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Apple Businesses

New Mice from Apple - Without Buttons? 250

memoryhole writes "According to this story from AppleInsider, Apple is coming out with a new kind of mouse. They will be wireless and optical - and without buttons. Apparently, the mouse responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking - in what will be a programmable manner, a little like some trackpads." Just so long as it ain't a hockey puck (whoops! I've grabbed the wrong side again) but this sounds pretty sweet.
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New Mice from Apple - Without Buttons?

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  • But will it swell when stroked?
  • Great, now we'll have Panty Raider 4D.

    -Zane
  • It's an interesting story and all, but so much for unbiased reporting. I think Apple's innovation ranks right up there with Microsoft's, except that they don't try to squash whomever they steal from. Either way, I wanna try one out. =)
  • Anyone seen ExistenZ?

    In it, there are what are called "pods" that are really miniature gaming devices (organically-based) that respond to touch.

    And are just plain creepy looking.
  • by option8 ( 16509 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:05AM (#1032206) Homepage
    well, when this article, and a dozen or so like it, likely based on the same sources, came out a couple weeks ago, i submitted the same story.

    but alas, timeliness seems not to matter in the realm of /.

    and besides, this is just romor, not even very well documented or corroborated. i think the story lead should say that - though the source (appleinsider) kinda gives that away.

    it's refreshing, though, to see more and more apple articles here, seeing as this is supposed to be a news site for all nerds, not just linux geeks.
  • by CComp ( 34803 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:06AM (#1032208)
    Imagine trying to tell a clueless type to left-rub or right-rub his mouse. Ewww.

    And then there's this, from the article: "It's not just another wireless, optical mouse. It's done by Apple, so it's impressive."

    You can hear the asskissing from here. Disgusting.
  • I find this idea extremely amusing in light of the fact that I dislike current imac mice for only having a single button- I'm a musician and I like it that my fingers work kinda independent of each other- one button is boring. But no buttons, wow! Either it would be the most annoying mouse in the world or the best, hell, I might actually buy a product from apple if they are spiffy enough.
  • I think Apple's innovation ranks right up there with Microsoft's, except that they don't try to squash whomever they steal from.

    I haven't seen anything to indicate that this was stolen from someone else. It looks like Apple invented it. What makes you say that they stole it?
  • Rumors say that there will be a pad similar to what laptops have for cursor movement, in place of the buttons. You can customize it in various ways... tapping it on the left would be like a left click... tapping it on the right.. well you know. Also, moving your finger up and down on the pad could scroll it also. And not just up and down - left and right too. As long as it is not totally round, I could really learn to love a mouse like this:
    • optical
    • wireless
    • buttonless

    --
  • Why does this mouse sound like something from a David Cronenburg movie? Rub is here to make it purr. Next thing you know they will have one that vibrates. (It would go well with the iBrator [ibrator.com].)

    Knowing how well the touchpad on my laptop works, I consider this an incredibly silly and unworkable idea. ("No! I did not mean to click on that! AUGH!")

    The fondle aspects are going to evoke alot of iPorn jokes.

  • by CMiYC ( 6473 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:10AM (#1032213) Homepage
    You know... its funny how Apple always seems to come up with interesting ideas. Take Microsoft's new mouse... all they did was add a tailight really. Sun had the optical mouse in use a long time ago (granted, you had to have the reflective pad..but that was HOW many YEARS ago?).

    Even if you "hate" the Macintosh... you really have to admire Apple's will to do things differently... (don't mean to sound like one of their commericals..but really). What other companies goes out on a limb with "different" types of technology? Years after everyone talked about hating "all in one" designs... they released the iMac, and everyone thought 'wow.' Who knew that plastic cases would be so popular (and copied). Heck... how many of use use one of those silly GUIs? (I know it was Xerox's project, but Apple brought it to the masses)

    They are building their laptops to be sleek (well, I liked the black G3's.... I dunno about the new power books) and completely wireless. C'mon...that's just plain cool. And speaking of wireless... the whole idea of the Airport is cool.

    I'd have to say its probably far more exciting working at Apple where you get "cool" stuff done, than say at "ordinary" companies where its just "what's the marketing doing today? let's go there..."

    ---
  • Given the fact that my mom still can't figure out which end of the horrible little hockey puck mouse is up, I can't wait to see her try a wireless mouse that has no buttons.

    :)
  • Of course, software configuration means that it would require all-new drivers to work under any other OS. But provided it doesn't look too much like a food product, it may turn out to be a somewhat useful gizmo. Think of it as a mouse with multiple input senses; like having meta-keys for mouse input.

    (Maybe this will give some incentive for my hands to ever leave the keyboard? Nah...)
  • Even better...
    the mouse could be like the controller of an F-18 Hornet fighter jet. The throttle is bolted to the floor. It never moves, the jet responds to the amount of force that you put on the bar, but the bar remains stationary.

    You could bolt the buttonless mouse to the table, and then it would resond without ever moving.

    Of course you could just glue a rock to the table and pretend it is a mouse.

    --
  • by LordNimon ( 85072 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:11AM (#1032217)
    Apple mice have only one button (or in this case, "button"), so there is no right or left.

    What concerns me is that I like to rest my hand on the mouse while I'm pushing it around. Squeezing the mouse requires a lot more mussle flexing than just pushing a button. Not only that, but it can disrupt movement. Just try it: move the mouse pointer to various parts of the screen and squeeze the sides of your mouse. It's disconcerting.

