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Microsoft announces designer mice

updated 08:00 am EDT, Fri July 9, 2004

Microsoft designer mice

Microsoft has teamed up with designer Philippe Starck to design a new optical mouse. The features a sleek shape with a shimmering finish and two buttons extend the length of the mouse, separated by either a blue or orange distinct lighted strip. The S+ARCK mouse will be available in August for $35. Also being released in August is the Wireless Optical Mouse in Mood Ring for $45, a graphic pattern created by Microsoft designers with a circular blue, gray and white patterned finish, and Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer in Cobalt Basin and Crimson Fire colors for $55.

by MacNN Staff

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GORDYmac
Mac Elite

Joined: Dec 1999

0

07/09, 08:36am | report spam | close Reply |
Hmm... nice...

I'd buy it.

bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

0

07/09, 08:46am | report spam | close Reply |
Too bad...

...its not brushed aluminium or titanium, hehe...

CambAngst
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2003

0

07/09, 09:07am | report spam | close Reply |
I'm speechless

What an ugly, dysfunctional piece of c***. How are you supposed to move the thing without accidentally clicking the buttons?

Roehlstation
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

07/09, 09:15am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: I'm speechless

Gee, I don't know, how does one move the Apple Pro Mouse around without clicking any buttons? That button design is similar to what Logitech uses.

boomer0127
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2004

0

07/09, 09:47am | report spam | close Reply |
You won't click if...

You move the mouse with your thumb and ring finger and click with your index and middle fingers.

While the design is nice, those comments in the article comparing sprucing up a kitchen with a beautiful juicer with making a computer system modern by adding a mouse are pretty far fetched. The whole system has to be modern. How awful would this mouse look next to an ugly big black honkin' Dell brick-o-c***�?

Sydney Tsai
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2002

0

07/09, 10:12am | report spam | close Reply |
Hahahah

Performance and Art From Microsoft?

It means time to buy up some companies!

Btw, This mouse is no different than those highly modded PC case...
Conclusion: Too much feature, too less useful.

slipperfrog
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2002

0

07/09, 10:38am | report spam | close Reply |
Neato!

IMO, mice are the one thing MS does consistantly well. These look pretty nice. I'm not giving up my Logitech Elite Duo, but if I were looking for a new mouse I'd give these more than just a glance.

Commodus
Mac Elite

Joined: Feb 2002

0

07/09, 10:40am | report spam | close Reply |
very graceful

I hate to say it, but this is what Apple should be doing with its mice. That S+arck mouse is very clean, minimalist, and attractive. It'd be the perfect complement to a PowerBook or PowerMac.

hayesk
Professional Poster

Joined: Sep 1999

0

07/09, 10:48am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: neato

I disagree that their mice have always been done well. I bought one of their first optical mice and returned it the next day. The tracking was horrible and I often moved the mouse too fast for it. I've never had a problem with an Apple mouse and don't miss the second button or scroll wheel.

The new mouse looks nice, but I wonder how well it performs. I won't buy one. If I ever need a multi-button mouse, I'll get a Logitech.

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

07/09, 11:15am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: very graceful

I hate to say it, but this is what Apple should be doing with its mice. That S+arck mouse is very clean, minimalist, and attractive.

Isn't that what Apple has been doing with its mice since, gee, I don't know, 3 years.

noka
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2001

0

07/09, 11:57am | report spam | close Reply |
Too Bad...

I hate to beat a dead horse, but can someone remind me [b]why[/b] apple hasn't shipped a mouse that has more than one button?? It amazes me the amount of people that think that OS X and Macs in general only support one-button. Simply amazing...

Commodus
Mac Elite

Joined: Feb 2002

0

07/09, 11:58am | report spam | close Reply |
testudo

[i]Isn't that what Apple has been doing with its mice since, gee, I don't know, 3 years.[/i]

Yes... with a one-button mouse.

pdot
Senior User

Joined: Aug 2000

0

07/09, 12:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
unexpected

This mouse is a lot more artsy than I would expect from MS, even if it was designed by an outside guy. If this kind of thing spreads to the rest of the wintel world, then Apple is going to have some competition in the style department.

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

07/09, 01:27pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: testudo

Yes... with a one-button mouse.
Wait! You said this is what apple should be doing, specifically using the word 'minimalist'. How much more minimal can you get than a one-button mouse????

