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Review of Apple's "Mighty Mouse" 649

Posted by CmdrTaco from the still-waiting-for-mine-to-ship dept.
hanser writes "Ars Technica is running an in-depth review of the new Apple "Mighty Mouse." From the review: "As it turns out, Apple blew the description of its "aural feedback" and "touch sensitivity" out of proportion and led most of us to believe that 1) there was some sort of speaker built into the mouse with synthetic mouse sounds coming out of it, and 2) the shell might be solid-state touch-sensitive like our beloved iPod wheels.""
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Review of Apple's "Mighty Mouse" More

Review of Apple's "Mighty Mouse"

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  • It's all standard marketing language. What are the chances that a company could ever possibly do something like that? The mere thought sends shivers down my spine!

    Seriously though, what did you expect? Apple will wise up and drop the price on this thing by October, and hopefully have a Bluetooth version by then too. Apple claims to be a big supporter of Bluetooth with decent support in the OS, but this overpriced rodent does nothing to prove it.

    I'm a fanboy, but I'll call a spade a spade. And this thin
    • maybe some people don't want bluetooth. for my desktop machine i have no problem with a wire. i would rather deal with that than needlessly waste batteries.

      i am sure there will be a BT model coming, and that will be nice for laptop users.
      • i would rather deal with that than needlessly waste batteries.

        I've heard of these batteries that allow the user to recharge them. I have a Logitech wireless mouse that has a dock that recharges the mouse.
        • Prepare to throw the batteries away in 3 years: this is a lot more wasteful than a corded mouse.
          Also, the batteries make the mouse a lot heavier, increasing hand/wrist strain. And it's YA device you'll have to remember to put in a cradle, rather than leaving it wherever.
          And then there's BT connection problems.
      • maybe some people don't want bluetooth. for my desktop machine i have no problem with a wire. i would rather deal with that than needlessly waste batteries.

        Amen to that. I was thinking of getting the BT mouse, but I realised I had little use for it on my desktop. The fact that the mouse connects nicely into the keyboard makes the wire clutter a moot point IMHO. Also it's nicer not having to deal with replacing batteries and also doing without some extra radiation, even if it is small.

    • Umm, the things that were "blown out of proportion" were things that people didn't want. Solid state mouse buttons with no tactile feedback would be awful, and a speaker would be annoying. You know they'd get all clever and make it go "moof" instead of "click". And then some third party would start selling "click tones" featuring Crazy Frog! No thank you.
  • I'm still acclimatizing to x86, next you'll be telling me that all macs will ship with windows.

  • Innovative? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by skatephat420 ( 803185 )
    Apple, possibly the most innovative computer company on the planet. Yet, the multi-buttoned mouse is 10 years too late and its not even wireless. Whats up with that?
    • 10 years? You didn't get a multi-buttoned mouse until 1995? Try 20+ years too late.
    • OK, it's January 2005 and you've been appointed CEO of Apple. Apple is still selling computers with 1 button mice even though they have supported multiple buttons in the OS since Mac OS 8 (and via third party drivers since System 6). To make matters worse, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Logic, and Shake all work best with three mouse buttons!

      So, CEO, what do you do?

      A) Appologize to the public on national TV, shutdown and liquidate the company.

      B) Keep selling only one-button mice forever.

      C) Replace the Apple

    • Where, aside from Apple, can I buy a multi button mouse that is also a single button mouse that won't confuse my grandmother and will switch modes based upon my user preferences? Where else can I get a mouse with a roller ball built in instead of a scroll wheel? Don't get me wrong... I'm not going to buy one of these, but pretending that it is not innovative is being obtuse.

      Apple has, and still does, ship with a single button mouse by default. This particular mouse ships in single button mode by defaul

  • detroit mac, as well (Score:2, Informative)

    by MaximXygo ( 757609 )
    Another review at DetroitMac: http://detroitmac.com/index.php?content=mightymous e [detroitmac.com]
  • For my initial impressions about this mouse, check out my LiveJournal post discussing it here [livejournal.com]. In short, I rather like the mouse, although since I was using it in a near-silent house last night, I noticed that it makes a sort of squeaking sound sometimes. I think this is plastic rubbing in it somewhere...
    • Also, I forgot to mention that the mouse very much does have a speaker built into it, but the only sound I've heard it make is a clicking as you spin the scroll ball. It's almost like the iPod scrolling sound, but a lot quieter. It's impossible to hear in a normal, noisy office, and in a quiet room it's easy to mistake it for the standard ratcheting sound made by the wheel in almost all other scrolling-type mice. The ARS Technica article seems to have overlooked or simply not noticed this.
    • Of course it squeaks it is a mouse...