  • The impressive part is that apple is coming up with anything cool at all.

  • Does Apple ever do anything right? I guess if you complain about having only one button, they give you none. Like if you complained about annoying fruity colored desktops, they give you fruity colored laptops too.

    NMG.

  • by tuffy ( 10202 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:14AM (#1032220) Homepage Journal
    Over at dumbentia [dumbentia.com]. Perhaps life does imitate art.
  • NOOO! Apple has got it completely backwards... they need to add more mouse buttons, not less. Using my iBook under Linux/X, it is absolutely frustrating having to work with only one button. Granted, if you hold alt, you get the middle button, but that still leaves me one button (the right one) short.

    I wish there was more detail about this mouse in the article... hopefully, squeezing it right will allow for multiple buttons. Until that time, I need to save my pennies for a 3rd party 2/3 button USB mouse. =^|
    -legolas

    i've looked at love from both sides now. from win and lose, and still somehow...

  • by Hard_Code ( 49548 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:15AM (#1032222)
    Continuing its long tradition of simplifying the user interface, Apple also announced its new screen-less monitor. According to an Apple spokesperson, the moniter is controlled by squinting and grimacing by the user. Apple is betting that people will appreciate the reclaimable desk space. In a move reminiscent of its innovative abandonment of the floppy drive, another rumor afloat is that Apple's next version of the Mac OS will need no input devices whatsoever. Instead the OS will simply percieve psychically what the user wants to do. "We think this is another innovative step forward" said an Apple spokesperson. When questioned on the feasibility of such an OS, the spokesperson offhandedly commented "Well, we determine for the user what they want to do anyway". Analysts are predicting that Apple may be building the road to its own extinction. "In the future, by the mere thought of getting any real work done, Apple users might end up causing the Mac to vanish altogether".

    (ok, that last bit was flame bait ;)
  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:15AM (#1032223)
    When the original Mac was developed, research was done to determine the best possible type of mouse. At Xerox PARC, the Smalltalk machines generally had three buttons, labeled by color (a naming tradition that continues today in eg. Squeak [squeak.org]). It was found that three- and even two-button mice were considered too complex for the target user. There were just too many instances when it was neither clear nor intutive which mouse button you use. Hence, the standard one-button mouse.

    Fast forward a bit, and you'll come to today, when Apple is going to unleash it's new set of strokable, squeezable mice on the exact same type of users as the one-button mouse was designed for. Will it be any easier? Do you stroke to copy? Tap to move? Squeeze to check your email? I wonder exactly what sort of "research" they did. The one-button mice has sufficed for Mac users for years, and they are likely to be confused with something new. In fact, it reeks of the way Apple stopped supplying iMacs with floppy disks, perhaps in order to prevent the users from confusing IBM and Apple disks (something which I understand is quite common with Mac users).

    Who will be there to hold the user's hands? It will certainly be a big leap for Mac users, and I am unsure whether many of them are capable of handling such a shift so radically. Finally, I think they'll need some big marketing, combined with promises of a "richer Internet experience" to pull this one off.
  • Are we seeing a complete turnaround in the PC industry? The reason I am starting to wonder is with recent announcments like the decline of small PC integrators and the trend toward integrated PCs/consoles like the new IMacs and X-Boxen, what does this mean for the do-it-yourself PC builder? Apple is doing some really cool stuff, and many cool things like Firwire and this new mouse will be standard. It's starting to look like 1990 all over again with a handfull of Computer companies providing all you could want at prices that DIYers couldn't try to beat.
  • Great, now we'll have Panty Raider 4D.

    4D, huh? You mean that she ages? Lara has breast-reduction surgery as they begin to sag, gets a real estate license, hits on your little brother.

    Hey, I'd play it.

  • by DGregory ( 74435 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:19AM (#1032226) Homepage
    Apple is known for having simple and easy to use computers. I'm wondering if these new mice will be easy for newbies to figure out. Like, if you would be aboard the Star Trek ship, and not having watched Star Trek before, would you know how to open one of those sliding doors if it didn't open for you when you walked up to it? Probably not. Hand someone a mouse without obvious buttons, and they won't know what to do with it. With a mechanical mouse (one with buttons that is), you can fiddle around with it, press the buttons, and see if that does anything on the screen.

    What I'd like to see would be more like a 3d mouse. You hold it in your hand rather than laying it on a table. I recall seeing something similar for presentations, but looking at the description, it looked like it was more for just button pressing to move the slides rather than for moving a cursor on the screen.
  • These mice could be neet for CAD stuff to... or just drawing in general, the harder you press the thicker the line etc... But i can just see it now, your playing quake, and oopps squeased to hard and launched a rocket at the wall *ooppss* But i think alot of that kinda stuff could be taken care of with some well designed software, now if apple would only release those specs... :P

    Seany
  • by kenh ( 9056 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:19AM (#1032228) Homepage Journal
    "Apparently, the mouse responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking"


    So does my wife! (She is cordless too!)

  • ...if you make it angry by rubbing it the wrong way ?


    My Webcam [michaelcreasy.com]
  • We use a mouse by moving it around, right? So if one is buttonless than won't moving it be clicking it? Won't clicking it make it move?

