CEO Steve Jobs says among other practices, it’s “saying no to 1,000 things” so as to concentrate on the “really important” creations. Elsewhere, a forthcoming update to Apple’s Mac OS X 10.3 Panther operating system nears release as the company provides documentation of its feature set.
The Seed of Apple’s Innovation; OSX 10.3.6 News
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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…but saying yes to 4G iPod.
Glad to see he’s got his priorities straight.
Why are people still so hung-up on the mouse?
Because they don’t know you can plug in any other mouse you like.
God bless Steve Jobs
Keep making great stuff, we’ll keep buying them!
“Because they don’t know you can plug in any other mouse you like.”
cant install a Serial mouse (not sure if PS/2 is supported either) lol
on a more serious Q. does apple support Radio or bluetooth mice?
I just bought my powerbook 12″ and i Love it
, the reason i got a mac was,
1) it LOOKS amazing, and the OS looks great
2) I needed something that ran office perfectly, and other things liek dreamweaver, and at the same time have a decent shell
best of both world in my opinion.
The mouse thing annoyed me also but i always use a seperate mouse on a laptop so it wasnt a problem
but whats new in 10.3.6 compare to 10.3.5 ?
Snake
Yes, they support bluetooth and Radio mice. In fact, Apple has been shipping bluetooth mice for years.
They support any USB mouse, whether it has a radio connection or wired. I have a Kensington PocketMouse Pro Wireless and it works fine, no extra software needed. Apple makes their own Bluetooth mouse and a few others work, though it has more to do with the mice makers than with Apple whether it works out of the box.
Why are people still so hung-up on the mouse?
Because of how much it costs.
Yes, they support bluetooth and Radio mice. In fact, Apple has been shipping bluetooth mice for years.
Years ? Well, I suppose you could call ~13 months 1.08 years…
My wife and I switched to iMacs (17″ LCD 800 MHz) back in November of 2002, and we really, really tried to get by with the one button mouse, but in the end, we caved and bought some cool MacAlley two button wheel mice. After about a year, those died, so we bought the cute blue and silver Kensington two button wheel mouse.
I love my iMac, and will probably get a PowerBook (soon, I hope ;-), but I can’t live without the two button mouse.
I guess if you started off with a Mac with a one button mouse, you can get by with it, but we both came from the Windows world, where a two button mouse is the norm, and right clicking is the way to go (yes, I know you can control-click on an object to get the menu, but that requires both hands, where the two button mouse just requires the mouse hand).
Three button mouse is a necessity on Mac OS X holding down the apple option key to “Right-Click” is PITA on my powerbook. Its time for APple to get smart and at least move to 2 buttons. Hopefully they fix iMovie with the next patch. It crashes too much.
Because of the cost? I picked up an excellent Kensington mouse (with 4 buttons, nonetheless) for under $20, and there were quite a few 2-button mice for $10.
So yeah, if that matches your idea of expensive, then I concede. I mean, a moderately priced lunch costs $10.
Because they don’t know you can plug in any other mouse you like.
I don’t even think it’s that. Anyone coming from a PC background, much less a Unix background is used to a multi-button mouse.
I don’t see the continuing complaints about the one button mouse as a lack of knowledge, but rather that users feel the frustration of knowing how they, as a modern PC users, are so productive with a multi-button mouse, that they feel Apple’s crippling their users by limiting them so.
Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s always been my opinion: I can’t imagine how unproductive, or slow, working with a single button mouse could be. And I’m sure there’s those who prefer a one button mouse, presumably for simplification of the user experience, who can offer equally heartfelt reasons why Apple should stick with a one-button mouse.
To me, the answers obvious: Offer a multiple button mouse with all Apples, and for those die-hards who complain about losing the one button mouse, offer a mode wherein every button on a multi-button mouse is seen by OSX as a click on a one-button mouse.
That lets us “power users” get our multi-button mouse w/our Mac, and allows the one-buttoners to choose whichever button on the mouse they want for their efforts.
(BTW, the MS Intellimouse is an excellent candidate for OSX, but get either the latest MS drivers, or USB Overdrive to really tweak it out!)
I agree Apple should bite the bullet and ship a two-button mouse. I can’t imagine anything other than spiteful stubbornness keeping them from doing so.
That being said, I don’t have a problem giving someone my one-button mouse and plunking down a few dollars for something better than what ships with most PCs anyway.
According to the computer maker, Mac OS X 10.3.6 will deliver improved file sharing for Mac (AFP), UNIX (NFS) and PC (SMB/CIFS) networks, while providing more reliable network automounts and launch of network applications.
Sweet. nfs improvements will really help my mac interact with my network. I have found using nfs from my windows boxes to be more reliable than using it from my mac.
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I really respect the “saying no to 1,000 things” line. I know how hard it can be to cut stuff and how loud the one guy who wants that feature can scream.
