Enter Apple's Magic Mouse, which looks set to shift the way we interact with a computer by adding full-touch functionality to the lowly mouse. In place of a scroll wheel and multiple buttons, the Magic Mouse features a touch-sensitive casing that enables the same multitouch gestures found on the iPhone and Mac notebooks. Instead of clicking buttons, one only needs to touch either the top left or right corner of the mouse to click a file, and scrolling through pages is achieved simply by running a finger over the casing. Sadly, there are no pinch controls for zooming in on images.

The Magic Mouse is connected through a Bluetooth link-up and will require a software update to enable it. Though it falls short of being a revolution in computer interfaces, it signals Apple's intention to add full-touch interfaces to its machines. Beyond that, it is easily the most attractive mouse on the market with a stark, minimalist design.

My only gripe is the size. Too small and flat to fit into the palm of the hand, one ends up holding it with the fingers, which makes for awkward ergonomics.

The Damage

It is available from Apple retailers for about R890 or as standard hardware with new Apple iMacs.