    • n short, I rather like the mouse, although since I was using it in a near-silent house last night, I noticed that it makes a sort of squeaking sound sometimes. I think this is plastic rubbing in it somewhere...

      A squeaking noise, eh? Do you by any chance have any cheese in the house?

  • Not as versatile as a normal multi-button mouse (Score:4, Informative)

    by mrchaotica ( 681592 ) on Wednesday August 03, 2005 @08:52AM (#13229673)
    The "innovative" virtual button design is great for letting people use it as a single-button or multi-button mouse, but the consequence is that it doesn't do everything a normal multi-button mouse can do. Namely, it can't click both the left and right button at the same time, and register them as a (left+right) click. Instead, (according to the review) it just gets registered as a left click. Additionally, people who rest their fingers on the mouse buttons are going to be annoyed, because they have to lift their index finger in order to right-click.
    • In short, it's not as user-friendly as the Logitech MX5xx series or Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer mouse pointers, both of which are supported by MacOS X versions easily.

      I use an MX500 mouse pointer myself and love its very comfortable feel in my right hand and the programmable functionality the MX500 provides. It's probably far more comfortable in the hands of most users than the new Apple mouse pointer.
      • Yeah, I love my (Bluetooth) Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer; I think I would prefer it to this new Apple mouse even though it doesn't do horizontal scrolling, because it's shaped to fit my hand better and it's got two thumb buttons instead of "squeeze tabs."

        The problem with the Intellimouse, however, is that I can't use it with my iBook because it doesn't have an on/off switch -- if I tried to take it somewhere the batteries would run down as it shifts in the bag. If the Bluetooth version of this Apple mou
      • Don't forget Logitech's MX1000 Laser, it is quite wonderful (ok, wonderful for a mouse).
        Very comfortable (yes I am right-handed), responsive, rechargeable and with an off-switch so I can put it in a bag wthout running the battery down.

        Highly recommended.

      • that the one thing MS does well is hardware? I own a Microsoft optical mouse, trackball, and two Microsoft split-key keyboards...

        • that the one thing MS does well is hardware? I own a Microsoft optical mouse, trackball, and two Microsoft split-key keyboards...

          Not that ironic - MS doesn't actually make those peripherals, they are re-badged from other OEMs.

    • Additionally, people who rest their fingers on the mouse buttons are going to be annoyed, because they have to lift their index finger in order to right-click.
      I rest my fingers on thhe mouse buttons, but I naturally lift my left index finger when I right click. I'm not sure why, but I have to consciously leave my left index finger down in order to do so. I imagine that I'm not the only person like that. So it wouldn't bother me any ...
    • Tour just about any graphic design studio or video shop and you'll find that most of of the Mac users have third party mice with all sorts of funky ergonomic shapes and button configurations. Just because Apple ships a mouse with the PowerMac G5, iMac, and eMac doesn't mean you're forced to use it. Even a $1.99 USB mouse from OfficeMax will work just fine.
    • My question about this mouse is if Apple wanted to avoid two button mice because it was to confusing for "grandma", why when they finally do release a two button mouse where are there not two buttons?

      I mean, sure for someone used to two mouse buttons its not hard to figure out, but for those who don't this seems much more confusing than actually having two buttons. I cannot even imagine try to to explain to my grandmother how to "right-click" without her being able to SEE the right button.

      Why cannot they
      • It seems as though the reason is so that you won't have to explain anything to your grandmother, because she can still use the mouse as if it had only one button (and in fact that's the default configuration -- you have to change settings to get the second button).

      • I cannot even imagine try to to explain to my grandmother how to "right-click" without her being able to SEE the right button.

        The whole reason Apple has stayed with the one-button mouse for so long is because grandmas don't right-click. Why would you be explaining this to her?

        The default setting for this mouse is to register a click anywhere on the mouse as a left click. This is exactly the same as the one button mouse Apple have shipped for the past umpteen years.

        The value in this mouse is th

        • The whole reason Apple has stayed with the one-button mouse for so long is because grandmas don't right-click. Why would you be explaining this to her?

