[WEB4LIB] RE: of mouse balls and such

[Jerry Kuntz]

----- Original Message -----
From: Roy Tennant <rtennant at library.berkeley.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 3:21 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: of mouse balls and such


> And to further drive home Tara's point, do you realize how unintuitive and
> downright odd it is to move an object on one plane that manipulates
> another object distant from it on a plane perpendicular to the first?
> *That's* the experience of using a mouse, and to expect anyone to
> get it immediately is asking a bit much, in my opinion.

RCLS, along with lots of other library systems, has invested in "portable
training labs" using notebook pcs and a small hub. We quickly learned that
beginning users--who at least know how a mouse works--were completely thrown
off by touchpads [which now are the standard interface on notebooks.] So, a
word of warning to anyone considering training using notebook pcs--make sure
the notebooks have an extra jack for an external mouse, and pony up the
money for a good quality mouse to plug in. As non-intuitive as the mouse is,
touchpads are worse.

Jerry Kuntz
Ramapo Catskill Library System
jkuntz at rcls.org