Apple has introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to
use Apple’s Multi-Touch technology. Pioneered on the iPhone, iPod
touch and Mac notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to
navigate using intuitive finger gestures.
Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the
entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface.
Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and will be available as
a Mac accessory at US$69. “Apple is the Multi-Touch leader,
pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod
touch and Mac notebook trackpads,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s
senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple’s
Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a
simple and elegant design.”
Magic Mouse features a touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be
a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using
gestures, users can scroll through long documents, pan across large
images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of
web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users
and multi-button or gesture commands can be configured from within
System Preferences.
The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent
experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking
system, according to Apple. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless
capabilities and its wireless connection works from up to 10 meters
away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced
power management system that works with Mac OS X to automatically
switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless
Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries, which are included.
Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and is available at the
end of October through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com), at
Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested
retail price of $69 (US). Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or
later.