Software tends to be advertised with feature grids where features are shown as a true or false value. People use these list to try and make judgments like “product A has 3567 features while product B only has 3411 feature, so product A must be better”. All very cold war like “we have more tanks, we are strong like ox”. But in reality feature counts mean nothing. It is all about how all of the elements interact to perform the function of the software.
Some of my favorite apps almost seem featureless, all the specialized cruft is gone and all the features work behind the scenes. It is hard to market these types of apps because buyers like to see things like “Now with 30% more” on the label. It is hard to design these types of apps because most users don’t know what they want and the ones who do want specialized features that would be a determent to the app. It is hard to develop these types of apps because it takes a lot of work to figure out and do the right thing instead of just slapping another checkbox on the screen.
You people are sad. I’ve got a four-button trackball for my iBook, and I’m lusting after more.
Here’s the thing: OS X supports quite a few buttons; I forget the exact number, but it’s more than 4. You can tie the extra mouse buttons to Expose’ and other OS functions through System preferences. I don’t like to reach for F11 when mousing, so I’ve tied that Expose’ function (view all windows) to the 4th button. It rules. I could probably figure out how to get F9 and F10 working if I’d bother, and maybe I’ll look at it tonight.
In any case, Apple’s machines default to the simplest, safest possible setup for a noob. Hence the 1-button mouse. If you want more buttons, get a mouse/trackball with more buttons, and quit whining about it: the OS will recognize it, facilitate it, and even give you a lot of fun with it.
Now what this has to do with OSX 10.3.6 is beyond me, but so be it.
Verry interesting thought that people need more buttons on a mouse… I mean, isn’t your other hand on the keyboard? Or is it the p0rn that forces that hand off the keyboard?
I think in regards of the RSI thing (mouse arm thing, not ‘off board’ RSI) a one button mouse is more than sufficient. For me at least.
I loved Job’s comment on MS via. Steve Ballmer 🙂 Nice touch…
Jobs has an interesting perspective when it comes to running a company.
From my limited understanding, I think the main difference between Apple and MS is this…
You desire Apple products
You need MS products
That’s subtle I guess, but what it means is short term need wins, but long term desire wins…
I came from the world of Unix and OS/2, where multibutton mice are a necessity. When I moved to the Mac, I didn’t even notice the “shortcoming” of a single button mouse.
Come to think of it: I have a four button trackball for my PowerBook, and it is only used at home. When I’m on the road, I don’t miss the extra buttons. When I’m at home, I use the buttons because they are there.
Now moving the dimples on the keyboard from the D/K keys to the F/J keys, and replacing the latching capslock key with a normal key and an LED, and not placing the control key where God intended it. Well, those are problems!
Intellimouse + expose ROCKS
Because of the cost? I picked up an excellent Kensington mouse (with 4 buttons, nonetheless) for under $20, and there were quite a few 2-button mice for $10.
Because when I buy several thousand dollars worth of computer – one for which simple aesthetic appeal is a significant selling point – I would expect to at least have the _option_ for a multibutton mouse. Buying an expensive computer and then having to go out and buy an *extra* mouse is a joke.
Not to mention that no amount of money will allow me to change the one-button trackpad in my iBook.
I think that you are just using the multi button mouse as an excuse to not like a mac.
Because when I buy several thousand dollars worth of computer – one for which simple aesthetic appeal is a significant selling point – I would expect to at least have the _option_ for a multibutton mouse. Buying an expensive computer and then having to go out and buy an *extra* mouse is a joke.
Well, from where I stand, whenever I bought a new computer (Mac or otherwise), I always went out to get a new mouse for it. I am very particular about mice, and the packaged ones just didn’t do it for me.
On the road, away from a external keyboard & muilti-button mouse, CTRL-click is not that big a deal. In fact, I find it much easier to use that combo then fish around for another button.
And as far as desktops go, there should be no whining about stupid one-button mice when all you have to do is replace it with the one off your parent’s crappy Dell! Yes, fine, you don’t like Apple’s mouse they shipped you anyway. Well all I can say to that is, the rest of it will easily make up for it.
Ok, now that that’s outta the way..
From my limited understanding, I think the main difference between Apple and MS is this…
You desire Apple products
You need MS products
You don’t need M$ products. Like any mass accepted thing, they just happen to be easier to get a hold of. You’d have to agree there’s quite a different experience between a nice BMW and a Acura.
I still use Linux pretty much exclusively on my servers, but there’s no way I’d use anything else but a Mac for my desktop. It’s not just that the OS is a rock, but that, like Jobs was saying, there is a lot of care and attention that goes into the making of a machine (which is why you’ll never see clones again). All kinds of small things that make you appreciate it even more when you notice it. Er, plus, I still need a decent shell.
