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Home > Blogtronics > Kensington StudioMouse
View all posts by: John Ward | View all posts in category: Blogtronics Apple has a unique history with the mouse. The Macintosh platform practically brought the mouse into popular usage. Apple's Macintosh graphical operating system wouldn't work without one. From the start, Apple has stressed the one-button mouse. Early consumer tests of the Macintosh revealed that computer novices preferred the simplicity of a one-button mouse. Apple has incorporated this simplicity in its philosophy and has steadfastly stood by it for two decades. I use a Compaq PC at work and a Mac at home. At work, I really enjoy the efficiency and comfort of Compaq's standard two-button mouse. It is fast, comfortable and definitely makes working on the PC platform much easier than using keyboard shortcuts. At home, I am used to Apple's one-button, laser Pro Mouse. As such, I make heavy use of the application or Apple menu and shortcut keys. I have to admit that I do find it harder to use Virtual PC. The shortcut keys are different and Windows seems tailor made for the right-side mouse button. I stopped by CompUSA a few days ago hoping to get a glimpse of the new G5 Power Macs. Unfortunately, the new G5's weren't yet in, but as I turned to leave the Apple section, I noticed the Kensington Wireless StudioMouse™. I have read a lot of good press about this mouse. This lead me to ponder, "What would it be like to use a two-button mouse on a Mac?" So, I grabbed the box, laid down the $70 and hurried home.
I feel somewhat like a traitor, giving into this "evil two-button," third-party mouse, but to my surprise, I like it. I like it quite a bit. Let's face it, I love it. It makes simple tasks so much more efficient. I can empty the trash with a right click, a slight upward motion, and a left click. I can work on files with a simple right click, a selection (like Duplicate, Make Alias, Move to Trash, Get Info), and a left click. The act of "copy (or cut) and paste" is so much quicker. Does this mean that I am a PC-lover at heart? Hardly... The StudioMouse has a tactile feel that is quite different from Apple's Pro Mouse. It is definitely not as well made. A quick comparison between the two shows me that the Pro Mouse is an extremely well designed, well manufactured, and comfortable peripheral. The user's hand lies down comfortably. One only has to apply slight pressure to get it to activate. The StudioMouse is somewhat less comfortable, has a cheaper click mechanism, and doesn't seem to be put together as well. But that right clicker is very nice, not to mention its wireless connection. It has been rumored that Apple is working on a wireless connection for its next generation mouse. I would highly recommend that course of action. A wireless mouse is so nice. The user is freed from the annoying tug of the cable. StudioMouse couples a wireless mouse to a laser tracking mechanism. This setup is the most efficient mouse design I can imagine. There is no annoying cord and no rubber ball to hamper movement or pick up gunk from the mouse pad. The right button is a bonus. Apple will probably be the first company to offer the wireless mouse as standard just as it was the first company to offer the laser mouse as standard. The StudioMouse has another added feature that I would never expect Apple to incorporate in its mouse. It has a scroll sensor between the two buttons. This is the best, worst idea I have ever seen. It is neat, don't get me wrong, but it is not very practical. You can change the sensitivity setting in the MouseWorks preference panel to make it more reactive, but it is just too clunky. If I wanted a scroll button, I would prefer to use a round mechanical one.
The StudioMouse comes with a base station to recharge the batteries. They need to be recharged every day. I forgot to put the mouse in the base station one night and the next day received a rather harshly worded warning that the batteries were getting low and needed to be recharged. Further, this could take upwards of thirty minutes. The StudioMouse contains two AAA rechargeable batteries. The batteries add weight to feel of the mouse. This added weight takes some getting used to. I experienced a glitch while using the StudioMouse. While in Virtual PC, the StudioMouse suddenly locked up and would not work. I removed it and connected the trusty Apple Pro Mouse. The Pro Mouse worked fine. When I quit Virtual PC and returned to the OS X desktop, the StudioMouse was still unresponsive. A quick restart restored it but my preferences reset and had to be set again. There must be some conflict with the StudioMouse and Virtual PC, Version 5. What Should Apple Do? Apple should consider a two-button mouse. There, I said it. It has been said before, and it will be said again, and again, and again. The old standard is no longer valid. Apple's ease of use philosophy is beginning to work against itself. Besides, with the advent of OS X, Apple has turned many of its human interface standards inside out. Sure, OS X is Mac-like, but it is definitely a whole new animal (no pun intended). Apple's ease of use philosophy simply cannot justify complex shortcuts and keystrokes in the face of a simple right click. Long time Mac users have these key combinations memorized, but novices might feel hampered. I don't even want to get into how much easier it would be for those with physical disabilities to use one hand to do what now takes two hands (unless one wants to use the slow process of going to the application/Apple menu after clicking on the target). Apple doesn't even have to make a big production out it. I think they could modify the Pro Mouse with a seamless right button. This right button could be locked in place to work as a unit in the traditional Mac way. The user could switch off the locking mechanism if he or she wants to use two buttons. I would be willing to bet that most would unlock the right button. This system would give Mac users a real choice without forcing Apple to admit that its old one-button mouse is old hat. Consider Coca Cola as an example. In the eighties they released New Coke and discontinued the old formula. After realizing their mistake, they brought back the classic formula as "Coca Cola Classic" but left New Coke on the market. Eventually, New Coke was phased out, and Coca Cola Classic became the de facto standard. Admittedly, this example is upside down considering Apple would be replacing the "classic" Mac one-button mouse with a "new" two-button mouse, but you get the point. Whatever Apple has in mind, I think I just might stick with a two-button mouse. I hope Apple eventually goes with a two-button mouse because their comparable equipment is usually better than anything on the third-party market.
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