Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!trillium!dphaine
From: dphaine@trillium.waterloo.edu (Philip Haine)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Mouse cord nuisance from lap (was Re: Monitors: What Next?)
Keywords: Who uses these, anyway?
Message-ID: <9560@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 9 Nov 88 22:31:01 GMT
References: <15572@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <16891@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <5164@saturn.ucsc.edu> <3549@phri.UUCP> <3954@encore.UUCP> <10868@reed.UUCP> <31811@bbn.COM>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: dphaine@trillium.waterloo.edu (Philip Haine)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 37

In article <31811@bbn.COM> jr@bbn.com (John Robinson) writes:
>Cordless (non-mechanical) has to be right.  The optical mice are such
>an improvement over those needing friction and cleanliness.

Strongly disagree!  I worked at a place developing software working on
DEC and Sun workstations (among others), and distinctly preferred the
mechanical rodents of the former machine.

The main reason:  
The Vaxen's cursor moves much more smoothly than the Suns, especially
at at high and low speeds.  I seem to remember having very much
difficulty positioning the Sun's cursor exactly where I wanted it on
the screen.  (I don't know for sure if all optical mice suffer this
problem.)

Another reason:
Mouse pads are optional equipment with mechanical mice.  Falling off
the pad won't stop the mouse, and you can use it on your leg when
reclining with the keyboard on your lap!

(Plus, with the uVax mice, it was possible to whiz the mouse across the
desktop, then lift it up at an angle:  the rollers which the ball is
connected to retains some angular momentum, and the cursor travels in a
nice, straight line on the screen!  Well, ok...not useful, but
certainly fun to do when waiting long processes.)

(On the other hand, one good thing you can do with opti-mice is turn a
co-worker's pad sideways, and watching him/her get angry when their
cursor simulates the Drunkard's Walk!)

Phil
---
Philip Haine                  University of Waterloo
905-108 Seagram Dr.        ...!watmath!trillium!dphaine
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
N2L 3B8
(519) 884-2482