Apple unveils new multi-touch $69 Bluetooth Magic Mouse
Apple on Tuesday released what the company heralded as the first-ever multi-touch mouse, a new product called the Magic Mouse, the successor to the Mighty Mouse.
Apple said that the new multi-touch hardware allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls. The entire top surface of the Magic Mouse is a multi-touch surface that can track independent fingers.
The new hardware comes with the new iMac and is priced for standalone purchase at $69.
"Apple is the Multi-Touch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Apple's Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design."
The Magic Mouse is said to feature a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.
The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.
Earlier this month, AppleInsider revealed that Apple was planning a makeover of its wireless mouse with multi-touch technology. It, along with a new wireless keyboard, were revealed in a subsequent filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
The hardware previously carried the Mighty Mouse moniker, but that trademark was handed to the company Man & Machine earlier this month. Years ago, the small accessory maker sued both Apple and CBS for use of the name Mighty Mouse, which the peripheral company has used for its own dishwasher-safe computer mouse.
Apple said that the new multi-touch hardware allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls. The entire top surface of the Magic Mouse is a multi-touch surface that can track independent fingers.
The new hardware comes with the new iMac and is priced for standalone purchase at $69.
"Apple is the Multi-Touch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Apple's Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design."
The Magic Mouse is said to feature a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.
The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.
Earlier this month, AppleInsider revealed that Apple was planning a makeover of its wireless mouse with multi-touch technology. It, along with a new wireless keyboard, were revealed in a subsequent filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
The hardware previously carried the Mighty Mouse moniker, but that trademark was handed to the company Man & Machine earlier this month. Years ago, the small accessory maker sued both Apple and CBS for use of the name Mighty Mouse, which the peripheral company has used for its own dishwasher-safe computer mouse.
Comments
I hope they cleared it with Disney.
I was hoping for a bit more multi-touch functionality, but it looks to be worlds beyond the mighty mouse.
Two finger zoom (for text on a website for instance) might be nice. Pretty cool though... combining multi-touch with a mouse. I love multi-touch on my MacBook Pro trackpad... but trackpads suck for mousing around... and are useless for something like Photoshop work. Could be the best of both worlds. Very interested to try it. I just wish it wasn't so thin. I'm skeptical as to how it will feel in the hand.
I haven't been able to scroll up for about 2 months with my MightyMouse roller ball!
I'm looking forward to this one. I use the trackpad a LOT, i.e. always. I don't use an external mouse at all, apart from the odd 10 minute session with the Mighty. I quite like the non-feedback you get when tapping on the pad, so that aspect wouldn't bother me on the new mouse. I can see one problem though, and that's from moving to a proper right click action on a multi touch surface, when I am used to a double finger tap instead - hope that's a configurable option. Also, there appears to be no wired version. Not that I care for one, but how are they going to have them on the shop floor for demo?
I like the concept but I hope they have an option to use a pinch-to-zoom instead of the need for <ctrl> key-press which, IMHO, has never been very intuitive and it requires two hands to perform - something that should be performed with just two fingers.
Just saying.
Woohoo! I'll be ordering 3 or 4 of these then.
I haven't been able to scroll up for about 2 months with my MightyMouse roller ball!
Same situation here. The video on Apple.com says that the multi-touch is also configurable for left-handers, and that you can try it out at the Apple store. What I was hoping for apparently happened.
User replaceable batteries! In a 2009 Apple product. Imagine!
Not only that, you can get rechargeable batteries. What I do is keep a package of 4 rechargeable batteries in the plastic enclosure they came in by my iMac and recycle through the 4 batteries for both the wireless mouse and keyboard. I recharge the spent batteries right after the change-over and put them back into the plastic enclosue ready-to-go. Saves time and money.
Edit: actually 5 ( 2 mouse, 3 keyboard) plus 4 in plastic enclosure.
Dumb question: is there a gesture to go "back" in Safari?
two finger flick left, right, flicks through webpages.
sigh...
If that proves to be the case, then it's a major no-no.
Anyone knows how this actually works?
Otherwise, the mouse is pretty intriguing (in a good way).