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Newsletter #424 Preview: A Realistic Look at Apple’s Innovation

January 13th, 2008

Every press release that emerges from Apple Inc. these days includes the following tag line: “Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.”

At no time do they claim that they actually invented the first personal computer, although the Apple II made the PC affordable and accessible to a large number of people. I gather Microsoft’s Bill Gates would rather have you believe that his company was responsible for certain inventions in the industry, such as the mouse. But that is strictly an unsupported claim.

So how and where did Apple actually innovate? Well, certainly there were attempts to develop a graphical user interface before the first Lisa and then Macintosh appeared. The computer mouse was actually invented in the 1960s, and the first iteration was encased in wood.

There is an urban legend that Apple executives when to Xerox’s famous Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s, saw what they were doing with user interfaces, and judiciously “borrowed” what they wanted to use for their own products. In fact, they paid Xerox for the rights to use certain technology.

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What Apple Can Learn from Logitech and Microsoft

August 20th, 2005

Rather than refer you to my previous writings on the Apple Mighty Mouse, let me summarize: For an Apple mouse, it’s one of the best ever and in some respects a remarkably clever design. The standard software, which only gains all its features under 10.4.2, lets you use it as an ordinary single button mouse and remain, except for that little scroll button thingie, virtually indistinguishable from the Pro mouse that ships with all new desktop Macs. It’s also suited for both right- and left-handed use, and that’s a big plus.

At the same time, familiarity can bring contempt for some, or at least a lack of comfort. Different strokes for different folks. In my case, my middle finger began to tingle after a few days of face time with a Mighty Mouse. But even if I didn’t suffer from that telltale symptom that, for some, might presage a repetitive stress injury, there were other irritants that grew with extended use. That scroll button, for example, although it has a decent sideways motion, seemed to lack the precision of a standard scroll wheel, at least for me. The side buttons were downright awkward. I guess nature endowed me with the wrong type of fingers (long and thin if you must know). Great for piano playing, but lousy for basketball.

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The Mighty Mouse Report: So Why Does My Finger Tingle?

August 6th, 2005

You know that when Kensington, Logitech or even Microsoft release a new mouse or trackball, you won’t read discussions about it for weeks on end. But when Apple is involved, things are almost always different. People are talking, still. And the Mighty Mouse remains the top seller at Apple’s online store, and it’s sales ranking at Amazon was at number 14 last time I checked. Of course, you may consult those same resources and see a totally different picture, but I’m just showing a trend. This is one hot product, and online dealers are typically quoting a one or two week wait to get one.

All this for a computer mouse.

Ever curious, I got one of the first to ship, and found it pretty good, at first. But input device comfort is a matter of personal taste, and after a few days, the thrill is gone. While recording an interview with author Jim Heid for this week’s episode of The Tech Night Owl LIVE, I noticed that one of the fingers on my right hand had begun to tingle slightly. Now perhaps it was the power of suggestion, because we were talking about protecting yourself against wrist-related injuries. After the interview concluded, I removed the Mighty Mouse and set up the Logitech MX1000 mouse in its place. The Logitech is taller, and better follows the contour of my hand.

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The Mac Night Owl Review: Some Face Time with a Mighty Mouse

August 6th, 2005

Before I go any further, yes, Apple has full authority to use the name Mighty Mouse, by virtue of getting permission from to use the name of the famous cartoon character direct from Viacom. With that out of the way, it’s fitting that I actually review the product, not as a result of spending 20 minutes with it, but an entire day. What’s more, rather than deliver another out-of-focus photo, I’m using the official version supplied to journalists by Apple Computer, with appropriate copyrights and credits, of course.

I’ve also taken the time to read the information and misinformation that has spread around the Mac universe about Mighty Mouse, the input device, not the cartoon. To think that some commentators can’t even describe such a simple device as a computer mouse correctly. No matter. I’ve made an effort to separate fact from fiction and truth from rumor here.

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