History of Apple Mice

Apple's Journey with Mice: A Story of Innovation and Disruption

In 1998, Apple released its first mouse that connected to the computer through its USB port, known as the Apple USB mouse. This innovative design was included with all successive desktop Macs for the next two years. The round, hockey-puck-shaped mouse was a radical departure from its predecessor and featured a translucent housing that made it stylish but also clumsy due to its small size and tendency to rotate in use.

The apple Pro mouse, introduced in 2000, was a similar design to the Apple desktop Mouse 2, but with an all-black finish. It shared many of the same flaws as the original USB mouse, including an unusually short cord that made it impractical for most users. In response to this criticism, Apple discontinued the USB mouse and introduced the Pro mouse, which featured a sleek, seamless design that became synonymous with the brand's "zero-button" mouse philosophy.

The black Pro mouse was surrounded by a clear plastic shell and used an LED for optical tracking instead of a rubber ball. It was included as a standard mouse with all desktop Macs and was later made available in white. In 2003, the Black Version was discontinued, and the model underwent a minor redesign, during which time the "pro" was dropped from its name.

In 2005, for the first time in its 22-year history of making mice, Apple shipped a mouse with two buttons instead of relying on physical mechanisms. This innovation marked a significant departure from traditional mouse design and allowed for more intuitive user interaction. The Mighty Mouse, released in 2006, featured touch-sensitive buttons, a free-spinning track ball that could be used to scroll in any direction, and wireless Bluetooth capabilities.

However, the Mighty Mouse was not without its flaws. Over time, the trackball accumulated grime, rendering it useless without frequent cleaning. Additionally, the two touch-sensitive areas on the side of the body could be squeezed for additional input. In 2006, Apple added support for the Mighty Mouse with OS X 10, and in 2009, the company introduced a Bluetooth model to replace the wired version.

In 2010, Apple released the Magic Mouse, which featured wireless Bluetooth capabilities, laser tracking, and multi-touch gesture controls similar to those found on the iPhone and MacBook's trackpad. The Magic Mouse was included with the iMac and quickly became a fan favorite among Apple enthusiasts. However, when buying an iMac in October 2015, users could still choose to purchase the wired Mighty Mouse, now rebranded as the Apple Mouse.

In 2010, Apple also released the magic Trackpad, which brought the company's critically acclaimed multi-touch trackpad technology to desktops. The Trackpad was similar to those found on MacBooks but was 80% larger and connected via Bluetooth and ran on two AA batteries. It was designed to accompany Apple's wireless keyboard and featured an aluminum design that sat flush with the keyboard.

In October of 2015, Apple introduced the updated magic Trackpad 2, which featured a larger touch surface, a rechargeable battery, and force touch. The new Trackpad had a low-profile design and sold for $129. Throughout its history, Apple's mouse lineup has been marked by innovation and disruption, from the introduction of the USB mouse to the release of the Magic Mouse and magic Trackpad. Each product has built upon the last, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in mouse design and user experience.

The Legacy of the Mighty Mouse

In 2009, Apple was forced to rename the Mighty Mouse to the Apple Mouse due to legal issues regarding the name. Despite this change, the company continued to produce mice with similar features, such as wireless Bluetooth capabilities, laser tracking, and multi-touch gesture controls. The Magic Mouse, released in 2010, marked a significant departure from traditional mouse design and became an instant favorite among Apple enthusiasts.

The Mighty Mouse's influence can still be seen in modern Apple products, such as the Magic Trackpad and other touch-sensitive devices. The company's commitment to innovation and disruption has made it one of the most successful technology companies in the world, and its mice have played a significant role in shaping that success. From the humble beginnings of the Apple USB mouse to the sleek, high-tech designs of today, Apple's mouse lineup has been marked by creativity, experimentation, and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.

The Apple Mouse: A Legacy of Innovation

In 2000, Apple introduced the Pro mouse, which was designed to replace the traditional desktop mouse. The Pro mouse featured an all-black finish and used an LED for optical tracking instead of a rubber ball. It was included as a standard mouse with all desktop Macs and quickly became synonymous with Apple's "zero-button" mouse philosophy.

