toggle

AAPL Stock: 509.46 ( 0 )

MacNN News

Apple quietly debuts new keyboard, mouse

updated 03:50 pm EDT, Tue May 6, 2003

Several readers note that Apple's new eMac line includes a new Apple Keyboard with a centralized USB hub (the ports are now on either side of the keyboard connector in the back, rather than other either end of the old Keyboard.). The eMac also ships with a new Apple Pro Mouse, though the changes are not immediately noticeable. It is unclear whether the new peripherals will ship with other destkop Macs, including the iMac and the Power Mac.

Apple has posted a gallery with

by MacNN Staff

(41)

TAGS :

peripherals

Share the Article

Facebook Twitter Delious Slash Dot Digg

toggle

Comments

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:06pm | report spam | close Reply |
Mouse difference

It looks like there's no dial to adjust click effort.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
Sigh.....

When is Apple going to wake up to the two button w/ wheel mouse? We buy a Mac, we dump the mouse, every time. It should at least be an option.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:16pm | report spam | close Reply |
no longer "Pro Mouse"

Did y'all notice? The back now says "Mouse" instead of "Pro Mouse" like it used to. Does this mean that Apple is finally ready to release a REAL mouse instead of that worthless hunk of plastic that gets shoved into the closet immediately after purchase. (My place of work has a bag with over a dozen of those stupid plastic rats -- we replace ours with Intellimouse Explorers.)

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
Quietly is right.

These new kb and mouse are cost-cutter compromises. Nothing more, nothing less.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:19pm | report spam | close Reply |
also....

and 10.2.6

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
BS

Go buy a f*cking mouse and stop bitching!

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
OS 9 Booting

The tech specs page says that the CD-ROM and Combo drive models can still boot into Mac OS 9, even though these all are AirPort Extreme capable. Does this make the low-end eMacs the only OS 9-booting machines with AirPort Extreme?

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
I love the Pro Mouse

I have no trouble with the current or 1st. Apple Pro Mouse... I ditched the Logitech MX700 and Optical WheelMouse and going back to the Pro Mouse.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
1 button mouse

why still cryin' about that one or two buttons ? i don't get it. it's tradition, it belongs to apple, want a extra k*** ? why don't push the control button while clicking ? why is windows still ugly ? don't cry about it, it's tradition ....

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:44pm | report spam | close Reply |
mice

sheesh. i manage a few dozen school macs - imacs and cubes and such - the mice only fail when the kids torture them. what are we missing with one-button mice?

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:46pm | report spam | close Reply |
Extra mouses

If your company wants to donate those extra Pro Mouses to my school, let me know. It can be a tax write off for your company and when the a** hole kids steal a mouse we can replace it.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
1 Button, Good!

My 6yo sometimes uses my old Mac, and she's fine with it. But I once tried having her use my PC. She kept asking, "which button?" I had the same experience with my mom a few years back. I use a Logitech 2-button+scroll wheel on my Powerbook, and love it. But one button is just fine. Need more? Make Logitech happy.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
mice

you two button wusses. i wired an upside-down trackball to the underside of a keyboard, i am in 105-button mouse heaven.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 04:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
3 button mice

Who remembers when so many pc's came with 3 button mice. Most people could not get the deal with the middle button. It was a pain because of how you had to position your hand. I have an XP notebook from compaq with a 2 button trackpad. It is confusing to have this on a track pad. Rather than left or right click, I end up "wrong-clicking" all the time. I prefer the iBook I have. It makes sense that I have to take the extra step--holding down control--for more detailed functions. Something works in my mind-finger coordination that clicks (no pun intended) with this setup. I have to say that the single-button mouse has worked for me over the years, having owned many macs and many pc's.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 05:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
developing for 1 button

Making the one-button mouse standard encourages developers not to get lazy about the user interface. Windows apps often do a horrible job in this department. Right clicking is supposed to be a contextual shortcut, not the only way to do something. If the 2-button becomes standard, it will change the perceptions of developers and thus hurt the gorgeous, highly efficient , and smart UI's we enjoy on Macs.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 05:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: OS 9 Booting

Quote:
The tech specs page says that the CD-ROM and Combo drive models can still boot into Mac OS 9, even though these all are AirPort Extreme capable. Does this make the low-end eMacs the only OS 9-booting machines with AirPort Extreme.

According to Apple, AirPort Extreme is not available while booted in OS 9 according to Note #5 on http://www.apple.com/emac/specs.html

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 05:44pm | report spam | close Reply |
Two buttons???

Please, anyone who isn't using a mouse with at least four buttons (and even that's kind of on the low side) are just plain dweebs. You people wanting just two buttons and a stupid a** scroll-wheel. I know, next you'll want to click the scroll wheel so that you can auto scroll documents (or, as I call it, confuse the h*** out of the users who have no idea what they just did or why their document is whacking out on them).

