a goodie, AppleInsider dishes the dirt on Apple’s “jaw-dropping” new two-button mouse.
“According to sources who have so far filed accurate reports on Apple’s future hardware plans, the company is feverishly working on a two-button wireless optical mouse that it intends to release,” Katie Marsal reports for AppleInsider. “Apple enthusiasts have longed for an Apple-branded two-button mouse for over a decade, but their requests have gone unanswered. So what has changed? According to sources, ‘it’s the company.’ With Apple now profiting from low-priced consumer electronics as it makes a push to reclaim market share from Windows, a two-button mouse is ‘almost an essential,’ sources said. It’s unclear when the computer maker plans to introduce the mouse. Insiders warned that anticipation may continue to build for months as the company perfects the product.”
Marsal also reports on rumors of new Apple AirPort wireless base stations in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Question one has to be, is this finally going to happen this time? Question two would be, how “feverishly” long does Apple have to work to “perfect” a two-button mouse? Question three has to be, of course, is there any Mac-related rumor older than the one regarding a two-button Apple mouse? For the record, we’d like an Apple-branded two-button mouse to be available, though not necessarily shipped as standard for Apple’s consumer Mac models. BTW, we currently use the Kensington Studio Mouse (three buttons and a scroll sensor) on all of our Macs.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Why Apple ships a one-button mouse even though Mac OS X supports multi-button mice – January 29, 2005
Macworld Poll: 34 percent say Apple Mac one-button mouse a mistake – April 07, 2004
Why no Apple two-button mouse? – September 17, 2003
The time has come for Apple to ship a two-button scroll mouse standard – June 09, 2003
Should Apple reconsider the one-button mouse? – October 23, 2002
I don’t get it. Who in the PC world actually uses the horribly cheap mouse that comes with their horribly cheap Dells? I’d rather have a high quality one button mouse (Apple) than a low quality ten button mouse (Dell).
You don’t like the one button mouse that comes with your Mac? Guess what, you can BUY A NEW MOUSE! The mouse isn’t permanently attached to the Mac.
Also, it would be difficult for Apple to top the Kensington Studio Mouse since we all know Apple can’t just release a “mouse”, it has to be the best designed mouse ever and the Kensington one is very well designed.
a scroll wheel, yes. Two buttons? Uh, no. If you’ve ever used Windows you know what a pain in the ass that is. Every Windows application hides something in a window that you can get only by using the 2nd mouse button. And no two applications use the “2nd button window” for the same thing. It’s a gigantic hassle having to learn that crap all over again every time you use a new application. It’s not worth it.
Scroll wheel won’t work. The iPod is designed to be used with only one hand (i.e. using the thumb on the scroll wheel). I can’t see this working on a mouse unless the scroll wheel was on the side of the mouse where the thumb rests.
beatsme, you are wrong. There is nothing accessible via a 2nd button on Windows apps that you can’t open via the menu, toolbar, etc. The 2nd button concept is an incredibly fast and convenient way to pop up contextual menus to complete tasks instantly. Clicking a 1-button mosue and the CONTROL key is awkward and counter to Apple’s ease-of-use philosophy. Not to mention many games need 2-3 buttons and a scroll. C’mon, it’s the 21st century for heaven’s sake, and over 90 of users out there love multi-button mouses. Those who cling to the one-button concept is lost in the dark ages. Apple is flat out WRONG for having a one-button mouse…WRONG!
“a scroll wheel, yes. Two buttons? Uh, no. If you’ve ever used Windows you know what a pain in the ass that is. Every Windows application hides something in a window that you can get only by using the 2nd mouse button. And no two applications use the “2nd button window” for the same thing. It’s a gigantic hassle having to learn that crap all over again every time you use a new application. It’s not worth it.”
Maybe, but this mouse will work with Macintosh, so it won’t have Windows problems, will it?
I lurve my 2-button mouse, even if it does come from Microsoft (because I’m a Phillipe Starck whore), and it matches my Powerbook. But it also shows one way that Apple does things just so much better than anyone else. It’s a very stylish silver and orange color, with a clear-over-metallic cord that ends in a big ugly black USB connector. I assume they think everybody will plug it into the back of a CPU so it doesn’t matter what it looks like. Apple would never let that happen; even their connectors look good.
Bang on the ball Hazard’s Dad (no pun intended). I got a Apple wireless with my G5 iMac – after 2 months a abandoned it as virtually useless (clumsy, uncomfortable, slow, heavy, inaccurate). Bought a wired replacement… only marginally better than the wireless… just tracked down and bought a new beige Apple mouse off eBay (wore my last one out with my old G3) and am now searching for a USB adapter for it. Nice to handle, precise, responsive (and needs cleaning out one a month!).