    Will I have to worry about making sure that my fingers are in the 'correct' position, forcing me to not only look on the screen for the pointer, but also at the mouse for finger postion??

    Another case of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should", I think.

    Wireless and optical is cool, but pressure sensitive, with 'strokable zones'?
  • Apparently, the mouse responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking

    I hereby announce my intention to patent "one stroke" fulfillment of needs... oh, damn you wankers and your prior art!

  • "squeezing, stroking, and tapping"?

    does it vibrate too?

    --

  • Hey this is off subject, but has anyone come up with a standard ps/2 keyboard/mouse that is like the toshiba laptops? I really like the way you can keep your hands on the keyboard and scroll around...
    Just curious.
    regards,
    Benjamin Carlson
  • The UNIX builders created mouse with 3 buttons, and saw that is was good. Then, Microsoft came up with the bright idea to create mice with 2 buttons, and people liked it.
    Apple, the company that always does things the other way around, thought that one button was enough for all your computer needs, and so it was done.
    Thinks looked good, because you could see at ones mouse-buttons what OS he was using. That simple times are over, because Apple introduced the 0-buttoned mouse. Confusion all around the techie world, because now there is a new group of people: the zero-buttoners.
    But don't forget that there is a bright side: things will now never change again (unless someone can create a mouse with a negative number of buttons)

  • It has been my understanding that Apple began using the track pad simply because it was cheaper than the mini-trackball they used to use on the older PowerBooks. IMHO, track pads are inferior to the older trackballs but are much better than that little nipple that IBM and Toshiba place in the center of the keyboard. Gawd, how I hate those.

    A track pad without buttons sounds like a major headache to me. I suspect that this is just another cost-cutting measure disguised as innovation to make it palatable.

    Give me a mouse with two buttons and a wheel.

  • does anyone remember that movie with Sandra Bullock called "THE NET"? One of the crazy russian (or various derrivatives of bad guy) had this crazy keyboard that was sortof like a ball. Compeltely ergonomic because the keys are vertical'ish, so its as if you're holding a ball. Imagine having the "ball" of the keyboard also act as a mouse, so you move the ball around, almost like an airplane joystick with a ball type keyboard at the tip. mmmm that would be cool
  • by CComp ( 34803 )
    Yes, current Apple mice have only one button. Very good observation. Too bad it has nothing to do with *this* mouse, which has *no* buttons. Thus the joke about *rubbing* the mouse. And it would be pretty damn pointless to only have one touch-sensitive area on the thing.
  • They also mention keyboard which are supposed to be wireless. Will the keyboard be keyless and programmable as well? That I'd like to see: smash the corner 3 times for an "E." Heck, make the whole thing with voice recognition and get rid of all those pesky periphirals.
  • Hmmm. That looks like an apple logo at the top of the page to me. And most the comments here are negative. I guess we're just lucky that it's not Apogee with the buttonless mouse idea.
  • Much like switch keyboards over membrane ones, I think that I will prefer mice with buttons over those without, simply because the tactile feedback makes a difference. Why do you think that there are force feedback game controls, and tactile haptic devices. Why do you think that the controls on an airplane simulate the resistance that would be there in the older systems, that are not fly by wire (older planes used phsyical systems, that you had to push, newer ones don't. Many of them are built to give tactile feedback where there doesn't need to be any, but there is simply for the feel of the interface).
  • by Cannonball ( 168099 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:29AM (#1032241)
    This story is from AppleInsider...the same people who perpetuated for years that an Apple branded Palm device was only months away...Let's take this tongue in cheek, we can't do anything to prove this, so I'd say that this is vaporware, and this coming FROM an AppleGeek.
  • the mouse responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking
    Big deal -- I already have a pointing device that meets these criteria. Unfortunately it wasn't designed by Steve Jobs, so not many people want to lick it.

    Penis jokes aside, this line from the article made me laugh:
    "It's not just another wireless, optical mouse. It's done by Apple, so it's impressive."
    Sounds like someone is thinking a bit "different."
    Ingesting lead based paint flakes will do that to you.

    --Shoeboy

    (former microserf)
  • HP invented the technology that MS uses for their new optical mouse.

    MS appears to have developed the shiny case (ooh! shiny!)
  • Having crawled over around and through the cockpit of the Hornet for 3 years and being quailfied to run engines on the ground I can assure you that the throttles move. I've helped replace and rig the throttle cables that run from the throttle console to the main fuel control of each engine. The stick is fly-by-wire in the Hornet, but it has the standard setup of bellcranks and linkages that link to electronic and mechanical backup systems for flight control.

    You are probably thinking of the control stick of the Lockheed (formerly General Dynamics) F-16 Fighting Falcon. The original design for the stick was for it to be stationary and it does indeed operate entirely from pressure. However, it does move. The stationary stick so irritated pilots that GD relented and redesigned the stick so that it moves (not as much as other tactical aircraft, but it does move.)
  • Sounds nice, you wouldn't have to move back and forth between a keyb and mouse, but as you type you're gonna be moving the mouse (which will affect only a small number of apps).

    But what would you click with?
  • by kinkie ( 15482 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:31AM (#1032246) Homepage
    Apple has again and again changed the way computers are used in the last 15 years (unlike a certain other software giant whose idea of 'innovation' is "let's leave somebody else develop something good, then we buy them out and claim it was ours").

