OK, right, fine. I´m sitting at my brand new Ti
PowerBook, enjoying all the comfort and high end technology it
offers.
Everyone else at my office is using a PC, and I can see them staring
at my fine computer with envy - except for one thing.
It still has a one button mouse?
Right, yeah, it has. I am fed up with it, myself. To tell the
truth, I am using a two button mouse with a wheel with my G3 and G4
PowerBook, and I wouldn't give it up. The most die hard Mac user I
know, a guy who, in the past, refused to install PC exchange on his
8500, was nevertheless using a
four-button mouse at that time.
I mean: what's the deal? The old calculator in the Apple menu is
surely a nostalgic reminder of how things used to be, and everyone is
aware that the good old Macintosh featured a mouse before any other
computer on the market, but is this a reason to stick to old
fashioned values?
Will the Mac remain the one mouse button computer forever? I
personally hope not. Many good features have crossed between
platforms during the last years, but users who want to enjoy the ease
of using more than one finger are still forced to turn to third-party
products with more functionality, but sometimes worse driver
software.
What makes Apple stick to the single button? Is it the stubborn
affirmation that "we introduced the mouse, and we will not take any
advice on how it can be enhanced?"
Think twice. Think better. Let us use our fingers!
Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.
Recent My Turn articles
Using Low End Macs for Internet Radio, 08.18.
When the local public radio station moved classical music to HD radio, it was time to find another way to listen. An old iMac with iTunes solved the problem.
'That's Not a Computer', 07.30.
Salvaging a broken PowerBook by turning it into a desktop computer.
My 4 favorite PowerBooks, 05.28.
The PowerBook 150 has a big screen for a vintage PowerBook, the 165c has color, the 100 is diminutive, and Lombard has USB and a great keyboard.
Mac of the Day: PowerBook 190cs, Aug. 1995 - The last 680x0-based PowerBook could take a PowerPC upgrade.
List of the Day: The iPod List The iPod List is a forum to discuss the iPod, it's accessories, the iTunes Store, iTunes, and related topics.
August 28 in LEM history: 95: PowerBook Duo 2300 - 00: Gaming on older Power Macs - 01: AppleShare on Linux - From Beebs and Acorns to Macs - 02: Sleep of Death, - Think smarter? - It's the software, stupid - 06: PowerBook 5300 reminiscence - You might be a Mac fanatic if... - Hiding complexity behind elegant simplicity
Recent Content on Low End Mac
10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28.
A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28.
Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27.
Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.27.
The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
Purposeful Reincarnation for Old Macs, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 08.26.
The key is to avoid spending more on upgrades than the final use of the machine can justify.
Best Power Mac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.26.
Used 1.6 GHz single SuperDrive, C$499; 1.8, $569; dual, $675, 2.0, $800; 2.3, C$899; 2.5, C$1,199; 2.7, $1,225; 2.5 Quad, $1,500.
Best 17" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.26.
Used 2.16 GHz Core Duo, $1,330; 2.33 C2D, $1,689; refurb, 2.4, $1,899; new, $2,099; 2.5, $2,558 after rebate; 2.6 Santa Rosa, $2,399 a/r; more.
Best iPod shuffle Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.26.
Refurb 3G 1 GB, $39; new 3G, $45; refurb 2 GB, $59; new, $68.
All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For
price quotes and advertising information, please contact
at BackBeat Media
(646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.
Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer
5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We
recommend Firefox
for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more
secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox
than any other browser.
offers.
Everyone else at my office is using a PC, and I can see them staring
at my fine computer with envy - except for one thing.