The Pro mouse was followed by the Mighty Mouse, released in 2006, which introduced touch-sensitive buttons, a free-spinning trackball that could be used to scroll in any direction, and wireless Bluetooth capabilities. However, despite its innovative features, the Mighty Mouse had several flaws, including the accumulation of grime on the trackball and the need for frequent cleaning.

In response to these criticisms, Apple continued to innovate and improve its mouse designs. The Magic Mouse, released in 2010, marked a significant departure from traditional mouse design and became an instant favorite among Apple enthusiasts. Its sleek, high-tech design and intuitive user interface made it a must-have accessory for Mac users.

Today, the legacy of the Mighty Mouse can be seen in modern Apple products, such as the Magic Trackpad and other touch-sensitive devices. The company's commitment to innovation and disruption has made it one of the most successful technology companies in the world, and its mice have played a significant role in shaping that success.

Conclusion

Apple's journey with mice is a story of innovation and disruption, marked by creativity, experimentation, and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. From the humble beginnings of the Apple USB mouse to the sleek, high-tech designs of today, Apple has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in mouse design and user experience.

The Pro mouse and Mighty Mouse were significant innovations that allowed Apple to differentiate itself from competitors and establish a loyal following among Mac enthusiasts. The Magic Mouse and magic Trackpad continued this trend, introducing new technologies and features that further enhanced the user experience.