    Think about it: WIMP was first deployed in a wide commercial environment by Apple (along with the mouse). Apple's user interfaces are actually very use-able (I usually say that if Un*x allows people to have a computer do what they want. Windows allows the computer have people do what it wants. Apple does the same, but usually the computer's and user's ideas of what is to be done are the same). Apple was able to slip a processor architecture in without skipping a beat (almost), and is about to introduce a really kick-ass environment (MacOS X is way cool). Always without skipping a beat. Damn, that other software company still has 16-bit stuff in their OS!

    So yes, I am impressed more often than not by Apple. And this is a nice idea. Let's just wait and see how well it delivers on its promises.

    (btw: I'm not usually an Apple user, so I'm not evangelizing)
  • You get used to it. Many years ago the company where I worked installed RISC6000 workstations as we shifted from the drawing board to CATIA (IBM/Dassault CAD software). These had both a mouse and a 4-button pointing device with a cross-hair in the middle that I have no idea how to call in English. I found it most awkward, both beacuse of the strange feel and because it mapped the tablet to to screen (you couldn't just raise your hand and start moving from a new position). After a few days, though, nobody wanted to use the mouse any more, for this thing gave us so much better control.


  • Right, and Apple is the first company to ever do wireless networking.

    No apple isn't... but they are one of the first companies that are committed to providing it in all of their products. Not to mention target it for home use, by integrating a hub and modem into the Airport. Apple never claimed to innovate wireless networking. They just made it easier (and affordable) for the average joe-blow to use it.

    ---
  • by sammy baby ( 14909 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:31AM (#1032249) Journal

    1 October, 2000
    For immediate distribution

    Apple, often lauded for having sparked revolutions in the design of the personal computer in the form of its "Macintosh" line, is now poised to ignite a whole new revolution in the field of teledildonics [dictionary.com]. With the advent of the new "Touchy-Feelie Force Feedback Mouse," Internet pervs all over the world will enjoy a whole new range of virtual tittilation.

    The new Touchie-Feelie mouse responds not by clicking buttons, but by manipulating in a provocitive manner: lightly tapping, stroking, and rhythmic squeezing all produce distinct results. A waterproofed version is in the works to enable oral stimulation, and a force-feedback model has already reached the testing phase.

    "These new mice are amazing," said Roy Farbengrinkle, a vendor of pornographic software lucky enough to get to beta test the force-feedback model. "They resist just the right amount when stroking digital [expletive deleted]. And the way that it shakes when I use it to [deleted] her in the [deleted] with a [deleted] camshaft [deleted] really [deleted] my [deleted], let me tell you."

    Farbengrinkle warned, however, that the mice may not be suitable for every purpose. "The other day I was checking my stocks and I sneezed - I guess the way my hand squeezed the mouse caused me to buy 200 shares of Alcatel. So they're not really all that good for, you know. Business stuff." He then shrugged. "But hey, who really uses their computer for anything but porn, anyway?"

    Copyright 2000, Amalgamated Dress

  • It has been my understanding that Apple began using the track pad simply because it was cheaper than the mini-trackball they used to use on the older PowerBooks.

    Not sure where you get this from, but there isn't a significant price differential at the OEM level.

    IMHO, track pads are inferior to the older trackballs but are much better than that little nipple that IBM and Toshiba place in the center of the keyboard. Gawd, how I hate those.

    I agree about those little sticks. They're damn hard to use. Trackpads however, are much better than trackballs (IMHO, of course). Apart from the fact that I can program the tapping sequence response of my trackpad, it has the additional advantage of not getting dirty.

    A track pad without buttons sounds like a major headache to me. I suspect that this is just another cost-cutting measure disguised as innovation to make it palatable.

    Who makes a trackpad without buttons? Certainly not Apple. The PowerBook and iBook lines ship with a one-button trackpad, plus the ability to program the tap-sequences of the trackpad to simulate other operations. No cost-cutting in evidence here.

    Give me a mouse with two buttons and a wheel.

    What like the one I have plugged into my PowerBook's USB port right now? That's the beauty of USB - I can choose the input device I use. Cool.,

  • That has been done long before: STUPIDAMOUSE, the mouse with NO keys [kareproducts.com]: Every organization has one: the user who has that uncanny knack for breaking anything s/he touches. Now there's a mouse made especially for these very "special" users. The StupidaMouse renders even the worst of them harmless.
  • the OS will simply percieve psychically what the user wants to do

    From the Mac OS XII manual:

    ... To change to this folder, kick your computer twice with your left foot in the right side. Then, to run Explorer, gently tap the face side. You'll see computer shiver in horror. That's apple main page has been loading. As soon as shivering stops, you may continue browsing by spitting on the place of computer you think to be appropriate.
  • As much as it sounds "kewl" -- one must realize that appleinsider.com is a RUMOR site and sometimes is fed mis-information.

    They also report "Apple May Illuminate Portable Keyboards". I will belive it when I see it.

    I wish /. would not post rumors and stick to news and substance.

    thanks for your time.

  • When I've dealt with the cross-haired pointing devices, they've been called 'pucks,' which is unfortunately less deterministic now since the imac mice tend to be called pucks as well.
  • I work in a design firm.

    We (PC Users) have been making fun of the Mac users for years using catch phrases like "Don't compute with the fruit." and "What, does that second button on the mouse confuse you?"

