[RTTY] Keyboard vs Mouse

[Kok Chen]

On Feb 27, 2011, at 2/27    5:09 AM, David Levine wrote:

> So I'm interested in why Bill (and thanks also for the contact  
> yesterday) feels it is less error prone and quicker to use the  
> keyboard as well as what the rest of the list thinks.


Why restrict yourself to either the mouse or the keyboard?

Personally, I think multi-touch screens can be easier and faster than  
a mouse, and more intuitive than a keyboard when you don't need to  
enter alphanumeric data.

The latter requirement makes a touch screen moderately useless with  
SSB nor CW where you have to type most of the time, but a touch screen  
can be faster than a mouse when you want to select something.  With  
multi-touch gestures, you can reduce the need to move the hands to  
specific positions.  E.g., to engage or cancel AFC, just use a gesture  
anywhere on the screen rather than the need to point somewhere to  
touch or click it.

A "remote" screen (such an iPad through WiFi) which you can move  
around makes it less likely to afflict carpal tunnel syndrome, too.   
(I have an existing Carpal Tunnel problem and I had in the last year  
or two been using Ergomotion's mouse because standard mice forced my  
right hand into a fixed angle -- the mouse appears to work for me, but  
even better would be no mouse at all :-).

IMHO, anything that is more "intuitive" to man is going to be better.   
I.e., instead of training ourselves to match the computer hardware and  
software needs, make the computer hardware and software match what man  
has been doing for a million years.

73
Chen, W7AY