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Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? Sorry, but no

So I was amused to see an Engadget story today about what appears to be a slimmer new Xbox 360 in the background of a photo I took of a Microsoft Arc Mouse. (I was actually just trying to show how small the mouse was, but whatever.) Anyways, here it is...

We received an interesting tip that we thought we'd share with the group. Windows expert and all-around bon vivant Paul Thurrott recently previewed Microsoft's new Arc mouse on his personal blog, detailing the device with a handful of photos. In the final shot of the series, what appear to be two Xboxes side-by-side can be seen in the lower right-hand corner... but one of those consoles looks thinner than the other. The appearance of what might be a slimmer Xbox 360 has (needless to say) sparked a debate amongst our editors here. Some say it's nothing -- a matter of angle -- while others argue that this could be just the scenario in which you'd see a leak of a new form factor. Either way, you can't simply brush off the differences here, and a little Photoshop matching on our end proved that these edges are decidedly different in angle. So we put it to the Engadget reader: is this a sign of things to come, or just our imaginations running wild?

Oh, I wish this were a slimmer Xbox 360, I really do. But it isn’t, sorry. And I can prove it, since nothing has changed down on the floor of my office since I took that original photo (including the MU, which is still sitting on top of my red-ringed 360). Here are the same two Xbox 360s from a different angle:

 

But thanks for the kinds words.

Comments

 

meason said:

lol, slimmer xbox 360.  Just what the heat problems need!

Really they should making it larger not smaller........ Air Flow MS, AIR FLOW!!!!!

September 25, 2008 9:31 AM
 

bettieblu said:

Wow, do they RROD at the same time being so close together sucking in each others heat outpu:)  Do you have that outlet on the same circuit as the rest of the room:)

September 25, 2008 9:32 AM
 

Waethorn said:

Paul, you should send them the ruler, cuz clearly they're smoking something funny.

September 25, 2008 9:32 AM
 

bettieblu said:

My question to those that have a Hard Drive - LESS 360, how do get game updates, as in where do the put them, on the flash memory?  What about map packs and such??  Demo's????

September 25, 2008 9:33 AM
 

tayme said:

bon vivant...Paul, you are so European! It must be all of those home swaps that you ahve been doing!

--tayme

September 25, 2008 9:36 AM
 

shark47 said:

"bon vivant...Paul, you are so European!"

And I can see Russia from my home.

September 25, 2008 9:40 AM
 

Mum said:

One would think that at Engadget they'd have a clue of what lenses of cheap cameras and wide angle lenses do to picture corner areas.

"And I can see Russia from my home."

I can almost as well, in fact.

September 25, 2008 9:54 AM
 

pthurrott said:

I can only see squirrels from my home. :)

September 25, 2008 9:56 AM
 

tayme said:

I see dead people....

--tayme

September 25, 2008 10:06 AM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 caught in the wild? Unfortunately, no. said:

Pingback from  Slimmer Xbox 360 caught in the wild? Unfortunately, no.

September 25, 2008 10:12 AM
 

volwrath said:

Is that your portable heater under your desk?

September 25, 2008 10:12 AM
 

volwrath said:

BettieBlu-

Your only choice would be a memory card.  Personally I think you need to bite the bullet and just get a 360 with a HD unless your old 360 RRODs in which case you can buy an arcade unit and slap the hard drive on it.

September 25, 2008 10:16 AM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

Hmm. According to Paul, the Microsoft Arc Mouse is "impossibly small", "comes complete with its own stylish tote bag" and is "an ergonomic disaster ".

Who says Microsoft can't do hardware that competes with Apple on their terms...

:-)

September 25, 2008 10:16 AM
 

panache1023 said:

AAAAH, and there is Mike Galos again...can't stop bringing up Apple...a truly sad sight you are!

September 25, 2008 10:21 AM
 

Gadgeteer » Archief » Xbox 360 slankt niet alleen in prijs af? Toch niet… said:

Pingback from  Gadgeteer » Archief  » Xbox 360 slankt niet alleen in prijs af? Toch niet…

September 25, 2008 10:28 AM
 

Mum said:

"Who says Microsoft can't do hardware that competes with Apple on their terms..."

I've said this before... If you call Apple's mice bad in terms of ergonomics, then you just don't know anything about mouse ergonomics. Not that code guys use mouse that much.

