on 03/6/11 8:24 AM, Eugene Lee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I find this statement somewhat lacking because adding more buttons, > scroll wheels, and other things to the one-button mouse makes it more > complex to use and less ergonomic to the hand.
Must disagree. Unlike a second or third button (which I suppose might cause some confusion for some brand new users), a scroll wheel can simply and very easily be ignored if the user chooses not to use it. The mouse's ergonomicity (wow, is that a word?) is mostly a function of how it melds into your hand. (Which is why I went with the XLR8 model; tried out several, but this one just fit like a glove.) That was the problem with the old hockey puck mouse -- it didn't become one with your hand. Plus, being round, it didn't give you the instant, tactile feedback as to its exact up/down, left/right orientation. This is what a mouse that fits right into your palm does. (It's also ironic that the presence of a scroll wheel actually helps in that tactile orientation as to which way the mouse is pointing.) The main thing is, the scroll wheel never feels like it's in the way; it's just right there like a trusty friend whenever you need it. And especially on the web, if you choose to take advantage of it, a wheel makes many functions simpler, not more complex. on 03/6/11 8:24 AM, "David M. Ensteness" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Uhm, hate to say this, I used to hold back from saying it in fact when > it was a $30+ investment, but you can go buy a compatible USB scroll > mouse for less than $15-20 ... so I would say just go buy one and move > on with life. The point is not that it's cheap to go out and buy a better third party mouse; the point is you shouldn't have to. The point is that it's frustrating to see Apple being so progressive in many areas of its hardware design, and so stubbornly retrogressive in others. The point is that people who might want their hardware to have the same stylistic look and feel are denied that option when it comes to having a versatile, sensibly designed mouse. And the point is that it's embarrassing when you're encouraging a friend (either new user or potential switcher) to go the Mac route, that you have to be honest and explain why they really should add a non-Apple mouse to their purchase. > Don't spose you know the reasons behind the one button mouse do you? > Not asking because I don't know but asking because that is the same > reason extended to having no scroll wheels. And that just proves how even a well-meaning design philosophy (keep the hardware interface as bare-bones simple as possible) can actually be detrimental when applied rigidly, blindly, and across the board, with pig-headed disregard for the changing realities of life for the average user -- especially when using the web (to bring us back to the scroll wheel scenario). I've had newbie Mac friends at my house who discover the scroll wheel, take to it immediately (since it's a very intuitive, user-friendly, and therefore Mac-appropriate tool), and immediately want to know how come the Apple mouse that came with their new machine doesn't have one. These are not power users by any stretch of the imagination -- just people who find the scroll wheel a welcome convenience in many situations. To sum up: 1) While some new users might find multiple mouse buttons confusing, almost no-one with anything close to a normal I.Q. is going to be flustered by the presence of a scroll wheel. 2) For many, scroll wheels are a decided advantage and a genuine convenience in many interfacing situations -- even for brand new users. 3) While relatively inexpensive third party solutions are certainly out there, that's nevertheless an inconvenience Apple could easily spare its precious customers -- whose loyalty to all its software AND hardware it should be doing everything to preserve. When it comes to mice, it's time for Apple to stop shooting itself in the foot and get with the program. Give us a sleek, stylish Apple Pro optical mouse with one of those unobtrusive, non-confusing, simple-to-use (and easy to ignore), life-enhancing scroll wheels, with OS-integrated and easily-updatable drivers. This would actually mean being true to the MOST basic Apple/Mac design philosophy of all: make the computing experience as friendly and pleasurable as possible. And sometimes that spirit needs to trump other dictums like the "one button and NOTHING ELSE" rule for mice, which at one time made sense, but times have changed -- scroll wheels being the perfect example. -- John Bertram -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 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