Apple Introduces the $50 Mouse - Another Hocky Puck?

Mac Weakly ^ | March 25, 2005 | SchwarzTech

[BJungNan]

The Rodent Mac Infestation

Here I come to save the day!

Will it be another hockey puck?On Tuesday, Apple introduced a new "multibutton" mouse, called the Mighty Mouse. The mouse looks like a slightly modified version of the mouse it replaced, except it has a noticable "Scroll Ball" in the center.

The $50 mouse still has one big mechanical button, but touch sensors can tell if you're left or right clicking. Two pressure-sensitive controls on the sides can be used for another function. The Scroll Ball can scroll in any direction, and also is clickable. Unfortunately, you must have OS X 10.4.2 to get all of the features.

Also, Ars Technica took it apart to see how it works.

Walt Mossberg reviewed it, and found there to be some problems:

"...right-clicking with the Mighty Mouse was unpredictable. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. We needed to press the right side repeatedly to get a single right click, slowing us down and annoying us, well, mightily."

Plus, there are plenty of multibutton alternatives for less money. We're just wondering: will this be the next hockey-puck mouse or something great?

[Delta 21]

As far as Im concerned you can lump all Mouse type pointing devices in with that ugly puck! I cant believe that 99% of the computer users out there still use them.
One button, two, three, with/without a scroll wheel, optical...it doesnt matter...

THEY SUCK!

[freedumb2003]

LOL

So much for Apple being "easier" and "more intuitive."

[freedumb2003]

The new Miracle Mouse has been especially designed to eliminate those annoying false right-clicks by requiring confirming clicks in situations where the user may have clicked accidently."

I bow before The Master! ;)

[AmishDude]

You are right, but there is nothing wrong with mocking the Fisher-Price computers.

I'm a trackball man myself.

[Swordmaker]

It works mostly OK, except for Appleworks. On an unsaved word-processing document using the scroll button usually scrambles the text until it is saved, at which time it straightens itself out.

That's odd... haven't seen a problem with seven users using both Appleworks6 and the Mighty Mouse. I don't use the Mighty Mouse at home... I have an old Logitech scroll ball that I am extremely fond of and very used to. But when working on my client's computers, I have not had any problems such as you describe.

[Swordmaker]

A friend just got a PC with Media Center that came with one of those as a hybrid remote/mouse, and I love it.

I suspect that took a bit of practice to learn to use...

[Swordmaker]

As for the spelling of MacWeekly vs. MacWeakly, not my fault the web site got it wrong.

The website spells it correctly.

[Swordmaker]

Try this with a MAC.

Why? What is he (or the cat doing)? Removing the Media Access Card?

[BJungNan]

the cat whiskers appear to be stuck in the computer. has no bearing on the discussion.

[coconutt2000]

A computer came in for repair that was almost impossible to figure out. When booted the video would be shifted half off the monitor.

After the usual trouble shooting techniques were applied it was determined to be a software problem.

It turned out to be a corrupted font.

I'm sure the tech who pulled that machine kept the fonts in his collection of weird stuff.

[N3WBI3]

Try what opening the case? installing your own parts? I did that on my mothers Mac all the time..

[Turbopilot]

Surprisingly, no. You hold down a button to "activate" the mouse and it's very intuitive. It's not the most practical thing for sitting at a laptop or desktop, but if you have a computer hooked up to a TV it's fantastic, and it works as a normal mouse if you have a desk to slide it on.

[BJungNan]

After tonight, don't even tell me Macs are better. Dang thing crashed three times today. What a piece of OS X garbage.