September 25, 2008 10:38 AM
 

j4m3s0n79 said:

So I bought an arcade to replace a RROD unit and now I am addicted to Boom Boom Rocket. It's sounds so perverse....but man is it fun!

September 25, 2008 10:52 AM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) | NexGen Technology Blog said:

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September 25, 2008 11:18 AM
 

pthurrott said:

Mike, but on the flipside, it comes with a cute tote bag. It's not a total mess. Plus the packaging is pure Apple.

September 25, 2008 11:21 AM
 

lotsamystuff said:

"I can only see squirrels from my home. :)"

Yes, but they're "rushin" to get their nuts together for November.

Much like the Republicans ;-)

September 25, 2008 11:38 AM
 

johnbaxter said:

Fun new sport:   Engadget baiting.  

Or perhaps it's not so new.

September 25, 2008 11:41 AM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

Paul

Sometimes I think the hardware group does something like the Arc Mouse or the S+ARCK Mouse just to say to Apple, "We could do "high heel mice" (pretty and painful), too. We just don't"

September 25, 2008 11:41 AM
 

Anthony Cook said:

If Microsoft should change anything about the Xbox 360 it should be the noise of these things. I couldn't care less if it was double the size if it were only quite.

Its got to the point were i cant play my 360 after a certain time of the night because it will wake the entire family in the neighboring rooms!

September 25, 2008 11:42 AM
 

shark47 said:

So, how much does arugula cost at the Whole Foods store?

September 25, 2008 11:49 AM
 

adamb1000 said:

Hey theres Mike again with his Microsoft elitism.  Whats even more funny was Apple wasnt even mentioned once in the original post but you bring it up anyway!  Seriously quit sucking up to M$.  Contrary to what you hear, there not the gift from god.

September 25, 2008 11:52 AM
 

adamb1000 said:

Oh and for the record the MS arc mouse looks like it would be painful(literally) to use.

September 25, 2008 11:53 AM
 

shark47 said:

Mum: "If you call Apple's mice bad in terms of ergonomics, then you just don't know anything about mouse ergonomics."

I confess. I didn't know mouse ergonomics was all about sacrificing function for form.

adamb1000: "M$."

Gorath, now that's cool.

September 25, 2008 12:09 PM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) : Blingblingcars.Net said:

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September 25, 2008 12:10 PM
 

volwrath said:

I bought this mouse for my EEE the other day www.amazon.com/.../ref=pd_bbs_1

It is a great mouse built by MSFT.

September 25, 2008 12:16 PM
 

shark47 said:

www.radioshack.com/.../index.jsp

This seems to have helped some people with the noise. Has anyone here tried them?

www.avsforum.com/.../showthread.php

September 25, 2008 12:41 PM
 

Gaming: ??Acaso eso es un Xbox 360 Slim? [Actualizado] | Genultra said:

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September 25, 2008 12:52 PM
 

bettieblu said:

This got rid of my 360 noise problem:)

www.us.playstation.com/PS3

September 25, 2008 12:54 PM
 

Mum said:

"I confess. I didn't know mouse ergonomics was all about sacrificing function for form."

"Sometimes I think the hardware group does something like the Arc Mouse or the S+ARCK Mouse just to say to Apple, "We could do "high heel mice" (pretty and painful), too. We just don't""

Ergonomic is not something that "fits in your hand" and that you have to "grip" unless you really have trouble with the mouse constantly slipping out of your hand. Which is entirely possible, I guess.

But I'm pretty sure you haven't been hospitalized by a Microsoft product like I have. Yet I still use their products. (The S+ARCK mouse, in fact - it's the only ergonomic mouse Microsoft ever produced.)

September 25, 2008 12:58 PM
 

shark47 said:

"This got rid of my 360 noise problem:)"

It's only $398 more (excluding taxes) than the one I posted. But, hey, if you have the money, go for it. It helps the economy at least. :-)

September 25, 2008 1:13 PM
 

shark47 said:

If they cannot afford $2 rubber feet, let them buy a PS3.

September 25, 2008 1:21 PM
 

panache1023 said:

See Shark....no, adam's "M$" was not cool or called for, but it was a reaction out of frustration to Mike Galos for some reason feeling the need to bring Apple into a 100% Apple-less topic...and he did it TWICE!

