As Apple preps multi-touch mouse, Microsoft shows off its own

2456

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 102
    mac voyermac voyer Posts: 1,294member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dreyfus2 View Post


    The only thing that amazes me here, is the reliability of MS's vaporware game. They master the strategy of "as soon as somebody seems to have something ready that might eventually be good, say "we too" immediately" since more than 20 years... Apple tablet rumors getting about real? Here is our 3D animation of a tablet device. Apple multi-touch mouse about ready? Here are our prototypes. Hilarious. But compared to these "prototypes", the MS lady playing a five-key piano on a vertical screen (wtf?) during AllThingsD did not even look that desperate.



    Exactly!



    There was a time when companies copied what Apple did. Now they copy what they think Apple will do.
  • Reply 22 of 102
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    It is. AND it has to be functional.



    Apple has beautiful hardware. Why treat the mouse any differently? Besides, touch technology on a mouse makes things on the function side a whole lot easier to manage. Apple has mastered touch tech, anyway.



    Wrong - it has to be fuctional first and formost THEN add the stylishness.

    Apple's mice have never been well liked, reviewed, or remembered yet they're VERY stylish.
  • Reply 23 of 102
    These are prototypes... I doubt that if any would come to production that they would look like this.



    But then again, with a mouse, I'll ALWAYS take function over form. That's why my first purchase with any Apple computer I had was a new mouse, and always one that had TWO buttons. So sad that even STILL, their laptops only have one button. Two finger press thing always irked me when I had an MBP (and it never worked right in Windows).



    But like many others say, and I will contune to do:



    This is NOT APPLE news!!! I really don't care what MS has in store. I want to know about Apple's products. Grr.

    (I'd be very sad if AI plugs MS stories because they know the vast hatred of MS among Apple fans, and with such will get more hits on their pages.)
  • Reply 24 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


    It's amusing that, once again, defensive MS feels the need to show vapourware as some kind of attempted counter to anyone else having a good idea.



    I've been starting to wonder if this is going to become their standard press move: the press whips itself into a fury about a possible Apple product, so Microsoft points people toward a similar research idea they toyed with and discarded years ago.



    I'm not sure what the up-side is for Microsoft though. Do they really want to draw attention to the fact that they spend ungodly amounts of money on very interesting research yet their business proper is consistently incapable of turning those ideas and prototypes into quality products?



    That said, Microsoft's peripherals are very good. If their hardware team hasn't moved those prototypes toward the product stage, it's because they don't work and those designs will probably never be produced for very good reasons.
  • Reply 25 of 102
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post




    This is NOT APPLE news!!! I really don't care what MS has in store. I want to know about Apple's products. Grr.



    MS is coming out with a Huge Touch screen coffee table that matches up to your flat screen TV. Just kidding!
  • Reply 26 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    MS is coming out with a Huge Touch screen coffee table that matches up to your flat screen TV. Just kidding!



    MS Announces that Windows 7 will be able to utilize "Air Gestures" via your web cam. :P
  • Reply 27 of 102
    takeotakeo Posts: 445member
    If you ask me... form over function never applies to good design. When you're talking about design... form always follows function. Always. Otherwise it's not design... it's art... or sculpture... or whatever. Apple doesn't seem to get that when it comes to mice.
  • Reply 28 of 102
    buzdotsbuzdots Posts: 452member
    ...Balmer: "Wait, me too"
  • Reply 29 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    I thought Microsoft came up with the 2 button concept- am I missing something?



    Yes, you are missing something. Mice, including 2-button mice were around long before MS. The original mouse was 1 button. Xerox did three, then 2 (in the 70's). Apple stuck with 1. MS opted for 2.



    Seriously, do some research. Believe it or not, there was a computing world before MS or Apple.
  • Reply 30 of 102
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by moracity View Post


    . Mice, including 2-button mice were around long before MS. The original mouse was 1 button. Xerox did three, then 2 (in the 70's). Apple stuck with 1. MS opted for 2.



    Seriously, do some research. Believe it or not, there was a computing world before MS or Apple.



    Oh- and exactly how does that explain why Apple followed Microsoft with a 2 button mouse?