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 06:08pm | report spam | close Reply |
One Button or Two?

When I'm stuck using a mouse, it's a Kensington 2-button scroll wheel job. Usually I use a trackball or a WACOM tablet. I have no problem switching between one-button, two, or even my 10-button Turbo Mouse Pro.

My uncle just switched! Goodbye nasty Compaq PIII and hello to a PowerBook G4 800. I asked if he wanted a multi-button mouse and he was quite firm: NO. He wanted the one-button mouse, so I gave him my Apple Pro Mouse. He was a Navy helicopter pilot, drives fast cars and sails, so he's no techno spaz. The one-button mouse is simple and straightforward. No bull... Unlike Windows

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 06:52pm | report spam | close Reply |
longer cable?

Since the USB connectors were moved to the back of the keyboard I presume the new mouse needs a longer cable.

Maybe we can finally use this new mouse on our ibooks :-)

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 06:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
Mouse cord not long...

So is the mouse cord longer then the old, as I know, if I had to plug my old mouse into the new keyboard, I would think it be too short...

It must be...

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 06:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
Figure it out

Can't you morons understand that if Apple did ship a two button mouse with a scroll wheel it would pretty much eliminate the market for 3rd party mice? The current mouse has the perfect mix of useability and imperfection to keep the peripheral market healthy. If they give you everything you want out of the box, you can kiss choice goodbye.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 07:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
here we go again

Waaa.... I want apple to make a dual button scrolly mouse. :rolleyes: Like how hard is it to buy a mouse on your own? My Gripe is not thay they don't make a dual button, scrolly mouse but thay I *have* to configure a mouse and keyboard with the purchase. I'd rather not even buy them in the first place.

But, hopefully this does mean that they are coming out with a Bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard. I might even consider going back to a single button of there was a BT Mouse and Kybd that I could use with my 17".

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 08:16pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: BS

> Go buy a f*cking mouse and stop bitching!

Look you dumb s*** -- there are educational institutions with THOUSANDS of Macs...should they have to trash the mouse and buy a new (useable) one just because Apple can't pull their head out of their a** and offer a BTO 2-button option?

j******...

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 08:21pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: BS

Seems to me, from the earlier posts, that educational institutions LIKE 1 button mice.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 09:01pm | report spam | close Reply |
Shut up shut up shut up!!

A logitech 2-button scroll wheel optical mouse is $12. That's right - twelve measily dollars!! Buy one and shut the h*** up!!! Why does Apple have to sell it for you to use it? With the whining against Apple you do, one would think you'd want your peripherals to come from anywhere but Apple.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 09:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
Should be an option?

If the one button mouse is so great for everything then why have the system automatically enable contextual menus to a second button natively? I fully understand the sensitivity to the aftermarket but with the whole switcher thing not even offering a two button mouse (forget the scrollwheel) as a purchase option is ridiculous. It could even be third party but it should be in the box if desired. I'm a 16 year Mac veteran and I use contextual menus and a two button mouse for nearly everything now. They have to stay ahead and be the best with everything, and they need a wireless keyboard and two button mouse NOW. Obviously they seem to happy to market to you rude, righteous and inefficient idiots but that's not getting them much new marketshare is it?

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 10:06pm | report spam | close Reply |
usb ports

why dont they just leave the usb ports on the end of the keyboard. Whats the point of plugging your mouse in to the centre of the keyboard. Just means more cable clutter.

Most PC mice I have seen have stupidly long cables because PC's put USB ports in dumb locations.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 10:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
one button mouse

i've said it before and i'll say it again...when will apple get their head out of their fuzzy butt and finally make a one button keyboard???

that is what we need.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 10:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
usb port

apple should also put a freaking usb port on the mouse for god's sake.

get with the program people...

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 10:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
Apple's idea:

Apple's idea is that the GUI should be so simple, it only *needs* 1 button. Everything you can do with a control-click or second button should be able to be done through other means.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 10:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
apple sucks

friggin' a! when are they gonna wake up and put a subwoofer on the mouse. i'm tired of this nonsense... i'm switching over to a PC because of the lack of subwoofer-mice on the Mac!

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 11:27pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: usb ports and 2 btns

Most PC mice I have seen have stupidly long cables because PC's put USB ports in dumb locations.

Actually, most PCs have nice and handy USB ports on the front of their computers, as opposed to power macs, iMacs, etc, which are on the back (and in the case of a power mac, usually requires crawling on the floor to plug the stupid cable in). Unless you're using a low-power device that can plug into the keyboard.

