When will the MacBook Pro finally have an integrated two button mouse?

[Alex5673]

Does this forum know any rumors about that?

They could solve it by means of a single button working like the mighty mouse's left/right button solution; then we would not even lose the option to operate this button in single button mode.

Many thanks,
Alex

 

[majorp]

12th of never.

mac's are renouned for the one button mouse. to right click just tap two fingers on the trackpad (as long as the option is checked in prefs)

 

[andrew050703]

haven't seen any rumours, but i've had a play with my MBP, and unless you really want to use both hands to use the trackpad/button, apples two-fingers-on-the-trackpad-click is the best option (if only it worked on XP!)

moving your thumb along the button to the right hand side isn't all that ergonomic, so in short; i don't think you'll see one

towards the above post; yes macs might be renowned for their one button mouse, but it's probably one of the main reasons windows users won't switch. personally, i think two is better than one

 

[mpw]

... personally, i think two is better than one

Excellent! It's been a while since this topic kicked-off

Two? Pah! Any less than 4buttons on a mouse and what's the point, 5buttons better, 6buttons probably ideal.

 

[speakerwizard]

but macs ship with a four button mouse, so not really an excuse not to switch

 

[iñaki'sonMac'87]

Maybe insted of a mouse a Play station handset could be useful, it has, what 8 butons an a joystick. ... maybe not, the one-button simplicity appeals me a lot.

 

[Osarkon]

I thought that until i got my mac, and to be honest now I don't feel the need for it. It works and works well enough. If only it worked in windows. Although in honesty, i've found having two buttons just seems to work better when i'm working in windows.

 

[skunk]

I always have difficulty telling my left from my right (perhaps because I was changed from left- to right-handed when I was a kid), so one button is my preferred configuration. I'd be lost with two.

 

[2ndPath]

but macs ship with a four button mouse, so not really an excuse not to switch

Exactly. All Desktop macs ship with 4-button mice, so the portable macs need to catch up. Personally I think the current solution with the multi finger clicks is very usable, but having more mouse buttons in addition would be even nicer.

 

[Zmmyt]

Exactly. All Desktop macs ship with 4-button mice, so the portable macs need to catch up. Personally I think the current solution with the multi finger clicks is very usable, but having more mouse buttons in addition would be even nicer.

Just like someone mentioned before. 5, 6, 7 buttons? What kind of Laptop do you want? A lot of people were complaining about "only" one button, now they want even more than two buttons. I don't get it. It's a laptop. Need more buttons, get a mouse.

 

[Pressure]

haven't seen any rumours, but i've had a play with my MBP, and unless you really want to use both hands to use the trackpad/button, apples two-fingers-on-the-trackpad-click is the best option (if only it worked on XP!)

It does work in Windows...

 

[Peterkro]

Tablets is the way to go I tells ya.I just resurrected my decade old Wacom with some Open source jiggery pokery now I want one the size of a football pitch.

 

[architek]

It does work in Windows...

The best I've managed to get it to do (on my gf's 15"MBP) is by putting 2 fingers on the trackpad and clicking the button. Tapping doesn't seem to work with either 1 finger, or 2 fingers.

That's with the latest Bootcamp.

Is there a solution beyond this???

 

[mkrishnan]

Well, on the scale of never, it'll probably happen before Macs start getting Intel stickers put on the wrist rest... I don't see Apple doing it until they can do it stylishly. They won't just add a ton of mish-mash buttons in the way this is done on a Windows notebook. The current solution is elegant -- the system functions at least like a mouse with two buttons and a scroll wheel without any additional buttons. I don't think Apple will add more buttons until they can likewise do it in an elegant way....

 

[reflex]

I don't see Apple doing it until they can do it stylishly. They won't just add a ton of mish-mash buttons in the way this is done on a Windows notebook.

Cutting the current button in two seems stylish enough to me...

 

[2ndPath]

Just like someone mentioned before. 5, 6, 7 buttons? What kind of Laptop do you want? A lot of people were complaining about "only" one button, now they want even more than two buttons. I don't get it. It's a laptop. Need more buttons, get a mouse.

In general this is right. But Apple emphasizes the importance of a consistent experience. For years the mice and trackpad on stationary and mobile Macs were equally powerfull (one button). Now both took a big step a big step ahead (scrolling and more buttons), but the track pads on mobile Macs have fallen behind the mighy mouse. Right now it's not that much of a proble though, because OS X and other software don't make too much use of the mouse buttons beyond the second one.

 

[Alex5673]

Cutting the current button in two seems stylish enough to me...

To me, too. -- Alternatively they could solve it with one button working like the mighty mouse's left/right button solution; then we would not even lose the option to operate this button in single button mode (unlike a simple one button rocker switch like solution).

 

[mkrishnan]

To me, too. -- Alternatively they could solve it with one button working like the mighty mouse's left/right button solution; then we would not even lose the option to operate this button in single button mode (unlike a simple one button rocker switch like solution).

That's a cute idea. There's also been a long-standing rumor (supported by some Apple patents) that the trackpad would be further innovated based on the design of the clickwheel... I think a clickpad with four (or several) tap zones might be fun. Perhaps using the tap zones for Expose or something creative. Dunno. In the meantime, I am very happy with Sidetrack on my iBook and I'm very happy with OneFingerSnap on my one-button mouse on my iMac.

 

[slffl]

I'm hoping when Hell freezes over.

For me it has nothing to do with style. It's all about easily and quickly clicking the button with my thumb. You just can't do that on two button laptops. You need to unaturally move your thumb to the left side to click. With one button I can be anywhere on the trackpad and click without thinking twice.

For the love of God, switchers PLEASE switch back.

 

[dan-o-mac]

To me, too. -- Alternatively they could solve it with one button working like the mighty mouse's left/right button solution;

Don't they pretty much do that already with the two-fingers-on-the-trackpad-click. It's so much easier than having a dedicated right click button.

 

[Eraserhead]

Does this forum know any rumors about that?

They could solve it by means of a single button working like the mighty mouse's left/right button solution; then we would not even lose the option to operate this button in single button mode.

Many thanks,
Alex

Never, I would imagine. Look, on my iMac G5 I have never, ever used a 1 button mouse, I plugged in a two button one the day I bought it, with my Macbook I am totally happy with two fingers on the trackpad and clicking, that works perfectly well.

 

[NewSc2]

making a right button take up like 15% of the big single button would probably satisfy those of you that'd think 2 buttons would be confusing. I hate clicking on the trackpad, I always use the clicker button.

anyway, Apple overall doesn't really support right-click for much. Most programs never truly use it the way Windows does.

Except for the Dock.

Now that I think about it, they really need a right mouse button just to close out programs. I still don't quite understand why I need VLC running in the background (or Adium, or Safari, etc. etc.)

 

[manosaurus]

Two button mouse?!?!?!?

That's crazy!!!

That would be like having two girlfiends!

 

[jellomizer]

I say close to Never.

On normal mice where your hand is naturally on both sides of the mouse two click buttons is useful and makes sense. Track Pads is an other thing. The way you hand naturally is on it means you will need to move you thumb to right click, which is more difficult any annoying. The Two Finger tap keeps the functionality. and the Two Fingers and a Click for Windows works too. (I wish they would allow one method for both OS's though) It is not like on my old Powerbook where i needed to do a Ctrl Click. to get a right click (that still works too) There are a lot of options to get the right click and they tend for me at least to cause less mistakes then on the crappy toshiba I have too.

 

[yellow]

12th of never.

LOL. Excellent response. And incredibly accurate.

Though I would have accepted "Smarch".