rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) (08/21/90)
chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Chip Rosenthal) writes: > ...I'm tired of bozo programs which expect > you to have a right hand on a mouse and a left hand on the keyboard... And now is about right for a brief-but-intense flame against Logitech's "Trackman". Somebody finally figured out how to make a pointing device that really works. It doesn't need a clean desk to be able to wander around; it just sits there. Unlike other trackball devices, they figured out that there are uses where you have to be able to hold one or more but- tons down while you move the pointer, which is at least clumsy with most other devices and a two-handed or impossible operation with others. It's a great idea, but... THE DAMNED THING IS F* RIGHT-HANDED--ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, AND UNALTER- ABLY!! There is NO useful way to set it up for a left-handed person. I can't imagine how anyone smart enough to design a device which is so natural for the right hand could blow it so completely for left-handers! It would have taken at most a modest design effort to do a "refrigerator door" trick--e.g., make some parts movable so you could unscrew them, swap, and put them back to move the buttons to the other side--but no. You'd think a company whose products rely so much on "ergonomics" wouldn't have screwed up like this. Anyone have any inside info on how they blew this so badly? Doesn't Logitech have anyone left-handed in the company? Now, it's not a fraud like the Fiskars "left-handed scissors" which are really just left-handed handles on right-handed scissors (a lose-lose combination), but it's enough of a botch that I'd like to know how it happened. -- Dick Dunn rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd Boulder, CO (303)449-2870 ...Are you making this up as you go along?
steve@wattres.UUCP (Steve Watt) (08/27/90)
In article <1990Aug21.001217.28123@ico.isc.com> rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: >chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Chip Rosenthal) writes: >> ...I'm tired of bozo programs which expect >> you to have a right hand on a mouse and a left hand on the keyboard... > >And now is about right for a brief-but-intense flame against Logitech's >"Trackman". Somebody finally figured out how to make a pointing device >that really works. It doesn't need a clean desk to be able to wander >around; it just sits there. Unlike other trackball devices, they figured >out that there are uses where you have to be able to hold one or more but- >tons down while you move the pointer, which is at least clumsy with most >other devices and a two-handed or impossible operation with others. It's >a great idea, but... > [ justified flame removed ] The other problem I have with the TrackMan is that I don't use my THUMB on any trackball! My index fingers (either hand) are much more agile than my thumb, and don't tire nearly as quickly! On the other hand... (pun somewhat intended) The new FasTrac (I think) by MicroSpeed is *very* well laid out for doing drags, using index fingers, and using either hand! The layout looks something like this: llllll dddddddd rrrrrr d,^ = drag/lock button lllll d^^^^^^d rrrrr l = left button llll bbbbbb rrrr r = right button lll bbbbbbbbbb rrr b = trackball lll bbbbbbbbbb rrr llll bbbbbb rrrr If you press the drag/lock button, then lllllll rrrrrrr one of the left or right buttons, that lllllllllllrrrrrrrrrrr button is effectively held down until any button is clicked. After that, pushing the drag/lock button is the same as holding down whichever button you last activated it with. It works *very* well! (They also have an Amiga version, which I am using!) No, I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer. -- Steve Watt ...!claris!wattres!steve wattres!steve@claris.com also works Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education.
ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) (08/28/90)
In <596@wattres.UUCP> steve@wattres.UUCP (Steve Watt) writes: > The new FasTrac (I think) by MicroSpeed is *very* well laid out for doing >drags, using index fingers, and using either hand! The layout looks something >like this: > llllll dddddddd rrrrrr d,^ = drag/lock button > lllll d^^^^^^d rrrrr l = left button > llll bbbbbb rrrr r = right button > lll bbbbbbbbbb rrr b = trackball > lll bbbbbbbbbb rrr > llll bbbbbb rrrr If you press the drag/lock button, then > lllllll rrrrrrr one of the left or right buttons, that > lllllllllllrrrrrrrrrrr button is effectively held down until > any button is clicked. After that, >pushing the drag/lock button is the same as holding down whichever button you >last activated it with. The problem with *that* approach is that you only get two buttons. But I suppose that's enought for most people. Microspeed also makes the FastTRAP (the model Steve describes is called the PC-Trac) which has three buttons, and also a "z-axis" wheel, handy for CAD stuff. But FastTRAP has a old-fashioned boxlike case, unlike the PC-Trac's curved fit-in-you-palm design. >It works *very* well! (They also have an Amiga version, which I am using!) >No, I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer. >-- >Steve Watt >...!claris!wattres!steve wattres!steve@claris.com also works >Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education. -- ergo@netcom.uucp Isaac Rabinovitch atina!pyramid!apple!netcom!ergo Silicon Valley, CA uunet!mimsy!ames!claris!netcom!ergo Disclaimer: I am what I am, and that's all what I am!
steve@wattres.UUCP (Steve Watt) (08/28/90)
In article <12690@netcom.UUCP> ergo@netcom.uucp writes: >In <596@wattres.UUCP> I scribbled: > >> The new FasTrac (I think) by MicroSpeed is *very* well laid out for doing (I lied, it's a PC-Trac) >>drags, using index fingers, and using either hand! The layout looks something >>like this: [picture deleted] >The problem with *that* approach is that you only get two buttons. >But I suppose that's enought for most people. Microspeed also makes [...the FastTRAP... [slurp!]] >But FastTRAP has a old-fashioned boxlike case, unlike the PC-Trac's >curved fit-in-you-palm design. Actually, I think that if you run the MicroSpeed supplied drivers for the PC- Trac, you get all three buttons... Since I only really use the Amiga one, I only need two... Also, I did not find the FastTRAP very easy to do drags with (almost impossible!)... But I do like the Z-axis wheel. That's one of the better ideas... -- Steve Watt ...!claris!wattres!steve wattres!steve@claris.com also works Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education.