The traditional Apple mouse has no buttons, as such. It is one hairless piece of plastic, designed to cause minimal confusion to people who wouldn't know what to do with a right click if it bit them on the nose. Apple's laptops have one button too. The iPhone has no button. Different approach to the rest, don't you think!.

Multi button mouse v single button mouse

Modern mice can have up to 11 buttons and are as programmable as the computer they are attached to. All very snazzy, but most non-gaming, non-geeky users stick to the one left-click button. Maybe people go crazy with the occasional exploratory right click, but by and large, an array of click options usually proves a waste of time for most, and cobwebs soon appear on most mice buttons.

The Apple mouse lies at the other extreme of button land. There is no doubt that the first ever mouse to go on sale to the general public is so simple, anyone could use it. To left click you - click - but if you want to do a right click to discover hidden options, this one-trick pony requires a bit of co-ordination.

Right click 101: Press CTRL and click the mouse at the same time.

In this respect, Apple's claim for simplicity is a little disingenuous as I can hear my father's head grinding to a halt over such simple instructions, his left hand crossing his right, right brain short-circuiting the left brain..

The mighty mouse in the above image is an example of Apple moving with the times, transcending simplicity and complication. This super mouse is a plastic clicker on steroids. It looks like one button, but it isn't. It is supposedly the most intuitive 2-button mouse ever invented. Reality check. Many users say that it is so slick you have to be very highly tuned into the tool before it becomes intuitive.

Multi-button laptop v single button laptop

Moving on from mice, it is time to tackle buttons on a laptop. One or two buttons? Who knows which is the better approach to clicking! As a Mac user, I have a trackpad, and as per the Apple mindset, it has a single button to click. I didn't know any better when I bought it, and to my open mind, it was very easy to get the hang of it. But 2 buttons on a laptop is the norm in the real world, and I have seen steam come out the ears of PC users trying an Apple laptop for the first time.

I guess Apple and Dell both justify their choice of one- and 2-button laptops, but I think Apple only get away with their "simplicity" mantra because of their committed users. Let's face it, if you just laid out a couple of thousand on a computer and you are prepared to learn a new way of working, it would be pretty lame to refuse to get the hang of a single button, however much it gets on your nerves.

No buttons

In order to add functionality but keep with simplicity, my older laptop has software called Sidetrack installed. If I want to right click I just tap the trackpad. I also have vertical AND horizontal scrolling if I stroke the edges of the trackpad. This addition is most definitely slick news for a laptop with one button only, and hey, no scroll wheel.

Building on the Sidetrack experience, newer Apple laptops have a touch-sensitive scrolling area built into the right side of the trackpad, standard issue. Most cool. Either way, less is way more cool than 11 buttons, a scroll wheel and flashing lights.

Gestures don't need buttons. They have been a hidden secret since the 1970's. Forget time-wasting clicking on menu items, Gestures give laptop users fingertip control of their computer and PC users can efficiently use their mouse in earnest. Instead of swinging your mouse all over the desk to point and click on Edit Copy, you trace a C shape with the mouse (or with your fingertip on the trackpad.) Voila, you can Copy! Trace a V shape and you can paste.



Hunched over your trackpad, you can gently stroke and gesture your way through the day. But so far, this highly intuitive approach has been limited to the uber nerdy.

iPhone has no buttons at all on the face of the phone and in essence brings gestures to the main stream. Pinch and stroke and scroll is very efficient and also, sounds most sensuous. (Maybe that is where they get the idea of Apple being synonymous with sexy.)

It works a treat, but it will take a long time, though, before skeptics stop moaning about the iPhone's lack of tactile keys to type with. Not wishing to judge, but I bet a dollar to a damn dime, the very same people wouldn't stop moaning if there were tactile keys. Oooh, look, those keys keep getting in the way of the photos and videos.

Conconclusion

Apple have their way of thinking, the rest have theirs.

In the iTelephone world, buttons are on their way out and touch-sensitive screens are on the way in. Shortly the minimalist touchy feely style of gadget will be the norm. Just get with the program

In computers, I reckon users will give the finger to gestures and manufacturers will have to go straight to voice activation as the main interface with your computer. Gird yourselves for the new conversation in buttonless offices world-wide.

Copy...copy...copy, you deaf bastard.