          Because she has REALLY bad arthritis in one hand (all but unusable) so actions that require a mouse click and keyboard press are litterally quite painful. The ability map actions to another button would probably be more useful to her than most users.

          I guess you are right, this is just really another one button mouse. If you are willing to sacrafice the A
      • That's a really good point. And while there may be no NEED to right-click in MacOS right now, given the growing popularity of multi-button mice on the Mac, eventually some apps will require it for certain functions. Try explaining clicking the right button to grandma then--what right button?! There's a button on this thing?

        Anyway, for such as design-driven company as Apple, I find that a lot of their more recent products stray far away from the established Bauhaus form-follows-function principles that have
    • annoyed, because they have to lift their index finger

      Ok, we have DEFINATLY gotten too lazy when lifting a finger has become too much to ask of us.
  • From this review:

    http://detroitmac.com/index.php?content=mightymous e [detroitmac.com]

    "Audio Feedback:
    Apple points out on their website that the mouse features a built in speaker to provide audio feedback. This speaker is used when using the scroll ball and the side button. The click noise for the side buttons is perfect. Not too loud, yet not too quite. The scrollball on the other hand is too loud for my liking. It makes a click noise similar to a typical scroll wheel, but it clicked too much. The mouse preference pane doe

  • (bridging from the original item yesterday that had people in spasms proclaiming how bad it would be when they actually used it - because apparently according to them Apple must have designed, built, manufactured, whipped and sold this without trying to use it...)

    It acts like a typical Apple mouse for feel and clicking, it is tactile and the right/left thing is not at all like a track/tap pad. It's like having two buttons. The center button takes some getting used to to just move it and not click it, the
    • I just tried one. It feels and sounds as if it has two very conventional clicky switches and as far as left/right buttons go it feels completely natural. It has a flexible "unibody" shell that lets you press one switch and not the other. Unfortunately it also gives the mouse a flimsy feel. A $20 Microsoft or Logitech mouse feels better, and can't these be configured so that all buttons are left clicks? The scoll wheel is something you have to try, some will like it, some will hate it. It seems to take more
  • except for the cool scroll wheel that feels/acts as a track-ball, this is a normal 4 button mouse.

    oh well, so much for 1 button is better argument.

    • How does this argue against the 'One button is better' argument?

      If presented to a casual user, it will look and act like a one button mouse with a scroll ball.

      If the user goes to preferences and takes a closer look, they will see it actually has three buttons and the scroll button is a fourth.

      One button design is better: It's like designing a program to one one monitor, rather than two, even though clearly two screens are better. However, if you HAVE to have two monitors to make a program work, and it's pos
  • Sorry to admit this in public, but... I... have sweaty palms. OK I said it. Now these white mice are all very well and good for normal people but to me they are like an advertisement to that fact. I have a G5 and the mouse that came with that is constantly filthy.

    The other problem I have is with this scroll wheel. I love the concept. 360 degree scrolling is a great idea, but didn't we get rid of balls from mice for a good reason? I mean, how many time a week will it be necessary to clean the scroll ball...

    • Sorry to admit this in public, but... I... have sweaty palms.

      You probably want something like this mouse [nyko.com] then.

      The other issue is the short cable. My G5 has bluetooth. Apple's bluetooth keyboard is a delight, but it, obviously, doesn't come with a USB hub built in. So where am I supposed to plug the mighty mouse in? If the the cable on the traditional Apple mouse is anything to go by its not long enough to be useful if connected to the rear of the G5. So will I be forced to use a bulky extension cable on

    • I made this point yesterday too. The ball is very tightly enclosed in the mouse. It seems a virtual certainty that it will clog up with muck and dirt in no time at all. Wheel mice used to have this same problem and widened the gap around the wheel to compensate. This mouse seems to have no virtually no gap so its bound to suffer the these issues.
  • All this hype is a bit overkill for a mouse, but FYI... some other reviews listed at engadget:

    I've recently switched to using OS X, and it'd be nice if Apple were to add an optional multi-button functionality to its laptops (beyond [ctrl][click], which requires two hands to be done comfortably). This program [ragingmenace.com] looks like

  • Like any interface product -- keyboard, joystick, tablet, etc. -- a mouse is one of those products you should always try before you buy. It's a primary interface to your computer, so unless you're sure you're going to be comfortable with it for the long run then don't even bother with it.

