Apple Releases Multi-Button "Mighty Mouse"

TheRaven64 writes "Hot on the heels of the announcement of x86 Macs, Apple announced a multi-button mouse, known as the Mighty Mouse. It appears that the entire surface is touch-sensitive, allowing the mouse to be programmed as a single-button, multi-button or scrolling device."

Apple Innovates Again

[fat-latvian]

It's nice to see that instead of just implementing a typical 2-button mouse with Apple branding, they've actually improved the idea and made a better mouse in the process. Why doesn't this happen in the Windows world?

Welcome to 1986

[ChrisF79]

It's great that Apple finally came to their senses and created this mouse, but what I thought was really interesting is the fact that they allow you to still program it to use as a one button mouse. They're really holding onto their beliefs that people can only handle one button at a time with this thing. But, if they believe that people want the simplicity of a one button mouse, wouldn't they ship this thing out of the box with only one button functioning? Those people that want the simplicity of a one button mouse surely won't be the ones changing the settings to disable the other buttons. After all, that sounds awfully hard to do!

Re:Welcome to 1986

[Daniel_Staal]

Apple is perfectly aware that intelegent users can handle more than one button at a time. They just don't believe that the average developer can handle more than one button at a time. At least, not and keep a good interface.

So, they force the delevopers to think 'Oh, shit: this is a Mac, the user only has one button!', and then they actually think about what goes on the second.

Re:Finally

[DigitumDei]

From the site: "Alas the fate of the one-button mouse in today's multibutton world. Who has time for intuitive, elegant design when there is so much clicking to do? Thanks to a smooth top shell with touch-sensitive technology beneath, Mighty Mouse allows you to right click without a right button."

WTF?? How does making two buttons look like one, make this more intuitive? Elegant, maybe; intuitive, no fucking way.

Re:Apple Innovates Again

[Mr. Underbridge]

Horsecrap. Basically, your argument is whatever Apple does is exactly right, and more/less is wrong. This is the same crowd that up until TODAY said that more than one button would lead to widespread panic, confusion, and anarchy. Now two buttons plus a programmable surface and a cursor that looks like it was stolen from a Thinkpad is perfection.

Same rhetoric as it was for the x86 chips. x86 was terrible until Apple adopted it, right?

Re:Welcome to 1986

[Golias]

But, if they believe that people want the simplicity of a one button mouse, wouldn't they ship this thing out of the box with only one button functioning? Those people that want the simplicity of a one button mouse surely won't be the ones changing the settings to disable the other buttons. After all, that sounds awfully hard to do!

If I'm a dad with young children, I might want to set up the mouse preferences differently depending on the user. Full-functions for me and the older kids, one-button for the toddlers and grandparents. It's actually a pretty fucking cool idea.

PowerBook!?

[pergamon]

Now all they have to do is make the button-bar underneath the touchpad on the PowerBooks be touch sensitive to allow for multibutton there too.

Anybody else think this'll be truly awful gaming?

[SilentChris]

I think the design will be ok for basic desktop work (not so sure I'm keen on the ball), but as a gamer I question it. When I click, I want tactile feedback that it's been registered. Also, anyone who's played with anything touch-sensitive knows that it's never quite as reactive as as a regular mouse.

I don't question that'll be fine for the average user, and I know the Macites will blast me with "get a gamer's mouse then" (I have one for my Mac), but anytime Apple leads the rest of the industry tends to follow. Hopefully Apple led well.

Mighty usable?

[Itchy Rich]

According to the pictures [macnn.com] I'd seen so far it doesn't seem to have any buttons, or any markings for buttons, or where they might be.

I've got my flame-retardant jumpsuit close to hand just in case, but... this does seem like more style at the expense of actual usability. You have learn where the buttons are in the same way as Das Keyboard [daskeyboard.com], but with this mouse you first have to realise that there *are* buttons.

Very stylish. Nil point for usability.

Re:Welcome to 1986

[Xrikcus]

All it ever really did though was shift the burden from a second mouse button onto the keyboard instead, hardly an improvement really...

Bluetooth?

[fuzzyping1]

I'm really surprised there's no bluetooth version available, any idea why not?