    And morse code preceded the invention of the mouse click.

    Seriously, know how to add to a post.
  • Reply 31 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    These are prototypes... I doubt that if any would come to production that they would look like this.



    as I just wrote in my post a few minutes earlier, look at the Zune!
  • Reply 32 of 102
    It's too bad that AI did not link or reference the Gizmodo coverage of this http://gizmodo.com/5374224/the-futur...f-there-is-one because actually - the MS multitouch mouse is actually quite cool as you can see from the video.
  • Reply 33 of 102
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    the mouse is not supposed to be stylish



    It's not supposed to be not stylish, either. Obviously, function is important, but there is absolutely no reason it can't be stylishly combined with form. Given mice of equal fitness for purpose, I'd prefer to have the more elegant mouse on my desk. Hopefully, Apple will keep working on advancing both aspects of the mouse (and the computer) until they perfect it.
  • Reply 34 of 102
    todtod Posts: 3member
    This is how Microsoft makes their money. They have always operated this way. They try to upstage everyone else with vaporware. Since the Apple tablet rumors are very strong now, MS has shown off a prototype of their own concept. So what? I am not impressed by a potential. Give me the actual. I like that Apple never announces its plans or ideas in advance. They talk about something when it's finished.



    --

    Tod's blog: http://www.cleverlikeafox.com
  • Reply 35 of 102
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    It's not supposed to be not stylish, either. Obviously, function is important, but there is absolutely no reason it can't be stylishly combined with form. Given mice of equal fitness for purpose, I'd prefer to have the more elegant mouse on my desk. Hopefully, Apple will keep working on advancing both aspects of the mouse (and the computer) until they perfect it.



    Coming from anonymouse we hold you words with high respect. However if you follow my posts I stated FUNCTION FIRST THEN ADD STYLE not the other way around.
  • Reply 36 of 102
    cdyatescdyates Posts: 202member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Takeo View Post


    If you ask me... form over function never applies to good design. When you're talking about design... form always follows function. Always. Otherwise it's not design... it's art... or sculpture... or whatever. Apple doesn't seem to get that when it comes to mice.



    Exactamundo. Microsoft has been selling very good, very usable mice for a long time - as has logitech. Apple has not done so well with the usable part, although they are always pretty.
  • Reply 37 of 102
    hzchzc Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Wrong - it has to be fuctional first and formost THEN add the stylishness.

    Apple's mice have never been well liked, reviewed, or remembered yet they're VERY stylish.



    That's a matter of opinion. Some put style first. Some want a balance. For all the ergonomics concerns that regular keyboard bring, how many people do you know that use those split/angled keyboards? In this case, it may not be a style issue, but the point is that whatever works for someone is what they use.



    And I love my Mighty Mouse. It works for me. Although the scroll ball mechanism is problematic, I do love the way it scrolls and would not go back to a regular wheel mouse. Apple has needed to address the malfunctions caused by dirt/grease/whatever getting into the scroll ball mechanism, and they have now done so. I will buy the new mouse as soon as it is available.
  • Reply 38 of 102
    hzchzc Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cdyates View Post


    Exactamundo. Microsoft has been selling very good, very usable mice for a long time - as has logitech. Apple has not done so well with the usable part, although they are always pretty.



    Now if MS can only get the Bluetooth part correct. I've used their BT mouse before. It was a total waste of money.
  • Reply 39 of 102
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hzc View Post


    I will buy the new mouse as soon as it is available.



    I bet you will.
  • Reply 40 of 102
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Coming from anonymouse we hold you words with high respect. However if you follow my posts I stated FUNCTION FIRST THEN ADD STYLE not the other way around.



    Yes, but not in the post I quoted. I chose to respond to that one, where it was stated that it wasn't supposed to be stylish to emphasize that I believe it is supposed to be stylish. I also don't believe style should be a mere afterthought as, "function first then add style," seems to imply.



    However, my choice of what to reply to really has very little to do with you personally in most cases, so it's of little consequence that you may have said something else later, unless it's my intent to contest an entire line of argument. Not everything is about you.
Sign In or Register to comment.