Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!kebc.icl.stc.co.UK!REEDER
From: REEDER@kebc.icl.stc.co.UK ("Mark W. Reeder")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.xerox
Subject: Re:  Xerox mouse pads
Message-ID: <961.8902171612@ss1.kebc.icl.stc.co.uk>
Date: 17 Feb 89 16:12:50 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: info-1100@cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 33

[<sjc@org.iti.vax3>
 I hope youknow that you can xerox those mouse pads!  I never used the originals
supplied by Xerox for my mouse; I would always copy them and use the copies. ]

Before I downgraded to a Sun-mouse & U**X, and used X1186...

a) I made 6 * photo-copies of the original pad. 
b) Locked up the original pad.
c) Inserted 1 copy under the handy plastic sheet that Xerox
   supplied on the front cover of each InterLisp manual.

To me, this provided i) a slow-fade pad
                    ii) an ergonomically-preferable wrist angle
                        provided by the manual.
                   iii) Nothing glued to my (real) desktop

Why so many hybrid pad/manuals ?...
There's a clever feedback system through the mouse. This ensures
that the code being written/debugged requires reference to the manual
under the mouse (whenever possible whilst a button has to be held).
(ENVOS to exploit this?)

Problems:
Swapping OUT a manual/pad on needing to reference an ON_LINE page !
NIH - visitors take the pads out and mutilate them or lose them
      when borrowing the workstation.
Having to look over your shoulder for persons in white coats.

I only pass this on because one person told me it was an excellent
idea (and he's still on the outside).

(& testing my route via trans-"pond" mail gateways)
Mark