Throughout its history, Apple's mouse lineup has been marked by a commitment to innovation and disruption, driven by a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and push the boundaries of what is possible. As technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Apple continues to innovate and improve its mouse designs, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the industry.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enApple's product design is legendary in the industry for Innovation creativity and Imagination but it's often the more glamorous products such as the MacBooks iPhones and iPods that get all the attention with this in mind we thought we'd take a look at one of Apple's earliest input devices the mouse to see how the design has changed from the early 80s so here is the history of Apple mice a year before the Macintosh was released Apple's Lisa introduced the concept of a graphical user interface in mouse to Apple's customers the mouse created for the Apple Lisa was among the first commercial mice sold in the marketplace included with the Lisa system in 1983 it was based on the mouse used in the 1970s on the alto computer at Xerox Park unique to this mouse was the use of a steel ball instead of the usual rubber found in subsequent mice it connected to the computer by a standard de9 and unique squeeze release connector though developed by Apple it was actually designed by an outside firm hovi Kelly who built hundreds of prototypes and conducted exhaustive testing with focus groups in order to create the perfect device their perseverance paid off since not only did they bring the design in on time and on budget but the resulting device remained virtually unchanged for almost 20 years every single aspect of the mouse was researched and developed from how many buttons to include to how loud The Click should be the original case design was Bill dressle houses and took on an almost Art Deco style with formal curved lines to match the Lisa the Macintosh mouse was little changed from the original Lisa version and is completely interchangeable the case was a slightly darker brown than Lisa's beige coloring and it had less normal lines with a thick chamfer around its edges to match the Macintosh case mechanically the Lisa's steel ball was replaced by a rubber covered steel Ball but otherwise connected with the same de9 connectors though updated with a square shape and standard thumb screws when the Macintosh Plus debuted in 1986 Apple had made minor revisions to the mouse mechanism across all product lines they UniFi the cable connectors and used a more rounded shape the following year Apple once again unified its product Lines by adopting a uniform Platinum gray color for all its products in 1987 this Mouse had its final design change updating both its color to platinum with contrasting dark gray smoke accents and minor mechanism changes 4 months after the Macintosh debut the Apple 2C was introduced with the addition of an option Mouse to manipulate standard 80 column text the mouse was similar to the Macintosh Mouse though it was a creamy beige color that coordinated with the 2C bright off white case and had a slightly modified design which was sleeker than the macintosh's blockier shape also the entire body was one uniform color moving away from the mac and Lisa style Mouse which featured contrasting accents on the button and cable unlike the Macintosh the 2C Mouse shared a dual purpose port with gaming ACC accessories like joysticks in order for the 2C Mouse to recognize what was connected it sent a signal through the Dual Purpose Port which allowed various accessories to be identified despite these differences it carried exactly the same model number as the Macintosh Mouse and in 1988 it adopted the same physical appearance and coloring as a platinum gray Macintosh Mouse unlike its predecessors the 1988 Macintosh mouse was compatible with the Apple 2C as a result Apple briefly sold the intermediate model of the Apple Mouse for use across all Platforms in September 1986 Apple continued a year of major change by converting its mice and keyboards to the Apple desktop bus newly redesigned this mouse retained the blocky footprint of its predecessor but had a lower triangular profile the first official Snow White design language Mouse it was a uniform Platinum gray color included the single button with only the cables and connectors retaining the contrasting darker gray smoke color it was introduced on the Apple 2gs computer and later became the standard included Mouse with all Macintosh desktop computers for the next 6 years in only its third major redesign in 10 years the Apple Mouse shed its blocky exterior for rounded curves the so-called teardrop mouse was essentially the same as its predecessor but with a new case subsequently considered the ideal Shape Of Mice the basic design persevered through the years and was widely adopted by other Mouse manufacturers it was included with all Macintosh desktop computers from 1993 until 1998 it was also the first Mouse produced by Apple in Black to match the Macintosh TV as well as the performa 5420 the Apple USB mouse was Apple's first mouse that connected to the computer through its USB port released with the iMac in 1998 and included with all successive desktop Macs for the next 2 years the round hockey puck USB mouse is widely considered one of Apple's biggest failures marking the switch from Apple desktop Mouse the colorful translucent mouse was a radical departure from its predecessor processors down to a ball whose two-tone surface fluttered past the user's eyes as it spun under the mouse's translucent housing however stylish the mouse's round shape is widely considered clumsy due to its small size and tendency to rotate in use this was a major cause for the success of the Griffin imate ADB to USB adapters as they allowed for the use of the older more comfortable ADB Mouse 2 to be used with those iMac later revisions included a shallow indentation on the front of the mouse button but this was not enough to prevent a flood of third-party products like the icatch and unit trap shells that attached to the USB mouse to give it the Apple desktop Mouse's elliptical shape another flaw introduced in the USB mouse shared across all of Apple's USB offerings is an unusually short cord though intended for use through the integrated Hub in Apple's keyboards which themselves had shorter cables since the USB transition eventually prompting Apple to bundle keyboard only USB extension cables with the Mac Towers Apple's transition