Will MWNY bring a new mouse?

satchmo

This has been much debated, but I'm dying here surfing the net with my scroll-less (albeit pretty) Apple Pro mouse.



I'm so tempted to pick up the MS Optical mouse which is dirt cheap ($30cdn)...except it also look crude ugly beige.



Would it make sense that if Apple were to bring out a two-button with scroll mouse, it would be announced along with new desktop towers? Might that happen in July?



Otherwise, is there any other alternate mouse that look good but have a scroll wheel, and is Mac OSX compatible? I remember vaguely of a clear one that looked similar to the Pro mouse but don't recall who made it.

digix

I don't know if Apple is going to release a two buttons mouse, let alone one with scroll wheel.



But if I remember, before the release of the Apple Pro Mouse (I think that it was release somewhere in 11th September 2000), I readed somewhere in Apple Insider that Apple is working on a prototype mouse when if you ?squeeze? the mouse, it will act as a second mouse click. They never outfitted that ?squeeze? feature on the current mouse though.



Personally I think this would have been a much better way of doing a two click features mouse, rather than using a two buttons mouse.



IF Apple is planning to release a two features mouse, they better have some more intuitive way than the traditional two (or three or more) buttons mouse.



As for a scroll wheel feature.



I once tried it. Don't like it. It weared out my index finger, and I'm just using it for a few minutes (around a few times, with each time is around a few seconds)!

xype

[quote]Originally posted by satchmo:

<strong>Otherwise, is there any other alternate mouse that look good but have a scroll wheel, and is Mac OSX compatible? I remember vaguely of a clear one that looked similar to the Pro mouse but don't recall who made it.</strong><hr></blockquote>



I am not sure, but I think every USB mouse will work on OSX - don't they use a common "protocol"?



I think a two + scroll button mouse would be great for the pro machines since it's a lot nicer to click the right mouse button than fumbling with the keyboard (as if the shortcuts of the software weren't complicated enough)

mikey offender

Macally makes a usb optical 2 button scroll wheel mouse called the iOptinet. I have it. It rules. Works fine in X. And it's nice looking.

macsrgood4u

Yes. Mickey Mouse will be replaced by Mighty Mouse. 2 buttons, opitcal, wireless.

codewarrior

How about a wireless (Bluetooth?) optical 2 button mouse with scroll wheel? Something like this is what I want. I already have a optical 2 button scroll mouse (logitech).

matsu

You're more likely to get an x86 OSX box than a 2 button mouse.

spart

The Pro Mouse is certianly due for a replacement...it's been around since what, the Cube came along? I think that was back when the iMacs hit 500MHz/went to jewel colors. Can't remember the exact date.



I've voiced my opinion in other threads about how this should work.



Really ingenious way of having two buttons but still a rocking motion like the current Pro Mouse, but not so finicky like other companies' mice that are like this.



The scroll wheel would not be a wheel at all, but rather a sensitive spot inbetween the buttons that did not respond at all to horizontal movement, but strict vertical (front to back I guess. The mouse would be formed so you would natrually place your fingers on the buttons and not the scroll "patch", and the patch too would be indented. If you drug your finger across it, you would go over the slight ridges between the scroll patch and the left and right buttons, so it would be easy to learn where to keep your fingers.



How the mouse will look will certianly be determined by the asthetics of the towers, however I feel that it will not change that much.



If this doesn't happen, we will at least get fancy new plugs and wires like the ones on the iMac's pro keyboard.

mac voyer

This is silly. Apple doesn't need to re-invent the mouse. They just need to catch up to what has already been done. How long can they stay in denial about their one button mouse?

cobra

I think the current mouse and keyboard were introduced at MWNY in July 2000.



My G4 400 was one of the first systems to ship with them.



They are good but I think its time for a replacement.



That said, Apple did not into a new one with the all new iMac.



But then again, I do not see the new white color scheme go well with some new towers either.



I think the white versions are now shipping to stores instead of the black ones.

spart

[quote]Originally posted by Cobra:

<strong>I think the current mouse and keyboard were introduced at MWNY in July 2000.



My G4 400 was one of the first systems to ship with them.



They are good but I think its time for a replacement.



That said, Apple did not into a new one with the all new iMac.



But then again, I do not see the new white color scheme go well with some new towers either.



I think the white versions are now shipping to stores instead of the black ones.</strong><hr></blockquote>



Actually I think both are...same with the keyboard.



What Apple may do is leave the Pro Mouse with the iMac/eMac/iBook and put a new mouse on the PowerMacs. Make the new mouse a BTO option for the iMacs/eMacs/iBooks. Also, put two buttons on the TiBook in the future.