APPLEVISION Monitor

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Tue May 7 04:02:09 2002

If you like to hide the task bar, I can see how having it pop up at various
times might be annoying.

Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean 'Captain Napalm' Conner" <spc_at_conman.org>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 12:35 AM
Subject: Re: APPLEVISION Monitor


> It was thus said that the Great Richard Erlacher once stated:
> >
> > I'm not sure how this ties into greater efficiency or effectiveness...
>
> Less frustration on the user, and more consistency.
>
> > more below, of course.
>
> Of course ...
>
> > > First off, a Mac mouse has one button. That is a conscience design
choice
> > > made by Apple. No confusing the user with this ``left button/right
button''
> > > choice---there's just ``the button'' on the mouse. Simply saying ``use
the
> > > left mouse button'' may cause confusion because not everyone is right
> > > handed. On a right-handed mouse (or a mouse to the right side of the
user)
> > > the left-button is used as the primary button, which is also under the
index
> > > finger of the user. The right-button will be under the middle finger
(or
> > > ring finger for three-button mice).
> > >
> > I don't know whether you've noticed this, but, irrespective of which hand
you
> > favor, the left mouse button is on the left, and so on.
>
> Yes, but had you kept on reading:
>
> > > But move a multi-button mouse to the left side for a left handed user
[1]
> > > and now the left-button is under the middle finger (or ring finger if a
> > > three button mouse) and the right-button is now under the index finger.
The
> > > index finger is usually the choice for a primary button so now you may
have
> > > inconvienced the user (to use a less dexterous digit to manipulate the
> > > primary button on the mouse) or the documentation may now be incorrect
for
> > > that user (the mouse buttons have been swapped so that the primary mouse
> > > button is the right one, but the documentation still says
``left-button'').
>
> I don't know about you, but using the index finger to hit the button is
> ... oh ... I don't know ... *easier*? More inuitive? than using the middle
> or even index finger.
>
> Tell you what, swap the buttons in software but keep using the mouse on
> the side you normally keep it on. Then come back and tell me how much
> easier the mouse is to use.
>
> > Nearly everything you ca do with a mouse can be expedited with keystrokes
on
> > the PC. That's not the case with a Mac, is it?
>
> Possibly; I don't use a Mac enough to learn the equivilent keys, and even
> Microsoft has stop labeling their keyboard shortcuts so while I know that
> Alt-F4 closes the current window (and Ctrl-F4 will close a
> window-within-a-window, so much for consistency) I don't know the keyboard
> shortcut for minimizing or maximizing a window so even if Microsoft does
> allow keyboard shortcuts for those operations, they don't help me.
>
> And I doubt you can move the mouse cursor with the keyboard (which is
> something the Amiga could do, as well as activate the mouse buttons via the
> keyboard).
>
> > > [2] Microsoft blew it with their Start button, as it *isn't* in the
> > > lower left hand corner. It's *very* close, but you still have to
> > > navigate the mouse properly or it won't activate when you hit the
> > > ... left button (or is that the command button?).
> > >
> > I find it a big enough button that I've not missed it enough to bother me.
>
> That's good. Me, I miss it abourt a quarter of the time (and while I like
> the start bar to be hidden from view, it tends to pop up way too quickly for
> my tastes, especially if I'm trying to do something near the bottom of the
> screen. Granted, I can move the start bar to another edge, I'm used to it
> being on the bottom, and I just wish it would pause maybe half a second
> before popping up).
>
>
Received on Tue May 07 2002 - 04:02:09 BST