But PC makers (nor peripheral makers) haven't seemed to grasp the concept made popular by Apple oh, some 20 years ago it seems like, of plugging the mouse into the keyboard (which Apple's been doing since like the SE, if not the Mac Plus). (By the way, we used to use Sun Workstations in the early 90's that did the same thing, and I believe they used an ADB port, had the same symbol at least). In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a PC manufacturer who actually uses USB keyboards/mice on their computers. To this day they're still including the PROPRIETARY (yes, proprietary, it was an IBM invention that others took on for some reason) and garbage PS/2 connectors. h***, some high-end (yes, high-end!) Dell laptops only include one USB port (but their cheap ones include like 5, go figure).

Apple seems to know how users would like peripherals to connect.

If the one button mouse is so great for everything then why have the system automatically enable contextual menus to a second button natively?

Its not that it isn't great, but there are people (as you can read here) who want two-button mice and, as was shown in the buggy world of OS 9, if the support isn't in at the OS level, the mice don't work quite right all the time and users just whine and complain about that. Hey, there's support in the OS for lots of crappy stuff, but someone wants it.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/06, 11:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
Two-Buttons?

New Apple mouse appears to have a button on each side.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 12:19am | report spam | close Reply |
Powerbook 165c

Apple had the best laptops (had/has/had/has) and at one point they had a built in trackball with two configurable buttons. I never 'wrong clicked' and neither did the next generation up. I agree in part with the poster above who mentioned competition, but competition should be based on the 'all you weenies who aren't using a mouse w/ at least 4 buttons' point of view. If you buy a pc you replace the junk mouse a ton of times w/ another junk one. Apple can make a quality 2 button mouse and not kill the competition because there are mini-mice, man-mice, left-handed, etc... and of course pc replacements. What apple NEEDS to do is put 2 buttons back in the laptops for those of us who like to have our fingers on the keys and the controls.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 07:53am | report spam | close Reply |
ADB

But PC makers (nor peripheral makers) haven't seemed to grasp the concept made popular by Apple oh, some 20 years ago it seems like, of plugging the mouse into the keyboard (which Apple's been doing since like the SE, if not the Mac Plus).

Actually, the mouse that plugs into the keyboard and the Apple Desktop Bus that supported it debuted with the Apple IIGS, which predates the SE. And on the Mac Plus, the keyboard and mouse plugged into separate ports on the back.

But you may a great point. I stick my ugly PC case under my desk at work, and even with the long cord, I still find myself fighting with the mouse. And why the heck DON'T they use USB keyboards? My guess is because DOS doesn't support them. Stuck in the past.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 09:28am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: mice

Reader reaction
Found 35 comments

Extra mouses - MacNN.com Reader 112012
5/6/03, 4:46 pm EDT
If your company wants to donate those extra Pro Mouses to my school, let me know. It can be a tax write off for your company and when the a** hole kids steal a mouse we can replace it.

1 Button, Good! - MacNN.com Reader 112013
5/6/03, 4:48 pm EDT
My 6yo sometimes uses my old Mac, and she's fine with it. But I once tried having her use my PC. She kept asking, "which button?" I had the same experience with my mom a few years back. I use a Logitech 2-button+scroll wheel on my Powerbook, and love it. But one button is just fine. Need more? Make Logitech happy.
"you two button wusses. i wired an upside-down trackball to the underside of a keyboard, i am in 105-button mouse heaven."

Hilarious. Bravo. :: clap, clap, clap ::

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 01:05pm | report spam | close Reply |
Idiots...

We defend the slower-than-snail Motorola G3/4 processors, high prices, and the one button mouse. Steve Job has found the perfect group of lemmings (that worship him too)!

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 01:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
Partly

" Actually, the mouse that plugs into the keyboard and the Apple Desktop Bus that supported it debuted with the Apple IIGS, which predates the SE. And on the Mac Plus, the keyboard and mouse plugged into separate ports on the back."

Just the mouse. The keyboard plugged into the front with a telephone plug.

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 01:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
Mice

Lets have some fun bashing a few morons. Here we go...

"Go buy a f*cking mouse and stop bitching!"

I just spent $3000 on a new mac, $1500 more then a more-capable PC, and you want me to go out and spend another $12 just to get a friggin decent mouse?! I should NOT have to buy a f--king mouse as an "extra".

"I ditched the Logitech MX700 and Optical WheelMouse and going back to the Pro Mouse."

You ditched a $30 mouse for a $5 one? Haha. "Gee I don't like my car anymore. Let me go out and get a bike."

"I don't get it. It's tradition."

This one made me laugh. What the f--k does tradition have to do with anything? Techonlogy companies that rely on tradition while their competors innovate, those companies go out of business. Get with the program.

"My 6yo sometimes uses my old Mac, and she's fine with it. But I once tried having her use my PC. She kept asking, "which button?""

