This MG Sieger story is 32 minutes old, and it was posted here 25 minutes ago.
Same thing with every John Gruber post.
Laptops have already been sold without mice for over a decade - they have trackpads (or the buttonless clickpads).
But of course many are going to still use the mouse for things such as playing games on a Windows PC, touch screen or not.
And the mouse is more efficient if you are using it all day (like for work), as you don't have to reach up to the screen all the time (which is why the Minority Report stuff doesn't work well in real life). This is also why for example the Asus Slate comes with a bluetooth keyboard, because using an onscreen keyboard all day long for example would be horrible and slow.
A more interesting question is whether the stylus will come back or not. The HTC Flyer with stylus had over 3 million pre-orders, and the Tablet PCs like the HP tm2t or Lenovo tablets are starting to come down in price.
I generally think MG Siegler is one of the better TechCrunch writers but this article is exactly why the site has developed the reputation it has. Pure sensationalism based on a weak understanding of both the facts and the history of the computing industry.
The truth is there is not a Magic Trackpad for the PC. Trackpads on the PC tend to suck. Microsoft is pushing touchscreens and touchscreens on PCs do create ergonomic problems (In tests people's shoulders literally ache after a day of use)
Beyond that while the iPad is fantastic it works because the interface is designed around touch. Meaning everything has to be a lot bigger (since a mouse can click on a single pixel while a finger is far less precise). That leaves less screen space (which is why you have to pinch and zoom a lot when you use the iPad on the web). That's fine for the limited scenarios but not practical if you're doing serious computing work like a balance sheet in Excel.
Finally anyone who has watched the technology industry for any length of time knows inferior solutions win out if all parties don't agree on the way forward. Or in other words if Apple backs the Magic Trackpad and Microsoft backs the touchscreen then the Mouse will likely stick around because it's the common denominator. At least based on how history has unfolded in the past.
I think a lot more has to happen for the mouse to die. It might get less popular in the computing mainstream, if the new-fangled devices really take over (i.e. no more PC as a "hub"), but that just means we're back to the "workstation" days, and the expert users will still use that (+ keyboard shortcuts etc.).
The infamous "gorilla arm" has been mentioned here already. For a 8+ hours computing device, a bit more has to change than just tablets and Windows 8. We'd need some kind of super-ergonomic version of the Tron CEO desk.
NB: For those professionals who aren't using their mouse due to super-keyboard-efficiency (or possible pseudo-efficiency), it might as well replace it for the few times they'll use it. Whether the occasional moment of direct manipulation is handled by a mouse, trackball, trackpad, IBM nipple or touchscreen isn't that important.
I don't want to be stuck with a touchscreen. Screens should be ~30cm in front of you, at your eye height. I don't want to have to reach up there constantly.
Have you used a recent Apple touchpad and gestures? For certain things (Photoshop mostly) I’d go with a mouse, but for coding and browsing I’m happier with a touchpad.
Nope I haven't, I'm going on standard PC and Macbook (not pro) touch-pads that I've used. I'd like to try one of the new Apple trackpads out, but don't know anyone that has one.
Next time you’re near an Apple store pop in and have a play. It’s much better than any non-Apple trackpad I’ve used (though I haven’t used many recent PC trackpads to be fair).
I assume that the author does not play games.
I don't see a touchpad, or something touchable input devices can be better than a mouse, say, when you are playing SC or WarIII. how can you select single unit then move it quickly use finger or stick?
The mouse might become an exclusive gaming device – like today’s gamepads.
It actually is for me. I rarely play games but from time to time I do and on those rare occasions I dust of my mouse. (Sometimes I’m too lazy to get the mouse and play a few minutes of Minecraft with the trackpad.)
I can’t imagine using that Windows UI with a mouse. It seems clumsy. You need a touchscreen or a large trackpad with gestures. I was just fooling around with Lion which is a lot less radical than Windows 8 but it was still obvious that you need a trackpad with gestures. (I have a 2007 MacBook Pro which doesn’t support any gestures except for two-finger scrolling. It’s working ok but it’s obvious that gestures would make the experience so much nicer.)
Calling the mouse “dead” might be hyperbole but if the mouse indeed becomes this decade’s gamepad or trackball I would argue that the hyperbole is justified.
Have not been using a mouse for over 2 years. The trackpad on my MacBook Pro replaces it. But I can see mouse is needed for WW type games or intensive graphics work.
Same thing with every John Gruber post.
Laptops have already been sold without mice for over a decade - they have trackpads (or the buttonless clickpads).
But of course many are going to still use the mouse for things such as playing games on a Windows PC, touch screen or not.
And the mouse is more efficient if you are using it all day (like for work), as you don't have to reach up to the screen all the time (which is why the Minority Report stuff doesn't work well in real life). This is also why for example the Asus Slate comes with a bluetooth keyboard, because using an onscreen keyboard all day long for example would be horrible and slow.
A more interesting question is whether the stylus will come back or not. The HTC Flyer with stylus had over 3 million pre-orders, and the Tablet PCs like the HP tm2t or Lenovo tablets are starting to come down in price.