Housekeeping: The Beat was down a bit over the weekend when my web host moved it to a faster, more up to date server. I also got one of those new fangled Time Warner modems that offers five times faster internet speed. So we’re TURBO here!
At the same time, the mouse I’ve been using for about five years went belly up. The coffee spill that happened a few weeks ago may have contributed but the autopsy results aren’t in yet. I immediately went to Staples and bought a $10 mouse as a stopgap, and upon getting it home it did not work. PERIOD. MELONFARMER. NEVER BUY CHEAP TECH. However, luckily later in the day I was walking by a pile of discarded computer equipment and was able to obtain a Mighty Mouse from the pile.
I haven’t used the Mighty Mouse in a while but upon touching it, I was reminded that Puny Mouse would have been a better name, as this is the worst designed mouse I have ever used. Basically right click happens at the most random times, it feels weird and I hate it. Not as much as I hate Staples, but it’s close.
It’s also a reminder that Apple products are rarely extensively tested in the human world after some engineer/designer says “It looks great!” and this is a huge flaw of the company. Despite the fast that I’m ApplefLife, i can see how this might contribute to the Apple-phobia some people have. Since all the new iPhones were announced, it seems the iWatch hasn’t been setting the world on fire, and I’m wondering it this Dick Tracy dream device fell into the same design trap.
But we’re persevering, and carrying on, crap mouse or no.
A Logitech Performance MX mouse will solve your problems. Fits your hand, works great, comfortable as all heck.
Just the other day my grandma was telling me she was looking to replace her Mighty Mouse.
It’s definitely a triumph of style over substance. Who thought it was better to keep the “all one button” design and graft a right click on using a touch sensor than just to have a second damn mouse button?
Well, I’ve got an idea who, and he’s the same guy who held off on putting hard drives in Macs for most of the 1980’s because they were too loud.
The new Magic Mouse works great though.
No, the absolute worst mouse ever made were the ones that Apple made around the time of their “Graphite” stage. They were perfectly round, which was completely the opposite of ergonomic.
I use Macs, but always end up replacing the mouse. Keyboard too — the “chiclet” keyboards don’t do it for me either.
I’m using one of those mighty mice right now, and it’s more like the @^#$@#* mouse: the scroll/track ball on top has never worked properly. Maybe mouse hair is caught in it…
Go buy a Logitech wireless and be done with it.
I use an Apple trackpad instead of a mouse. Changed my life. Not even joking.
Thad: the first personal computer to use a hard drive, ten megabytes in size, was a Macintosh computer first on sale in September 1985. The drive itself was first manufactured earlier that year, so Jobs hardly held off on using one. Apple as a general rule adopts new technology quicker than most similar companies, sometimes to their embarrassment as wiry he Newton.
Why doesn’t someone merge a cellphone with a mouse?
Replace the camera with the optical sensor.
Transmit special menus to the touch screen (like for Photoshop!)
Side buttons for clicking, top of the screen is reserved for scrolling.