    Looks like we'll have to adapt that second one...
  • "...responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking..."

    Finally, a good excuse for when your parents walk in your room and find you stroking your overclocked gigahertz Athlon (in its customized Kryotech case), as you gently slip that Voodoo5-6000 into the AGP slot...

    What? Don't look at me like that!
  • Can you imagine what it is like if you are Quaking? Hehe.

  • CMiYC wrote:

    They are building their laptops to be sleek (well, I liked the black G3's.... I dunno about the new power books) and completely wireless. C'mon...that's just plain cool. And speaking of wireless... the whole idea of the Airport is cool.

    Believe it or not, Apple didn't invent wireless Ethernet. An AirPort is just an IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet hub and the built-in wireless networking in the iBooks is just an 802.11 transceiver.

    All credit to Apple for being the first to push it as a "consumer" tech, but let's not go overboard.

    I still find it amusing that at the same time consumer PCs were discovering SCSI, Apple was moving from SCSI to IDE in its low-end and mid-range Macs. Today I think it's even a non-standard option on the beefy G4s.

    And as far as mouse-button chauvinism, if you design for two buttons, you'll find you need two buttons. Or three. Or six. Designing the system for a single button makes a lot more sense in a way, because it's much easier for software add-ons to do things with more than one button, than it is to have a system that's crippled because you need two buttons and only have one available.

    Also, the original usability studies said two buttons would lead to confusion. If you've ever worked tech support for Windows users, you know this has come to pass, with a vengeance.

  • kinda, the pressure sensitive stick as a mouse. and two or three buttons...
  • Im just wondering how this came about? jobs sitting alone one night just "playing around" when the idea "came to him"?
  • "Apparently, the mouse responds to squeezing, tapping, and stroking...

    Yeah, my mouse responds the same way. I find I get better response times when the user is female, however. That is, unless she puts a latex mouse cover on it--that totally ruins the interface quality.
    --
    Have Exchange users? Want to run Linux? Can't afford OpenMail?
  • by Halloween Jack ( 182035 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @09:40AM (#1032262) Homepage
    All nudge-nudge teledildonic assumptions aside, this actually sounds like something that I've dreamed about for a while: an ergonomic, user-defineable chording keyboard. Something that could register the number of fingertips pressing on the "control area" and their relative position would eliminate the need for keys in fixed positions and also make the mouse more lefty-friendly.

    As for the fears of some that it would be difficult for newbies to learn, I think that the real fear is that it would be one more thing that the kids would have up on us: learning without the barrier of ingrained assumptions, they'd be sailing along on the thing while we're perplexedly searching for the button, like some old codger looking for the crank on the front of his Cadillac.

    Learn without training wheels, sez I. You don't need the fixed, clicking button anymore than you need to keep your hands on the keyboard at all times, the exhortations of countless typing instructors (sworn to turn out the fastest typists possible for the secretarial pools of the nation) notwithstanding.

  • When was the last time you lost track of tethered mouse while it was connected to the machine? Ok, now tell me where all of the remote controls in your house are. Take your time looking for each one.

    Unless this device has the a static footprint like a trackball or trackpad it is going to get lost very easily. And if these wireless devices find thier way into school or libraries (like lots of apple equiptment) the non tethered devices will disappear like free candy.

  • Yeah there partna,

    I think he maya been talking 'bout my F-10 pickup truck.
    It's a '73 Ford and the throttle is right stuck to the floor, I think it's rusted there.

    But I don't care much, it still does me fine.

    Hope that helps ya discussion.
  • Anyone who has submited a story and then had it posted w/o giving you credit -- or someone else posts something that you feel is much less important than your story will know exactly what you mean. People like CmdrTaco have an inside track and it seems like they can post whatever they want while sometimes it seems like it takes an act of congress for anyone else's story to get posted. Also I hate how the moderation and karma system brings out a nerdier than thow atituted amoung some /.ers. Yes slashdot is not without it's problems -- for one it seems to be a victim of it's own success. But it is only one internet site -- there are more important things in life to get upset over.
  • Er, Apple doesn't design its hardware for use with Linux. Believe it or not, they design their hardware for use with (drumroll, please) MacOS, which is perfectly happy with one button.
  • I wonder exactly what sort of "research" [Apple] did.

    You mean you wonder what sort of "research" AppleInsider did. Don't go criticizing a company for something they probably didn't hear about until this site published it. AppleInsider and MacOSRumors will publish anything that looks good and will get banner hits. Their credibility is completely out the window. I mainly visit them for laugh value these days, as they're useless for anything else.
  • why the hell is this article moderated up at all?
    everytime a news story is posted on slashdot, there is almost someone who is gonna bitch about the story being too late, and then some dummies will moderate it up.

    slashdot is "news for nerds", not "your daily news". thus the important thing is that slashdot posts news for nerds. i must agree that some news are critical time wise, like news on lawsuits, a news on lawsuit should be posted at once, so if the community can take an action, we will at once, but a news on a gadget can wait for weeks, or months. it is not like you are going to go out and buy one, and it is not like the time period will stop you from buying one.