Also, you, like others might think “jesus, why the hell spend $1000 more on a Mac when I can get a Dell for way cheaper?”
Exactly, the keyword here is cheaper. As in cheap, plastic, piece of junk – lowest common denominator. And unless you run something other than Windows, you’re in for all kinds of ‘TCO’ treats that extend outside the hardware itself.
I think that you are just using the multi button mouse as an excuse to not like a mac.
Which would explain why I own several of them, right ?
Well, from where I stand, whenever I bought a new computer (Mac or otherwise), I always went out to get a new mouse for it. I am very particular about mice, and the packaged ones just didn’t do it for me.
When I’m buying something that prides itself on being “the whole package”, I expect to get “the whole package”.
I don’t expect Apple to offer a dozen different mouse options with their machines. I *do* expect them to have at least a couple of alternatives. I’d be happy with a single button and a dual button + scrollwheel (call it a “Mouse Pro”). Ideally there’d be a trackball as well.
If you spend a few thousand for a computer you’re probably not a typical user, and have some cash to throw around…so what’s another $10 or $20 for a good mouse? A lot of people (ie. the ones that are more likely to read OSNews) will replace ANY mouse that comes with a computer. I bought a new mouse for my bargain-basement PC too, because I like the aftermarket mice better. I doubt PC makers pay anywhere near $20 for the mice they package with their computers (if they do, they could work out an incredible deal with Kensington, Logitech, etc).
But I do agree Apple should make their mouse multi-buttoned. Or just let you deduct the cost of the mouse from the overall bill. Not a big deal to me, and for a lot of not-too-terribly technical people, a one-button mouse is fine.
Believe it or not, there’s a great deal of reason behind shipping computers with one button mice.
Windows PCs ship with at least two button mice. The ability to “right-click” is taken for granted. As a result, every clever programmer and his brother (including Microsoft) have decided that it’s cool to have at least some functionality that can only be exposed by right-clicking. This often results in programs with functionality that is incredibly difficult for users to discover.
Apple, by maintaining one button as the lowest common denominator forces developers to take this into consideration, and the result is that consumer apps which can make use of more buttons only allow that as icing on the cake, exposing that functionality in other, more obvious ways.
Of course, professional level apps, where some training is common, sometimes deviate from this convention.
no one ever said that you could not be a self hating mac user 🙂
That accursed minimalistic black keys keyboard (try using it in the hard if you’re not a touch typist!) and puck mouse were an atrocity I simply couldn’t stand very long, so I quickly went out and paid around $20 or so for a Logitech Internet Navigator keyboard and $20 or so for a Logitech Optical (two button w/ scrollwheel) mouse.
Big whoop-de-doo… a mere $40 for a *VASTLY* improved Mac G4 DA computing experience. Worth every penny, if you ask me.
Of course, I only paid $500 for my G4 DA on eBay, but…
“… in the hard…” I meant to say “…in the DARK…”
But I suppose typing in the dark is rather hard, so… 🙂
Luposian
Windows PCs ship with at least two button mice. The ability to “right-click” is taken for granted. As a result, every clever programmer and his brother (including Microsoft) have decided that it’s cool to have at least some functionality that can only be exposed by right-clicking. This often results in programs with functionality that is incredibly difficult for users to discover.
In my experience it’s quite rare to find things that are _only_ available via a right-click. Certainly, Microsoft’s UI guidelines stipulate that the context menu is a shortcut only and that all functions shown there must also be exposed via the standard menus.
Apple, by maintaining one button as the lowest common denominator forces developers to take this into consideration, and the result is that consumer apps which can make use of more buttons only allow that as icing on the cake, exposing that functionality in other, more obvious ways.
The result being instead of right-click, you get similarly undiscoverable, RSI-inducing, [Shift]+[Option]+[Apple]+[Fn]+click Super-Power-Combo-Moves to access hidden functionality.
Personally, I have found context menus in Windows to be *far* more discoverable and accessible than the arbitrary vulcan nerve pinches of MacOS.
<<<Why are people still so hung-up on the mouse?>>>
<<<Because they don’t know you can plug in any other mouse you like.>>>
Great, but it does no good to simply plug in a 2 button mouse, the apps have to have programming to support the function of another button… without that code the 2nd button is useless.
And people are so hung up on a mouse because it is symbolic of the plethora of poor design decision by apple, and like dubyah, they ain’t a-changing no matter wot.
Good to see that the forthcoming release of 10.3.6 has provoked such useful commentary on Apple mice, which are of course included in the update.
To anyone who cares – Apple keep a 16-bit number for all input devices (including mice) to represent the number of buttons. You could theoretically attach a 65535 button mouse and use it. Of course, you might be better with 630 (and a bit) 104-key keyboards, but apparently the number of buttons on a mouse is a massive fetish around here so a mouse so studded with buttons as to be some sort of huge button-sphere would probably (and finally) satisfy some of the people here.