If you want the Apple fanbois to piss off, going the Mike Galos route is certainly not going to work...

Personally, the MS mouse looks a little stupid....Meanwhile YOU are sitting there talking about sacrificing function for form, yet, the (lamely titled) Apple MightyMouse does not sacrifice a bit of functionality at all....go figure...I have no idea what you are talking about.

Do some research before you start spouting off your anti Apple rhetoric.

September 25, 2008 1:58 PM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) | Technology Blog said:

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September 25, 2008 2:00 PM
 

RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no said:

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September 25, 2008 2:06 PM
 

subzerohitman721 said:

(A parody.)

My Friends, we have a serious problem concerning our nation. Our friends at Engadget have clearly been smoking something, some illicit substance that has impared their judgement. This is clearly a problem for our nation, as wild speculation in the tech markets are doing critical damage to our nation. We cannot have tech bloggers smoking things and making dubious claims about imaginary Xbox 360's that are smaller and therefore cooler.

Therefore I'm returning to Washington, D.C. my friends and suspending my campaign, until we collected enough drug testing kits to fully test the entire Engadget staff. We need reform my friends. Until this crisis has been taken care of, there will be no debates between Windows and OS-X until we solve this crisis. I will always strive to put country first and make sure that our tech bloggers are clean of any illicit substances. Thank you, and God bless America.

(We now return to our regulary scheduled blogging.)

September 25, 2008 2:16 PM
 

Waethorn said:

"If you want the Apple fanbois to piss off, going the Mike Galos route is certainly not going to work..."

....and using someone elses role as an excuse for your own miscreant ventures is deplorable.

"Apple MightyMouse does not sacrifice a bit of functionality at all"

Except that it's NOT ergonomic.  Go figure.

"Ergonomic is not something that "fits in your hand""

Both painache and "mum" need to go read a dictionary some time.

webrevolutionary.com/apple-mighty-mouse-sucks

September 25, 2008 2:17 PM
 

shark47 said:

"Personally, the MS mouse looks a little stupid....Meanwhile YOU are sitting there talking about sacrificing function for form"

OK. How's this? Personally, the Mighty Mouse looks a little stupid. That's not an anti Apple rhetoric, it's my opinion about a product, which, incidentally, was designed by Apple. I've used it and I think it sucks. Not because it was made by Apple, but because it sucks. Apple has designed several great products. This is not one of them. Sorry.

BTW, at least tayme practices what he preaches. What's the deal with your self-righteous talk?

September 25, 2008 2:29 PM
 

bettieblu said:

Mighty mouse sucks.  Sorry it does.  I have two in my desk now.  Once used, the ball died on it after 6 months.  The other brand new.  Wife got an iMac in August, her first Mac, and ditched the mouse in two hours.

We both use Logitech MX 620's.

The might mouse feels funky, the right click is super picky, works well closer to the center worse out to the right, where your finger feels the best.  The ball is cool, until it gets clogged, really fast.  The wired version is SUPER lame with its short cable.

Now the Mac slim keyboard....now that is nice.

September 25, 2008 2:42 PM
 

RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no | ::Mystery Answers:: said:

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September 25, 2008 3:00 PM
 

RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no | Gaming Rover - The News You Want said:

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September 25, 2008 3:04 PM
 

panache1023 said:

Shark..no self-righteous talk...no idea what you mean, so be a little more clear and I'll answer.

I have no issue with you not liking the mighty mouse, for whatever reasons you have...personally, I'm not a huge fan either, but it doesn't sacrifice FUNCTION for form....no functions are sacrificed.

You will never catch me praising the idiotic mighty mouse...but don't lie and say it sacrifices function for form....

Bettieblu...i have found the right click to be a bit flakey too...thought it was just me....but in my experience, it works better toward the outer edges then the center where it seems to act like a left click....I'll probably get a new mouse eventually, but I've been in the process of a move so haven't really used the iMac much.....been mostly using my Dell E1750 laptop which has been running super hot lately and then bogs down....comes back to normal if I get some cool air on the bottom.

Anyone know what this could be?  maybe the fans are a bit clogged and aren't cooling the system efficiently?

