The evolution of the mouse
I read the article about the alleged new Pro Mouse with interest ?? especially the part about "jaws will drop".
I wondered just how good a mouse would have to be in order for jaws to drop, and I wondered just what kind of features you'd have to put in there.
Apple has a tendancy to "refine" they way that we think about the items that we take for granted. I think Apple will redefine the mouse.
The humble mouse hasn't changed much in form since it was first introduced, due mainly to ergonomics. The introduction of optical technology has meant that designers no longer have to shoe-horn the mechanical components into the mouse and there is a great deal of wasted space inside the mouse.
So what next? How about on-mouse storage. Imagine an iPod mini but with an optical mouse mechanism tacked-on. Imagine taking you mouse with you wherever you went, and all your personal data files ?? fonts, mp3s, calendars, contacts etc. ?? were stored on the mouse. You just walk up to a Mac, pull out your Pro mouse and hey presto all your files are there.
Hell, maybe one day you'll open up your new copy of Mac OS X and there'll be a mouse in there rather than a collection of DVDs!
Just letting my mind wander...
I wondered just how good a mouse would have to be in order for jaws to drop, and I wondered just what kind of features you'd have to put in there.
Apple has a tendancy to "refine" they way that we think about the items that we take for granted. I think Apple will redefine the mouse.
The humble mouse hasn't changed much in form since it was first introduced, due mainly to ergonomics. The introduction of optical technology has meant that designers no longer have to shoe-horn the mechanical components into the mouse and there is a great deal of wasted space inside the mouse.
So what next? How about on-mouse storage. Imagine an iPod mini but with an optical mouse mechanism tacked-on. Imagine taking you mouse with you wherever you went, and all your personal data files ?? fonts, mp3s, calendars, contacts etc. ?? were stored on the mouse. You just walk up to a Mac, pull out your Pro mouse and hey presto all your files are there.
Hell, maybe one day you'll open up your new copy of Mac OS X and there'll be a mouse in there rather than a collection of DVDs!
Just letting my mind wander...
Comments
The only problem would be losing it, but thay could always add a wire to a big aluminum box that sits on or under the desk
But seriously, you are right it would have to be pretty special to make my jaw drop especially a mouse.
j.
So what next? How about on-mouse storage. Imagine an iPod mini but with an optical mouse mechanism tacked-on. Imagine taking you mouse with you wherever you went, and all your personal data files ?? fonts, mp3s, calendars, contacts etc. ?? were stored on the mouse. You just walk up to a Mac, pull out your Pro mouse and hey presto all your files are there.
Sony had a mouse just like that but it had a memory card slot instead of a hard drive.
We heard this about Apple's pro mouse. My jaw only dropped when I heard the price.
The natural evolution from the mouse and much more durable.
Would look cool and would work well if they stayed with the translucent plastic casings to let light through, if they do bring out new mice though, I think they will go aluminium/white with the design to match the current Apple look.
Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg
"Jaws will drop."
We heard this about Apple's pro mouse. My jaw only dropped when I heard the price.
Originally posted by alliancep.s.i
you cant keyboard shorcut everything.
true, but people are making a huge deal over this apple 'pro' mouse, and it really won't do anything new. i dont see why people are judging apple over something as insignificant as a mouse.
Originally posted by ipodandimac
true, but people are making a huge deal over this apple 'pro' mouse, and it really won't do anything new. i dont see why people are judging apple over something as insignificant as a mouse.
A mouse is almost as important as the OS as it is the way you interact with the computer. A newly designed mouse from Apple which includes scrolling and right-click would be revolutionary - both for the UI and how Macs are used.
Why-for improved precision/accuray and is cutting-edge
Agilent provides the sensor for the above mouse (a 20xx series sensor):
http://www.home.agilent.com/cgi-bin/...OUNTRY_CODE=US
One of the listed-the 3060 could suit the Apple mouse because it would be a big improvement :
The ADNS-3060 is a high performance optical mouse sensor for optimum precision navigation in mice applications. This sensor provides a non-mechanical tracking engine for implementing a computer-pointing device. It is based on optical navigation technology which measures changes in position by optically acquiring sequential surface images up to 6400 times per second and mathematically determining the direction and magnitude of movement at the maximum of 800 counts per inch (cpi), at speeds up to 40 inches per second (ips) and acceleration up to 15g - for increased user precision and smoothness. Agilent provides samples of the complete optical mouse tracking engine kit (Part #ADNK-3061). The CMOS based sensor is mounted in a 20-pin staggered dual inline package (DIP)and designed for use with the ADNS-2220 (LED Assembly Clip) and HLMP-ED80 (639 nm LED illumination source)and ADNS-2120(lens).
With its high performance feature, this optical mouse sensor caters for mice applications in both gaming and office environments. Furthermore, it can navigate on virtually all surfaces.
Features
High speed motion detection - up to 40 ips and 15g
New architecture for greatly improved optical navigation technology
Programmable frame rate over 6400 frames per second
SmartSpeed self-adjusting frame rate for optimum performance
Serial port burst mode for fast data transfer
400 or 800 cpi programmable resolution
Single 3.3 volt power supply
Four-wire serial port dedicated for efficient communications
Features for increased speed with Chip Select, Power Down, and Reset pins
Application
Mice for game consoles and computer games
Mice for desktop PC's, Workstations, and portable PC's
Integrated input devices
"
Actually does or would the current Apple mouse use a third-party optical sensor or a in-house designed one?
Except when I got my Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. And then I only liked it because it had 5 buttons which I use all the time now!
I think anything else other than buttons are "fluff". Same with a keyboard; I don't want sound buttons, zoom buttons, scrolling wheels etc integrated into it. They're input devices for me to control my computer. They're going to have to do some creative thinking to impress me. The scrollwheel was the most recent revolutionary addition to the mouse.
Although I did modify a trackball once and stuck a fan inside it. I was bored and I've never used it either.
As with the current mouse, I think the people whose jaws will drop are the people who understand what Apple is trying to do. Anyone whose ideal mouse is encrusted with buttons and wheels and knobs is going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, if Apple has found a way to make a Shake-compatible mouse that avoids the unergonomic fingertip buttons of conventional mice and keeps most of the advantages of their current mouse, that could be something.
Originally posted by Amorph
Apple's a UNIX derivative, not a Windows derivative, and the classic UNIX mouse (like the very first mouse) has three buttons.
As with the current mouse, I think the people whose jaws will drop are the people who understand what Apple is trying to do. Anyone whose ideal mouse is encrusted with buttons and wheels and knobs is going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, if Apple has found a way to make a Shake-compatible mouse that avoids the unergonomic fingertip buttons of conventional mice and keeps most of the advantages of their current mouse, that could be something.
Definitely, it's a very exciting time!
Originally posted by Amorph
As with the current mouse, I think the people whose jaws will drop are the people who understand what Apple is trying to do. Anyone whose ideal mouse is encrusted with buttons and wheels and knobs is going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, if Apple has found a way to make a Shake-compatible mouse that avoids the unergonomic fingertip buttons of conventional mice and keeps most of the advantages of their current mouse, that could be something.
As I pointed out in another thread, I imagined a way to make an ergonomic shape that is both multibutton and ambidexterous. Think of a football with concentric rings (laces) -- whether you hold it left or right handed the thumb, index and middle fingers fall to the same buttons -- and they do so because they relax a strained wrist posture (wrist parallel with surface...
Is there a way to avoid this looking like an iBoob ? That's your new mouse...
Apple could call it the iGerbil, in anticipation of the third-party extensions that will inevitably show up.