Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!sgi!dragon!mikey
From: mikey@sgi.com (Mike Yang)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re:  Not impressed with MacX
Message-ID: <1990Dec1.200407.17688@relay.wpd.sgi.com>
Date: 1 Dec 90 20:04:07 GMT
References: <9011290206.AA00343@lightning.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Sender: news@relay.wpd.sgi.com ( CNews Account )
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 37

In article <9011290206.AA00343@lightning.McRCIM.McGill.EDU> mouse@LIGHTNING.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU writes:
>I wouldn't simulate them.  I would have the X server provide a pointer
>device with only one button.  That's what you have, after all.
>
>Kludges to support broken clients that blindly assume the presence of
>(at least) three buttons on the pointer device only ensure that said
>broken clients don't get fixed.

I'm sorry, but this is just getting silly.  While I understand your
attempt to accomodate the "lowest common denominator" the sad fact is
that almost all X configurations have three-button mice.
Unfortunately, most Macintoshes do not.

Where do you draw the line?  Motif tries to handle the case on
configurations with no mice at all.  Do you propose that all non-Motif
applications which assume that there is a mouse "fix" themselves so
that they no longer do?

Some applications can get by quite easily with using only the left
mouse button.  However, for those that can't, hindering those users
with a "standard" configuration is unacceptable.  Special handling of
the rare case in the application itself is also wrong, since the extra
work needs to be duplicated among all applications, and will most
likely be done in an inconsistent manner.

It is unfortunate that the Mac has a one-button mouse as a standard,
just as HP systems have a two-button mouse.  However, their X
server designers made the right decision in providing a "standard"
method of simulating the extra buttons.  The users may not like it,
but the solution was the best.

Thankfully, I work for a company where the LCD system has 8-plane
color and a three-button mouse.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Mike Yang        Silicon Graphics, Inc.
               mikey@sgi.com           415/335-1786