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From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Multi-button mice (Re: Xerox sues Apple!)
Message-ID: <1942@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 21 Dec 89 14:14:32 GMT
References: <WAYNE.89Dec19075816@dsndata.uucp> <172@comcon.UUCP> <7326@ficc.uu.net> <9320@hoptoad.uucp> <1989Dec20.231509.10823@ICS.COM>
Followup-To: comp.misc
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corp R&D Center, Schenectady NY
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Reply-exos:@crdgw1:To: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.com (bill davidsen)

In article <1989Dec20.231509.10823@ICS.COM> david@ics.ics.COM (David B. Lewis) writes:

| RE: the displayijng of mouse-functions on the screen as they change.
| AT&T uses this device in the DMD terminals, and it works well. 

  Yes, it's done by others on function keys, as well. HP labels the
function keys with two lines of text just above them. Evans & Sutherland
have a small LED (sic) 12x2 display over the function keys on some of
their stuff.

  I have seen experimental keyboards which had a display right in the
keytop. The intent was to allow (a) QWERTY and Dvorak layouts without
cap changing, and (b) to let people turn the whole kb into function keys
with labels, if that was appropriate. I believe the process was very
expensive at the time, but what isn't, when it's new?

  Human interface question: using the above technology, would it be
useful to have labels right on the keys themselves? I have the feeling
that most people have their eyes on the keyboard, some have their eyes
on the screen, but NOBODY is looking at the mouse, and you would have to
lift or shift your fingers to see the labels, anyway. Perhaps the people
who can't remember what key to press would not mind shifting their eyes?
-- 
bill davidsen	(davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen)
"The world is filled with fools. They blindly follow their so-called
'reason' in the face of the church and common sense. Any fool can see
that the world is flat!" - anon