Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Griffin PowerMate
The
PowerMate
is a large, shiny knob with a glowing blue base and a USB cable. It's
about as simple as an input device can get. And yet, with the included software, you
can program it to do an astonishing array of tasks. Twisting the knob left or right, or
pressing down on it (either a short press or a long press)—with or without modifier
keys—can trigger keystrokes, change your Mac's volume, launch AppleScripts, open
apps, and perform tons of other actions.
And, those actions can vary according to the frontmost app. So you might use the
PowerMate as a volume control (when twisting) or a mute toggle (with the button)
while in iTunes, but use it to go to previous/next pages in your Web browser and
scrub left or right in GarageBand. Not only that, but you can configure the blue light in
the base to alert you to various conditions on your Mac—on/off, brightness level, and
pulse speed can all mean something different.
Learn about Other Special Input Devices
I've mentioned multi-button mice and trackballs, programmable trackpads, extra keyboard
keys, gamepads and joysticks, and the Griffin
PowerMate
as examples of user-configurable
input devices. In addition, just about any other USB or Bluetooth input device can be
connected to your Mac, and if it doesn't happen to come with its own software, you can likely
use
USB Overdrive
to program its actions.
A few examples of the many special-purpose devices that you might consider are:
• The
Ergodex DX1
lets you arrange 25 individual keys in any pattern you like on
a tablet-like surface to create a customized keyboard or special-use controller.
• The
iGrip Ergonomic Keyboard
looks more like a game controller than a
keyboard, and indeed it can serve in either capacity (and as a pointing device).
• The
Leap Motion
controller is an infrared sensor that detects the positions of
your hands and fingers in the air and lets you perform nearly any action with a
gesture. Guess which gesture I've assigned to Force Quit.
•
Pageflip
pedals let you turn the page of sheet music (forward or backward)
when viewing it on a screen rather than on paper.
•
RollerMouse
products use a horizontal bar, positioned in front of your
keyboard, that both rolls around its axis and slides back and forth to move your
pointer. They also feature buttons for left-, right-, and double-click, plus Copy
and Paste.