  • No, but they did make it a standard feature, they brought the price down to ~$100 per computer, and they implemented brain-dead software support so that average users could use it. And then they marketed it relentlessly. Innovation is about more than raw technical breakthroughs. A company can have a lot of cool technology and never turn it into a cool product. Apple has some cool technology, but they are very good at finding new ideas and bringing them to the masses.
  • "People like CmdrTaco have an inside track..." hello? Of course he has an inside track. It's his site, his idea, his code... If I was the reason /. existed (not to mention head honcho or whatever the !@#$!@# his title is now) I'd post whatever the heck I wanted to too. Jeez... (sorry, that just seemed so ridiculously ignorant that I had to flame away.)
    ~luge
  • My apologies.. but someone has to say this:

    The nexy step will be to add haptic tactile elements (tactile output or feedback - like a soundcard for touch). Don't bother debating the user interface benefits, we all know what it will really be used for.

    [And if you think *anything* could convince me to make a housecall to service a computer after this comes out, you're crazy. I'm never touching someone else's computer again!]
  • ...squeak? Come on, a computer device that must be squeezed, tacked and stroked should make little rubber ducky [hanno.de] noises, too.

    Just imagine a whole IT department in a major corporation equipped with these...

    ------------------
  • God, what an RSI nightmare. And you think typing strains the wrists? Try pretending like you have this mouse for a moment and squeeze, not click, your rodent everytime you need to. I can feel my wrist tiring out in a matter of minutes. Now multiply that by the number of times you click a mouse in a day (probably several thousand). Even the minor act of moving your fingers up and down on the keyboard or mouse has been proven to have seriously debilitating consequences in the long run. I can only imagine what using the Apple Squeezomouse would do to you.

    --
  • I have heard about this mouse for a little while now from reading the Apple rumor sites. The sites mention that, in user tests, the mouse has proven very easy to use, with different forces on the mouse being interpreted by software as different inputs.

    However, my worry is what a new user will see when they approach the mouse. "Click? Click on what?" or "Press on what? Where?" How is a new user going to know how to make the mouse do what they want without a button visible?

    I can also see there being confusion unless there is some kind of tactile feedback that the mouse provides when you "click". Once you start providing some physical feedback, isn't that what a mouse button is right now?

    Don't get me wrong - as a fairly competent computer user, I'm looking forward to this mouse. But I'm not sure how novices will approach it.
  • and besides, this is just romor, not even very well documented or corroborated. i think the story lead should say that - though the source (appleinsider) kinda gives that away.
    This story isn't documented *at all.*
    From the article: "sources with ties to those in Cupertino"
    Shit, my grandma has ties in Cupertino. And I am sure that 6 or 7 of 10 people reading this do too.

    "A new version of Apple's Mouse control panel is said to be under development, and will handle the customizable behavior of the new peripheral. 'It's really the coolest mouse in the world." one source said, "It's not just another wireless, optical mouse. It's done by Apple, so it's impressive.'"
    Not only vague (is said to be under development?) but also highly biased (and before you get the wrong idea, I love Apple, but I hate bad reporting, even of rumor). Disguising the bias in a quote from a "source" is still bias, kids.

    "On an even more refreshing side, user's may find it comforting to know that sources are now also confirming the existence of a new, and much improved, Apple keyboard."
    Anonymous sources confirming anything is pretty useless. Even in Watergate, there was major criticism of the use of anonymous sources (don't forget that some people, to this day, deny that there was a "Deep Throat," that Woodward/Bernstein either made him up out of a composite of people, or just plain made him up).

    I think that there is a fine line between news and rumor, and this one crosses that line a few times....

  • If you're using something like BootX, you can define just about any keys you want in the kernel arguments - you don't have to be stuck with the option key.

    That said, you'd be well off buying a 3rd party mouse. Remember though, Apple isn't selling these for you to run Linux on (although they don't really care if you do).


    - Jeff A. Campbell
    - VelociNews (http://www.velocinews.com [velocinews.com])
  • Two years ago, rumor sites like Apple Insider claimed that Apple was about to release a sub-notebook along the lines of Sony's Vaio, but with wireless Internet.

    Last year, they said the next iMac would ship with a built-in 17" monitor, and feature "business" colors like Mahogany and Oak. They even had "photos" of the new design.

    Now it's a buttonless mouse. News flash: it ain't gonna happen. The DP4 of OS X is obviously designed for a 1-button mouse. The round, 1-button USB mouse is cheap to make and part of their branding identity.

    Rumor sites make this crap up to get more web hits and sell ads.

    You have been trolled, /., big-time.

  • It's starting to look like 1990 all over again with a handfull of Computer companies providing all you could want at prices that DIYers couldn't try to beat.

    When I stop seeing Slashdot posts that say stuff like:

    • "Why should I buy a G4/Ultra10/RS-6000/SGI O2 when I can get a Athlon for $1500 from my local shop" or....
    • "Why buy an S/390 when I can have a Beowulf cluster of Athlons?"
    ...then I'll agree that the screwdriver-shop market is dying. [grin]

    The screwdriver-shop market is here to stay. There's too many hardware hackers (from genuine Do-It-Yourself hobbyists to low-budget professionals to 31337 h4x0r5) around now for that market to disappear. I happen to like built-for-me hardware (well, good stuff, like the G4) but I can see the value in screwdriver-shop PCs for some situations.

    ...things like Firwire and this new mouse will be standard.

