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The Two-Button vs. One-Button Mouse Debate Continues
By Andy Cooper
We got a lot of feedback to Andrew McVinnie's recent article about the new optical mice. I thought I'd write an editorial that shares some opinions that I hold, as well as some of our reader's emails.
Perhaps my position on all thing 'mouse' should be explained first. I started using a Mac a long, long time ago, back when the MacSE was a cool machine to have. The mouse was squarish, with only one button. I love that kind of mouse. To this day when I am working or playing on an older Mac (any with the old ADB port system), I prefer the old Apple mouse to the newer, rounder, cheaper Apple mice. When Apple converted over to USB with the iMacs, I found the 'hockey puck' mouse quite to my liking. It seems I picked something up from those old 'Introduction' programs that were supposed to teach new users about Macs in the old days. I was taught to rest your wrist down on the desk, grab the mouse on the sides between your thumb and ring fingers, and use your index finger for clicking. Never did I ever rest my hand on the mouse; quite the opposite, I find that I am picking the mouse up quite a lot. Having a 'puck' mouse works excellent with my method of 'mousing.' Perhaps the design of these mice was intended for real Mac fans who adopted a Mac way of doing things from the start (I'm also a believer in the old Interface Guidelines, which Apple has mistakenly strayed away from). The single button is the only way to go, especially for new users, who often don't even know what a contextual menu is on Windows or Mac, and end up confused when they 'click' on something and have weird thing happen.
I haven't tried the new, no-button mouse, but I intend to very soon, because it sounds like Apple is on the right track again. If you notice the placement of the 'click-hold' buttons on the side, you'll immediately notice that the best way to use one is by holding it from the sides, like I mentioned above. I have used many Windows mice, and I'll admit that the scrolling thing is quite handy. I wouldn't complain if Apple put one of those in an optional 'advanced user' mouse, but new users shouldn't be subjected to complications like that.
I say, "three cheers for Apple, they did it again."
Here's some reader feedback. As of the writing of this email, most of the feedback we have received supports the view that Apple shouldn't make a two-button mouse.
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In reference to your article, "Optical Mice: Do they get the cheese, or should their tails be cut off with a carving knife?" I'd just like to say that NO! NOT all of us WANT a two button mouse. In fact, the day Apple switches over to the two button mouse is the day I'll start buying third-party mice that have one button. Apple doesn't need to learn a lesson. They know that many people find one button mice to be a lot easier to use and I completely agree. If you want a two button mouse then buy a Windows machine.
Evan Chaney
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Only techies actually want multi-button mice.
One button mice means easier training for newbies.A Reader
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I'm a power user and disagree with your statement that "Hey Apple! People want two button mice! " It is true that SOME people want them. They are available, just buy one. If Apple provided everything that every segment of the market wanted they would end up making hardware like Microsoft makes software -- bloated and defect ridden.
jeff
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You wrote a good article about the optical mouse, but your insistence that users want two buttons lacks any statistical evidence. If it were true, stores would notice that every iMac sale was immediately followed by the sale of a two-button mouse. Just because you and I like two buttons (probably because we were both windoze users) doesn't mean that everyone else does. PC users often complain that macs only have one button, but how many mac users complain about it? Almost none. That's why we don't have two-button mice on the macs: we don't need them. "People" do not want two buttons, PC users want two buttons. When I made the switch I immediately bought a two-button scroller, but I have no problems using my powerbook without it.
On a slightly more comic note, I can visualize steve jobs in one of his mercurial rants yelling at random people: "THEY WANT TWO BUTTONS?! THEY WANT TWO BUTTONS?! WELL HERE'S NO BUTTONS! TAKE THAT!"
or: apple industrial design engineers on some acid trip that ends with "hey man, you know what would be really cool? A button on the BOTTOM! (takes hit)"A Reader
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2 buttons, 3 buttons, you really have missed the Mac point haven't you.
The design intention is NO BUTTON. The whole device is a reflex mechanism, get it, you are not distracted from screen concentration in any way, not even to think about "do I need to click the left button, right button, middle button, 2 together, what the &^^%^^% was I about to do on the screen???
Mac is about thinking AHEAD of the crowd pal, so if you expect this Mac user to be interested in what you have to say don't think like a wintel clone.
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That pretty much wraps it up. Email me with your thoughts.
-Andy Cooper is a web programmer.
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