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From: juul@diku.dk (Anders Juul Munch)
Newsgroups: comp.human-factors
Subject: Re: Track ball on a keyboard?
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.141616.5859@odin.diku.dk>
Date: 13 Jun 91 14:16:16 GMT
References: <91163.083144CJS@psuvm.psu.edu>
Sender: juul@skinfaxe.diku.dk
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen
Lines: 23

CJS@psuvm.psu.edu writes:

CJS>I understand that users of track balls find them superior to mice.
CJS>They are now readily available as mice replacements.

CJS>But I would like to see keyboards with track balls built-in.  I'll bet
CJS>there are some now or rsn.  Comments?

CJS>It seems to me that it would be nice to reach the ball without moving
CJS>your fingers from the home row of the keyboard (unlike most cursor keys
CJS>and function keys).  I wonder how a location right below the space bar,
CJS>reachable by either thumb, would work.  Comments?

How about *replacing* half the space bar with a trackball.
The space bar would then be available to one thumb only, but that's all
you need, isn't it? If you usually operate the space bar on the side which
gets replaced by a trackball, it would take some getting used to, of course.
But that shouldn't be too difficult. Or perhaps accidentally moving the
trackball would be a problem, as it would be difficult to get the thumb
operating the trackball out of the way?
	How about it?

-- Anders Munch