Waethorn....being ergonomic and being functional are two different things...i never said it was ergonomic, i just said no functions were being sacrificed....and what "miscreant ventures"?  I am just sick of the PRO MS people bashing Apple when it's totally uncalled for (which in this case it was since Apple was not mentioned AT ALL in the original post!)....at least when you do it it's usually in response to an apple fanboi starting up....

But all these pro MS folks are always complaining about iCabal behavior, and then you get the self righteous Mike Galos starting up...he wants to complain about iCabal and then goes and does the same kind of nonsense, and Im tired of it!

When I want to read pro-bias MS blogs I come here..I don't come here to read uncalled for bashing, and I just had enough.

September 25, 2008 3:05 PM
 

Waethorn said:

"Now the Mac slim keyboard....now that is nice."

No thanks.

"....and God said:

*Keyboard keys should never have Jell-O as a contact material.*"

;)

September 25, 2008 3:06 PM
 

RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no said:

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September 25, 2008 3:08 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

"Now the Mac slim keyboard....now that is nice."

About as nice as it was when it came out for the IBM PCjr...

September 25, 2008 3:12 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

"You will never catch me praising the idiotic mighty mouse...but don't lie and say it sacrifices function for form....

Bettieblu...i have found the right click to be a bit flakey too...thought it was just me...."

You mean function like reliable right click?

September 25, 2008 3:14 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

September 25, 2008 3:20 PM
 

Waethorn said:

"being ergonomic and being functional are two different things...i never said it was ergonomic, i just said no functions were being sacrificed...."

just read the review.  he already says the opposite.

September 25, 2008 3:24 PM
 

» Blog Archive » RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no said:

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September 25, 2008 3:31 PM
 

Mum said:

"Except that it's NOT ergonomic.  Go figure.

Both painache and "mum" need to go read a dictionary some time."

"Ergonomic" in a mouse means it's 1. symmetric 2. flat and 3. light. Go ask someone else who knows if you don't believe me.

Of course you and 99% of people have would have no idea what ergonomic means - just like people generally have no clue about nutrition etc.

"Mighty mouse sucks.  Sorry it does.  I have two in my desk now.  Once used, the ball died on it after 6 months."

Some have suggested that it works better in cold countries where people sweat less (and on top of that I have dry-ish hands). The ball has got stuck sometimes, but pressing and rolling firmly usually fixed it. Once I had to do a little more thorough cleaning, but I've used 8 or 9 different ones (3 of them mine).

It certainly can be bad if your hands are not of the dry type and the surroundings not so clean.

September 25, 2008 3:32 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

""Ergonomic" in a mouse means it's 1. symmetric 2. flat and 3. light. Go ask someone else who knows if you don't believe me."

I'm someone else who knows and I don't believe you.

Symmetric, flat and light  may be what you like in a mouse and you're welcome to your taste but it's NOT "what ergonomic in a mouse means" by any reasonable definition.

Nor is equating your personal tastes to a scientific methodology reasonable.

Perhaps you could actually ask a ergonomist sometime rather than spouting opinion as undeniable Truth (with a capital T)

September 25, 2008 3:42 PM
 

panache1023 said:

@Mum, your excuses to the failure of Bettiblue's mighty mouse stinks.

@ Mike Galos....TOUCHE! (gave up trying to get the accent over the 'e')

Waethorn, why do I need to read a review when I've experienced the Might Mouse personally....my logitech mouse at work as right click, left click, scroll wheel, and scroll wheel click...my mighty mouse at home has left click, (flaky simulated) right click, scroll wheel, scroll wheel click, and it even has buttons on the side which I have assigned to Expose ......definitely sounds like there are no sacrifices.

Regarding the thin keyboard....it's actually not that bad...but what's cool is that it has two USB ports on the side to accept input...I just found that out during my move.....no use for them yet, but it's nice to have....I think I would have preferred one of those cool ergonomic keyboards...I'm using a MS ergo keyboard right now at work....love it.

September 25, 2008 3:43 PM
 

tayme said:

@sharkey - "BTW, at least tayme practices what he preaches."

Hey...whatch it...you guys are all a bunch of MSFT and AAPL fanbois!!! Netware rocks and IPX/SPX is the best network protocol ever!!! Just wait, they will come out with the NovPhone withing the next year and it will blow the rest away!!!

