RSSNow, even Apple's mouse is multi-touch
By Tim Conneally | Published October 20, 2009, 1:15 PM
Continuing Apple's incremental shift away from button-based interfaces and toward multi-touch everything, Cupertino today unveiled the Magic Mouse, an acrylic Bluetooth mouse where "the entire surface is a button."
Apple has done to the mouse almost exactly what it did to the trackpad in 2008, it has turned it into a multi-finger reactive surface, where common navigation tasks are given iPhone-like gestures.
For example, the "scrollwheel function" has been associated with a two-finger drag on the trackpad since the 2007 Macbook Pro line. This move can now be done on the surface of the mouse, and has been expanded to allow 360 degree scrolling. Also like the updated trackpad, anywhere on the mouse's surface can be clicked, and though there are no buttons, clicking with the right finger brings up the "button 2" menu, making it a sort of virtual 2-button mouse.
Other gestures have been added to the Magic Mouse, such as two-finger swiping to "page forward" in Safari, iPhoto and iTunes. Unfortunately, the "pinch zoom" feature, which is undoubtedly the most defining Apple gesture (if such a thing could be said) has been translated into an action that requires buttons. To zoom, the user must hold down the Control key on the keyboard and scroll forward or backward on the surface of the Magic Mouse.
The Magic Mouse costs $69 and requires OS X 10.5.8 or higher with Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0
Geez, already have a touchpad on the Vista/Mac laptop, mayhaps the Apple genius' think I now need two touchpads.
Score: 1
|Cute, but I will take my Logitech G5 any day of the week for precision, comfort, productivity, and especially gaming... the latter of which Mac users really have nothing to worry about.
Score: 4
|sweet, but I wish apple had a 90day upgrade policy since I bought my mac mini only 2 months ago, now for same price you get faster hardware :P blahh.
I bought iphone 3g, 2 months later they released 3gs!
I got screwed twice in same year!! doh :O
Score: 0
|You do seem to like taking it up the... ;)
How are all those noodles you have to eat tasting after paying for your obsession.. :D
Score: 0
|umm.. ok? i seem to like it? no, i fking hate it!
Score: 0
|I can see a multi touch keyboard in the future that can also act as a piano
Score: 1
|Keep drooling Winblows users. You won't be getting your sweaty palms on this bad boy anytime soon: http://macdailynews.com/...p/weblog/comments/22797/
Score: -13
|Lol! I prefer buttons on my mouse thank you. You show me an apple mouse that can even come close to the comfort of an MX Revolution and then I will be impressed.
Score: 8
|I have rheumatoid arthritis and most mice are just to much to use. I love my Microsoft Wireless Explorer 2.0 /3000 whatever you want to call it. I also have a LX 710 Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard, but when I am in pain I can't use anything but my Explorer. It fits my hand perfectly and works flawlessly. There is no way I could use tht crap that Mac offers.
I went to the store to buy an extra 1tb HD to back up some files on and the guy working there was a Mac fanboy, so, I had to use the Mac to check out the stats on the HD as these are not in retail boxes. The mouse was the worst thing that I have ever touched and the tinny keyboard without the numberpad was so much crap that it pissed me off. I would smack Jobs in the freaking mouth if I ever met him in person. Unreal, the poor excuse for hardware that is offered for a Mac!
Score: 4
|Does your gay MX Revolution have multi-touche? Is it as sleek and sexy as the Magic Mouse? Was it designed by the coolest company on earth, Apple? Hold your fingers out, make the L sign and hold it over your forehead.
Score: -6
|Get over yourself you old geezer. Your just too use to the outdated garbage that Winblows and PC clone manufacturers offer. Come to the Apple world, things are a log easier and intuitive.
Score: -6
|Tell me how comfortable it is using the MX Revolution left-handed and then, you'll be impressed with a mouse with no buttons. That's why I use a Marble Mouse trackball.
Score: -1
|Already got one. Air mouse App for the iPhone. Connects to both PC's and Mac's.
Score: 2
|This is simply the world's most revolutionary and advanced mouse. Time to get a Mac people.
Score: -11
|lols...
buy a Mac just for a new mouse. aaaahahaha...
Score: 10
|I've already got a few Mac, but will get a few of those Magic Mouse
Score: -6
|And you can figure that someone will have it PC-friendly in how long?
Score: 1
|PC friendly? in about 2020
Score: -10
|loosen your turtleneck, Steve..
Score: 1
|BFD. You couldn't pay me to use a touchpad mouse. I hate using the touchpad on my Thinkpad (which IME is better than those of Macbooks, which I hate as well) enough to carry a mouse, why would I want to use a touchpad on my desktop?