DigitalDNA
Forum Regular

Joined: Oct 2002

0

07/09, 01:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
Should have been Apple

The very first thing I thought when I read this article was this or something similar is the 2 button mouse Apple should have finally released... can't believe MS is beating them to the punch of releasing such a great artistic 2-button mouse

I know a lot of potential switches that won't switch because of the whole 1-button mouse thing. They don't realize OS X will work with a 2-button mouse and even if they did, you are still forced to spend $$$$ on a beautiful machine from Apple and then shell out another $50+ for a decent but fugly 2-button mouse. With all the recent innovative annoucements you'd think a new mouse would have been in there as well.

schuster
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 1999

0

07/09, 01:57pm | report spam | close Reply |
Microsoft hardware

I have a microsoft mouse and it's very good, but how is it that Microsoft, which is a software company, always seem to make better hardware than software? If they're looking for new ways to expand (as they always are), I think they should start looking at hardware instead. If we're going to be forced to live in a Microsoft world, the least they could do is make products that don't suck and they seem to do that a lot better with hardware than software.

GORDYmac
Mac Elite

Joined: Dec 1999

0

07/09, 02:20pm | report spam | close Reply |
If Apple didn't...

Where would users get a one button mouse. Heck, I'm cool with Apple's mouse, though I use the Kensington Studio Mouse. That's why there's a market for third party mice.

Get over it. Let Apple worry about Macs.

outZider
Junior Member

Joined: Sep 1999

0

07/09, 02:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
Microsoft and Hardware

Microsoft's hardware is nice because other people design it. Put the Microsoft logo on it, and it sells like hotcakes.

Dale Sorel
Mac Elite

Joined: Aug 2002

0

07/09, 03:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
You think...

That button design is similar to what Logitech uses.

That POS can't hold a candle to my MX500 :)

jasonsRX7
Mac Elite

Joined: Jul 2003

0

07/09, 03:57pm | report spam | close Reply |
one button

I think if Apple started shipping two button mice, then developers would start writing apps that required the use of the 2nd button, and Apple doesn't want that.

I can't say I disagree, either. I administer a windows network with hundreds of users and I can honesly say that most of them have absolutely no clue what the right click does, or how to use it effectively. All the wonderful uses of a right click go wasted on them.

Why complicate matters by adding a second button when most people wouldn't use it anyway? I guess people that know how and want to use a right click will just get another mouse, if they don't have one lying around already.

Manuel
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2000

0

07/11, 01:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
Macmice

I've tried a Macmice silver mouse and it was very responsive. It would match my cube nicely. At the moment I'm using a blue and silver Microsoft mouse. By the 3rd day, the silver paint started wearing off in 3 spots. Now this S+ARCK mouse looks good. I just hope it has a better plastic and the silver does not wipe off and it has a more solid feel about it. I like the original Mac mouse but I use Autocad and you must have a 2 button, scroll-wheel mouse.

Mac-a-Bayan
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2004

0

07/11, 09:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: 1 butt m--jasonsRX7

I am a Mac user since 92. I have a G3 blue and white with a one button mouse. But to many graphic artist and video editors, having a two button mouse is indispensable. During rush time it would have been crucial to have those most essential commands available at the tip of of your arrow (pointer), rather than going back and forth to the menu bar.
That's why I believe Apple allowed compatibility with other multi-button mouse or opted to add the control click feature, which I personally do not measure up with the extra mouse button.

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Microsoft announces designer mice

updated 08:00 am EDT, Fri July 9, 2004

Microsoft designer mice

Hmm... nice...

Too bad...

I'm speechless

Re: I'm speechless

You won't click if...

Hahahah

Neato!

very graceful

Re: neato

Re: very graceful

Too Bad...

testudo

unexpected

Re: testudo

Should have been Apple

Microsoft hardware

If Apple didn't...

Microsoft and Hardware

You think...

one button

Macmice

re: 1 butt m--jasonsRX7

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Microsoft announces designer mice

updated 08:00 am EDT, Fri July 9, 2004

Microsoft designer mice

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Hmm... nice...

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Hahahah

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very graceful

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Re: very graceful

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testudo

unexpected

Re: testudo

Should have been Apple

Microsoft hardware

If Apple didn't...

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Macmice

re: 1 butt m--jasonsRX7

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