Um, why not try TELLING HER IT'S THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON. How hard is this? The left mouse button is always the "normal" mouse button. Easy. Maybe you should try trusting in your kid's ablity to learn something new. When they grow up and get a job they are going to have to learn how to use a multi-button mouse anyway, so teach them now.

OR, wonder of wonders, why don't you let your kid FIGURE IT OUT ON THEIR OWN. Imagine that. Click the left mouse button, see what happens. Click the right. Etc. Are people really that stupid and unwilling to learn something as trivial as what the buttons on their mouse do? Sheesh. It's not like it's going to blow up your friggin computer. Just press it and see what happens.

"Most people could not get the deal with the middle button."

Most people are morons. Don't be one of them. Learn how a mouse works. Read a manual if you're that unwilling to try something new.

"It makes sense that I have to take the extra step--holding down control--for more detailed functions."

Right clicking, once you've tried it, becomes an essential function. It's infinately easier and more intunitive to click the right mouse button, see what's in the menu, and choose a command then trying to go up into the menu bar to find something that you want to do.

What is the point of making a function that is incredibly useful harder to discover and use? Which is easier: seeing that your mouse has a second button and clicking it to figure out what it does? Or "knowing" that in order to do that feature, you have to hold down a totally unrelated button that is not even on the mouse (ctrl)? My guess is that 90% of mac users who use the single button mouse don't bother with ctrl click because they don't even know that that function exists.

"Making the one-button mouse standard encourages developers not to get lazy about the user i

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/07, 11:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
go back to economics 101

Somebody mentioned we should be happy that apple makes these mice because it helps the mouse industry... uh... nice try but the mouse industry does not exist because of mac users who are unhappy with their mice... the mouse industry gets most of its sales from pc users, not mac users. I was a switcher about 3 years ago and I have to say that it was months before I knew that the ability to control-click even existed... ultimately I've bought my own mouse for the 4 macs I've owned since then. I'd be really happy if, when configuring my mac at the apple store, I could choose to have my mac made without the mouse. The funny thing is that Apple would probably subtract about $15 from the total mac price if this was possible yet they sell the mice for a ridiculous $60. I have a really nice MS wireless optical mouse with three buttons including a scroll wheel and it was only $30 dollars. Where does apple get off charging so much for their mice?

MacNN.com Reader
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2001

0

05/12, 03:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
Because Apple

has their head up their a**.

Mac mice have been s*** ever since the 90s, and continue to be s***. $40 for a one button mouse. WTF are they smoking?

Show More Comments

Login Here

toggle

Network Headlines

02/15	Gartner: Apple No 1 vendor in Q4, but...
02/15	Proview: Chinese customs 'unlikely'...
02/15	Cook: iCloud over 100M users, Siri...
02/15	AMD Radeon HD 7750, 7770 GHz Edition...
02/14	Cook hints at Apple TV set during Goldman...

Show All

02/15	Gartner: Apple No 1 vendor in Q4, but...
02/15	Proview: Chinese customs 'unlikely'...
02/15	AMD Radeon HD 7750, 7770 GHz Edition...
02/14	Apple CEO: Kindle Fire will sell, but...
02/14	Time Capsule stock sees delays, sell...

Show All

02/14	Apple attempting to disrupt Siri hacks...
02/14	Readability iOS app delayed, Android...
02/13	Apple launches 2012 back-to-school...
02/13	Sony Music caught inflating price for...
02/09	Apple explores environment-sensitive...

Show All

02/14	Refurb. 16GB iPhone 4, now only $259...
02/13	Refurb. Flip UltraHD Pocket Digital...
02/10	$380 off refurbished 2.8GHz Mac Pro...
02/09	iHome Dual Alarm Clock for Apple iPod...
02/08	Save 69% on SanDisk Cruzer 32GB USB...

Show All

toggle

Apple quietly debuts new keyboard, mouse

updated 03:50 pm EDT, Tue May 6, 2003

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Mouse difference

Sigh.....

no longer "Pro Mouse"

Quietly is right.

also....

BS

OS 9 Booting

I love the Pro Mouse

1 button mouse

mice

Extra mouses

1 Button, Good!

mice

3 button mice

developing for 1 button

Re: OS 9 Booting

Two buttons???

One Button or Two?

longer cable?

Mouse cord not long...

Figure it out

here we go again

Re: BS

RE: BS

Shut up shut up shut up!!

Should be an option?

usb ports

one button mouse

usb port

Apple's idea:

apple sucks

Re: usb ports and 2 btns

Two-Buttons?

Powerbook 165c

ADB

Re: mice

Idiots...

Partly

Mice

go back to economics 101

Because Apple

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

10 Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace