an idea for mouse-based editors

[Hall]

In article <95 at houligan.UUCP> dave at murphy.UUCP writes:
>Summary: what about a mouse-based editor with a one-handed keyboard?
>
>As long as we are talking about editors and user interfaces, how about
>this: As several people have pointed out, one of the big problems with
>mouse-based editors is that you have to take your hand off the mouse in
>order to type.  Well, there is a company whose name I don't recall that
>makes a one-handed keyboard.  ...  The thing is
>dome-shaped and has several rows of about 10 keys and is supposed to be
>able to transmit the entire ASCII character set.  ...  Now, if you had
>one of these beasties ...you could type with one hand and keep the other on
>the mouse, full time.  (Only trouble is, it doesn't leave a hand to drink
>your Coke with.  :-))

What you should do with this is to build the mouse into the single-handed
keyboard.  It is a bit larger than most mice, but not unreasonably large.
As mentioned above, it is dome shaped, so just put the trackball (or photo-
transistors, or whatever) on the underside and there you have a single
handed mouse/keyboard.

I'm sure that such a system could be built light enough so that the
mouse wouldn't be too massive, and the way that the keyboard is held
seems reasonably natural for holding a large mouse as well.  The mouse's
button(s) could either be a particular combination of the keys, or else
there could be yet another key to press for this (however, the fewer
keys the better, I think).

I don't normally like mouse-based interfaces, but this would solve the
problem of having to switch between keyboard and mouse.  Another
solution could be to put a trackball on top of the keyboard, just under
the space bar where it is convenient to the thumbs without moving your
fingers off of home row.  I know that this isn't original at all, but
I don't remember ever seeing any mention of the single-handed keyboard
combined with a mouse.

For what it's worth..

Marcus Hall
..!ihnp4!ihlpl!marcus