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The Mighty Mouse Has Lost Its Tail 219

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the evolution-removing-another-tail dept.
An anonymous reader writes "It's all over the place - Apple has just released a Bluetooth version of the Mighty Mouse for $69. It features a new laser based tracking system and gets it power from either one or two (you decide) replaceable AA batteries, but does not work with Windows yet (no words on Linux)."
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The Mighty Mouse Has Lost Its Tail More

The Mighty Mouse Has Lost Its Tail

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  • Mighty Mouse! (Score:4, Funny)

    by dr_dank ( 472072 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @02:35PM (#15777767) Homepage Journal
    Here I come to point and click!
    • That's almost as funny as Apples regression mouse - ie zero buttons. It was bad enough that apple can't produce a two button mouse, but c'mon how is this useful??

      I was supporting my father-in-law the other day, who has an eMacintosh or iMacintosh or something like that. In any case, his mouse had this annoying feature where there's no button (or heaven forbid, a scroll wheel) and you push down to click.

      I couldn't wait to get finished so I could get back to a real mouse on my SUSE laptop. :P
      • I used to have this attitude, until I realized you can configure it any way you like - so as long as it's new enough (within 3 years or so), even if you don't *see any buttons, you can actually right-click...
      • Trolling or clueless?
        The surface is pressure-sensitive. Can be used as a standard 2-button mouse just fine.
        • "Can be used as a standard 2-button mouse just fine."

          No third button? No scroll wheel? Why not get a real mouse [logitech.com]?
          • Subscribe!

            I am neither trolling or clueless. I just point out that the whole mouse has to be moved to click. Instead of simply moving one finger, I now have to make the whole hand move - much more effort. Not at all user friendly.

            Oh, and if there's a right-click option, it wasn't obvious.

            Next, you're going to tell me that my SE-30 mouse has right-click functionality built-in.
            • you guys are all retarded.

              I have been using the original mighty mouse since it came out. right-clicking is easy and comfortable. it also has a middle click (also easy and comfortable) and a 4th mouse button by squeezing the sides (easy for me, but a bit uncomfortable for some people who hold the mouse differently).

              the scroll wheel works rotates in all directions - vertical, horizonal, and any angle in between all easy.

              it's a fantastic mouse, much better than my MX900. get a clue before you troll again.
            • When I got my Quicksilver a few years ago, it came with the Apple Pro Mouse. It was a single-click, press-the-whole-damn-mouse-body-down-to-click mouse. I never really gave it a chance, because I'd always used two-button mice with my Macs -- well, ever since 8.0 or 8.1 when Ctrl-Click was introduced, and after-market mice provided a driver to make the right-button work. As a Windows user even then, I recognized the usefulness of a right-clickable mouse. So the Mighty Mouse was replaced with a generic Window
            • I don't like Apple mice (I have a logitech with several buttons on my eMac), but really. You don't have to click with your whole hand. Even with an old-school non-Mighty mouse, you just press down with one finger like usual and let the mouse move under your hand. Unless you have such incredibly weak fingers that you can't press the whole weight of the mouse down with it, it shouldn't be a problem.

              Just thank your lucky stars he didn't have a puck mouse. Forget clicking, just *pointing* with those things ga

          • Why not get a real mouse?

            Because real mice need regular feeding, and they tend to crap all over the desk.

    • "And quit rubbing that plastic bar of soap around on the desk!" -Strong Bad

  • Bad link (Score:5, Informative)

    by TINGEA77 ( 935076 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @02:39PM (#15777803)
    bad link, use this instead... BTW how is this news!!??

    http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/ [apple.com]

    • Re:Bad link (Score:2, Funny)

      by jayhawk88 ( 160512 )
      How is this news? Apple just released a 3 yeard old technology with a cute name and useless features! I mean come on, I'm shocked that the President hasn't addressed the nation yet!