;-)

--tayme

September 25, 2008 3:50 PM
 

panache1023 said:

regarding ergonomic, I would have thought it meant something like "intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort"...

but that's just what I thought...

September 25, 2008 3:51 PM
 

tayme said:

@panache1023 - "but what's cool is that it has two USB ports on the side to accept input"

Keep in mind...those are low power USB ports...you cannot use them with a device that gets its power via USB.

--tayme

September 25, 2008 3:56 PM
 

tayme said:

@Paul - I think that your's is the only site that can generate upwards of 60 comments on a post meant to dispel the rumors of a mythical thin game console...

--tayme

September 25, 2008 3:58 PM
 

panache1023 said:

@tayme, thanks for the heads up

September 25, 2008 4:22 PM
 

shark47 said:

@panache: "You will never catch me praising the idiotic mighty mouse...but don't lie and say it sacrifices function for form...."

I think you've misunderstood my statement. I didn't mean it doesn't do a lot of stuff. I meant it doesn't do it well. They've concentrated too much on the looks and sacrificed usability in the process. You, mum and bettie have already given examples of that.

September 25, 2008 4:36 PM
 

Mum said:

"Perhaps you could actually ask a ergonomist sometime rather than spouting opinion as undeniable Truth (with a capital T)"

I've discussed this over and over with several pros over years after a supposedly ergonomic mouse hospitalised me. It's certainly not about personal tastes. There are rules. I really know a lot about this and very likely use a mouse three times more than you do.

Strong opinions or wording don't really make much difference when someone actually knows the field you're trying to play an expert in.

"regarding ergonomic, I would have thought it meant something like "intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort"..."

Now there's a seed of truth for a change. If anyone here feels that a mouse with a lot of rubber parts shaped like a cashew nut with a place carved for a thumb feels comfortable to get a firm grip of then you're using your mouse very wrong and extended use will lead to serious wrist problems. Of course most people never use their mouse so much.

"@Mum, your excuses to the failure of Bettiblue's mighty mouse stinks."

The scroll ball is really not what I'm discussing here. The shape of Apple's mouse is superior. S+ARCK is also ok but a bit too big for anything as big or smaller than a medium hand.

September 25, 2008 4:36 PM
 

Mum said:

"(gave up trying to get the accent over the 'e')"

Liké this?

September 25, 2008 4:38 PM
 

RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no | XBox 360 News said:

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September 25, 2008 5:05 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

symmetric devices are only ergonomic if the user's body part that interacts with it is also symmetric.

I don't know about you but my hand is not symmetric hence my mouse is not symmetric.

September 25, 2008 5:23 PM
 

DRWAM said:

Hey guys, I've been saving lives all day. What did I miss?

BTW, I have a thumb on the radial aspect of my hand, but none on the ulnar side. Hence my hand is not symmetric either. See Mike, we have something in common. Also, that might mouse thingy that came with my Pro tower is still in the box. I use an MX Revolution and a MS Laser mouse, but I don't know the model. I actually have two Logitech lasers and two MS lasers. By far, the battery life of MS greatly exceed that of the Logitechs. There is no contest. MX is my favorite as I am an elitist. My wife told me so. [She drives a Benz. What nerve!!!]

PS, Isn't Mighty Mouse a cartoon character? Go figure, that they pair it up with a 'Superdrive'.

September 25, 2008 7:09 PM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

DRWAM

I don't know. You're assuming my thumbs are on the radial side as well...

Personally, I prefer the Microsoft high-end mice to the Logitech high-end but prefer the Logitech low-end mice over the Microsoft low-end. Just a personal preference and I'd advise anybody in the market to try a bunch out to see how they fit their hand since hands vary even more than mice.

And, shocking as it will seem to the Apple fans here, I don't think Apple makes the absolute worst mice in history. That award has to go to IBM for the PS/2 Mouse in 1987 which cramped my hand before I could even click the buttons. On the other hand, Apple has, by far, the longest history of absolutely terrible mice. IBM, at least, knew they weren't competent in that market and got out.

Now, as long as we've strayed into religion, I've yet to see a mainstream keyboard that even comes close to the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (or its wireless equivalent in the Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000). That's in the "from my cold, dead hands" category.

