Apple shocked the world the other day by announcing Mighty Mouse, a new optical mouse that (gasp!) has more than one button. Actually, it has four or five. Or zero. Or maybe two. It’s kind of complicated. Basically the idea is that the thing has two touch sensitive panels where the right and left buttons would be, and then a button on each side of the mouse, plus a scroll point instead of a wheel. It’s white, and wired, and optical, and basically looks a lot like Apple’s existing one button mouse that ships with all their machines (well, except the Mini, of course, but that’s BYOKVM). Apple hasn’t said if this is going to ship standard with new machines, but I’d expect it with the next round of desktop hardware updates (whenever that is), as I would expect a Bluetooth variant at some point.
So yay for Apple, they’re finally making a multi-button mouse. There’s just one little problem…the thing simply doesn’t look like it’s going to be even remotely comfortable to use on a daily basis.
Oh I’m sure it’ll be functional, and will no doubt have its fans, but I doubt I’ll be one of them. Every mouse I’ve used on a daily basis for the last, oh I don’t know, six years or so, has had a groove with a side button. Because that’s comfortable. The same goes for a scroll wheel. It’s there because it’s comfortable. Of all the bits of hardware I own, the two most important things are the mouse and keyboard. A mouse is something you use all day, every day. It is not something that can simply look good. It has to work well, and on a constant basis, and I just don’t see Apple’s Mighty Mouse doing it.
Let’s talk about that scroll nub. It’s a freaking trackpoint! Ugh. I hated using those on IBM laptops seven years ago. Don’t put one on my mouse and expect me to call it an innovation. Logitech experimented with a scroll pad in their V500 cordless mouse, and I recently was forced to use it, and you know what? It didn’t work. My fingers are too big for it. At least that allowed me to use the base of my finger…Apple’s nub requires a fingertip. Yikes. Did they actually run the ergonomics of this thing by any experts?
I use a Logitech MX 1000 at both work and home, and it’s the best mouse I’ve ever used. It’s wireless, feels comfortable (it’s big, but you get used to it very quickly) and has more buttons than you would ever think necessary (and yet I’ve found uses for all of them). I applaud Apple for finally shipping a multi-button mouse, but this is at least five years too late. The rest of the industry has evolved way beyond this design, and Apple should too.
Good for Apple, but I’m still happier with my Wacom Tablet. I can’t believe that the scroll wheel thing is a trackpoint-like device. UGH
Hmmm… are you sure that the scroll wheel is a track point? From Apple’s site, it sounds more like a trackball:
Mighty Mouse offers 360-degree scrolling capability,
thanks to its Scroll Ball, perfectly positioned to roll smoothly under just one finger.
I really don’t believe Apple would settle for something like a trackpoint, but I could be wrong…
Wow, you couldn’t be more wrong about this mouse.
1.) Thats a scrollball, as in a little ball that spins in whatever direction you push it.
2.) Left handed people cannot use mice with curves for their fingers on the wrong side, this mouse can be used by anyone comfortably.
At least do a little research before posting next time. It’s blatantly clear you only looked at a photo of it and didn’t even read apple’s webpage. It says on every single one of their Pages about mighty mouse that it’s a scroll ball not trackpoint.
Good point about the left-handed people! I had to learn to use the mouse with my right hand for that very reason.
I stand corrected, it’s a trackball, not a trackpoint, but it still uses your fingertip. It’s definitely better than a trackpoint nub, but that’s a far cry from the full-on wheel.
As for the curved shape being a problem for lefties: call me insensitive, but I don’t particularly care. :)
Logitech’s mice are curved on both sides for comfort. The side buttons may not be as useful for lefties, but I don’t buy that as an excuse. Apple’s mouse may be ambidextrous, but they’re making it uncomfortable for everyone, instead of comfortable for all, and much more useful for most.
I’ve been using my Mighty Mouse all day at work since I got it last Wednesday and the results have been mixed. I’m used to control-clicking so I mainly use it as a “one-button” mouse, but I activate the right-button when I’m casually surfing the web and need to open up tabs. I’ve found that in regular use I accidentally activate the right-click too much, so I usually keep it off. But the scroll nipple is fantastic, and in my opinion much better than a scroll wheel. It’s very responsive, intuitive, and lets me navigate large documents without being biased to up-down scrolling. It’s not a perfect mouse but it’s good to see that Apple can still innovate.