Re:Finally

[kidtux1]

My main concern with the mouse is that it seems like it provides no tactile feedback when you click. This may be very annoying. I'd want to try one of them out before deciding if I wanted to purchase it. -- http://www.kunae.blogspot.com/ [blogspot.com]

Re:Finally

[Reaperducer]

How does making two buttons look like one, make this more intuitive?

It's not two buttons. It's still one button, but there are sensors similar to the ones used in the iPod scroll wheel that sense which finger you're using.

intuitive, no fucking way.

Calm down, sport. It's just a mouse. It will be O.K. No one's going to take your Logitech away. But you might consider trading it in for some anger management classes.

You don't get it do you?

[interactive_civilian]

You don't understand why Apple advocates(d) the one-button mouse, do you?

The reason is quite simple: it is for programmers to make their applications in such a way that you can access ANY features using a single mouse button. Nothing is to be hidden in only right-click-only accessable menus.

THAT is a big part of the Apple UI philosphy. And, that is a good thing IMHO.

/uses a 4 button mouse at home
//can still get by 100% without it

Looks OK, but with a few possible problems

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

it is a four button mouse, with a trackball in place of a scroll wheel. I hope they did a lot of user testing with this because it looks like they missed some obvious possible problems. First, try telling a clueless user to right-click or even left-click over the phone. Not only is there the confusion of multiple buttons, but they are invisible buttons. I foresee very frustrated tech support people. Second, the original one button rocker mouse was a pain for new users because when they ran out of mouse pad it was hard to pick up without releasing the button. This was supposed to be done using the two non-moving pads on either side of the mouse, but realistically a lot of people held the mouse a little differently which made the task impossible. I saw users try to drag something reach the end of the mouse pad, then turn the mouse 90 degrees and keep dragging sideways then reach a corner and turn it again so the mouse was upside down and keep dragging. Some of this problem can be solved by turning up the mouse sensitivity, but realistically many novice users don't know you can even do that. Also, older users with bad hands can't turn the sensitivity up too much or they can't accurately select anything, but they still need to drag thing a long ways sometimes (like when dragging an item into a place in a long list). This new mouse has buttons right where those two pads were located. Users accustomed to using the old rocker mouse will have a lot of trouble learning not to grab those two spots.

I'm not a big mouse fan myself. A trackball takes up less desk real estate and is less a pain for long, straight lines. I'd love having a 360 degree mini scroll ball instead of a scroll wheel though. How long before these show up everywhere?

Re:Finally

[glesga_kiss]

How does making two buttons look like one, make this more intuitive?

Because the Apple fan-boys have been arguing that one button is best for many years, so they have to continue to pretend that one button is somehow better. Even though they have basically caved in on this issue and realised that extra UI hardware might actually make the UI better to use.

Let the Apple zealot modding-down commence...

Re:Apple Innovates Again

[consequentemente]

That's only one key short of being a Hawaiian-language compatible keyboard!

Re:Finally

[Paradox]

Because the Apple fan-boys have been arguing that one button is best for many years, so they have to continue to pretend that one button is somehow better. Even though they have basically caved in on this issue and realised that extra UI hardware might actually make the UI better to use.

Dude. Very few people are saying, "One Button Is Better." The people who are saying the one button mouse has merits are considering grandma and grandpa, who had to practice to learn to double click. No really, they actually did. For them, a single mouse button makes far more sense.

Apple users who care though, can now simply change their perspective, click a checkbox, and progressively disclose new features. Heck, they can do it on their user profile, so that grandma and grandpa can share the same computer with me and still be comfortable.

I think it's a rather elegant migration strategy. I didn't think that a multi-button mouse could have also looked just like a single button mouse.

Re:You don't get it do you?

[Pwned]

Yeah, because holding down keys on the keyboard is a whole lot more intuitive than clicking the other button on the mouse when something dosen't work.

Re:You don't get it do you?

[lrodrig]

I didn't think I'd like a single button mouse. When I got my iBook I noticed that using a touchpad with just one button is _much_ easier to use than a regular 2 button touch pad. You never click on the wrong button.

Re:Finally

[Tackhead]

> Crumbs won't clog my scroll wheel!

Hey, these aren't crumbs! Crumbs aren't curl-eeeeew!

Re:Hell...

[Phat_Tony]

That's odd, does anyone else think it looks kind of strange? From the name, I was expecting it to look more like this. [clipartxp.com]