Holiday spending has seen sales of Apple’s Magic Mouse soar. According to a report by NPD and covered today by AppleInsider, last month saw a twofold increase in Apple’s share of domestic mice sales. By the end of November, Apple had captured 10 percent of the market.

NPD analyst Stephen Baker told AppleInsider:

Sales in November were through the roof. The Magic Mouse had the best month for a mouse product from Apple that we’ve ever seen.

It’s the first time Apple’s share of the domestic mouse market has ever reached double digits, and even more impressive considering the data was compiled from standalone sales. Units sold with new iMacs were not counted.

While that’s fantastic news for Apple, I find myself wondering whether those new Magic Mouse owners aren’t going to be feeling somewhat disappointed because, despite its name, the Magic Mouse is anything but magical. For a company that gets so much of its user experience spot-on, it does keep missing the target with its pointing devices.

Andy Ihnatko said it best:

I can’t think of a single good Apple mouse released this millennium. Ideologically, they’ve all been covered with spray-glitter and rainbow stickers.

When I got my Magic Mouse I admired its diminutive form factor and minimalist lines but it was clearly not an ergonomic design. That super slimline, ground-hugging shape took some getting used to. But aesthetic and ergonomic matters aside, I think the thorniest issue isn’t with the hardware at all. The problem, as I see it, is one of user perception.

You see, users accustomed to the touchy-goodness of an iPhone or MacBook trackpad lament the lack of similar functionality in their supposedly ‘magic’ mouse. The major criticism is usually expressed in the form of common questions, like, Why is there no pinch to zoom functionality? Why do we have to click, when we could tap? Why aren’t more swipe-gestures supported?

“It’s just a software fix,” reviewers on popular Apple tech sites have concluded, “Apple will likely add that functionality later in a software update.”

Well, I don’t think so. In fact, I think Apple will intentionally avoid adding further touch functionality to this mouse, and I think I know why.

Be Careful What You Wish For

In the relatively short time since the Magic Mouse was released in late October, several third-party applications have appeared, both free and paid, that (ahem) ‘tap’ into the Magic Mouse software and foist upon the device all that pinching, swiping, multi-touch functionality people think they want. Well, I also thought I wanted those things…until I got them.

Remember how, with the Mighty Mouse, you had to handle it with care because those side-buttons could be way too sensitive? They were so sensitive, in fact, many people disabled those buttons entirely because they proved such a nuisance. Turns out, having multifunctional touch-sensitive controls all across the surface of the Magic Mouse turns the thing into a far greater nuisance than its “mighty” predecessor ever was.

I swiftly discovered that controls I wanted to trigger (say, a three-finger-tap) often wouldn’t register. I’d spend an inordinate amount of time obsessive-compulsively tapping the mouse with minimal success. Pinching and zooming was literally painful, transforming my hand into a deformed claw of knotted knuckles and cramp. Yet, for all my efforts, it still never zoomed in a controlled, predictable manner.

Worse still, functions I didn’t intentionally invoke would trigger while I was doing something else entirely. It got to the point where simply moving the pointer across the screen — an action so natural and normal I normally give it no conscious thought — was now an event demanding deliberate care and attention. I tried two of the most popular apps and got the same results each time.

In short , it’s not a software problem, but rather, a limitation imposed by the very form factor of the mouse. As long as Apple wants its flagship pointing device to be small, svelte and sexy, it’s just not going to be the right shape and size for full-fledged multi-touch controls.

Software like MagicPrefs introduces hugely varied additional functionality

Apple, I’m sure, did a lot of R&D to determine what were the most appropriate default touch controls for the Magic Mouse. Therefore, a feature’s absence is a deliberate choice. It makes perfect sense. One of the most celebrated aspects of Apple’s user-experience is its consistency; across all Macs the user experience is predictable and dependable. There are rarely unexpected (or unwelcome) surprises. Much of the time, that’s made possible by Apple’s minimalist, ‘less-is-more’ approach to interface design.

That is why so many people disliked the Mighty Mouse. In trying to do so much it was just too unpredictable and ruined the user experience. And that is why the Magic Mouse is so limited. It’s better this way.

I just wonder if all those new Magic Mouse owners will agree?

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This weekend was the 2nd annual iPhoneDevCamp held, mostly, in San Francisco. iPhoneDevCamp is a 3 day event where iPhone/iPod touch developers get together to learn and develop with other developers and this year seems to have churned out one of the most highly requested features for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Andrew Mager posted a video that shows Copy and Paste in use on the iPhone.

