Re: [9fans] Mousing is faster than typing but users do not believe it

[andrew zerger <rhoyerboat@gmail.com>]

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I agree with the wait-lock theory of clicking keys, it applies to just about
anything involving intention, execution and outcome. "Good it worked!" or
"DOH!WTF?" .. these impressions I think are at the heart of a human,
experimentation=survival thing. That said, I also agree that the ideal
interface depends on the user. That said, I really need to look into
off-plan9 Acme/acme-like stuff through which I can replace my ssh/vi
terminals, "Notepad can run regex and send strings down some pipe, while
saving all the stupidity I have put myself through to get where I am?"
AWESOME

However, one further observation on mousing vs. typing, Explaining to the
most entry level user how to defrag the C drive on a Windows machine:

Mousing:
 Click the start menu.
 Hover on Programs or All Programs depending on your Windows version/theme.
 Hover over Accessories
 Hover over System Tools
 Click on Disk Defragmentor.
 Look for a list of selectable disks in the top-half region of the window.
 Click the disk you want to defrag in order to select it.
 Click the Defragment button in the bottom of the window.

OR..
Typing:
 open a command prompt (because this would be commonpolace)
 type: "defrag c:"
 hit the return key

I think brain-wait-locked is real, but what makes typing "superior," anyway
is that it is our native programming and networking protocol, we don't have
to compress type-oriented instructions into some visual-human-vnc terminal
in order to copy them to another server (that means person.)

The ideal UI utilizes both forms in a unified fasion, here we have a "start
menu" which is a list of executables in a set of directories, and the menu
subitems are the executables that have been executed in that directory with
varying options, sub-item-per-option. And you can copy the menu item to a
run-command-bar, edit it and execute it again, saving it back to the
menu-list as a new sub-item.

I <3 plan9,
rhoyerboat

On Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 10:59 AM, Harri Haataja <realblades@gmail.com>wrote:

> On 17 June 2011 19:54, Bakul Shah <bakul@bitblocks.com> wrote:
> > I am all for more intuitive HCI design but frankly, if the small speed
> > difference either way in mousing vs typing saves you enough time to make
> it
> > worth retraining your brain and fingers, you are spending way too much
> time
> > in front of the puter and have already shortened your life by more than
> you
> > will save by any optimal use of mousing/keyboarding!
>
> Some of us have to spend our working hours in front of a computer and
> once the interface stops sucking your attention and causing pain, you
> can concentrate on the data in front of you instead of wasting your
> time thinking about the computer or operating system quirks.
>
> --
> I appear to be temporarily using gmail's horrible interface. I
> apologise for any failure in my part in trying to make it do the right
> thing with post formatting.
>
>


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