September 25, 2008 7:23 PM
 

B On The Move - Tech News » Blog Archive » Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) said:

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September 25, 2008 7:29 PM
 

Your Gadget Guide » Blog Archive » Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) said:

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September 25, 2008 10:11 PM
 

Mum said:

"symmetric devices are only ergonomic if the user's body part that interacts with it is also symmetric.

I don't know about you but my hand is not symmetric hence my mouse is not symmetric."

Damn Mr. Last Word, you just keep on going even when you have no idea what you're talking about :D

Mouse is used with fingertips in order to put least stress on the wrist. You shouldn't grip it like a handle. (Whether you want the stress is admittedly a matter of personal taste.) The space between your fingertips is actually very symmetrical and when you operate the device 360° most of the work is done with the thumb and the little/index fingers. A perfectly round mouse (the puck) would actually be the best if there was a way of telling which side is which when it rotates.

September 26, 2008 12:45 AM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

Mum

Perhaps you should read some mouse ergonomics papers. Things like a thumb groove and rotation of the surface to prevent wrist pronation which a flat mouse makes worse than almost any other design.

Oh, and there's no such thing as a symmetric space defined by only two points. You need a minimum of three points to define a plane and there's no such thing as an asymmetric line..

I'd suggest the intro article on the topic by Microsoft Hardware which also lists a couple of dozen papers you could read to understand the issues beyond your just saying "Apple's designs are ideal". Oh, and since your theory only has you touch a mouse at two points, there's no benefit to it being round so even your ideas don't make any ergonomic sense.

The intro paper is at download.microsoft.com/.../ErgoDevicesWP%20-%205-1-07.xps

Dr. Dan Odell's page at Microsoft hardware is at www.microsoft.com/.../drdan.mspx (He's Microsoft Hardware's staff ergonomicist)

The main Microsoft Hardware page on ergonomics is at: www.microsoft.com/.../comfort.mspx

September 26, 2008 3:09 AM
 

mikegalos@msn.com said:

Oh, and by comparison...

Apple doesn't have a staff ergonomist and a search on ergonomics on the Apple site lists (besides songs on iTunes) a 3rd party keyboard available at Apple stores and a chart showing that cinema displays can be mounted on a (3rd party) ergonomic bracket.

September 26, 2008 3:44 AM
 

Mum said:

"Oh, and there's no such thing as a symmetric space defined by only two points."

Don't know about you but I have five fingers in both my left and my right hands. When my hand is relaxed the space between those fingers is very close to a circle, maybe a bit oval.

You would undoubtedly link to a Microsoft paper (that you can read in Vista with an xps viewer) on the subject, yet you won't find a professional on the matter of mouse ergonomics who will recommend ergonomic mice for anyone else but occasional users. Symmetrical and flat are the primary requirements. But this also requires some learning on the user's side. Whether the ergonomic mice currently in the market are better for a heavy grip is possible but heavy users will not stay healthy using them for long.

Then again you won't find violin bows shaped ergonomically to facilitate playing in a wrong way, because violin isn't an everyman instrument.

September 26, 2008 5:08 AM
 

vinski- said:

Haha. Small focal lengths and weird angles can do miracles. :)

September 26, 2008 5:34 AM
 

shark47 said:

Mommy: "Ergonomic" in a mouse means it's 1. symmetric 2. flat and 3. light. Go ask someone else who knows if you don't believe me."

Symmetric, because when one hand gets tired, you can use the other. Hardly anyone does that and the human hand is not naturally symmetric.

Flat: No. It has to be curved because the human palm is slightly curved.

According to your guidelines, a piece of paper will make the best mouse. As long as you're simply resting your palm on it, it will. The problem arises when you start clicking.  

September 26, 2008 6:37 AM
 

DRWAM said:

Looking at my palm with it in the most comfotable position, relaxed, part of it near the phallanges, appears oval, but the palmar surface actually appears triangle due to flexion of the thenar eminence. My hockey peck mouse from my G4 was very uncomfortable and was dwarfed by my paws. I wonder if the kids would like it. I used it for two weeks, then boxed it. It still works after 9 years.

September 26, 2008 7:01 AM
 

panache1023 said:

Shark....

