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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!hpda!fortune!amd70!rocksvax!dave
From: dave@rocksvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Question on the mouse, comments abou - (nf)
Message-ID: <630@rocksvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Jul-83 18:26:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: rocksvax.630
Posted: Wed Jul  6 18:26:32 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Jul-83 02:00:38 EDT
References: <800@pur-phy.UUCP>
Organization: Xerox, Rochester, N.Y.
Lines: 14

Having used mice now for a number of years on our internal Alto computers
I have to say a mouse is a winner.  I don't know about you but the thought of
holding my arm at head level rather than on a table surface makes my arm ache.

The point about multiple buttons on the mice verses the light pen is a good one,
mice should have at least 3 buttons. This allows you to do all sorts of
"pointing commands": selects/delete/moves/etc.  The trackballs have too
much inertia when going large distances and you end up overshooting.
Light pens need a "light" icon to point at something, unless you allow
some background "grey" to exist on the CRT.  Think about pointing at
the end of a line with a light pen, there are no characters there to get
a signal from.

Dave