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Apple introduces multitouch Magic Mouse, single or multi-button; $69

By | October 20, 2009, 9:08am PDT

Summary: Apple on Tuesday introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse with multitouch technology, successor to the maligned Mighty Mouse and available for $69.

Apple on Tuesday introduced (statement) the new wireless Magic Mouse with multitouch technology, successor to the maligned Mighty Mouse and available for $69.

Answering calls to rid of the Mighty Mouse’s troublesome scroll ball, the new Magic Mouse offers a multitouch surface.

[Image Gallery: Apple's multitouch Magic Mouse]

The device features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with gesture support. Using gestures, users can scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through web pages or photos.

Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be configured from within System Preferences.

The mouse’s laser tracking engine keeps things running, and the mouse itself uses Bluetooth wireless to make it happen. Apple says the mouse has “an advanced power management system” to help with battery life — it’s powered by two included AA batteries.

Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac, but will be available as a Mac accessory at $69.

More Apple announcements today:

ZDNet blogger Andrew Mager said he doesn’t think the world is ready for a multitouch mouse. Are you?

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Topics

Mouse, Apple Inc., Mice, Hardware, Peripherals, Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca is editor of ZDNet and SmartPlanet.

Disclosure

Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca does not hold any investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Andrew Nusca

Editor

Andrew J. Nusca is an editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet. As a journalist based in New York City, he has written for Popular Mechanics and Men's Vogue and his byline has appeared in New York magazine, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Editor & Publisher, New York Press and many others. He also writes The Editorialiste, a media criticism blog.

He is a New York University graduate and former news editor and columnist of the Washington Square News. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has been named "Howard Kurtz, Jr." by film critic John Lichman despite having no relation to him. He lives in his native Philadelphia with his wife, cat and Boston Terrier.

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Ouch!
mktpostal@... 29th Oct 2009
Yet another of what seems like a good idea but most likely it will be responsible for more carpel tunnel syndrome cases. The fact that you now have to keep your fingers raise over the mouse instead of resting on it can cause a lot of strain on the tendons. This is the same problem I have with the MacBook Pro mouse pad. That thing kills me after an hour of use.
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Wow...imagine that.
IT_Guy_z 20th Oct 2009
A mouse that can do more than single-click. What an innovation!
0 Votes
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Um...
CowLauncher 20th Oct 2009
The Mighty Mouse has had 4 programmable "buttons" (two are touch and
not mechanical) since it came out years ago. If you can't make an
informed comment them...you know what to do...it involves a rolling
donut.

This mouse is multi-touch...do you know what that is? No other mouse
has this.
0 Votes
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Gotcha!!!
IT_Guy_z Updated - 20th Oct 2009
It's SO much fun pulling Apple fanboys' chains.
0 Votes
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So, basically, the goal is to say something
frgough Updated - 20th Oct 2009
that makes you look like a totally uninformed ignoramus, so that you
can claim to be tweaking an Apple fanboy when he calls you an
uninformed ignoramus.
0 Votes
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My...my...we sure are sensitive...aren't we? (nt)
ths40 20th Oct 2009
...
0 Votes
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You got him alrighty...
lawryll@... 20th Oct 2009
...but his point about the mouse is solid. Once you've used the multiple touch finger swipes and see how much easier it is to use than the scroll wheel, you'll feel like the PC mice and trackpads are dinosaurs.

I own both and it's no contest...the Mac trackpad and mouse are lightyears better.
0 Votes
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interesting
Al_nyc 21st Oct 2009
They combined a mouse with a touch pad. I'd have to try it out and see how it works. Initially, I am not that impressed.
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If you paid attention
rag@... 20th Oct 2009
you'd know that Apple mice have been able to do that for several years.
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The post was clearly sarcastic
brendan@... 21st Oct 2009
Still, one pattern does remain - The Mighty Mouse added simulated multi button functionality, but designed the mouse so that you'd need to read the manual to figure out anything was added beside the ball and the two side thingies.
This new mouse is designed to present even fewer visual cues to what it can do. So unless you read the manual, it's even less clear that this mouse has any capabilities.
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RE: Apple introduces multitouch Magic Mouse, single or multi-button; $69
Loverock Davidson 20th Oct 2009
Multitouch and gestures on a mouse, sounds more like an annoyance. Say your hand accidently slips one way or the other, oops, now you just deleted all that work you didn't save.
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It really is better...
lawryll@... 20th Oct 2009
...seriously, next time you see a Mac at Fry's or somewhere spend a few minutes with the trackpad....it's SOOO much better than my Dell laptop trackpad. The multi-touch works very well.
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I suppose it's personal preference
oncall 20th Oct 2009
But I agree, the new trackpad on the Macbooks is quite a bit better. It felt really weird at first but now it's just annoying trying to use an older laptops buttoned pad. I'll save judgment on this new mouse until I've actually tried it.
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Good on a trackpad doesn't mean it'll be good on a mouse.
brendan@... 21st Oct 2009
A trackpad is after all a fairly firmly placed piece of hardware. A mouse is designed to be moved. Ultimately every user will have to decide for them self if the ideas fit together like bacon and eggs, or more like death and taxes.
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Interested to see how this thing works
bobiroc 20th Oct 2009
Seems like a good alternative to current touch/trackpads and maybe a good alternative to touchscreen computers. I would like to see this thing in action and if anything similar comes available for the windows side. I have seen buttonless mice for Windows already that are touch sensitive and have no scroll wheel but this takes it a step further. Apple is not my favorite computer brand of choice because I think they are generally a bit too expensive for what you get but they sometimes have innovative ideas and make good gadgets.
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RE: Apple introduces multitouch Magic Mouse, single or multi-button; $69
MSFTWorshipper 20th Oct 2009
Doesn't work on Vista, no no buy for me!
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It can't be good, it looks too good
mlindl 21st Oct 2009
See those curves? That's just designed to distract you from
the fact that there really is just crap inside and it won't work.

That's why Logitech mice are ugly, so I know they work.
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RE: Apple introduces multitouch Magic Mouse, single or multi-button; $69
trm1945 21st Oct 2009
You get used to certain things. My Microsoft 5 button
programmable mouse runs different programs using
different functions for the keys. The needs of Call of Duty
and Canvas means virtually no common buttons. The Aim,
throw a grenade, shoot, run, reload on COD aren't
translated into the select, duplicate, delete, paste and save
of Canvas etc. The new Apple mouse looks like a
Photoshop device which is fine, I have that too but like
using Mac and Windows, you become what is in use and
think that way. When the mouse quits being useful, all the
innovation just goes away. I don't mind being upgraded, I
just don't like to lose normal functionality in the process.
0 Votes
+ -
Ouch!
mktpostal@... 29th Oct 2009
Yet another of what seems like a good idea but most likely it will be responsible for more carpel tunnel syndrome cases. The fact that you now have to keep your fingers raise over the mouse instead of resting on it can cause a lot of strain on the tendons. This is the same problem I have with the MacBook Pro mouse pad. That thing kills me after an hour of use.

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