to USB coincided with the relocation of ports on their laptops from the center to the left Edge since none of Apple's USB mice had cords longer than 2 ft they were considered impractical for most users in a move away from the bold colors of the iMac and a return to the styling of the traditional Mouse Apple discontinued the USB mouse and introduced the all black Pro mouse in 2000 a similar design to the Apple desktop Mouse 2 the black apple Pro mouse was surrounded by a clear plastic shell after years of criticism of their one button Mouse never adopting two buttons Apple effectively flipped the design of a standard Mouse upside down with a Sleek seamless appearance that inspired its title as the first zero button Mouse this was the first Apple Mouse to use an LED for optical tracking instead of a rubber ball it was included as a standard Mouse with all desktop Macs and was later made available in white however in 2003 it underwent a minor redesign during which time the Black Version was discontinued and pro was dropped from its name in 2005 for the first time in its 22 years of making mice Apple shipped a model with two buttons instead of using physical mechanisms the Mighty Mouse featured touch sensitive buttons like the Pro mouse before it the body of the mouse would respond to the click on the top a free spinning track ball allowed users to scroll in any direction over time many users discovered that this ball would accumulate Grime rendering it useless without frequent cleaning two touch sensitive areas on the side of the body could be squeezed for additional input OS 10 was the only operating system to fully support the Mighty Mouse in 2006 Apple added a Bluetooth model to the lineup eventually replacing the wired version completely one year later Apple revamped the mouse changing the sides of the mouse to the same white color as the top ditching the gray on October 20th 2009 Apple was forced to rename the Mighty Mouse to the Apple Mouse due to legal issues regarding the name introduced on October 20th 2009 as a replacement to the wireless Mighty Mouse The Magic Mouse featured wireless Bluetooth capabilities laser tracking and multi-touch gesture controls similar to those found on the iPhone and on the macbook's trackpad the magic mouse was included with the iMac however the wired Mighty Mouse renamed Apple mouse was still available as an option when buying on October 13th 2015 Apple released a second generation Magic Mouse that charges via a lightning connector however the lightning connector Port was located on the bottom of the mouse which means that it couldn't be used while charging a design choice that received criticism from the Apple Community the magic Trackpad brought Apple's critically acclaimed multi-touch trackpad technology to desktops announced on July 27th 2010 it was similar to the trackpads found on MacBooks except 80% larger it connected via Bluetooth and ran on two ablea batteries the trackpad was designed to accompany Apple's wireless keyboard by adopting the same aluminum design and sitting flush with the keyboard Additionally the entire trackpad could be clicked pressing on the surface applied pressure to the circular rubber feet on the bottom of the trackpad registering a click at $69 initial reviews of the trackpad lotted its design but not its price in October of 2015 Apple introduced the updated magic Trackpad 2 it featured an even larger touch surface a rechargeable battery and forc touch it had a lowprofile design and sold for $129Apple's product design is legendary in the industry for Innovation creativity and Imagination but it's often the more glamorous products such as the MacBooks iPhones and iPods that get all the attention with this in mind we thought we'd take a look at one of Apple's earliest input devices the mouse to see how the design has changed from the early 80s so here is the history of Apple mice a year before the Macintosh was released Apple's Lisa introduced the concept of a graphical user interface in mouse to Apple's customers the mouse created for the Apple Lisa was among the first commercial mice sold in the marketplace included with the Lisa system in 1983 it was based on the mouse used in the 1970s on the alto computer at Xerox Park unique to this mouse was the use of a steel ball instead of the usual rubber found in subsequent mice it connected to the computer by a standard de9 and unique squeeze release connector though developed by Apple it was actually designed by an outside firm hovi Kelly who built hundreds of prototypes and conducted exhaustive testing with focus groups in order to create the perfect device their perseverance paid off since not only did they bring the design in on time and on budget but the resulting device remained virtually unchanged for almost 20 years every single aspect of the mouse was researched and developed from how many buttons to include to how loud The Click should be the original case design was Bill dressle houses and took on an almost Art Deco style with formal curved lines to match the Lisa the Macintosh mouse was little changed from the original Lisa version and is completely interchangeable the case was a slightly darker brown than Lisa's beige coloring and it had less normal lines with a thick chamfer around its edges to match the Macintosh case mechanically the Lisa's steel ball was replaced by a rubber covered steel Ball but otherwise connected with the same de9 connectors though updated with a square shape and standard thumb screws when the Macintosh Plus debuted in 1986 Apple had made minor revisions to the mouse mechanism across all product lines they UniFi the cable connectors and used a more rounded shape the following year Apple once again unified its product Lines by adopting a uniform Platinum gray color for all its products in 1987 this Mouse had its final design change updating both its color to platinum with contrasting dark gray smoke accents and minor mechanism changes 4 months after the Macintosh debut the Apple 2C was introduced with the addition of an option Mouse to manipulate standard 80 column text the mouse was similar to the Macintosh Mouse though it was a creamy beige color that coordinated with the 2C bright off white case and had a slightly modified design which was sleeker than the macintosh's blockier shape also the entire body was one uniform color moving away from the mac and Lisa style Mouse which featured contrasting accents on the button and cable unlike the Macintosh the 2C Mouse shared a dual purpose port with gaming ACC accessories like joysticks in