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Apple Files Patent For Display Mouse

Posted by timothy on from the mickey-caught-flashing dept.

astrodoom writes "AppleInsider has posted a story detailing a new patent application by Apple that hints at the possibility of adding a touchscreen to the company's magic mouse. At a basic level this could mean things like customizable colors or artwork displayed on the user's mouse, but the possibilities extend much further to fully customizable mouse layouts and program controls. Apple Insider comments on the possibilities: 'The display on the mouse would change according to what the user may be doing on their Mac. As an example, the application describes displaying a number of icons for quickly selectable options when a user is running Apple's Pages word processing application. Switching over to the spreadsheet software, Numbers would reconfigure the buttons on the screen to allow for commands in that respective application.'"

8 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Ick by catbutt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Terrible ergonomics. Your hand will block the view when using the mouse as it's meant to be used, and so see it you have to take your eyes off the screen. Seems like a bad idea to me.

    1. Re:Ick by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Funny

      You are holding it wrong.

      -S. Jobs

    2. Re:Ick by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Terrible ergonomics. Your hand will block the view when using the mouse as it's meant to be used, and so see it you have to take your eyes off the screen. Seems like a bad idea to me.

      Me too. Context-sensitivity can be carried to an extreme. This sounds more like yet another Apple fashion statement than anything particularly practical.

      Actually, it sounds like just about all Apple patent stories on Slashdot: something that riles up the haters and isn't ever used in a product from Apple.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    3. Re:Ick by nomadic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, with Apple's terrible track record at UI this will probably bea complete disaster....

      How's their track record on mice, though?

  2. Re:Aren't there already products like this? by Amorymeltzer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Maybe, but I haven't heard of one. Keyboards, yes, peripherals, yes, but mouse? I think the generally held wisdom is that your would fingers get in the way.

    --
    I live in constant fear of the Coming of the Red Spiders.
  3. Re:Aren't there already products like this? by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/26/loginoki-the-lcd-mouse-mod/

    --
    WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  4. Link to PDF containing figures (images) by PatPending · · Score: 3, Informative

    The link in TFS is to the "full text" provided by the USPTO--"full text" does not include any figures (images)--to see the figures via the USPTO, a suitable browser plug-in for viewing TIFF is required. If that's not for you, this link (PDF) includes the figures.

    --
    What one fool can do, another can. (Ancient Simian Proverb)
  5. Cool: mouse-display recursion! by Kaz+Kylheku · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They should put a little USB port on this display mouse, where you can plug in another mouse, to control a little pointer on host mouse's display, as an alternative to using it as a touch screen.