What went wrong Apple?
Yo kernelpanic, check again.
My brand spankin’ new 17 inch powerbook lets me do clicking with the trackpad.
My Brand new PB 17 does not support it. Ive tryed to get it working but it just doesnt. No setting appears in the CP either..
“If you’ve ever used Windows you know what a pain in the ass that is. “
Give me a break dude, I have a five button with scroll wheel and its a HELL of alot more productive than a single button P>O>S> apple supplied with my G5.
YOU CAN PRY MY ONE BUTTON MOUSE FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!!
I’ll seriously consider switching to a PC if Apple even thinks of getting rid of my lovely one button mouse.
Quack
ATTENTION ALL
Rumor has it that this is a piece of disinformation. It is intended to weed out sources leaking product information. This also goes along with leaked release date of Tiger on April 1st.
Prepare to have you a$$ snatched in a bear trap.
THAT IS ALL
PS: Apple is actually developing a piece of hardware codenamed “Showboat”. It is rumored to be some kind of new display technology. My guess is that it is some kind of projection system for an entertainment center.
Yeah, Dont leak an info on the “iDildo” or you will all be SUED…..for…..ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BILLION DOLLARS…and 3 cents.
Bwhahahaha, MMBWhahahaahha, MMMbwhahahahah.
I have a brank spankin new 17″ Pbook and the trackpad is flawless. tap -clicking, the new two finger scrolling, precision- all work perfectly. I’ve never used a track pad this good. Same goes for the keyboard: Best in the industry in my opinion. (I’ve used lots of laptops to compare)
my response, in no particular order…dude
what most likely will happen with a 2 button mouse is that the programmers will start to build the apps to use it. Every PC in the world has a 2 button mouse, so every PC app in the world uses that feature. With Excel (q.v.) on a PC, yes you can get to everything that’s in the 2nd button window by using the regular application menus. But the app is designed to more or less force you into using the 2nd button, because everything that appears in the 2nd button window is buried so deep in the regular menus that it’s more work to find it in the regular menus than it is to use the 2nd button. My point is this: I don’t want the software companies (Apple, Adobe, et. al.) to decide for me what I think is the most “convenient.” As it stands now, I have a CHOICE as to whether or not I want to use 2 buttons with Photoshop. Personally, I don’t.
As for gameplay…please. Get an XBox. Or a PC.
Apple’s two-button mouse will debut with PC-based Mac OS X. It ain’t gonna happen.
FWIW if someone needs a two-button mouse so #$%&ing; bad then why not BUY one. The hype is around the mini these days, and the buyer needs to come up with a mouse for it anyway. I don’t see a problem.
Don’t forget the Scroll Wheel Steve.
Why do Mac people need a 2 button mouse ? We’re not disabled.
i use a hammer to move the keys on my keyboard.
beatsme nailed it. It’s about OS design not how many buttons the mouse has. Mac OS X has great usability partly because of the fact that is it built around the idea of a one-button mouse. At least OS X is not crippled like Windows is without a second button. And this is also important when you use touch screens or pens. Or how do I “right-click” with my finger? And who said multi-button mice are more productive? With OS X keyboard commands you are fast and precise, what else do you need? Don’t just take my word for it, do your own usability research.
edgeknight,
Love the disinformation bit followed by your own! That was funny.
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I wonder how many folks who slam two-button mice on a Mac have ever really tried it? Such an item (including the scroll wheel), really is pretty easy, efficient, and intuitive to used. Other than some high-end, specialized software titles, I don’t think support for single-button mice will drop. You can use the Control key with a single-button mouse to perform the same functions as right-clicking.
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Anybody notice the Dell LCD screens being used do display Lucas’ next Star Wars installment on 60 Minutes last Sunday?… I saw a couple of PowerBooks, but the PC displays were Dell. Interesting choice for a company that creates visual content like they do.
Do It
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A one button mouse is the way to go. What I would like to see is a one or two button footswitch.
Ctrl-click works just fine for me personally, I guess because it feels more rhythmatic when invoked.
Both methods, single and multi have their merits.
I can happily use a single button for work.
Besides the ability of control-click, the most overlooked, unknown feature of the 1 button mouse in OSX is CLICK-AND-HOLD for context menus. You don’t need control or a 2nd button for context menus (in most cases). Nobody seems to know it though.
That said, I use a logitec multi button mouse, largely for games.
After I got it, I developed wicked RSI for a while.
Nobody is wrong or right on this one.
A choice would be nice. But no 1-button option would be bad.
I caught wind of the undeniable fact that Apple is going to MOST definitely provide a 95 button mouse and a one button keyboard!