order for the 2C Mouse to recognize what was connected it sent a signal through the Dual Purpose Port which allowed various accessories to be identified despite these differences it carried exactly the same model number as the Macintosh Mouse and in 1988 it adopted the same physical appearance and coloring as a platinum gray Macintosh Mouse unlike its predecessors the 1988 Macintosh mouse was compatible with the Apple 2C as a result Apple briefly sold the intermediate model of the Apple Mouse for use across all Platforms in September 1986 Apple continued a year of major change by converting its mice and keyboards to the Apple desktop bus newly redesigned this mouse retained the blocky footprint of its predecessor but had a lower triangular profile the first official Snow White design language Mouse it was a uniform Platinum gray color included the single button with only the cables and connectors retaining the contrasting darker gray smoke color it was introduced on the Apple 2gs computer and later became the standard included Mouse with all Macintosh desktop computers for the next 6 years in only its third major redesign in 10 years the Apple Mouse shed its blocky exterior for rounded curves the so-called teardrop mouse was essentially the same as its predecessor but with a new case subsequently considered the ideal Shape Of Mice the basic design persevered through the years and was widely adopted by other Mouse manufacturers it was included with all Macintosh desktop computers from 1993 until 1998 it was also the first Mouse produced by Apple in Black to match the Macintosh TV as well as the performa 5420 the Apple USB mouse was Apple's first mouse that connected to the computer through its USB port released with the iMac in 1998 and included with all successive desktop Macs for the next 2 years the round hockey puck USB mouse is widely considered one of Apple's biggest failures marking the switch from Apple desktop Mouse the colorful translucent mouse was a radical departure from its predecessor processors down to a ball whose two-tone surface fluttered past the user's eyes as it spun under the mouse's translucent housing however stylish the mouse's round shape is widely considered clumsy due to its small size and tendency to rotate in use this was a major cause for the success of the Griffin imate ADB to USB adapters as they allowed for the use of the older more comfortable ADB Mouse 2 to be used with those iMac later revisions included a shallow indentation on the front of the mouse button but this was not enough to prevent a flood of third-party products like the icatch and unit trap shells that attached to the USB mouse to give it the Apple desktop Mouse's elliptical shape another flaw introduced in the USB mouse shared across all of Apple's USB offerings is an unusually short cord though intended for use through the integrated Hub in Apple's keyboards which themselves had shorter cables since the USB transition eventually prompting Apple to bundle keyboard only USB extension cables with the Mac Towers Apple's transition to USB coincided with the relocation of ports on their laptops from the center to the left Edge since none of Apple's USB mice had cords longer than 2 ft they were considered impractical for most users in a move away from the bold colors of the iMac and a return to the styling of the traditional Mouse Apple discontinued the USB mouse and introduced the all black Pro mouse in 2000 a similar design to the Apple desktop Mouse 2 the black apple Pro mouse was surrounded by a clear plastic shell after years of criticism of their one button Mouse never adopting two buttons Apple effectively flipped the design of a standard Mouse upside down with a Sleek seamless appearance that inspired its title as the first zero button Mouse this was the first Apple Mouse to use an LED for optical tracking instead of a rubber ball it was included as a standard Mouse with all desktop Macs and was later made available in white however in 2003 it underwent a minor redesign during which time the Black Version was discontinued and pro was dropped from its name in 2005 for the first time in its 22 years of making mice Apple shipped a model with two buttons instead of using physical mechanisms the Mighty Mouse featured touch sensitive buttons like the Pro mouse before it the body of the mouse would respond to the click on the top a free spinning track ball allowed users to scroll in any direction over time many users discovered that this ball would accumulate Grime rendering it useless without frequent cleaning two touch sensitive areas on the side of the body could be squeezed for additional input OS 10 was the only operating system to fully support the Mighty Mouse in 2006 Apple added a Bluetooth model to the lineup eventually replacing the wired version completely one year later Apple revamped the mouse changing the sides of the mouse to the same white color as the top ditching the gray on October 20th 2009 Apple was forced to rename the Mighty Mouse to the Apple Mouse due to legal issues regarding the name introduced on October 20th 2009 as a replacement to the wireless Mighty Mouse The Magic Mouse featured wireless Bluetooth capabilities laser tracking and multi-touch gesture controls similar to those found on the iPhone and on the macbook's trackpad the magic mouse was included with the iMac however the wired Mighty Mouse renamed Apple mouse was still available as an option when buying on October 13th 2015 Apple released a second generation Magic Mouse that charges via a lightning connector however the lightning connector Port was located on the bottom of the mouse which means that it couldn't be used while charging a design choice that received criticism from the Apple Community the magic Trackpad brought Apple's critically acclaimed multi-touch trackpad technology to desktops announced on July 27th 2010 it was similar to the trackpads found on MacBooks except 80% larger it connected via Bluetooth and ran on two ablea batteries the trackpad was designed to accompany Apple's wireless keyboard by adopting the same aluminum design and sitting flush with the keyboard Additionally the entire trackpad could be clicked pressing on the surface applied pressure to the circular rubber feet on the bottom of the trackpad registering a click at $69 initial reviews of the trackpad lotted its design but not its price in October of 2015 Apple introduced the updated magic Trackpad 2 it featured an even larger touch surface a rechargeable battery and forc touch it had a lowprofile design and sold for $129\n"