Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!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: <2971@convex.UUCP>
Date: 10 Nov 89 15:13:13 GMT
References: <1980@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> <2845@convex.UUCP> <2820@d75.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@convex.UUCP
Reply-To: swarren@convex.COM (Steve Warren)
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx.
Lines: 56

In article <2820@d75.UUCP> robin@reed.UUCP (Robin D. Wilson/1000000) writes:
>>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
>
>In article <2845@convex.UUCP> swarren@convex.COM (Steve Warren) writes:
>>Why do they keep coming out with trackballs that have the buttons up top?
>
>
>I personally would rather have the bottons on top.  I am much better able to 
>move a trackball with my thumb and palm, than I am with my fingers (my fingers
>tire easily :-) ).

OK, admittedly this is a matter of personal taste.  I just happen to think
my taste is better ;^).  Anyone for a trackball-button-placement-religious-
war?  Naw, I guess if you want your buttons up top you have a right to have
them there.  But really, I've experimented (rotating the case) with
using my thumb on the buttons, and it really does feel natural.  And I've
always preferred using the flats of my fingers to manipulate the ball.  I
guess it comes from all those games of Marble Madness I played in arcades
before the days of the Amiga.

>                    Also, I completely disagree with the assertion that the
>shift-lock mouse button is a workaround for a bad design.  EVEN IF the buttons
>are on the bottom, the shift-mouse is a good idea, because it is naturally 
>more difficult to hold down a button while moving the ball.

OK, leave it in there, just design it so I don't need to use it ;^).

>For the best design, one would have a user configurable trackball, maybe with
>a 360 degree rotatable socket for the ball; so you could rotate the socket 180
>degrees if you wanted to switch the position of the bottons to the bottom or
>top (depending on the default), or 90 degrees if you want them on the side, 
>or 45 degress... never mind.   (Okay, I was getting excited already!)

Those are good ideas, but how about this:

Put a menu button on each of the four corners of the case, so you can reach
them top or bottom, and left or right handed.  Put a "toggle select" button
in the middle of the top and the middle of the bottom.  Then, let the
track ball rest in a spring-supported cradle suspension, so that to click
on an item all you need to do is press down firmly on the ball.  Let the
spring tension be user-adjustable, so people can tailor its response to
their own preferences.  Finally, put a switch in that has the effect of
locking the spring in a fixed position, and simultaneously switching one
of the middle switches (top or bottom - user decides ;^) into a click
button (thus allowing the user to disable the "ball-click" feature - it
might get irritating in arcade games where you are trying to manipulate
the trackball at high speeds).

I think this would be the ideal track ball, and I would gladly pay $100
for a device that allows me to use it in the most natural way possible.

--Steve
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