An analysis of my Apple keyboard and mouse

In design, there are several systems used to assess the success and failure of individual designs.  One of these systems is called ergonomics.  Though most people may assume ergonomics only relates to the comfort of an object (I usually associate it with things like lumbar support in desk chairs), it is really a more all-encompassing way of judging an object as a whole.  The study of ergonomics is broken into five main areas: safety, comfort, ease of use, performance/productivity, and aesthetics.  When these categories are applied to a specific designed object, in this case my Apple Magic Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard, one can effectively determine how well-designed (or, on the flip side, how poorly designed) that object is.

The first criteria, "Safety," is somewhat difficult to apply to my mouse and keyboard.  I can't honestly imagine anything truly dangerous happening because of either of these objects.  However, the fact that each object is wireless does help avoid tripping over cord, plugs unplugging, outlets overheating, etc.  So, indirectly, the wireless design of the mouse as well as the keyboard do help their safety statuses.

Comfort is a huge and well-executed part of the Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard design.  The keyboard is on a slight tilt, which allows the user to rest her hands comfortably on her wrists (thought I think that is technically the incorrect way of using a keyboard....) while only slightly lifting her hands to navigate the keys.  The tilt is subtle enough though that she does not (whoa...hilarious timing. First the first time ever, my keyboard lost connection with my computer.  I guess I'll revisit this during "performance") feel like she is holding her hands up at an awkward angle.  As for the mouse, it is a curved, somewhat low-lying design that fits perfectly into the palm of one's hand.  It allows for easy gripping with the outer fingers (to actually move the mouse around) while the middle fingers rest easily on top (to click, scroll, etc.).

Side view showing the tilt; view of the top to show layout and sleek design

Like nearly all keyboards, this wireless keyboard follows a rather standardized format (QWERTY) and therefore conforms to the method of typing ingrained in nearly everyone's (at least of this generation) mind.  Even keys that are specific to Apple products (like the dashboard, etc.) have self-explanatory icons on the corresponding buttons, which allow for the unfamiliar user to easily navigate their functions.  The Magic Mouse on the other hand does not really have an inherent, self-explanatory set of directions.  There are no visible buttons, rather it is a singular, sleek being.  I had to look up directions online to figure out how to right-click, scroll, etc.  So in that sense, the Magic Mouse is less user-friendly and easy.  But once the user is used to it, it becomes somewhat natural and automatic for the user.

Pretty, but complicated.

Other than the lack of numeric keypad on my keyboard, I would have never had a complaint about its performance.. until a few minutes ago when the connection was somehow lost and I had to wait a minute for it to reconnect.  But, to be fair, it did reconnect on its own without me having to troubleshoot in any way.  Though the disconnection will like bother other users more than it did for me, I think the fact that it has only happened once in the almost month that I've had  this computer, that is a rather high performance value.  As for the Magic Mouse, I stopped using it almost immediately.  After dealing with poor sensitivity when moving my mouse around my desk and skipping around of the cursor on my screen (not to mention the someone unreliable clicking and right-clicking), I switched to a USB-connected mouse from Microsoft. It has individual buttons for left- and right-clicking, a wheel for scrolling, and has a much more fluid movement of the mouse itself and, consequently, of the cursor.  In this way, the mouse failed my ergonomic evaluation, despite is comfort and sleek design.

Aesthetics is arguably Apple's strongpoint, and that reputation is not lost on these products.  Both products are of minimalist design (which is particularly important in the case of the keyboard, since so many elements are required in the actual keys that any frivolous design would make it extremely cluttered-looking).  The keyboard's brushed aluminum base is the perfect backdrop to the white keys with gray lettering and iconography.  The almost solid white of the mouse is very appealing and is only broken up by a small, unobtrusive Apple icon.  Both products are lovely indeed.

Overall, the keyboard is extremely successful for what it is - a simplified (in that it doesn't have a numeric keypad) and beautiful version of a standard keyboard.  The mouse is equally as beautiful and comfortable, but fails the easy of use and performance sections of ergonomic design.  This can be changed, however, by making the mouse more responsive and more intuitive to the user.

Images from Apple.com