The computer for the rest of us now has a mouse with more than one button, just like everyone else. Except that it's different.

Apple has released a new navigation peripheral that the company calls Mighty Mouse. The computer mouse will have four programmable buttons, and has a Scroll Ball incorporated into the design.

The Scroll Ball allows the user to scroll in all directions, instead of just vertically like a conventional scroll wheel. Mighty Mouse uses optical tracking to translate mouse movement into cursor movement. Apple has made the peripheral available online via the Apple Store and at its retailers for $49.

One interesting feature of Mighty Mouse will be its usability with Windows-based PCs running the 2000 or XP operating systems. Mighty Mouse connects via a USB port, and supports both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0. On the Mac side, OS X is required, with the most current 10.4.2 Tiger version needed in order to customize buttons.

"With Mighty Mouse, we've simply built a better mouse," David Moody, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Mac Product Marketing, said in a statement. "With its innovative Scroll Ball and unique integration of multiple buttons, Mighty Mouse adds functionality while retaining the elegant, easy-to-use Apple design."

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.