Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:15157 comp.windows.misc:473
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!ncc!lyndon
From: lyndon@ncc.UUCP (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: 2 button mouse
Message-ID: <10191@ncc.UUCP>
Date: 18 Apr 88 18:48:21 GMT
References: <1694@bgsuvax.UUCP> <1469@husc2.UUCP> <2452@tekcrl.TEK.COM> <2432@utah-gr.UUCP> <147@infmx.UUCP> <4565@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: lyndon@ncc.UUCP (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Organization: Nexus Computing Inc.
Lines: 23

In article <4565@cup.portal.com> Eric_Shockwave-Rider_Larson@cup.portal.com writes:
>Actually, the principal of using a small number of keys to
>represent the alphabet (and english language) has been well
>worked out in court stenographer's machines. All you need
>to do is miniaturize one of those, and mount it on a mouse!

It's not quite that simple (unfortunately). Each key on the steno machine
represents an english phonetic. Each "word" is composed using one or more
of these. Therefore, most words require the operator to press three or more
keys simultaneously. You also have the problem of translating the resulting
steno into english. This requires a translation dictionary for each operator.
These dictionaries tend to be quite large (large being anywhere from one to
three megabytes for the average reporter who has been working in the field
for a year or more). Also, the translation process is context sensitive in
many cases, resulting in the need for operator intervention in a number of
cases.

The system is good for "batch" data entry (we have reporters on staff who
can key 250 words/minute) but it will need to be reworked for "interactive"
applications.

-- 
{alberta,telebit,utzoo,uunet}!ncc!lyndon  lyndon@Nexus.CA