Evolution of the Apple Mouse

[Teo Zenios]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jules Richardson" <jules.richardson99 at gmail.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" 
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 11:59 AM
Subject: Re: Evolution of the Apple Mouse


> Liam Proven wrote:
>> On 28 September 2010 08:18, Joost van de Griek <gyorpb at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> The Magic Mouse works exactly the same as the Mighty Mouse when it comes 
>>> to
>>> clicking: there's a single switch for detecting the clicking motion, 
>>> then
>>> there's a capacitive surface that detects where your fingers are on the
>>> mouse surface and interprets the click as a left or right click,
>>> accordingly.
>>
>> Weird. I've Googled this and in essence, you're right.
>>
>> I'm not saying it's weird you're right! I'm saying it seems a weird
>> way to do it, to me. 2 microswitches would have been easier than a
>> single one and a sensor to tell where your finger is.
>
> Art over functionality, by the sounds of it. I'm surprised they can make 
> it work in all weather conditions and for all skin types (or in any kind 
> of trade business, where it's not unknown for employees to quickly pull up 
> stuff while still wearing gloves)
>
> (I'm not sure I like the whole 'gesture' concept either - if you're 
> starting to introduce that level of complexity, maybe it's simply the 
> wrong tool for the job, and some other - possibly as-yet-undeveloped - 
> input device would be better)
>
>

The gesture concept makes sense for small portable devices with limited CPU 
power. For desktop users I don't see why they cannot design something that 
tracks what you are focusing on with your eyes and use that for a cursor 
while having a few buttons on your keyboard you can mouseclick with (hands 
never leave the keyboard, no mouse needed).