      • Re:Bad link (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Jeff DeMaagd ( 2015 )
        The scroll is a useful feature and is the only reason I keep the Mighty Mouse. All the other competitors that scroll horizontally with the tilt wheel require a lot of force and is only an on/off button, not a proportional positioning device, with Mighty Mouse, it just rolls effortlessly.

        I thought the laser pointing was only introduced last year.
    • BTW how is this news!!??

      Well, if you didn't know, the wireless version was just released today; it's the "wired" one that was released a year ago. Or, if you're wondering why every product release from Apple becomes news on Slashdot, well, I don't know, but I, for one, find it interesting. :)

    • For a minute, I thought that Disney lost its battle to keep Mickey Mouse (or wally the rabbit, whatever) copyrighted.

      This news dissapoints me.

    • Re:Bad link (Score:3, Interesting)

      by phayes ( 202222 )
      > How is this news?

      Have you tried buying a bluetooth mouse without also having to buy an associated dongle recently? Bluetooth mice pretty much seem to have disapeared from the market. I'd like to buy the equivalent of my old Logitech MX900 except without the docking station for my Lattitude 810 that has integrated Bluetooth. However, bluetooth mice seem to have gone out of style and MK900 is no longer for sale by itself. I could only buy it if I was willing to buy their high end keyboard, USB docking st
    • Well, it's Apple! If it weren't apple, the predominant tag here would be "slashvertisement".
       
  • does not work with Windows yet (no words on Linux)
    I'm disappointed. And it's expensive too.
    • I have several problems besides ergonomics that i have with the current mouse. Really short cord, only 1 button can be pressed at once, the ball sometimes doesn't work (push really really hard and roll to fix it), and the side buttons only act as 1 button. I would love it if i could make the left side button and right side button 2 of the 3 expose features and use AT THE SAME TIME the left click or right click to drag. My old cheap (but busted) mouse worked this way. I might just go back...

      • Re:So much for standards (Score:5, Informative)

        by technos ( 73414 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @03:47PM (#15778541) Homepage Journal
        Really short cord

        Mouse is really designed to be plugged in to the USB hub of the keyboard next to it. You know, the Apple Pro with the 6 foot cable?

        the ball sometimes doesn't work (push really really hard and roll to fix it)

        Better way to fix it; Alcohol on the roller ball, copious amounts. Roll the ball on a clean cloth. You'll be surprised how much crap it has gathered off your fingers.

        Best way. Slice the retaining ring off the bottom shell of your mouse. Pop the darn thing apart. Two press fit ribbons and a small phillips, then you can clean the scrollball better. It just snaps apart, and the magnetic rollers only go in one way.

        the side buttons only act as 1 button.

        Its only a four button mouse. Right, left, both, side button(s). You might be better off buying a 5 button mouse, the buttons on the Apple mouse are nearly impossible to get an accurate single side click on. It's more like a four finger squeeze. (Ring and thumb, middle and fore aloft)

        I use a Mighty Mouse. Bought it launch day. Went in to see what a PPC Mini was running after 'partner' discount, as I wanted to replace an antique RS PPC machine. Love the damn thing to death. Second best mouse I have owned, and the first best is heavily colored by the fact it was my *first* one 25 years ago.
        • I used the Mighty Mouse for a few days while setting up my in-laws with a new iMac, and I have to admit that I *really* liked the freedom of the little scroll ball thing.

          It's funny, however, the way that we finally got rid of all of the gunk-collecting balls on the bottom of the mouse by replacing them with a laser... now there's a gunk-collecting ball on the top!

          I guess you could use a laser to track your index finger motions on TOP of the mouse, just like you do with the bottom. Manufacturers might be mo
          • It's funny, however, the way that we finally got rid of all of the gunk-collecting balls on the bottom of the mouse by replacing them with a laser... now there's a gunk-collecting ball on the top!