The video does not give many details on it but it seems, at this point, that the copy functionality basically copies all the text of a document/webpage/etc and then allows you to paste it in an input area. The video does not showcase any sort of “Select” functionality (such as selecting partial text) but regardless this would be a much welcomed addition to the iPhone/iPod touch.

John Gruber makes a great point in that Apple most likely will add a copy/paste feature but just hasn’t gotten to it yet. You can’t have everything all at once or you’d never get the product launched.

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The Apple TV’s new found friends may have brought it up to par with several of its competitors, but does it compare to Apple’s own standards?

With a completely redesigned UI and a slew of new features, the Apple TV seems a new breed of set top box. One, oddly enough, in the same packaging we’ve seen for the past year.

Apple TV meet Apple TV

On the outside we still have the aluminum shell, slim profile and HDMI out. But like all good kids, I was taught at an early age that it’s not what’s on the outside that counts, it’s what’s on the inside. So in that regard the Apple TV seems to have faired well. With the Take Two updates, we’ve gained Flickr/.Mac galleries, 5.1 surround sound support and 1080p upscaling.

Yes I still hope for a rental subscription the likes Netflix couldn’t even compete with, and yes I would appreciate the ability to stream local broadcasts in HD. Maybe those Mac World wishes never really go away.

The Gaping Hole

Let’s go back to Mac World and combine the two big announcements:

• MacBook Air
• Apple TV Take Two

Both devices are completely aluminum. Both devices are super slim. Both devices offer media playback. Both lack a DVD/CD Drive, but ONLY ONE device does anything about it. The MacBook Air offers Remote Disc, the ability to share a CD over your network for installing software. Why couldn’t the Apple TV receive the same treatment? Adding the ability for Remote Disc within the Apple TV would be huge. Provided that it has all the media support you expect, DVD streaming over a network, etc.

According to Engadget’s article the MacBook Air doesn’t currently offer the ability to stream DVD media using Remote Disc. Probably for the same reasons, the Apple TV isn’t able to.

Apple’s Standards

Think back to the days you resorted to Winamp. If you wanted to copy the CD you just bought, you’d resort to audio ripping software that seemed quite sketchy. Then iTunes came around and the ability to import your own CDs became ubiquitous. Did the music industry suffer? Was potential profit so far gone that the industry went under? No, not even remotely.

If anything one would argue the ability to purchase individual tracks was the beginning of the end for them. Not because of cost, but because of demand. Now with digital media, users want the same ability that CDs offer. The right to transfer purchased content from one platform to another, DRM free. As a pioneer, iTunes became more than just about organizing music, it became about the ability to own your music.

Pioneering The Next Digital Revolution

So why hasn’t the Apple TV taken the same route? Apple, known for pushing the right buttons at the right time should have opted for Remote Disc media streaming as well as capturing. What I mean is, just as iTunes imports CDs, the Apple TV should import DVDs. A big stretch, I understand, but I think opening up Remote Disc could easily have been the next step in achieving this.

The Apple TV is a closed system. Content on it cannot be moved back to your PC or Mac. By demands of the hard drive, I imagine the capacity to hold DVDs would also be limited. So why not? Thinking of it on a grand scale, even if people were to rent DVDs and store them onto their Apple TV, the capacity alone would limit them. Also they are still renting the movies aren’t they? That’s still money in someone’s pocket. What if they borrow the DVD and rip it? Aren’t people doing that already? Is the movie industry suffering enough to close shop? I think to have the option for Apple seems far greater of an achievement, far more innovative than any corporate reason for why not to do it.

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The iPod began a new quest for Apple. A company set on innovation has taken our hearts with a simple, compact device for music. Well, it was music at first. Now with the mobility of the browser thanks to the iPhone and iPod Touch, we can love a new device and rely on it much in the same way. The question to me, is where can they go from here?

Apple TV

Take the Xbox 360 as an example and compare features with the updated Apple TV. From what I can tell besides the current inability for gameplay on an Apple TV, you’ve pretty much got the same devices. Both network easily, both stream content, and both rent content. However, both are still dependent on the back end for music and non-rentable content.

The most recent updates to the Apple TV do appeal to me. I’m still curious why we cannot rent TV content, and why we aren’t offered a subscription model? I see the technology all around us for all the things we want as consumers, all in different projects, all in different companies. Who’s going to be the one that finally brings it together collectively for the betterment of the consumer?