Score: 4
|no thanks
Score: 5
|Looks like Apple is still innovating while Microsoft appears to be standing still. I'm impressed, but I see no use for it. I used to hate mice until they put the track wheel on them and made them reliably wireless. How can you improve upon that? I'm impressed by usability, not by "coolness".
Score: -10
|http://cogadget.com/2009...-touch-mouse-prototypes/
Score: -8
|oh you mean a prototype which was shown a week ago? LOL. Apple has the Magic Mouse in production and selling at retail today. Try again...
Score: -11
|@fatty
Aw ignorance is so cute...
How long do you think MS Research has been working with the mouse concepts you saw last week? Really think they have only been doing this for a little while, seriously?
The touchpad on a mouse is a fairly old concept, go look it up, it predates Apple and Microsoft's work.
But hey Apple has to do something to support OS X's lack of Tablet or Touch screen interface technologies, and a 'touch' mouse is just the ticket.
Score: 3
|MS has been working on it ever since they found out Apple was making one. As it is with everything else Microsoft copies from Apple. Apple has been working with mouse concepts far longer than Microsoft...Apple has it in stores now, which means they have been working on it for a long time.
Score: -9
|Strange comment, I thought it was Xerox who created the mouse!
Score: 2
|Never said Apple created the mouse. Nice try to change the argument. Apple has a product in stores. Microsoft has vaporware. nothing new here....
Score: -9
|"Microsoft has vaporware. nothing new here...."
Microsoft has what Apple does not: numerous other companies who manufacture thousands of products for use with their OSes and the platforms they support.
Taking into account so many 3rd-party manufacturers, I'm guessing the reason why we've not seen such a device for Windows is because they're smart enough to know that such a mouse is a novelty item, guaranteed to inspire "oohs" and "ahhs" for a short while, but will quickly become awkward and a pain in the rear over prolonged usage.
At least PC-compatible mice usually have areas where one can rest their fingers. Even the buttons on most mice allow for some pressure before the threshold is reached to register a click. I cannot imagine having to hover my fingers over a mouse constantly to avoid accidentally "clicking" on something, or making pages scroll erratically when I don't want them to.
"Nothing new" is the fact that Apple mice have traditionally been some of the most uncomfortable input devices in history... from the "puck" on up.
Score: 2
|Ummm, no: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_%28computing%29
Score: -1
|Cool stuff, have to hit the Apple Store and check it out.
Score: -11
|More patent-encumbered, proprietary, vendor lock-in iCrap.
This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. A touchpad turned mouse? I guess I can't put anything past CrApple nowadays. They'll ruin any useful tech they can get their hands on and call it "innovation"!
I have a multitouch enabled touchpad for all of my computers. Not only does it feature all of the above, but instead of having to drag the pad all over the desk to move the cursor, I can just run my fingers over it. What's really wicked-cool about it though, is that it works in Windows, Linux, you name it.
Not just on overpriced, plastic, white-box status symbols.
Score: 13
|ROFL. not sure why you need a mouse pad when it is optical. yes, it only supports Macs as the Windows input API's are too primitive at this point. i am sure Vista 8 will copy more of Apple's OSX and allow for it though.
Score: -11
|You do know that Apple could release a driver for it if they felt like it (As every other hardware mfgr. does), its not like they have invented new API commands, zoom, scroll, its all there, but Apple doesn't make a driver so their product is not compatible. It was a choice on their part, not a technical limitation.
Score: 6
|Oh wait. They did. http://www.connectedhome...dex.cfm?ArticleID=47504
"Windows input API's are too primitive"
You Mac people just make this stuff up don't you?
Score: 3
|[facepalm]
That link is for the Mighty Mouse. Wow. Just wow....
Score: -10
|Quote gubmonte:
"You do know that Apple could release a driver for it if they felt like it "
"Oh wait. They did. http://www.connectedhome...fm?ArticleID=47504";
Quote fathead
"That link is for the Mighty Mouse. Wow. Just wow...."
Now try reading it, retard.
"Will the Mighty Mouse work on the PC? In fact, it does. And it even works more closely to the way I'd like it to work than it does in Mac OS X with the Mighty Mouse software installed, "
[facepalm], indeed.
Score: 5
|LOL. PC_Tool, i thought you knew better than to try posting your BS around me after me having made a mockery of your ill-informed posts. So, school is in....
From Apple's web site:
System Requirements
* Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer
* Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later with Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0
* Existing keyboard and mouse for setup
Yeah, you have to have a Mac computer running OSX 10.5.8 or later.