Why do I think you’ve never used a Mac?
I can use any mouse, no matter the number of buttons. But I have came to wish they sell PC with one button mice. Who ever tried to help some clueless (nothing negative here) PC user who doesn’t know his right from his left knows why.
…apparently the number of buttons on a mouse is a massive fetish around here so a mouse so studded with buttons as to be some sort of huge button-sphere would probably (and finally) satisfy some of the people here.
Just think of the sensory effect of a mouse with 65535 tiny little buttons. Ohhhhhh… 😉
I wrote:
Here’s the thing: OS X supports quite a few buttons; I forget the exact number, but it’s more than 4. You can tie the extra mouse buttons to Expose’ and other OS functions through System preferences. I don’t like to reach for F11 when mousing, so I’ve tied that Expose’ function (view all windows) to the 4th button. It rules. I could probably figure out how to get F9 and F10 working if I’d bother, and maybe I’ll look at it tonight.
Ha-yup, that’s the case. With a four-button mouse, I’ve got Expose’ set to show me all the possible Expose’ combinations. Unfortunately, I only have the four buttons, and I wanted to preserve the right-mouse button for the context menu, so I had to settle for Command-Button4 to get the Application windows. Soon I will need at least a 6-button mouse for Dashboard 🙂
As for the guy who said that applications need to support context menus, I have to second the fellow who remarked that he obviously has never used OSX. The majority of the applications I’ve used provide context menus.
Not kidding: anyone that has been using Linux for years on the desktop i used to the middle button… when I use 2 button mice I constantly find myself “looking” for the middle button/wheel with my middle finger!
And btw… try surviving Blender without the middle button!
Why not use the best of both worlds? I find it refreshing to plug in the single button mouse that Apple provide with new machines. It is a ergonomic relief on my fingers after a heavy (ab)use by my Logitech wheel mouse – like my finders gain some extra life after being abused by the 3 button wheel mouse for a too long time. Sometime I have both mouses plugged : o, and it seems to work …….. but I am just the piano player …
Is Apple Computer the only supplier of single button mouses ??? Just curious
To me, the answers obvious: Offer a multiple button mouse with all Apples, and for those die-hards who complain about losing the one button mouse, offer a mode wherein every button on a multi-button mouse is seen by OSX as a click on a one-button mouse.
I’ve got a better idea, design 2-button mouse in a way some volume buttons on tv remotes are made – you know “one” big button, you can click on both sides – then offer that sw option to allow mac die-hards to click either side like there was only one button.
I hope that apple will put core image/video in 10.3.6 (or 7) too, because of iLife ’05
improvement on every side are always appreciated
/me looks at his 8 button Logitech MX510
/me looks at his Power Mac G5
Um you do the math!
Can’t wait for 10.3.6.
Come on people,
the fact that there is a debate should tell you there’s a problem. I hear a lot of people saying if you buy a $2000 computer you have some $10 for a mouse.
Helloo? If I buy a $2000 computer, can I please get two buttons with that? I think that’s the way to argue.
And also, one spends $2000 on a computer with matching components, including funky see-through mouse, only to add one of those disco mouses from logitech. Might I remind you that just as there’s no MP3 palyer that has comparable looks to an iPod, there’s no mouse that has comparable looks to an Apple mouse. I mean, isn’t the whole look and feel of Apple products important. Look at you regular two-tone mouse with light everywhere, and big ugly logo. Well, sure I can spend another few bucks on one, but IT SHOULD BE IN THE BOX WITH THE $2000 PRICE TAG ON IT.
It’s like a ferrari that’s still being sold with 8-track. You can easily afford a cd-player, but they might as well put one in for that money.
I think in regards of the RSI thing (mouse arm thing, not ‘off board’ RSI) a one button mouse is more than sufficient. For me at least.
Well, one thing, how on earth does a person get RSI from using a mouse, let alot RSI at all?
I’ll tell you what cases RSI, people with crappy postures, cramped desks and crappy typing ability. On my desk, I have a mouse, my arm is fully on the desk, my keyboard is on and angle, meaning my arms are never requiring any support by me. Having typed this way for 14 years, I can assure you, that if there was anyone who has RSI, it should be me, going by the number of houses I use a computer per day. The simple fact is, RSI can be avoided if people use their head.
“Why not use the best of both worlds? I find it refreshing to plug in the single button mouse that Apple provide with new machines. It is a ergonomic relief on my fingers after a heavy (ab)use by my Logitech wheel mouse – like my finders gain some extra life after being abused by the 3 button wheel mouse for a too long time. Sometime I have both mouses plugged : o, and it seems to work …….. but I am just the piano player … ”
Ever heard of autoscroll? It’s useful