Several have noted Apple’s most recent Apple TV filing for Widget/iChat patent. The example in the patent expresses the ability to have a live widget on top of a Sports Broadcast providing you with the score. Will or can it be a live broadcast streamed to your Apple TV? Will the Apple TV finally be getting a tuner to help it’s goal of becoming the ultimate media destination?

I don’t know, but either way you look at it, the Apple TV, in its current form looks set. Right before MacWorld a refreshment was rumored to consist of a vast redesign, but what did we see? Only a UI redesign with new features. The features are great, don’t get me wrong, but what’s important to note is there was no hardware redesign. The product itself is exactly the same as it was before. Great for users who previously purchased it and want to take advantage of the new features, but is it great for the users who are left expecting more?

I know for myself, I’m looking for the simple solution to everything. Naturally I’ve found Apple to be the shortest path to a great thing, whether it’s OSX, or actual devices, but when it comes to a feature I expect and don’t receive, am I only left to blame myself?

Portability

If the Amazon Kindle can feature full time wireless access, why can’t other devices? I imagine the usage from a Kindle is extremely minimal, but if, including the added cost, a one time payment can allow permanent internet access on a single device, don’t you think the world could benefit far greater if more devices offered the same permanent connection?

I’m curious to see if during the SDK launch Flash support will be announced for the iPhone and iPod Touch as has been rumored. Again only usability is affected. Hardware seems to be rumored around the year mark for a new 3G iPhone. Will it be a simple upgrade, or will a new, redesigned device be introduced? My money is on a simple redesign, possibly just a thinner profile and nothing more. I see the iPhone taking a similar course as the iPod itself. Very minor changes in the actual input method (think 3g iPod with the touch buttons), overall increase in storage, and a thinning profile over time. As far as an iPhone Nano goes, I think if you want an iPhone Nano you get an iPod Touch.

Desktop

With sales up on Notebooks, I think it’s clear the term “desktop” is due for a change. It seems more evident that laptop computing and portability are what matters to the average consumer. Does this mean Desktops and iMacs alike are a slowing trend?

.Mac and the like certainly can allow users to forgo large machines. For the average user, where Pro Apps are of no concern, even for the working professional, cloud computing is the way to manage tasks and contacts. It’s simple, efficient, and allows you to access it from anywhere. Will this create a demand for lighter operating systems such as gOS?

Your Life

Apple seems to have you covered from the desk to the plane. So what’s left in between? Besides refreshments, re-modifications and SDK launches, I think the next couple years seem pretty set. Plenty of “me toos” will pop up, but as far as innovation goes, what’s the real story?

For the record I’m not doubting Apple’s ability to stir public appeal with useful devices, I’m simply wondering what’s next. Maybe I’m asking too much too quick, or maybe everyone’s already hoping for the same, but I’m waiting to see it so I can believe it.

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The more I peruse the redesigned Apple.com the more eye candy I discover. Of course being the [unofficial] Mac Evangelist that I am, I should know better than to call anything Apple does, ‘eye candy’ – almost without fail there is function behind the beautiful form in anything that comes out of Cupertino, CA. Apple.com is no exception since its redesign not so long ago.

Those of us already rocking OS X may have taken notice (although possibly subconsciously) of the website features that tend to mimic our favorite operating system. But the really ingenius point here is that users who are yet to make The Switch are already being introduced to some of the functionality they’ll find in OS X. There may not be anything earth-shattering, but opening up your first Mac and seeing something familiar in an otherwise foreign operating system can be a very welcome feeling. And that’s really what Apple’s all about, isn’t it?

The coordinated features between the website and the operating system that I’ve noticed thus far can be found in the following two screencasts. (Please note, that there’s not supposed to be audio, it’s just a visual aid.)
So here are the screencasts of the features on Apple.com, and the similarities in OS X.
But allow me to list the features here anyway:

• Search – Spotlight functionality is so similar, even the colors match!
• Product Page and side bars – Hello CoverFlow!
• Quicktime Trailers – ‘Save’ your view preferences as in iTunes.
• Icons & Colors – Even the design elements on the website mimic that of OS X.

If you’ve found other functionality on Apple.com that mimics something in OS X, let us know in the comments.

This coordination between Apple’s products is nothing new of course. Case in point, the [now] Classic iPod and the previous generation of iMac had a very similar appearance, the new iMac design and the iPhone, Apple Retail Store aluminum interior design and Apple’s Pro line of hardware. There are so many parallels between Apple’s products and so much more thought than probably any other tech company that it’s no surprise that they stand out such as they do.

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