    It looks like there's a lot of crossover between the likes of Apple, IBM et al and the Franken-PC market. You can get Firewire (aka IEEE-1394) PCI cards for your PC, and Apple's mouse is probably going to be a standard USB model, so (provided it obeys the USB HID specs) you can use it on your PC as well.

    I'd like to see Firewire/IEEE-1394 support on PC motherboards, but I don't imagine Intel (ahem, USB 2.0) would be too thrilled with that idea.

  • Firewire is another IEEE standard, but just as USB was submitted by Intel (and royalties are paid to them), Firewire was submitted by Apple. They actually do deserve the credit for the innovation on that one.
  • by jbarnett ( 127033 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @11:11AM (#1032321) Homepage

    Hi this is tech support may I help you?

    Ah yea, looks like you need to change a few settings, please double click on the "My Computer" icon in the upper lef...

    Oh your on a Mac, ok ok

    Ok Sir I am going to have you stroke your mouse up and down till the Apple menu in the upper left hand corner pops down

    Ok, no keep stroking it Sir up and down, the menu will pop down in a minute

    Ok, ok great, in this menu about half way down you are going to see a "Control Panel" sub menu, see the menu?

    Ok great, if you strok you mouse at an angle and squeeze it tightly this menu will pop up. Yea keep stroking it, but get a tighter grib on it so it doesn't get a way. Yea like that, make sure you squeeze it nice and tight, stroking it with a tight grib?

    Ok great, in this menu there is going to be a "Modems" icon in this sub menu. What you need to do here is start rubbing your mouse, yea keep rubbing it, in a circle motion, oh yea like that, squeeze the divit in the middle between your index and middle finger, pitch it tight. Once you have it in a nice tight pitch you need to twist it a little.

    Ok, here you will see a list of modems....

  • What we need is a page that publicly lists all the submissions to Slashdot. That way anyone can browse the list of submissions to see if there is anything they are interested in.
  • No matter what you do, there are still "switches" in the mouse of some sort or another. It's still a digital device. If I stretch a couple of layers of saran wrap around my mouse, spray it a crystal purple, and then cut holes for the sensors and sliders, I suddenly have a mouse w/o obvious buttons. Big freakin' deal.

    Mad Monk!
  • Dateline 2003...

    Apple today has come out with a new peripheral device for the Apple zMac. Apple's wireless condom. Users can squeeze, stroke, scratch, and point their device to control their zMac. Special enhancment software will enhance the web browsing experience, surfing to different sites depending on the state of the device.

    A force feedback version of the device is in the works to be available by Christmas.

  • Someone already invented a no-button mouse [dumbentia.com] about 2 years ago... Wonder if it's already patented?

    ;)

    Your Working Boy,
  • by SpookyFish ( 195418 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @12:04PM (#1032336)

    I have never been a big fan of the Mac, primarily because the UI (and the one button mouse) drive me batty.

    That said, this seems like an idea with lot of potential if implemented well. For one thing, squeezing seems like a much more intuitive way to implement drag-and-drop - vs. having to know where the right place to click & hold in that particular UI is.

    Even better, imagine being able to trace Palm graffiti-like characters right on the mouse - just draw a line with your finger to the left or right to go forward back in your browser, trace a "?" for help, custom symbols for selecting weapon in Quake, launching favorite apps, etc.

    If it ends up being another hockey puck, but now with invisible buttons, then it is time to put Apple out to pasture.

  • by Silver A ( 13776 ) on Thursday June 01, 2000 @12:40PM (#1032342)
    From Dumbentia: http://www.dumbentia.com/pdflib/stupida .pdf [dumbentia.com].

    From their 1998 gallery [dumbentia.com].

  • I for one am NOT looking forward to this mouse, especially if it has no buttons.

    The problem with trying to make the thing work by feel is that you'll have to find some way to accommodate different hand sizes, otherwise users of different hand sizes will have trouble launching mouse-based commands properly. HOPEFULLY, Apple will not be dumb enough to shape it like a hockey puck, because the mouse that came with the iMac and G3/G4 PowerMacs sucks like a vacuum cleaner in terms of decent hand feel. -_-

    What I find interesting recently is that despite all the grousing about Microsoft software, many Linux users LOVE Microsoft hardware. The various Microsoft mice pointers and the Microsoft Natural and Natural Elite keyboards are very well-liked for its excellent ergonomic feel. The MS Natural keyboards does take a little getting used to, but after using them for a while going back to a regular keyboard is very uncomfortable in comparison.
  • Anyone who has submited a story and then had it posted w/o giving you credit -- or someone else posts something that you feel is much less important than your story will know exactly what you mean. People like CmdrTaco have an inside track and it seems like they can post whatever they want while sometimes it seems like it takes an act of congress for anyone else's story to get posted.

    Okay, folks. Some people have a really warped idea of what this site is.

    Please note that the button on the submit page is labeled "Submit Story". It is not labeled "Publish Story". It most definitely not labled "Splash my handle on the Slashdot home page and give me an ego boost".

    There are a lot of people who seem to think getting a submission published on Slashdot is like loosing your virginity or getting your drivers license: Something you have to do to "be cool" or whatever.

    Folks, that isn't the way it works.

    This is Rob's site. The Great Taco can do whatever the hell he wants to. (Likewise, you're under no obligation to read this site. But that's another story...) The "Submit" page is so you can tell Rob & Co about something you think is cool. There is absolutely no obligation, of any kind, involved.

