FCC filings confirm Apple's new Bluetooth mouse, keyboard

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  • Reply 21 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Curmudgeon View Post


    This is actually the Apple Tax that Steve Balmer goes on and on about. You purchase a Mac and you have to immediately go out and buy a replacement keyboard and mouse - because Apple has no clue how to build one.



    To my mind, the mouse was perfected decades ago with the Microsoft Wheeled Mouse. Everything since then has just screwed it up. Apple's current no-real-button mouse is laughable. Apple themselves had an excellent keyboard way back when. They've since screwed that up.



    Apple should just take some of their untold billions and buy Logitech and be done with it.



    Here we go!
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  • Reply 22 of 85
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Baytech View Post


    I saw the prototype of this thing the other day and it's amazing! I don't want to help spread the rumors anymore than they already fly around so we'll just leave it at that. But I can tell you, the keys aren't black and it will be here sooner than you think.



    It will be worth the surprise though, trust me! ;-)



    And we have to believe your vacuous statement because........?
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  • Reply 23 of 85
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Baytech View Post


    I saw the prototype of this thing the other day and it's amazing! I don't want to help spread the rumors anymore than they already fly around so we'll just leave it at that. But I can tell you, the keys aren't black and it will be here sooner than you think.



    It will be worth the surprise though, trust me! ;-)



    Why does this have me thinking that this will possibly be a touch screen style keyboard?



    How crazy would that be? I'm a crappy enough typer with real keys. Gimme virtual keys and I'd be typing like a 12 year AOL'er
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  • Reply 24 of 85
    The new Mighty Mouse sounds like a great step forward. I love my current Mighty Mouse and have never had any of the problems that have caused others to hate it so much.
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  • Reply 25 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sticknick View Post


    Why does this have me thinking that this will possibly be a touch screen style keyboard?



    How crazy would that be? I'm a crappy enough typer with real keys. Gimme virtual keys and I'd be typing like a 12 year AOL'er



    Pretty crazy, I would think. People aren't ready for that yet.
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  • Reply 26 of 85
    allblueallblue Posts: 393member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Isomorphic View Post


    (I actually use a Microsoft (shudder) mouse for the sane button placement and the IntelliPoint acceleration curve.)



    I feel your shame bro, because I too (shudder) use one. Perhaps we could set up a group - Microsoft Mouse Users Anonymous, and meet in church halls on Thursday evenings to try and come to terms with life as a group. My excuse by the way, is that I am helping to keep Steve Ballmer in a job, and thus off the streets where he would undoubtedly scare a lot of old ladies and small dogs.
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  • Reply 27 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by allblue View Post


    I feel your shame bro, because I too (shudder) use one. Perhaps we could set up a group - Microsoft Mouse Users Anonymous, and meet in church halls on Thursday evenings to try and come to terms with life as a group. My excuse by the way, is that I am helping to keep Steve Ballmer in a job, and thus off the streets where he would undoubtedly scare a lot of old ladies and small dogs.



    I use an old MS trackball. I used to use those from Logitech, but the MS model is better (more buttons). USB Overdrive makes it all worthwhile. I REALLY don't like mice. I wish Apple would come up with a (thumb based) trackball.
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  • Reply 28 of 85
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    I use an old MS trackball. I used to use those from Logitech, but the MS model is better (more buttons). USB Overdrive makes it all worthwhile. I REALLY don't like mice. I wish Apple would come up with a (thumb based) trackball.



    You're making me want to try out a trackball now. I think using mice so much is giving me carpal tunnel.
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  • Reply 29 of 85
    rnp1rnp1 Posts: 175member
    This is a good time to provide the honor for the mouse to it's true inventor, who suffered thru pennyless years of MicroSoft's denial of it's patent:



    DOUGLAS ENGELBART (1925-xxxx)
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  • Reply 30 of 85
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    I use an old MS trackball. I used to use those from Logitech, but the MS model is better (more buttons). USB Overdrive makes it all worthwhile. I REALLY don't like mice. I wish Apple would come up with a (thumb based) trackball.



    I have a friend who swears by his track ball but he can't cut a Photoshop path or draw in illustrator worth a crap with that thing. It might be ok for browsing or desktop activity but for precision like what is needed in photo retouching, I don't think it is the best choice of input device.
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  • Reply 31 of 85
    bertpbertp Posts: 274member
    Sounds good. I like the current wireless external keyboard, but found the wireless Mighty Mouse scroll ball to have a short usable lifespan. A multi-touch wireless mouse would be great, especially for left handers like myself. But maybe a new wireless external keyboard with a trackpad would be just a workable. When they become available, I'll head for an Apple Store to check them out first hand before I buy.
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  • Reply 32 of 85
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Good one. You need to laugh at least once a day.



