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Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Not an illusion!)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Multi-button mice (Re: Xerox sues Apple!)
Message-ID: <461@uwslh.UUCP>
Date: 19 Dec 89 15:23:38 GMT
References: <172@comcon.UUCP> <7326@ficc.uu.net> <9320@hoptoad.uucp> <1989Dec18.081450.28019@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu>
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab
Lines: 39

flee@shire.cs.psu.edu (Felix Lee) writes:

>The problem with multi-button mice is confusion of buttons.

No kidding!  Three buttons, all being used inconsistently (i.e. using
a DECWindows window manager with Xterm) is a lot of trouble/learning.

>The problem may be just lack of consistency; every application seems
>to want to use the mouse buttons in a different way.  If, say, the
>right button always moved windows around, there may be less confusion.

The Commodore Amiga does this.  The right button is always used to get
the menu (or at least always should be; some ported games go around
this).  The left button is used to select an activate objects.  It is
*much* less confusing because the right button pretty much is used for
menus alone.  I still lean towards a one-button mouse, though.

>One thing that might be interesting is a mouse with a thumb button.
>This naturally maps to grabbing and moving things around.  Much like
>the index finger maps naturally to pointing.

Yes, this would be a big improvement (although two left-handers should
be able to get a left-handed mouse).  However, I think your point
about consistent use of the buttons still holds here.

My preference is a one button mouse.  One simply cannot get confused
with which button to press!  And I have never had any problems with
single/double-clicking confusion.

>Felix Lee	flee@shire.cs.psu.edu	*!psuvax1!flee

-- 
Christopher Lishka                 ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene                   lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
Data Processing Section  (608)262-4485                       lishka@uwslh.uucp
                 
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