NEWS FLASH! That certain “nether region” is in the midst of a major cold snap. In fact, there are some reports that the once-fiery domain has, well, frozen over. What evidence is there to support such claims? Is it the fact that, after years of declining market share, spurred on by the success of the iPod and an operating system with ZERO, ZILCH, NADA viruses and other malware, Apple’s Macintosh computer sales are rising rapidly? Is it the recent announcement that Macintoshes will ship next summer with Intel processors installed? No. The final icicle in the Devil’s back? Apple this week introduced a multi-button mouse. Break out the toboggans! Cats and dogs living together! It’s the end of the world as we know it.

It’s called the Mighty Mouse (moniker used with Viacom’s permission – do they own EVERYTHING?). The Mighty Mouse is the same shape and size as the current one-button optical mouse shipping with all new Macs. You still press down to click. However, the similarities end there.

The only really visible button on Mighty Mouse is what Apple calls a Scroll Ball, placed on the forward center of the otherwise seamless top shell. Like a scroll wheel on other mice, you can use it to scroll up and down long web pages, for example. But the Scroll Ball also scrolls horizontally (for really wide web pages). Although it’s actually moving quickly in vertical and horizontal increments, you can, in a sense move diagonally across any scrollable window. Apply pressure to the Scroll Wheel, and it becomes a programmable button. Very cool.

To the left and right of the Scroll Ball are two programmable areas that serve as the right and left click buttons. I say areas, because there are sensors under the surface that determine whether you’re trying to right or left click. There’s not buttons to get dirt under or fail. Way cool.

On the lower sides of Mighty Mouse are two pressure-sensitive areas that, when “squeezed” together, make for another programmable button.

Programmable means preset functions (like opening the Dashboard), or any command keystroke you use frequently. The only gripe I have is that the lower side squeeze buttons aren’t independently programmable.

Mighty Mouse requires Mac OS 10.4.2 (the latest update) for full functionality (sorry, no OS 9). It also runs on Windows XP or 2000 and retails for $49.95.

© 2005 Peter F. Zimowski