    I for one will definitely try this out in the store before I decide whether to purchase it. The reviews are nice to read, but nothing substitutes the hands-on experience.

  • From article: Critics have long teased Apple users for their distinct lack of mouse buttons, and Apple users are constantly attempting to either defend themselves by saying "nuh uh, I bought a separate multi-button mouse!" or by taking the trickier route of attempting to explain the HCI theories behind one-button mice, all the while secretly resenting Apple for putting us into that position.

    Ya know...you don't *have* to blindly defend Apple. You could actually form your own actual opinion. Don't be a pro

    • Better yet we have proof via goms:
      Pointing + Control Button + Mouse Click
      Pinting + Mouse Click

      Less time, simple. Less confusing also.

      I know, that isn't standard GOMS, but for those that don't understand it I don't want to have to explain how it works. Just check Wikipedia people.
  • Two things:

    1) you put the misconceptions in the article instead of the facts. What, do you actually want us to RTFA?

    2) The design makes it impossible to hit the left and right mouse buttons at the same time. So much for using it for WoW.
  • Just go back and read the /. thread from yesterday. There were plenty of people who fully understood what this mouse was about. There just were a larger number of people whose kneejerk reaction was completely unwarrented. "THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING" Get a grip. It's a mouse. It's not a bloody revolution. It's not the end days. It's a freakin' mouse. People read WAY too much into the descriptions that wasn't there. They wanted to believe crazy things and...TADA...they were wrong. It'
  • Hell has frozen over.
    Pigs are flying south for the winter.
    Osama has turned himself in to vegas county sheriff, dressed in drag.

    and in other news: Apple has a two button mouse.

    Next up: Apple to release a PDA.
  • From TFA page 2: Aural feedback As it turns out, Apple blew the description of its "aural feedback" and "touch sensitivity" out of proportion and led most of us to believe that 1) there was some sort of speaker built into the mouse with synthetic mouse sounds coming out of it, and 2) the shell might be solid-state touch-sensitive like our beloved iPod wheels. That is overly exaggerated--I even stuck my ear up to the mouse while using it for several minutes to be sure (and received a few strange glances in

  • The most important feature... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Chief Typist ( 110285 ) on Wednesday August 03, 2005 @11:35AM (#13230830) Homepage
    I think the most important feature of this new mouse is that it works like a single button mouse in the default configuration.

    Last month, my wife was on the phone with her mother providing tech support. I'm not exaggerating when I say that she said "NOT THE RIGHT BUTTON, MOM!" about 20 times. The context menu was coming up, and the selected action (default) was not the one needed.

    Her mom is not stupid, but she does hit the wrong button on her mouse. To her, there's no difference -- they both click.

    The Mighty Mouse will work fine for people who just want the simple click-n-go interface. Also, since the default configuration is to not have a right button, it forces developers to "keep it simple, stupid".

    Power users (e.g. your average Slashdot reader) can benefit from multiple buttons -- and go to the preference panel to enable the additional functionality. Some intermediate level users may even learn about the "power of the right click" by seeing & exploring the preference panel -- good for them, too!

    This is what I like about Apple -- creating solutions that work for a wide range of users.

    -ch

  • planned? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by yardbird ( 165009 ) * on Wednesday August 03, 2005 @11:38AM (#13230874) Homepage
    The weird thing about this mouse is the side buttons. My Apple Wireless mouse has the same design (little semicircles of plastic on the side), although obviously they don't do anything on my mouse.

    Were those put there as a specific design element that could be used later for this mouse, or was that a total coincidence? I always thought that design was weird.

  • Logitech MX1000 (Score:3, Informative)

    by ThinkFr33ly ( 902481 ) on Wednesday August 03, 2005 @11:57AM (#13231055)
    For $41 I can get the Logitech MX1000 laser mouse. [extremetech.com]

    It uses a real laser (as opposed to a red LED and a camera) for tracking, has an ergonomic design, is wireless, has a recharging stand, battery indicator, 8 buttons (left, right, forward, back, "tasks", scroll up, scroll down), and a up/down/left/right tilt wheel.

    I use this thing for everything from Photoshop to Counter Strike, and it is BY FAR the best mouse I've ever used, corded or not. Never jumps around. Is incredibly accurate. Extremely comfortable. Battery lasts a very long time. It's just great.

    Can somebody tell me why I would want the Apple mouse? Oh... ya... because Apple made it. My bad.

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