Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!convex!eugene!swarren
From: swarren@eugene.uucp (Steve Warren)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: AmTRAC Amiga TRACKBALL
Keywords: TRAKCBALL HARDWARE AMTRAC INPUT DEVICE GRAPICS
Message-ID: <2845@convex.UUCP>
Date: 6 Nov 89 22:45:29 GMT
References: <1980@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US>
Sender: usenet@convex.UUCP
Reply-To: swarren@convex.COM (Steve Warren)
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx.
Lines: 22

In article <1980@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> swan@jolnet.UUCP (Joel Swan) writes:
                  [...]
>AmTRAC has three buttons located directly above the trackball, with left
>and right buttons performing tha same functions as the two buttons found
                  [...]
Why do they keep coming out with trackballs that have the buttons up top?
If the designer is thinking about it he'll put two copies of the buttons
at the lower left & lower right, where your thumb hits if you are right
or left handed, respectively.  If he really wants to make it nice to use
he'll make curved indentations that follow the natural curve of the thumb.

I love my trackball, I use it all the time.  But I hate the button placement.
I also hate the tactile response of the buttons.  These are obvious flaws
and it seems like it would be easy to do it right, so I don't understand
why different manufacturers all make the same dumb mistakes.

I think the middle button to toggle drag-mode on/off is just a work-around
for bad button placement.

--Steve
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