[softskunk]

i think i recall reading somewhere that apple designed the mouse in the way they did in order to prevent people just leaving the mouse on charge 24/7 and hence not using its wireless capability while negatively affecting the battery.

i’m not saying i agree with apple’s decision, but i find the perspective interesting.

[goosedragons]

No, it was entirely to recycle the design and tooling of the Magic Mouse 1 which used AA batteries. The Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard came out the exact same day as the MM2 but both of those happily work plugged in and even work wired while plugged in.

[mslt]

Supply chain guy - This is it right here. Hardware accessories like mice aren’t driving substantial sales or revenue; they’re just a cost of doing business if you sell PCs.

But swapping tooling and retraining staff on assembly is extremely disruptive for a manufacturer. That disruption is passed back to the 1st party brand in incremental FOB and per-unit surcharge.

The incremental cost eats at your margin, which eats at your profit, which eats at your street price.

So, if you’re forced to choose between margin erosion and incremental cost for a product that has little effect on sales growth, you save the money and recycle the design.

People will bitch about the port on that mouse while they walk to the Apple Store to buy a new Mac that comes bundled with said mouse.

Apple will save millions annually by not optimizing a product that doesn’t really make them any money on its own.

When it’s reasonably cost effective to make a better peripheral, they will. Until then, they’re going to pay more attention to their books than people’s complaints, because mice don’t drive their business.

[GuB-42]

The mouse sells for $79, it is a rather expensive mouse, and the Macs that come bundled with that mouse are really expensive computers.

Also that's Apple we are talking about, they are huge and can use manufacturing processes no one else can afford to use. And if it can improve their design even a tiny bit, they do. For example, when designing injection molded plastic parts, most designers feature what is called a draft angle, which mean the walls are not straight and parallel but at an angle, this is to help the part come out of the mold easily. Not Apple. Apple want its walls straight because they think it looks better, and they do what it takes to do it, even if it is much harder and expensive.

So, no, I don't believe Apple will compromise its design for technical details like swapping tooling and retraining staff, especially considering that the product has been out in its current form for more than a decade. They have more than enough resources to do exactly the mouse they want.

I also don't believe the "it comes for free with an iMac so no one cares" argument. Again, Apple attention to details is legendary and people pay good money for that, and it is not like they are bundling a cheap plastic mouse like most manufacturers, it is one of the most premium looking mouse on the market, with unique features.

All that to say that it has to be a deliberate choice, not a quirk of the manufacturing process.

[goosedragons]

Really? Apple recycles designs ALL the time. And they will compromise design to do it. Look at the SE iPhones, low-end iPads, etc.

It's the Tim Cook playbook. FFS they regularly sell years old computers.

[wredue]

Oh there’s no shortage of people that defend the MM.

That anyone uses this mouse for an extended period is insane. It’s heavy a fuck, not ergonomic in the slightest, has insane uncomfortable edging, and cannot be used plugged in.

This mouse has no redeeming qualities at all.

[monocularvision]

I love the touch sensitive surface and prefer it over any other mouse with a spinning disc for scrolling. Is there another mouse out there that has a similar surface? I would switch in a heartbeat because I agree with the rest of your criticisms.

[parker_mountain]

A more plausible explanation was that the cable strain of not using a specialty cable was also an issue. Look at where the cable attaches to the mouse on a conventional mouse - it's usually very reinforced internally or extenernally

[dkarras]

it has become a meme, but really a non-issue in real life if you used the mouse yourself really. A minute or so of charging is enough to power it for a whole day of use. plug it again when you leave your desk for a bit and you'll have enough charge for days.

[djmips]

You could just spring for two mice. And if you do find yourself in a rush and your mouse dies then just go for the backup and charge the dead mouse and it becomes the backup.

[stephenr]

Who do you think you are dispelling memes and disenfranchising the chuds who need something to complain about. I mean really? Why do you have to bring actual use and reality into it?

