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More Details on Next-Generation Mighty Mouse?

Friday October 2, 2009 6:51 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Last week, French site Mac4Ever briefly noted among other topics that Apple is reportedly working on a new touch-sensitive mouse capable of "complex movements" from its touch surface. A new report today from AppleInsider offers additional claims of a new mouse in the works, possibly to debut in the very near future alongside revamped iMacs.

Building on a patent application addressing multi-touch mouse technology filed in March 2006, the new mouse is rumored to lack a roller ball for scrolling purposes and instead incorporate touch sensitivity for such actions while also offering a responsive scrolling system similar to that seen in the iPhone OS.

Given Apple's patented "inertia feedback" used on the iPod and iPhone, where item lists bounce when reaching the top or bottom and scrolling speeds accelerate in response to how the user touches the surface, the next Apple mouse is similarly expected to wed new hardware with sophisticated software to deliver an intuitive new feel in scroll navigation.

Should the new mouse arrive alongside revamped iMacs, its also likely to drop the white plastic finish it formerly used to match previous Mac models, possibly adopting an aluminum appearance to fit in with Apple's current lineup of desktop computers and notebooks. People familiar with the company's plans have indicated the new iMac will eventually receive a retooled IR remote that drops white plastic for an aluminum finish.

The new report's claims of an aluminum finish conflict with those of Mac4Ever, whose sources reported that the new mouse would retain the clear plastic shell of the existing Mighty Mouse, although with a more slender form factor.

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