Thursday, February 3, 2011
Apple Knows It's Way Around the Mouse and the Trackpad
I've noticed that when a couple of my friends at UWT whip out they're wireless mice to use with their laptops in place of the trackpad (which I fully understand, especially seeing that they're using PCs which almost certainly means an unpleasant trackpad) that they have to use a USB dongle to connect the mouse to their computer. I got to wondering why this is. Do they're computer not have bluetooth? Do the mice use a totally different radio frequency? Whatever the answer is, it just doesn't make sense to me. Why take up a USB port when it's possible to just connect straight up to the computer via bluetooth just as my Magic Mouse does with my MacBook? And then, as I brought up earlier, there is the trackpad. On my Mac Book it's one large panel of touch-sensitive glass, the entire trackpad is the button. Where with PC's the trackpad is small and ugly with two buttons of course for left and right-click. On my MacBook the trackpad does so much more than any other, as well, thanks to multi-touch. I can switch applications with the swipe of four fingers, I can move back and forth in any web browser with the swipe of three fingers. Swiping down with four fingers shows me all open applications with expose and swiping up clears the screen and displays the desktop. In fact, having the experience of both the MacBook's trackpad and the Magic Mouse I find using PCs (whether desktop or laptop) incredibly unpleasant as it feels archaic and primitive. When it comes down to it, Apple certainly knows it's way around the mouse and the trackpad. They were the ones to pioneer the mouse after all.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa! PC's definitely have Bluetooth 2.1 as well. This does mean wireless connections with mp3 devices, phones, and mice. Which does mean we can connect to the magic mouse as well.
ReplyDeleteThe clicking touchpad was a nice thought. I personally have not had enough experience with the Macbook touchpad to determine it's usefulness, but all of my experiences with clickable touchpads have resulted in frustration. (Click and drag, pointer movements upon clicking)
Side notes:
1. Magic Mouse, by default, uses double A batteries.
2. The Magic Mouse has a disconnect problem.
3. Only Apple fans could allow the market of a touchpad for desktop.
Hey, so I have an old MacBook, and I still have a clicker at the bottom. So all the cutesy swiping shit doesn't apply except to NEW macbooks thank you very much. I LIKE MY CLICKER DAMMIT! :)
ReplyDelete@ Aemo: Well, that solves that but my main issue is that those mice need dongles. Clicking and dragging with the multi-touch trackpad is a little awkward but I'm willing to put up with it for the possibilities that multi-touch gives the trackpad. What's the problem with AA batteries?
ReplyDelete@ Alex: This is geared towards newer computers, so don't overreact.
Unless I am forced I will never use a dongle for wireless unless it serves a better purpose. Microsoft has a terribly inadequate answer to the Magic Mouse coming soon that will be bluetooth, this along with other after market bluetooth mice don't need dongles.
ReplyDeleteThe battery thing is just a peeve I guess. I much rather a rechargeable battery pack for lots of reasons. I realize this is not realistic for a travel mouse, but I can dream.
Okay, so I'm gonna have to throw down on this...
ReplyDelete1. Like Aemo said, not all wireless mice need USB. There's plenty of Bluetooth mice for PCs as well.
2. You really shouldn't generalize things about PCs. I've seen models with a trackpad similar to the Macbook scheme, and some have a thing where it's one trackpad but only the bottom part is clickable. It's pretty clean and gets rid of the button issue.
3. Much of the functionality possible with trackpads is built-in to Windows 7 as something you can still do, just with regular mice. I will give you that multitouch is still very nice.
4. Have you seen the ridiculous abundance of functionality that you can choose from in wireless mice for PCs? There's not only multitouch, but also a plethora of other options that you can pick and choose from. These mice usually work on Macs as well, but I still can't see the idea that "in the area of wireless mice and trackpads Apple reigns king".
@ Aemo: You could use rechargables, actually I need to start using some. Plus there is a third party pack and recharging pad that allows you to recharge simply by placing it on the pad.
ReplyDelete@ jdbae: Well, one of the main things was my curiosity over those wireless mice needing dongles so it wasn't exactly intended to insinuate that I thought all wireless mice did. I didn't exactly mean to generalize , I'm speaking through my own experience. I bet there are PC's with slick trackpads out there, but I have yet to actually see one. This is more of a rant fueled by the Apple fanboy in me than anything else so take that into consideration too. I suppose that last statement was a little too wide-encompassing and bold. I may actually change that. lol
Stupid charging pads.... Was my idea back in elementary school....
ReplyDeleteVery cool, Very my idea, could be executed much better.