Apple Mighty Mouse
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2007) |
 The wired Mighty Mouse. | |
| Manufacturer | Apple |
|---|---|
| Type | Mouse |
| Release date | August 2, 2005 |
| Connectivity | USB (Wired) Bluetooth (Wireless) |
| Power | USB (Wired) Either 1 or 2 AA (Wireless) |
| Predecessor | Apple Wireless Mouse |
| Related | Apple Keyboard Apple Wireless Keyboard |
The Apple Mighty Mouse is a multi-button USB or Bluetooth mouse manufactured and sold by Apple Inc. It was announced and sold for the first time on August 2, 2005. Before the Mighty Mouse, Apple had sold only one-button mice with its computers, beginning with the Apple Lisa 22 years earlier.
Apple's single button mouse was seen as one of the things that set Apple computers apart from their competition. Therefore, the release of the multi-button "Mighty Mouse" is seen as a significant event in Apple's history.
The name of the mouse is used under license from CBS Operations, owner of the Mighty Mouse cartoon series.
About the mouse
The Mighty Mouse is made of white plastic and has a recessed Apple logo on the mouse's face. The mouse has four functional buttons: a left button, a right button, a clickable scroll ball and side squeeze buttons. The scroll ball enables users to scroll a page or document in every direction by rolling the ball in the desired direction. It should be noted that two of the above-mentioned buttons are not physical "buttons." Rather, the touch-sensitive topshell (mentioned below) allows the mouse to detect which side is being touched.
Currently Mac OS X is the only operating system that fully supports the mouse. When used with Mac OS X the buttons can be set to launch applications or trigger features of the Apple operating system, such as Dashboard and Exposé. If not used with Mac OS X, the mouse behaves as a four button mouse with a vertical and horizontal scroll wheel. There are third-party drivers (XMouse[1], AppleM[2]) that provide more functions to Windows users.
The Mighty Mouse does not report whether the right and left mouse button is pressed simultaneously. In fact, it reports a right-click only when there is no finger contact on the left side of the mouse. This means that the Mighty Mouse cannot support mouse chording, used by CAD software, games, web browsers, and other applications where multiple functions are mapped to the mouse.
Versions and sell dates
- On August 2, 2005, Apple introduced Mighty Mouse, at the suggested retail price of $49 US[3].
- On 12 October 2005, Apple began shipping a Mighty Mouse with every iMac, and on 19 October 2005, with the PowerMac G5 line as well. The user has a choice to upgrade to an Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.
- On 25 July 2006, Apple released a wireless Mighty Mouse[4] which uses Bluetooth 2.0. The new version uses two AA batteries, but can run on a single AA battery to reduce weight. Wireless Mighty Mouse was priced at $69 US.
- On August 7 2007, Apple slightly updated the Mighty Mouse, changing the color of the side buttons to white. As of August 2007, the wired version of the Mighty Mouse costs US$49, while the wireless version costs US$69.
Technical features
- Touch-sensitive top shell
- 360 degree enabled clickable scroll ball
- Force-sensing side "squeeze" buttons
- Optical tracking in wired version
- Laser tracking in wireless version
- Compatible with Macintosh and PCs
- Programmable functions for the four buttons
- Auditory feedback with built-in speaker[5]
Criticism
Although the Mighty Mouse can sense both right and left clicks it is not possible to press both buttons simultaneously, also a firm right mouse click will still be interpreted as a left click if there is even minimal contact with the left button. Because of this the user must learn to lift the left finger off the button surface before attempting a right-mouse click.[6]
The scroll ball might get clogged up with dirt and requiring cleaning. Users have complained that the Mighty Mouse is difficult to clean since the mechanism can't be taken apart.[7][8]. However, a simple and efficient way to clean the scroll ball is to turn the mouse upside down and roll the trackball on a sheet of paper.
Lawsuit
On May 21, 2008 it was announced that Man & Machine Inc., a supplier of keyboards and mice to laboratories and hospitals, sued Apple Inc. for trademark infringement over its use of the name Mighty Mouse.[9]
References
- ^ http://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/XMouseButtonControl.htm
- ^ AppleM Pro - 横スクロール対応 マイティーマウス(Mighty Mouse)のドライバ
- ^ Apple Introduces Mighty Mouse
- ^ Apple Debuts Wireless Mighty Mouse
- ^ "On the bottom half of the mouse, we observed the presence of a speaker" from Dissecting Mighty Mouse
- ^ Dissecting Mighty Mouse: Page 1
- ^ Server Error
- ^ http://www.mightymouserepair.com/ Mighty Mouse Repair Guide
- ^ Man & Machine sues Apple over Mighty Mouse - Washington Business Journal:
See also
External links
- Mighty Mouse
- Review of the mouse by Ars Technica
- Apple Mighty Mouse unofficial driver for Windows (Allen Tang), installation guide for the Windows drivers XMouse and AppleM Pro