Seriously though. This is absolutely correct. I get that some people don't like it, but I really don't get the obsession with the charging port.

I guess I should be glad that these people didn't complain the Apple Watch can't be worn while it's charging.

[elzbardico]

Nah, it was a pure aesthetically oriented decision from John Ive. The ergonomics could be a lot better too.

[aerio]

Jony Ive*

[cwalv]

Being able to charge it while in use might extend the life of the mouse past the life of the battery

[tonyedgecombe]

The fact that you only need to charge it once a month indicates the battery isn't going through many cycles. I expect the battery to last a very long time.

[Ringz]

@Cwalv is still right. Especially if you value sustainability higher than the manufacturer's share price. And you should always do that.

[rcruzeiro]

Im not sure about that as both the Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard both have the charging ports on their backs.

[wlesieutre]

Neither of those gets wiggled around during use though.

The wireless mice I've had with optionally connected cords for data/charging do tend to have a big glob of plastic at the end that locks into the mouse housing so none of the strain is on the actual USB connection.

Things like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-Mouse-Cable-Meters-Copper/dp/B...

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251800588456430.html

[RulerOf]

I'd go a little farther than that—I suspect that they were worried a chunk of users would assume the device required the cord for normal operation.

[bogantech]

It would be quite simple for the firmware to handle such use cases as that with some battery management.

They just want to control exactly how you use their products

[grishka]

The first-gen magic trackpad is even worse. It sits so close to a USB port, it's on the same spot on my desk 99.999% of the time, it has no valid reason to be wireless, yet it needs 2 AA batteries just because. Charging and swapping them is cumbersome and it always dies when you least expect it. Bluetooth is finicky too at times. I was looking forward to a USB-C magic mouse to replace it yet it didn't come.

[2muchcoffeeman]

Use AA batteries.

[shepherdjerred]

It'd be hard to fit AA and even AAA in the profile of the Magic Mouse.

The obvious response is that the mouse should be thicker to accommodate those batteries, but that goes against Apple's entire ethos.

[numpad0]

1st gen MM uses 2xAA. Apple even had a branded NiMH bundle for that and keyboard.

[gumby]

I still have and use an Apple branded AA chargers (came with Eneloops in Apple livery). It has the same connection system as the external chargers so I normally have it connected to a long cable. Used it internationally with the same adaptors as for my MacBook charger.

[password4321]

Received a refurbed Mac and someone had swapped out their mouse for my rechargeable one... always a song and dance to re-connect every time the batteries die. (I pretty much use another mouse to get to the Bluetooth icon on the menu, I'm no Mac expert.)

I always shake my fist in the air and curse "Eric Seifert's Mouse" semi-silently in frustration!

[imwally]

Still use this one every day.

[Tagbert]

The reason for the thinness of the Apple Mouse is so that gestures can be used on the top like a trackpad. If it were domes like a typical Logitech mouse, you couldn’t do that. Whether those gestures turned out to be useful is another question but that was the reason.

[2muchcoffeeman]

I imagine they also wanted to make 1 mouse ambidextrous. Maybe they should just tilt it and ask the user to choose handedness. I use a track ball and split keyboard and it has never been an issue no one can use my setup except me.

The constant need to have lithium ion is really terrible. Battery life is less of an issue when I can swap batteries quickly with common sizes.

[Tagbert]

Do you use an Apple mouse? It's not like you are frequently charging. Just plug it in while you go get a coffee or lunch and you are good for weeks. It displays a low charge warning in the menubar to alert you.

I found having to always keep a supply of batteries at hand was more inconvenient than just plugging in the mouse once in a while.

[cwalv]

I find the gestures really useful. It's the only reason I'd continue using a mac outside of work

[dividedbyzero]

I have a 2xAA Magic Mouse that I still use occasionally. Feels a little heavier than the later models, can't tell them apart otherwise without looking at the bottom.