5 ms·

The Mouse Is Dead. I Just Killed It. Now Can We Move On?

7 points by swombat 16y ago

Anon84 16y ago
Apple's Trackpad, the ultimate Mouse trap?
mooism2 16y ago
The argument that mice are dead because they're a fifty year old technology is bunk (how old are keyboards again?). But that doesn't mean mice will be mainstream forever.
- eleitl 16y ago
  As long as human anatomy and sensorics remains the same, there will be constants in usability. I am very, very picky with my rodents and keyboards as well as screens.
- Seth_Kriticos 16y ago
  The keyboard originated with the first typewriters, end of the 19th century (100+ years). Nothing much changed with them, not even the layout. And you are right, the mouse won't leave us any time soon. It's very ergonomic. You can use it while your arm is mostly at rest (reinforced by the table). These kind of pads are nice for short time playing, but they are not useful for actual work where you sit 8/5 in front of a screen. But it will have it's niche market.
robotron 16y ago
Siegler's earlier article was complete unprofessional flamebait and also acting as if Apple is the first company to ever produce an input device that's an alternative to the mouse. This article is just some lame attempt at backtracking without going back on what he said. I'm done with Techcrunch.
serichsen 16y ago
I do not get why a keyboard is not needed. How do you write on an iPad?
- noverloop 16y ago
  He assumes that the bulk of the consumer-targeted computing devices in use in the future are special purpose devices that will not need a keyboard since nobody will use them to write stuff with.
- dflock 16y ago
  If you're only/mostly consuming media, you don't really need a keyboard. For small amounts of typing, on screen keyboards will suffice.
arnorhs 16y ago
The arguments that college students all use their mouse's trackpad is not because they prefer it over the mouse, but because they don't either have a mouse (don't think of buying one) and/or they do not want to be bothered taking it with them everywhere. I'm sure there are students out there that prefer the trackpad, but everybody I've ever met prefers using a mouse over a trackpad any day. Maybe the reason for the trackpad not being more popular/comfortable as a pointing device stems from the fact that the current trackpads out there are not good enough and the apple trackpad might change all that, but as things stand now, the trackpad is not replacing the mouse.
- ktsmith 16y ago
  When I was attending university there was the added issue of not having anywhere to use the mouse in the first place. Sure I could maybe use it on top of the laptop case itself but at that point it's so restrictive the track pad is easier. Had there not been as many people as possible packed into a lecture hall, or the classes built with tiny desktops designed for a notepad and pen then it may not have been an issue but other than the newest buildings on campus the facilities really didn't support a laptop/mouse combo.
tomjen3 16y ago
You can kill the mouse when your laptop comes with a built in trackpoint and not a moment before. Trackpads are third rate input devices at best, and should be faced out.
ydant 16y ago
The mouse is definitely dead. I killed it and replaced it with a thumb-track ball ages ago. It's absurdly bulky, but it is almost always in my laptop bag. The trackpads on the Mac laptops are indeed nice to use, but it's still nicer to have a dedicated device for manipulating the mouse. And if I'm going to carry around a dedicated device, I want something with tangible feedback.

7 points by swombat 16y ago

Apple's Trackpad, the ultimate Mouse trap?

The argument that mice are dead because they're a fifty year old technology is bunk (how old are keyboards again?). But that doesn't mean mice will be mainstream forever.

eleitl 16y ago
As long as human anatomy and sensorics remains the same, there will be constants in usability. I am very, very picky with my rodents and keyboards as well as screens.
Seth_Kriticos 16y ago
The keyboard originated with the first typewriters, end of the 19th century (100+ years). Nothing much changed with them, not even the layout. And you are right, the mouse won't leave us any time soon. It's very ergonomic. You can use it while your arm is mostly at rest (reinforced by the table). These kind of pads are nice for short time playing, but they are not useful for actual work where you sit 8/5 in front of a screen. But it will have it's niche market.

robotron 16y ago

Siegler's earlier article was complete unprofessional flamebait and also acting as if Apple is the first company to ever produce an input device that's an alternative to the mouse. This article is just some lame attempt at backtracking without going back on what he said. I'm done with Techcrunch.

serichsen 16y ago

I do not get why a keyboard is not needed. How do you write on an iPad?

noverloop 16y ago
He assumes that the bulk of the consumer-targeted computing devices in use in the future are special purpose devices that will not need a keyboard since nobody will use them to write stuff with.
dflock 16y ago
If you're only/mostly consuming media, you don't really need a keyboard. For small amounts of typing, on screen keyboards will suffice.

arnorhs 16y ago

The arguments that college students all use their mouse's trackpad is not because they prefer it over the mouse, but because they don't either have a mouse (don't think of buying one) and/or they do not want to be bothered taking it with them everywhere. I'm sure there are students out there that prefer the trackpad, but everybody I've ever met prefers using a mouse over a trackpad any day. Maybe the reason for the trackpad not being more popular/comfortable as a pointing device stems from the fact that the current trackpads out there are not good enough and the apple trackpad might change all that, but as things stand now, the trackpad is not replacing the mouse.

ktsmith 16y ago
When I was attending university there was the added issue of not having anywhere to use the mouse in the first place. Sure I could maybe use it on top of the laptop case itself but at that point it's so restrictive the track pad is easier. Had there not been as many people as possible packed into a lecture hall, or the classes built with tiny desktops designed for a notepad and pen then it may not have been an issue but other than the newest buildings on campus the facilities really didn't support a laptop/mouse combo.

tomjen3 16y ago

You can kill the mouse when your laptop comes with a built in trackpoint and not a moment before. Trackpads are third rate input devices at best, and should be faced out.

ydant 16y ago

The mouse is definitely dead. I killed it and replaced it with a thumb-track ball ages ago. It's absurdly bulky, but it is almost always in my laptop bag. The trackpads on the Mac laptops are indeed nice to use, but it's still nicer to have a dedicated device for manipulating the mouse. And if I'm going to carry around a dedicated device, I want something with tangible feedback.