    Anyone who thinks otherwise is having delusions of grandeur.

    End of rant.
  • BTW nerds don't use Apples so why does any news about them matter?

    I beg to differ. I'm using a Mac right now, and I challenge you to find someone who wouldn't consider me a nerd. <grin>

    Some of us are quite happy with the amount of Apple reporting, and dammit, if it's true, then bundling a wireless, buttonless, programmable mouse with a system as a default option is quite cool.
  • Since this mouse is likely to come out after Mac OS X the call will more likely involve having the tech telnet in and fix what is wrong. And what's so nightmarish about that?

    DB
  • reminds me of this [ibrator.com]
  • I think Apple's innovation ranks right up there with Microsoft's

    Really?

    - QuickTime
    - ColorSync
    - AppleScript
    - iMac
    - foundation for all modern-day GUIs *
    - WebObjects
    - Aqua
    - Newton

    * And I don't want to here the bit about how Xerox "invented the Mac UI." That's a total mythology. Xerox had something running that resembled a cousin of X11. Apple gave Xerox truckloads of stock to use some basic concepts, but made all of it truely usable.

    - Scott

    ------
    Scott Stevenson
  • Personally, I find it hard to believe that anyone besides Apple could "innovate" something this stupid. This invention reeks of Apple.

    This is hilarious. You don't even know what the product is yet (just some rumor with vague reference to features), yet you already have deemed it useless and unworthy of futher inspection. Good constructive behavior.

    - Scott


    ------
    Scott Stevenson
  • And then there's this, from the article: "It's not just another wireless, optical mouse. It's done by Apple, so it's impressive."

    I believe this is meant as:

    "Apple tends to spend a bit more time on design and user experience than others, so that will likely be reflected in the product"

    rather than:

    "APPLE STUFF RULEZ D00D!"

    See the difference?

    - Scott
    ------
    Scott Stevenson
  • The hockey puck mouse is annoying until you get used to it. The hockey pucks were supposed to fit with the overall design of the iMac and later the bondi G3s. I think a mouse with a touch sensitive surface is a pretty cool idea because it lets you place buttons exactly where your fingers are most comfortable. Next I'd like to see a touchpad keyboard that had spring mechanism under the touchpad so it feels like real keys.
  • iBook != sub-notebook

    (It's actually both bigger and heavier than the Powerbook G3, unlike the Vaio, which is tiny.)

    Airport != Wireless Internet.

    (Airport is a LAN connector, not a wireless modem. Yes, you can connect the base to an ISP by a variety of means, but that's not what the rumor sites were talking about. They were hyping the notion that Apple was going to integrate mobile phone tech into the new books so you could dial out wirelessly from anywhere.)

    I suppose if Apple started bundling Intellimouses with the next generation of Macs, you would call the current mouse rumor "dead on" as well.

  • My Kensington Thinking Mouse has four application specific programmable buttons. It is attached to my G3. HA HA HA! Let's act really condescending and assume that Mac users know nothing about using multi-button mice! The Xerox Alto had a three-button mouse; would that make it superior to the standard PC two button? Why should computers have to have mice at all? Nearly everyone here still seems to think that people should adapt to computers and not vice versa. This kind of thinking keeps many people away from computers for fear of screwing them up because they think only "experts" can PROPERLY and CORRECTLY use them. Get off your high horse and look at the big picture: computers are still WAY too complex and inflexible.

    It's also pretty funny to watch them overreact to a joke.
  • Unfortunately, people who are used to the "feel" of the Microsoft Mouse--from the "Dove Bar" unit to today's Intellimouse Explorer--will HATE the iMac mouse with a passion.

    The reason is simple: it's very uncomfortable to hold onto for any long periods of time. It doesn't "fall into your hand" like a good mouse pointer is nowadays. I myself use the Logitech Marble Mouse trackball, and I love it for its comfortable feel in your left or right hand using it.
  • I'm sorry, Apple. But my dog has the prior art here. She responds to squeezing, stroking, and rubbing and she is quite a capable pointer.
    --
  • Are you saying that Unix systems are inherently unadministrable securely by an offsite technician? I think not. If Apple doesn't do it, I can think of a dozen companies offhand that would be glad to pick up the support slack. And the need to share a password can be fixed by having a bootable CD that boots the system in a controlled way that allows the tech to securely log in but only from a particular IP block or set of MAC addresses and you need a particular security key (probably public key) as well.

    Let's face reality, if tech support told a windows user to fdisk their hard drive at least a significant minority would actually do it. For most normal users (non-nerds) you call these people because you trust them. Giving a tech admin access to fix your admin problems is not unreasonable, at least it's as reasonable as giving your car to a mechanic instead of fixing it yourself.

    DB
  • My main problem with the iBook is the screen resolution and lack of video out options. Otherwise, it's a decent system for its target market (I wouldn't trade in my Bronze G3 though!).

    Even though I'm a hardcore Mac user, I'd prefer it if Apple would ship a 2 button mouse. 3 buttons is pushing it for most people, but perfectly acceptable for power users.

    I'm intrigued by the idea of a buttonless mouse. Like anything, it really depends on how well it is implemented (hopefully better than the puck mouse Apple has been shipping lately).


    - Jeff A. Campbell
    - VelociNews (http://www.velocinews.com [velocinews.com])

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