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Apple Updating the Mighty Mouse?

by Terrence O'Brien on October 3, 2009 at 08:30 AM


Fresh off the disappointment of no-shows like The Beatles on iTunes, a Mac tablet, and an iPod touch with a camera, the Apple rumor mill has toned it down a bit this go around and set its sights a bit lower -- the Mighty Mouse.

Debuting in 2005, the Mighty Mouse's reception was, at best, lukewarm. While it was the first Apple-branded mouse to support right-clicks (through its touch-sensitive, virtual buttons), it had a much-maligned roller ball instead of a scroll wheel. The frustrating rubberized ball collected grease and dirt, quickly rendering it borderline unusable.

Apple has a long history of releasing craptacular mice. The worst offense being the "hockey-puck" model that was packaged with the original iMac. Fortunately, Apple made great strides in its multi-touch control schemes. This time around, the rumor mill is suggesting that Apple plans to leverage what it has learned from the development of the iPhone and the multi-touch trackpads found on its laptops to create a better user experience on its desktop machines. The new mice are also expected to get a cosmetic makeover -- ditching the shiny white plastic for a brushed aluminum appearance that will better match the company's current aesthetic.

The Mighty Mouse has been out for about five years now, so it's just about time for an update. Additionally the Mighty Mouse is currently on a two week backorder, and according to AppleInsider's sources, supplies of Might Mice have not been an issue in recent years. [From: AppleInsider]

Tags: Apple, mighty mouse, MightyMouse, mouse, rumor, rumors, top

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