            The amazing thing to me is that I've had no trouble at all with it, despite heavy use--I was sure that tiny ball would be a source of problems. Maybe it has to do with its composition. I remember in the old days when mice had balls (no, I didn't mean that as a joke, but it sounds kind of funny, doesn't it?) some ha
          • This is why I like the mouse wheel. I mean, I usually use the keyboard anyway, but the mousewheel is awesome and accurate for first person shooters (a definite click, and easy to click a finite number of times by feel) and, because it's a wheel instead of a ball, gunk isn't nearly as much a problem.
        • Second best mouse I have owned, and the first best is heavily colored by the fact it was my *first* one 25 years ago.

          Ok, what is it about that first mouse that you miss in this thing? Or in a decent Logitech mouse?

    • does not work with Windows yet (no words on Linux)

      I'm disappointed. And it's expensive too.

      It's probably a standard BT HID device. I'm 90% sure it works out of the box on both Linux and Windows. The scroll ball may be a problem in horizontal mode in Linux/X, but that's not something that'll stop me from buying one when my current MightyMouse dies to a fit of Guinness and rage when I spill a beer on it and get pissed it doesn't like the liquid.

      They just haven't done all the testing to make sure it's supporte

  • Any other bluetooth mice? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by also-rr ( 980579 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @02:39PM (#15777808) Homepage
    I would really like to get hold of a small bluetooth mouse as my laptop has an internal bluetooth setup. Rather than carrying around a USB dongle (which I would have to find in the bottom of a laptop bag and plug in) it would be all integrated.

    Other than the Apple one, has anyone seen one that works with Linux? I did see a Microsoft made one *once* but never again.
    • I use the Logitech V270 with my Lenovo. Very nice. No dongle.
      • Same here. I've been very happy with it. The V270 is specifically aimed at laptop users that already have Bluetooth, so it doesn't come with a dongle. Just the mouse itself and a cute little zippered neoprene bag to protect it when travelling. Probably non-coincidentally, it was also the cheapest wireless I could find at Microcenter.

        It's small enough to be easy to travel with, but still a good size for a normal person's hand; it's not one of these tiny micro mice you often see aimed at travellers. It's
        • Agreed. Occasionally you'll get a bum mouse that frequently loses connection. Logitech is good about replacing the mouse though. I've got a new one coming to replace the one I use at my desk. My travel one has never caused a problem. Like you, I'd buy another one in a second. The new Apple one is intriguing though. Does laser tracking really matter that much over optical? I've got a Logitech MX1000 I use on my PowerBook G4 and have never really noticed a difference.
    • You could try the bluetake BT500 [neoseeker.com] mouse; it's really really small, ideal for a lappy, made by a thermaltake spinoff company. Nice crisp movement with the 800 dpi laser. You should be able to get one without a bluetooth adapter, which will make it a bit cheaper. Also, it does work on linux - see note 4 [bueche.ch].

      There's also the logitech MX900 if you fancy a more conventionally-sized mouse, and are a right-hander.
      • I'll second this. I picked one up in Japan two years ago after searching in vein in the United States for a two-button Bluetooth mouse with a scroll wheel. The thing is great. VERY small. Runs forever on two AAA batteries.

        Interestingly, the blinking bluetooth light actually illuminates the scroll wheel. Sort of like functional eye candy.
    • I use the mouse from Microsoft's "Optical Desktop for Bluetooth" with Linux, although I had to write a new driver in order to use it at first. But it works just fine today with the stock BlueZ HID protocol code in the 2.6 kernel series, along with the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, which I prefer to the Microsoft keyboard since it looks better when all the keys have been rearranged into a sane (Dvorak) layout. See this old page [klausler.com] where I dramaticize what it took to get these Bluetooth gadgets working.

