Filed under: Peripherals
Apple's next mouse may be mighty, but probably not a "Mighty Mouse"
Talk around the water cooler (in particularly geeky offices) is that Apple is on the verge of launching a new, touch sensitive mouse to go along with the computers it hasn't announced and the keyboard it hasn't announced.
No doubt the company wants the mouse to be mighty, but it's unlikely the Cupertino-company will call it "Mighty Mouse" this time around.
Man & Machine, which specializes in making computer peripherals for the medical industry, has won the trademark on the term "Mighty Mouse" from the United States Patent and Trademark Office as it pertains to tech, though CBS still holds the mark for the cartoon mouse who comes in singing to save the day.
In its press release announcing the win, Man & Machine doesn't mention any other "Mighty Mouse" maker, though it does note, "Others have used the name Mighty Mouse for their computer mice and have sought registration of that trademark, but now the United States government has spoken."
The big question now: what will Apple call their new, touchy-feely pointer and clicker? While I'm partial to "Danger Mouse" (both the musician and the British cartoon), Apple does have friends at another mouse-house. Then again, with the touch sensitivity likely to be touted, shouldn't there be some tie-in with Lenny and George and a mouse you can pet?
[via TechCrunch]
Engadget's Nilay Patel adds some legal analysis here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Le Big Mac said 9:36AM on 10-08-2009
iMouse or
Mouse 3GS
Reply
Duncan said 9:43AM on 10-08-2009
Dont quit your day job.
Jordan said 9:46AM on 10-08-2009
Dear god if they call it iMouse I will sell everything Apple I own. I can see them doing something retarded like that too, iMouse and iKey.
iGO said 11:21AM on 10-08-2009
Why does everyone kid themselves.
IF Apple really wants to use the Mighty Mouse name, they will simply $pay$ for use of the name, if they don;t buy it outright.
They do have more than several billion dollars just sitting in the bank.
Next.....
Jordan said 12:18PM on 10-08-2009
Unless the company doesn't want to sell the rights....next
Shunnabunich said 6:25PM on 10-08-2009
As long as it doesn't turn out to be a Deadmau5, it's alright with me.
anon said 7:54AM on 10-10-2009
I hope they call it, "ScrollWheelFinallyWorksConsistentlyMouse." Maybe it's a little long.
macserv said 2:53PM on 10-10-2009
Or they could take a different page out of their past and get names like "Apple Touch Mouse II", "SuperMouse", and "Apple Mouse Plus", which wouldn't be so bad.
Joe R. said 9:57AM on 10-08-2009
They'll call it "Mighty Mouse" just like they call their phone "iPhone" even though they don't own that trademark.
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Jason Martin said 10:00AM on 10-08-2009
The difference with the iPhone is that they came to an agreement with Cisco to be able to use that name. I think Man & Machine is implying that they are not interested in such a deal.
Jason Martin said 9:58AM on 10-08-2009
I could see them going with something simple, like "the Mac Mouse".
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Estevan said 10:02AM on 10-08-2009
If Apple does decide to call their keyboard and mouse the iKey/iKeyboard or iMouse then I fell like Apple will come with something innovative. Just how they did with the iPhone. Apple could of called it something else, but the new innovative things that it could do (for me) deserves to have the infamous "i" in front of the name. Maybe if this new mouse is gonna change the mouse market, I wouldn't mind if they call it the iMouse. Look what they did with the iMac and iPod. Think different.
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d. said 10:03AM on 10-08-2009
let the insane photochops and mockups ensue.
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Wheels said 12:26PM on 10-08-2009
Also known as "RumorWare."
sockatume said 10:12AM on 10-08-2009
For the sake of comparison with the recent keynote, here's the Danger Mouse theme reduced to adjectives:
greatest, fantastic, ace, amazing, the strongest, the quickest, the best
Sounds about right.
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Greg said 10:14AM on 10-08-2009
iMickey
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mabhatter said 12:09PM on 10-08-2009
Exactly... who's the leading shareholder of Disney right now? (just sold Pixar which he owned most of personally) You're not giving Steve enough credit.. RDF is getting weak around here.
I'd think he'd go straight for the "Mickey" Mouse just for sheer moxy!
Mike said 1:35PM on 10-08-2009
The Apple Multitouch Mouse.
It has no buttons or depressing mechanism, simply a curved multitouch surface. Tap for click, two finger tap for right click, swipe down and up, left and right to scroll. Even customize 3 and 4 finger clicks.
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aardivark said 10:26AM on 10-08-2009
"While I'm partial to 'Danger Mouse' . . . "
Macmice already makes a 'Danger Mouse' mouse.
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LD said 10:27AM on 10-08-2009
Why call it a mouse at all? Isn't the concept of a mouse a bit dated? Make it multitouch and make an entirely new input peripheral altogether. Like a trackpad, only a lot better.
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