[cctalk] Re: the mouse vs. touch sensitive devices

On Mon, 23 Jan 2023 at 00:00, Ali via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: Agreed. Trackpads are tolerable, but I preferred the era of trackballs. But if my laptop is on my actual lap, I turn off the trackpad and just use the trackpoint. Easier, less arm and hand movement, keeps your hands on the keyboard, and generally less hassle. I find it interesting watching people using trackpads. Most don't know *how* to use them effectively. The core trick is that you should only move your fingertip for large pointer movements, and for small precision movement, keep your fingertip stationary on the trackpad and _roll_. Increase the finger-to-laptop angle for vertical movement (pointer away from you or toward you) and rotate your finger along its axis for small left/right movements. Few seem to know this. If you don't know what you're doing, and do it by trial and error, then trackpads kinda sorta work, not great but acceptably. Which I think is also the point about MS Office 2007 and later. Before, with menus and toolbars, it was efficient once you memorised the layout of the menus and the hotkeys, and you could customise the toolbars as you saw fit. (I used to place them vertically at left and right of the workspace, add a bunch of my own buttons, remove some, and then I worked out it was quicker to memorise the hotkeys and just hide the toolbars completely.) I speedread. Recently someone on lobste.rs expressed incredulity I'd read a 5000 word article in 5 minutes. For me that is not even hurrying. Menus are fast. Most people can't read that fast, and can't memorise a complex menu layout. So for most people, the horrible ribbon introduced in Office 2007 is easier. They can't read fast, they lack comprehension, and so they search, every time, looking at groups of icons and then within them. For youngsters this is preferable. For grumpy old gits like me, it's worse. *MUCH* worse. I find Office 2007 & later unusable. I can't even put the big fat waste of space vertical. So, I keep some old copies of Office around, and I use LibreOffice and other tools. For now, I have the choice. But modern versions of Windows and Linux are removing menu bars, which are an old-people tool, and replacing them with icons and visual controls. For me, idiot lights, for idiots. -- Liam Proven ~ Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven(a)cix.co.uk ~ gMail/gTalk/FB: lproven(a)gmail.com Twitter/LinkedIn: lproven ~ Skype: liamproven UK: (+44) 7939-087884 ~ Czech [+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal]: (+420) 702-829-053