    Well, it was last year when I had to tear apart the mouse to clean the scroll ball, but after that I've had no problems at all. When it works, it suits my needs very well.



    I do admit that it's Apple's design fault if that kind of maintenance needs to be done, and like others, I hope Apple knows this and addresses it with this new King Mouse (or whatever they decide to call it this time).
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  • Reply 33 of 85
    Wow, really? Something negative stated and I'm a troll? Horse puckey.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cmf2 View Post


    Most people love the Apple keyboards, some people love the mighty mouse (I'm not one of them). However, I don't think I've ever been happy with a mouse that shipped with a PC either. If you want a good mouse, PC or Mac, you are likely going to have to pay extra for it. Please troll elsewhere.



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  • Reply 34 of 85
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I have a friend who swears by his track ball but he can't cut a Photoshop path or draw in illustrator worth a crap with that thing. It might be ok for browsing or desktop activity but for precision like what is needed in photo retouching, I don't think it is the best choice of input device.



    I've always heard that trackballs actually allow for more precision and are often used in CAD.
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  • Reply 35 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jazzguru View Post


    You're making me want to try out a trackball now. I think using mice so much is giving me carpal tunnel.



    I find a mouse to be annoying. I dislike having to move it around. I also like having more buttons available. The MS model, which had been discontinued a while ago, has an optical thumb ball, like the logitech's. But it also has four buttons, and a clickable scrollwheel.



    When I use my graphics tablet, it's much easier using a trackball with the other hand, than also moving the mouse around. I can spin the ball with my thumb, so that the cursor shoots across the screen, then stop it with my thumb when it's almost there and edge it to where I need it. It's also in the same place at all times, so I don't need to fish around for it, or turn my head to find it.



    USB Overdrive allows me to program every button differently for each program if I need to. Cleaning is very easy. You don't have to remove a ring around the ball. Just turn it on its side, and pop the ball out with a finger from the hole in the bottom, then just pop the ball back in.



    I haven't tried the latest Logitech models, so I don't know what they have these days.
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  • Reply 36 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I have a friend who swears by his track ball but he can't cut a Photoshop path or draw in illustrator worth a crap with that thing. It might be ok for browsing or desktop activity but for precision like what is needed in photo retouching, I don't think it is the best choice of input device.



    In my reply to jazzguru, I mentioned that I use it with my graphics tablet.



    But it's better than a mouse when drawing paths, because you don't get hung up by the wire, or the mouse coming to the end of the pad or table. Also, you aren't hindered by the surface you're moving the mouse over, which can add an uneven drag, and cause "stickum" .



    I also use it for everything else.
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  • Reply 37 of 85
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Curmudgeon View Post


    Wow, really? Something negative stated and I'm a troll? Horse puckey.



    Something negative stated with little basis on fact (the part about the keyboard) in your first post does indeed make you a troll. Maybe you actually believe the Apple keyboard to be terrible, but I've seen too many first posts like yours to give you the benefit of the doubt.
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  • Reply 38 of 85
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jazzguru View Post


    I've always heard that trackballs actually allow for more precision and are often used in CAD.



    Since most cad nowadays is 3D they use 3D space navigators which are sort of joystick like, and also some voice control is starting to catch on as well but only for functions and menu selections not cursor movement.
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  • Reply 39 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iTuomas View Post


    Well, it was last year when I had to tear apart the mouse to clean the scroll ball, but after that I've had no problems at all. When it works, it suits my needs very well.



    I do admit that it's Apple's design fault if that kind of maintenance needs to be done, and like others, I hope Apple knows this and addresses it with this new King Mouse (or whatever they decide to call it this time).



    The problem isn't that it has to be cleaned, as all mice must be cleaned if they use a ball on the bottom, or even a scrollwheel, which sometimes gets gunked up, though much more rarely.



    The scrollball is a really good idea, and works so well, it's a shame it wasn't done without clearly thinking of the consequences of people having oil on their fingers, that mixes with the omnipresent dust in the environment, to result in a sludge that looks like felt.



    The problem is that this is one of those times where esthetics has precluded the simple idea of a removable ring to enable the easy removal of the ball, and the cleaning process that follows.



    If Apple had allowed for that, there would be no complaints about cleaning, as it's otherwise easy.
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  • Reply 40 of 85
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Since most cad nowadays is 3D they use 3D space navigators which are sort of joystick like, and also some voice control is starting to catch on as well but only for functions and menu selections not cursor movement.



    Ummm! USB Oevrdrive works well with that too. I've also got several game controllers, such as sticks with lots of buttons, balls, and joysticks. Overdrive controls them all!
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