Here is a real link, unlike your link from _2005_. Yep, August 24, 2005!!!! ROFL. Did not know the Magic Mouse was out in 2005. ROFL..
http://www.apple.com/magicmouse
So yes, [facepalm] to your stupidity too. btw...calling people names will get you sent to the principals office PC_Tool. Can't wait for you to show your stupidity some more. LOL.
Score: -10
|@ fatty
"Windows input API's are too primitive"
Really? Wow, I didn't think 50 point touch APIs were 'outdated', in fact Windows is the only OS that supports this...
Score: 6
|LOL. i guess the touch screen on the iPhone does not count. Only in your mind. You Microsoft fanboys make this all too easy. Face it, you have crap OS Monopoly company thrashing about trying to take on Google and Apple and failing on all fronts. Vista 7 is DOA except for no profit cheapo cloner netbooks which no one makes money on except for Microsoft.
Score: -9
|Dumber and dumber...I hadn't thought it possible.
Fathead: Someone tried it in Windows. It worked. It worked very well. Hell, according to the article linked (that you didn't read), it worked better in Windows than it did on Mac OS X.
Learn2Read, jackass. Just because Apple tells you it requires Mac OS X doesn't make it so.
Score: 0
|@PC_Tool - so you are going to tell me a story about the Mighty Mouse from August 24, 2005, is about the Apple Magic Mouse which was just released yesterday? wow. Obvious tard is obvious.
Score: -2
|*laughing*
Hehe...
Magic/mighty. perhaps I should learn to read.
Well, FWIW: From the gizmodo review:
http://gizmodo.com/53858...le-magic-mouse-hands-on
"Apple tech said it will work with windows. Here is what they said.
Apple: I do apologize but the left click and right click will not work at the same time on the new Magic Mouse.
Me: and the gestures will work in Windows?
Apple: Yes it will."
So there ya go. Even when I am wrong? I am right. Ain't it great? Don't you love how I can school you even when you think there's no way in hell I could possibly climb out of the hole I dug for myself? Well, it just goes to show: You=moron. Me (and everyone else here)=able to actually use our brains.
Have a great day, fathead!
Score: 0
|Heh... good save. =)
Score: 0
|You didn't actually think Apple would make a mouse that they didn't plan on at least partially supporting in Windows, did you?
One word:
BootCamp.
Right now, one or two gestures are not working in BootCamp 3.0. I do not doubt that will be remedied quickly. It is only a short step from there to pulling the drivers out of a BootCamp install for use in "real" Windows. :)
Score: 0
|ROFL. So some anonymous poster says it will work half assed on Windows. So, no, it DOES not work on Windows. Says so right on Apple's website. If Apple supported Windows, why woudl it not say so on their website? School is in PC_Tool. I own you. You=wrong. Me=right.
Keep digging yourself a bigger hole. Everyone is laughing at you...I know i am
Score: -3
|So you admit, it does _not_ work in Windows. Waiting for your traditional [sarcasm] response pretending you were joking the whole time. Me=right you= wrong. i own you
Score: -3
|You!=everyone. Sorry, man, but you're on your own here. You know no-one here reads or responds to your posts out of anything more than morbid curiosity.
Funny how it *does* work in Windows. Even Apple says so. They have a support article about it. One gesture doesn't work. That's it. It's a BootCamp 3.0 issue. It will be fixed.
If you don't believe that, you don't know Apple as well as you think you do...which isn't surprising considering you don't know *anything* as well as you think you do.
Score: 2
|You just cant stop digging yourself a deeper hole. "You!=everyone" What does that mean?
The Magic Mouse does _not_ work with Windows. http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3039 When there are no issues, and it is fully supported, it will work, right? I own you.
Score: -1
|"Everyone is laughing at you...I know i am"
""You!=everyone"
Got it? You're the only one laughing...
With you...there are always issues. Mainly because they're your issues. You own them. :)
Score: 1
|@PC_Tool: Do not engage him. He is clearly off his meds.
Score: 0
|i like Microsofts multi-touch mouse, where you can pinch zoom ;) will prob buy one when released for PC
Score: 5
|It will come with QT and a million other services that will bog down your machine. lol
Score: 2
|"It will come with Silverturd and a million other security holes/browser plug-ins/browser extensions that will bog down your machine and expose it to major security risks. lol"
fixt that for ya
Score: -13
|Yes, that is what Crapple does when it makes something for Windows. Like iTunes!
So, yeah, you did fix it for me. Thanks.
Score: 4
|Lol so true. I refuse to get any of my family members an ipod because I know they will want me to put music on it and I don't want to be stuck using the bloated crap that is iTunes.
Score: 3
|Agreed, which is why I use SharePod for mine instead. Plus, it lets me transfer files in both directions.
Score: 0
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