October 5th, 2009
Apple to give Mighty Mouse a mighty overhaul
Apple’s Mighty Mouse has been the target of much scorn among users for its lack of utility and its gummy scroll ball.
That may soon change.
AppleInsider reports that the mouse may get hip to multitouch technology and receive an overhaul “as early as this year, possibly in conjunction with the imminent release of new iMacs.”
New iMacs and a standard MacBook are rumored to be coming within days.
The Mighty Mouse, which is offered in wired and wireless flavors, is currently on a two-week backorder through at least one of the company’s direct fulfillment channels.
That’s unusual for this product.
Apple is expected to do away with the Mighty Mouse’s problematic mechanical roller ball and use touch-sensitive housing and “multipoint touch detection mechanism” technologies, as described in recent patent filings.
In other words: the mouse is finally getting hip to Apple’s recent software innovations (hello, Snow Leopard!).
One more detail about the Mighty Mouse: the white plastic finish is thought to be on its way out, to be replaced with an aluminum model to better match the Apple lineup.
The Mighty Mouse as its currently designed dates to 2005, A revised Bluetooth model with more accurate laser optical tracking arrived in 2006.
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
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| 10/05/09