    • RadTech BT500 (Score:4, Informative)

      by MBCook ( 132727 ) <foobarsoft@foobarsoft.com> on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @05:22PM (#15779491) Homepage
      There is no doubt that what you want is a RadTech BT500 [radtech.us]. I bought one when I bought my PowerBook early last year. It's a tiny little mouse, and it's easy to carry around. That said, it is comfortable and works great. It looks nice too. Looking at the product page, they've changed it since I bought it. Mine is powered by two AAA batteries, and it lasts a long time. The new once comes with two NiMH AAAs and can be recharged with an included USB cable, which would be nice to have.
    • I bought a Microsoft Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks a couple of months ago on a lark* and I've been pretty happy with it. The USB adapter fits into the bottom of the mouse and works as a power switch: when you take the USB adapter out, the mouse turns on, and when you put it back in, the mouse turns off. Pretty smart. Not as convenient as Bluetooth, but at least I can use it on any PC or Mac I've come across.

      * I had a couple hundred shekels left over, and one of the many duty free shops in the Tel

  • Too bad it doesn't work with the PC... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Total_Wimp ( 564548 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @02:41PM (#15777825)
    Bluetooth mice are not very comon in PC land. I've only seen one Logitech (not easy to find) and one Think Outside BT mouse that seemed suitable for notebook use, but you're unlikely to find either in Best Buy or CompUSA. Why hasn't this caught on?

    TW

  • Sheesh, how about a working link?

    You can go straight to the Apple home page [apple.com] and see it.

  • a real link (Score:2, Informative)

    by KatTran ( 122906 )
    People that link to stateful pages really annoy me.

    http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/ [apple.com]

  • I'll be happy when a kinetic model(tm) comes out, which is like a kinetic/automatic wristwatch and requires no batteries, provided you're moving the mouse, it can radio back the position.

  • When people say it doesn't work with Windows... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by nxtw ( 866177 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @03:06PM (#15778112)
    have they actually tried it? I was unable to get my Apple Bluetooth keyboard working with the Widcomm Bluetooth drivers, but it works with the builtin Microsoft drivers, it works fine. Of course, Apple does not advertise the fact that it's a standard Bluetooth keyboard (minus the volume and eject key, which I have been unable to do anything with. On a USB Apple keyboard, the volume keys will work.)

  • A warning: It's not a good mouse (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Peter Cooper ( 660482 ) on Tuesday July 25, 2006 @03:35PM (#15778439) Homepage Journal
    I'm a big Apple fan and tend to buy most of their stuff. I bought the Mighty Mouse against my better judgement (simply because it was the cool thing to buy and my Mac friends kept saying it was great) and.. I forced myself to use it for a few months. I kinda got used to it, but eventually I caved in and switched back to my Microsoft Mouse.. Why?

    * Too small and painful. I have pretty small hands, but the MM is still too short. My hand was falling off the back and causing me to adopt an awkward position.

    * You can't press left and right buttons at the same time! Absolutely useless for gaming, although admittedly you don't need to do this anywhere else (that I'm aware of).

    * Squeeze click is too sensitive. I'm a light touch but I kept triggering it. I ended up removing the functionality of that 'button' to stop it annoying me.

    * Cable is ridiculously short. Fine with a Mac keyboard, but no good without an extension cable in most other configurations.

    On the plus side?

    * Mouse wheel. The middle wheel is very cool. It's great to be able to scroll in full 2D. And, um.. that's it.

    Oh, it's also expensive, but that's not a reason why I'd avoid it. I'll pay for something good, but it's simply not.

    • * Too small and painful. I have pretty small hands, but the MM is still too short. My hand was falling off the back and causing me to adopt an awkward position.

      I actually like a small mouse - the key is not to rest your whole hand on it - just your fingers. This cuts down on arm and wrist strain (IMO)

      * You can't press left and right buttons at the same time! Absolutely useless for gaming, although admittedly you don't need to do this anywhere else (that I'm aware of).

      Agreed. Plus I find that I keep right cl

    • I'm a semi-Apple fan and tend to buy some of their stuff. I bought the Mighty Mouse and I like it. Why?