A piece of paper may make a great mouse.  What problem with clicking?  You wouldn't need buttons, just some sort of analog pressure detection.  When you apply a certain amount of pressue, it's a "mouse down", release and it's "mouse up"...however, I think it would feel weird to keep your hand FLAT on the desk for a prolonged period of time....I like the curve my logitech mouse has at work....

My buddy and I used to make fun of the Mighty Mouse years ago...we used to make "seal" motions...picture a seal flappiing its....whatever those things seals have, fins?  That's kind of the motion you make to click that stupid thing, as the whole front part of the device moves downward..hahah.

September 26, 2008 7:09 AM
 

Mum said:

"It has to be curved because the human palm is slightly curved."

Precise action requires the palm to not even touch the mouse. Flat means something that allows this. This way the mouse doesn't force the wrist in an upward angle.

The grip approach sucks because, for example, to move the pointer from the left side of a big screen to the right side you have to move your whole body unless you give the mouse a push with your thumb, let go of it and let it slide on the surface on its own until your little/index fingers stop it. Now any grooves for fingers make this much harder and less predictable.

September 26, 2008 7:35 AM
 

DRWAM said:

Build a better mouse trap.

We actually need brain wave controlled desktops. I have thought about this since I first saw an EEG in the easrly 80's. If we can detect brain waves with machines,  just using scalp electrodes, then we should try to create a device to interpret them, then use as commands [brain wave recognition software]. Perhaps some individuals that claim 'psychic abilities' can sorta do this. Maybe their brain can act as a receiver. They don't need a translater, since it's brain to brain. Just a thought OT. I I had those abilities, then I could figure out what the hell my wife is thinking when she does some stuff!

September 26, 2008 8:03 AM
 

Waethorn said:

""Ergonomic" in a mouse means it's 1. symmetric 2. flat and 3. light. Go ask someone else who knows if you don't believe me.

Of course you and 99% of people have would have no idea what ergonomic means "

Ya, you know, using your own personal taste as an example to counter the opinions of 99% of the populous does not in factuality make.

"......definitely sounds like there are no sacrifices."

When comfort is given up, I'd say that there are sacrifices in functionality.

"symmetric devices are only ergonomic if the user's body part that interacts with it is also symmetric."

Mum's hand must be shaped like this:

images.elfwood.com/.../monsters_hand_blackandwhite.jpg

;)

"Netware rocks and IPX/SPX is the best network protocol ever!!!"

No it IS NOT!  - Lantastic is!

Netware is a pig on resources compared to Lantastic!

September 26, 2008 8:37 AM
 

Waethorn said:

"The grip approach sucks because, for example, to move the pointer from the left side of a big screen to the right side you have to move your whole body"

Been using a mouse very much?

With a grip-style mouse, you're moving more of your arm, not your wrist.  Your shoulders, biceps, and forearms are much stronger and less fragile than the average wrist tendon, sorry to say.  I would bet the Doc can back me up on that one.

www.ergocanada.com/.../ztm.html

September 26, 2008 8:54 AM
 

tayme said:

You know...it sounds like Mum may have some knowledge in this area and the anti-apple rederick regarding mice is useless. Of course, like I said before...I take people at face value, and I could be very wrong...Mum could actually be an Apple Mighty-Mouse Evangelist...much like mikegalos is an elitist Pro Microsoft, anything else is wrong, nobody but Microsoft innovates Evangelist. Come on Mike, give it up already.

@Paul - I'd say its time to lock this puppy down!

--tayme

September 26, 2008 9:16 AM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) at The Right Guy’s Blog said:

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September 26, 2008 12:48 PM
 

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September 26, 2008 2:32 PM
 

Ergonomics » What makes a perfect laptop? - Computer Weekly said:

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September 27, 2008 1:13 AM
 

Your Gadget Guide » Blog Archive » Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) said:

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September 27, 2008 6:51 AM
 

Video Game News, Inc. said:

September 28, 2008 6:32 PM
 

Games All-In-One Blogs » Blog Archive » RumorDestroya: Xbox 360 Slim spotted? Sorry, no said:

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October 7, 2008 10:31 PM
 

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October 8, 2008 3:13 AM
 

Slimmer Xbox 360 spied in the wild? (mystery solved) | Gadgetorium! said:

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October 15, 2008 2:25 PM
 

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October 16, 2008 7:57 PM
 

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November 3, 2008 2:13 AM
 

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