Those rationales don't make much sense to me since they seem like they'd be equally applicable to the keyboard and trackpad. Every design is about tradeoffs. I

Those rationales don't make much sense to me since they seem like they'd be equally applicable to the keyboard and trackpad. Every design is about tradeoffs. In this case, the mouse would have to have a somewhat different shape to accommodate a port at the front. That different shape would surely be a poorer fit for the visual aesthetic they were going for and it likely would've impacted the feel during usage, as well. Some people would prefer that tradeoff — certainly those who would prefer to (or have to because of an RF-noisy environment) use the mouse wired all the time. I expect the vast majority of their customers don't do that, though; and, I, for one, prefer (or at least am neutral to) the choice they went with. It definitely makes for a silly-looking photo while it's charging, but it's certainly not a blunder that none of the designers ever considered.