Finally a newer, Mightier Mouse
After staying with the basic Mighty Mouse for four years, it look like Apple is finally ready to introduce a new model, and this replacement apparently has more features than you can shake a stick at.
Introduced in 2005, the Apple Mighty Mouse is getting very long in the tooth, and all signs point to a replacement very soon, perhaps as soon as a few days from now, at the same time as the new iMacs and MacBooks are due to be released. It also looks like the change will be a very large one, going from a buttonless super-simple mouse to a pointing device that is said to include haptic feedback, multi-touch surface, and an accelerometer.
There is also a new keyboard said to be on the way, but it is the mouse that is rumored to be the star of the new peripherals show. Fittingly enough for such a leading edge product, Steve Jobs is said to have been shepherding the project personally, according to a Geek.com story. Information about the two new peripheral devices was uncovered in FCC device filings, necessary to insure that the new mouse and keyboard do not produce electronic interference in other devices. To the degree that they can, the FCC filings reinforce the rumors about the new mouse.
Press rumor reports indicate that the new Mighty Mouse will take advantage of the Apple’s already patented multi-touch technology and will also provide an intuitive new feel for users through a combination of innovative hardware and software technology. The new mouse is said to feature a touch sensitive surface and a veritable plethora of multi-touch actions, all programmable in a new Preferences app, including features from the iPhone, such as flick scroll gestures with the familiar rubber band effect when you reach the top of a list. The new mouse is also said to include an accelerometer.
In short, it looks like the new mouse will have been worth the wait. Users will go from almost no features to a full measure of state-of-the-art features. The new mouse is said to be more expensive than the Mighty Mouse that it replaces, but the upgrade in features almost certainly make it an upgrade that most users will want. If nothing else, how cool is a mouse that you can use in mid-air, without reference to any surface at all?
Related Posts:
