Apple this morning released the Mighty Mouse. With a scrollball, left and right click, and side buttons, it’s a big departure from Apple’s old opposition to multi-button mice. Apple didn’t invent the mouse, but they were probably the first to put mice through usability testing. One, two, and three button mice of a great many different shapes and sizes were tested before they settled on a one-button mouse for the original Macintosh in 1984.
Interestingly, the “buttons” appear to be solid-state electrostatic sensors which give no tactile feedback.
“A tiny speaker inside Mighty Mouse produces button-clicking and Scroll Ball-rolling sound effects.”