Visit Our New Sections!

July 19
More Details on the New Pro Keyboard and Buttonless Mouse

by David Nagel
Executive Producer
dnagel@digitalmedianet.com

Earlier today we reported on Apple's new pro keyboard and optical mouse. Both announcements came as a great relief to users stuck with Apple's small keyboard and hockey puck mouse—and, worse yet, few third-party options that worked the way they were supposed to. In fact, the mouse actually received more of an ovation at Steve Jobs's keynote address this morning at the Macworld Expo than any other announcement of the day.

A good potion of the relief was owing to Apple's promise to replace current users' existing keyboards for a reduced price, rather than charging the full retail price.

At the expo, Jobs showed a photo of the hockey puck mouse and said, "This, as you know, is our mouse. And some people, uh, don't like it. We're going from what some people say is the worst mouse industry to what we think is the best mouse in the industry."

The pro keyboard
The new pro keyboard offers full-size function and navigation keys, volume control and disc eject keys, as well as two USB ports. It includes 15 full-size programmable function keys, full-size inverted-T cursor controls and a six-key document navigation pad. It will be available in September for $59. Apple hasn't said how long this pricing will last after the keyboard's introduction.

The buttonless mouse
The entire surface of the new Apple mouse acts as a button, according to Steve Jobs. It uses a high-performance optical sensor to ensure precision and eliminate skipping and sticking. The optical mouse has no moving parts, so it can't get dirty the way other mice and trackballs can. Its design also enables users to easily adjust the clicking tension to obtain the feel that is just right for them. Apple hasn't said whether different areas of the mouse's surface could function as additional buttons. It will also be available for $59 in September for retail purchase separate from a new desktop computer, unless you were one of the lucky ones attending the Macworld Expo keynote, in which case you got one for free. Thank you very much.

For more information, visit http://www.apple.com.

Post a comment or question on the Creative Mac World Wide User Forum!

Home • More News Headlines • Search