      * Right size and not painful. I have I guess average hands, and the mouse fits fine, as does my MS Intellimouse etc etc.

      * You can't press left and right buttons at the same time! I've never had the need to do that, that I can recall. Ymmv. In X11 I use the option and cmd keys. But I think you're right, I'm trying it now and I haven't been able to click both at the same time.

      * Squeeze click is just fine.

      * C
    • While I like the 2D scrolling of the Mighty mouse wheel, I've found that it's very prone to getting dirty and sticking.
    • There are two major styles of mousing. Some people like to rest their palms on the mouse--they like big, domed mice. Others prefer to manipulate the mouse with their fingertips, and use a wrist support if they need somewhere to rest their arms. They like small, flat mice. The Apple mice are clearly designed for the second camp.

      I gave up a cordless mouse for the Mighty Mouse, and the wire has been my only complaint, because it occasionally impedes motion, so I've been looking forward to a wireless MM.
      • I guess I'm in a third camp then. Generally I have a very loose touch on the mouse, thumb down the left, two smallest fingers touching the right hand side with a finger resting on the button. I find that smaller mice result in the gap between thumb and small finger being too short and it gets crampy. The hand needs to be spread out, ideally.
    • Press both mouse buttons at the same time? Any modelling software? And this is, btw, one of the direct markets of the apple (or was?)
    • Ooh, I have a wireless regular mouse, so I'll add my complaint about the fact that it's powered by AA batteries.

      * Mine is sitting upside down because the little bit of metal on the battery compartment popped off

      * When it did work, the last five days before the batteries ran out the bluetooth icon would blink incessantly.

      * You could turn it off... if you didn't want to use that menu for anything else.

      That might not be an issue for most people. When I went to the store to get a battery charger and some rechar
  • Interesting how they mention one or two batteries are required... So unless I'm misinterpreting, you can put two batteries in for longer charge, or one for less weight?
    • I think so...

      From The Apple Mouse page

      the wireless Mighty Mouse works with one or two AA batteries. Two last longer, but one works just as well and packs ultralight.
      Kind of an interesting concept - anybody know of any other electronic device that takes optional amounts of batteries?
  • I haven't actually used a Mighty Mouse, but it seems to have the same shape of the Pro Mouse. These are very uncomfortable and non-ergonomic, unlike the good old ADB II mouse. When Apple dropped the beige, for some reason they also had a major drop on the quality of their mouses - and, worst of all, their keyboards.
  • By accidently posting AC.
    • And accept that the link to Google-News I posted gets replaced by a non-working one to the Apple Store, obviously.
  • I tried an original Mighty Mouse for the first time last month. It's good, and I liked the scroll ball a lot. But one problem made it unusable for me and drove me back to my Logitech Cordless Optical Wheel Mouse: right-clicking. I do that a lot, and although the Mighty Mouse can be set to right-click when pressed on that side, it only seems to work if nothing's touching the other side too. And since I always rest my fingers on both sides, it kept left-clicking when I meant a right-click!

    Does this new o

    • Here's the problem. The mouse isn't pressure sensitive, but touch sensitive. AFAIK it can only detect that something's touching one or both sides, and not which side has more pressure on it. The two sensors are independant of the 'clicker' that's just a switch like the old mice, to know when the body of the mouse has been pressed down. It has no way to tell that, although both sensors are activated, you're pressing harder on the right, so it should be a right click.

      Here's the other problem. Don't forg
  • Ok, I get it about wireless Internet. Not everywhere has an Ethernet jack in the same place as the power, and ethernet is harder to run, since you have to run it to some relatively centrallized switch. And we can use batteries, so we can literally be completely unwired. And it's nice to be able to automatically connect to the Internet. I really wish we had wireless power -- even decent solar power, a thin panel on the back of the LCD to charge a laptop...

    I get it about wireless game controllers. If you

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