By Collin Allen

Mighty Mouse

August 2, 2005

Today, Apple released a multi-button mouse for the Mac, dubbed Mighty Mouse. While others have been available since the dawn of time itself, Apple held out until they could conjure up a clever solution worthy of the glossy white plastic look that we all know and love. Not only does the mouse have two buttons and a scroll wheel, it takes everything a step further. The button on the top of the mouse, like previous models, is still just one piece of plastic. However, it is pressure sensitive on either side, allowing for two button functionality with a one-button look. The scroll wheel has also been rethought, and is now a clickable scroll ball atop the mouse, providing the ability to scroll in any direction without using the keyboard (side tip: for now, you can hold Shift and scroll in most areas to move sideways). Force sensitive buttons on the sides can launch applications or run any other Dashboard or Expos̩ feature Рevery button is programmable.

I’ve been waiting for a mouse like this for years from Apple, and they’ve finally come through. I can’t wait to test drive this new little device, which is priced at $49. It’s going to be a tough sell, as I’m tied rather tightly to my Logitech two-button mice. Apple’s mouse has all the features I want and more, so they may end up making a convert out of me yet.

[via]

Update: Here’s a screenshot of the new Keyboard and Mouse preference pane, showing the controls for the Mighty Mouse.

Mastodon