buck%NRL-CSS@sri-unix.UUCP (01/15/84)
From: Joe Buck <buck@NRL-CSS> A previous message suggested use of a track ball a la Centipede. The thing that bothered me most about that game is that the track ball was on the far right and that the left hand had to be used to fire; I could never master the game because I'm left-handed. Designers of everyday products, and of computer work stations, often seem to think that all users are right-handed. When it's suggested that the track ball be placed "just under the space bar or just off to one side", we all know which side it will be, don't we? Pointing devices, of any sort, should be designed not to frustrate the left-handed user. I don't need a repeat of my college experience: I went through school cross-legged with my elbow resting on my knee so I could write on one of those desks. -Joe
wdc@mit-eddie.UUCP (William Cattey) (01/17/84)
You pose a difficult question. Things like scissors are obviously left or right hand specific. Typewriter keyboards put all the most common characters in the hardest to type places, but people seem to be able to struggle and learn the keyboard after a while. I found it interesting that Dvorjak (please excuse spelling here) keyboards were only percentages better rather than orders of magnitude better than qwerty keyboards. I am left handed and I was thinking of putting a track ball into a keyboard I am building for myself. I was going to put it on my right precisely BECAUSE I am left handed. In that way, I could keep "my smart hand" on the keyboard while I move my cursor around. I would rather type with one hand with my left hand, are you *sure* that you object to it going on the right? Bill Cattey wdc%oz@mit-mc or wdc%eddie@mit-mc (arpa) ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!wdc
MCGREW@RUTGERS.ARPA (01/19/84)
From: Charles <MCGREW@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Hi Dave,
This message got sent to me, and REM sent me a later message
asking to forward it to you. Here it is:
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Return-Path: <REM@MIT-MC>
Received: from MIT-MC by RUTGERS.ARPA with TCP; 17 Jan 84 23:20:34 EST
Date: 17 January 1984 23:21 EST
From: Robert Elton Maas <REM @ MIT-MC>
Subject: Track balls and other devices for a right-handed world
To: buck @ NRL-CSS
cc: HUMAN-NETS @ MIT-MC
Even for righthanded users, it's nice to have a lefthanded trackball,
for when you want to alternate between trackball motion and pressing
keys near the right edge of the keyboard without shifting/twisting
your whole body to the right (uncomfortably) to put the left hand on
the righthand keys and right hand on the trackball (or worse, crossing
arms). Thus there should be a trackball at each end of the keyboard.
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