Friday Takeaway: Mousetrap

I'm sure at one point in time, the mouse was considered awkward. Of course, so was a visual interface. It may or may not surprise you, depending on your knowledge of computer history, that Apple was a pioneer in both of these areas. You certainly shouldn't be surprised, then, that Apple has been at the forefront of the touch revolution, and what better expression of their vision is there than the iPad? And if the mouse should go extinct, shouldn't Apple be the one to kill it?

Some might argue that the mouse is already on its way out. Notebooks and netbooks, in general, have already ditched them in favor of the trackpad. Granted, you can still connect a mouse via USB or Bluetooth, and some people do this, but it's not needed for most tasks. Even Apple's own Magic Mouse combines a traditional wireless mouse with a trackpad, an indication that the standard mouse is already somewhat obsolete.

The mouse is definitely an intuitive device. For specific types of movements, a trackpad doesn't suffice. It's range is just too limited. But the trackpad gave rise to the touchscreen. Now, touchscreens are not really new. Businesses like restaurants have used them for many years for quick order placement, and PDAs with their styluses were clearly a precursor. Yet, from a consumer standpoint, they didn't enter the mainstream until the iPhone (and the countless smartphone clones that followed it).

The iPad brought touch controls to an entirely new level, mostly due to the size of the device. All 10 fingers can comfortably fit on the screen (unless you have really large hands), and if you are just using the pointer finger, your range of motion is greatly increased. Drawing, for instance, be it with a finger or a stylus, allows for significantly more precision. If you've ever tried drawing on a computer (be that Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop), you know that doing so with a mouse doesn't feel right, and your results will likely be sloppy. Most artists use drawing tablets...but isn't that essentially what the iPad is?

Without a doubt, we're not there yet. Most people, myself included, are not ready to ditch the mouse. It's comfortable. We can use one so comfortably that it feels like an extension of the hand. But think on that for a second. In reality, which is easier to use: an extension of the hand, or the hand itself? A touchscreen takes out the need for a secondary tool; your hand is the tool. Perhaps we've simply lost some ability to rely on our hands.

Touch controls are all about gestures. Which is more natural: clicking a button to turn a page, or swiping with your finger from right to left? Which is more precise for writing: a mouse that fills up your entire palm, or a finger or stylus that works just like a pen? In a sense, I think that we are merely starting to rediscover how to use our hands. Computers used to be distant; now they are personal. We used to have to use tools to make them work; now, as Steve Jobs would argue, they "just work."

I know; you're not ready to get rid of your mouse, because touch controls just aren't there yet, but I don't think that it's a matter of the technology limiting us; I think we just have to uncover the right ways to use it. How long did it take us to get the astounding yet oh-so-simple page turning mechanic found in iBooks? It seems so natural, but it took almost 4 years before we saw it in an app.

Essentially, the technology is ahead of us. As time goes by, we're going to find more and more that we can do without need for a mouse. Apple will continue to release new products that rely solely on touch (just wait until the next Apple TV comes out). Developers will find new ways to exploit the use of our fingers. It's inevitable.

How long do you really think it will be before the mouse bites the dust?