Hockey puck mouse
A circular USB mouse criticized for its clumsy design and short cord.
The Apple USB Mouse (model M4848), nicknamed the "Hockey Puck" due to its distinctly round design, was introduced by Apple Computer, Inc. It debuted alongside the Bondi Blue iMac G3 in 1998 and came with every desktop Mac for the following two years. This mouse marked Apple's first commercial use of a USB connection instead of the older Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). Its design drew widespread criticism; in 2008, Wired's Bryan Gardiner called it one of "Apple's most notorious flops."
Unlike the earlier Mouse II, the Hockey Puck was circular, with a single button on top like previous Apple mice. Its round shape was often considered awkward because it was small and tended to spin during use. A later version added a slight indentation on the button to indicate where to press. This design flaw helped drive sales of the Griffin iMate ADB-to-USB adapter, which let users connect the more comfortable ADB Mouse II to their iMacs. Some products, such as a shell that attached to the USB mouse, gave it the elliptical shape of the ADB mouse.
Another issue common to all of Apple's USB mice at the time was an unusually short cord. Although intended to be used with the integrated hub in Apple's keyboards, the switch to USB coincided with Apple moving notebook ports from the center to the left edge.
In 2000, the Apple USB Mouse was succeeded by the Apple Pro Mouse.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- Manufacturer
- Logitech
- Release Date
- August 15, 1998
- Discontinued
- July 2000
- Predecessor
- Apple Desktop Bus Mouse 2
- Successor
- Apple Pro Mouse (Black)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Unlike the Mouse II that preceded it, the "hockey puck" mouse has a circular shape; it has a single mouse button located at the top, like previous Apple mice. The mouse's round shape is widely considered clumsy, due to its small size and tendency to rotate in use. A slightly improved later version had an indentation on its button showing where to press. This was a major cause for the success of the Griffin iMate ADB to USB adapters, as they allowed the older, more comfortable ADB Mouse II to be used with those iMacs. There were some products like a shell that attached to the USB mouse to give it the ADB mouse's elliptical shape.
Another flaw introduced in the Apple USB Mouse, shared across all of Apple's USB offerings, is the atypically short cord. Though intended for use through the integrated hub in Apple's keyboards, Apple's transition to USB coincided with the relocation of ports on their notebooks from the center to the left edge.
Reader's Guide
The Apple USB Mouse, known as the Hockey Puck, holds significance as Apple's first commercially released mouse to use the USB connection format, marking a departure from the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). Its circular design, however, drew widespread criticism for being clumsy, small, and prone to rotating during use. A later version attempted to address this with an indentation on the button. The mouse's shortcomings indirectly spurred the success of the Griffin iMate ADB to USB adapter, which allowed users to connect the more comfortable ADB Mouse II to iMacs. Additionally, the atypically short cord—a flaw shared across Apple's USB offerings at the time—was intended for use with the integrated hub in Apple's keyboards but became problematic when notebook ports moved from the center to the left edge. The mouse was replaced in 2000 by the Apple Pro Mouse, ending its brief two-year run as the standard desktop Mac mouse.
Did You Know?
- The mouse is commonly called the "Hockey Puck" because of its unusually circular shape.
- It was the first commercially released Apple mouse to use USB instead of the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB).
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