From: Dick Davies <rasputnik@...>
Date: 2005-04-02T17:09:14+09:00
Subject: Re: Respect and Disappointment

* Stephen Kellett <snail@objmedia.demon.co.uk> [0418 23:18]:
anyway.

> >There isn't much need for
> >the right mouse button in word procesing and other office
> >applications.
> 
> Funny, I find myself using the context menu in just about every app I 
> use.

Yeah, but that's because windows is built for it and you're used to using
it - there's a menu key on the keyboard that does right click for you, which
I found really useful back when I was doing phone tech support with home
users, if only for avoiding the:

'no, right click.
yes, click with the right button.
now double click.
no, double left click'

that was a daily chore without it.
 
> In 15 years of using GUIs on 7 Unix platforms, Linux, VMS and 7 versions 
> of Windows spanning the development of embedded systems, geographical 
> information systems, CAD systems, multimedia authoring platforms, web 
> browser development and software tool development I have yet to see a 
> use for a 3rd button on a mouse,

I find that a bit surprising - what about cut n paste for starters?

Personally I can't understand how you use a UNIX GUI (or a browser for that matter)
with only 2 buttons. X has used 3 since God was a boy, and
most X window managers have features that are easily accessed with the third
button - gimp and enlightenment in particular are no fun without at least
'emulate three buttons' option in your X setup, and firefox has a lot of
functionality tucked away there too.

The Mac on the other hand has always had the one button, so all Mac apps have 
support for doing things with one button. It's easier for developers in a lot
of ways.

-- 
'If we can hit that bull's-eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a
house of cards... Checkmate!'
		-- Zapp. Brannigan
Rasputin :: Jack of All Trades - Master of Nuns