
Two-Fisted Computing 236
whiterat writes "3Dconnexion is selling a variety of input devices that provide a left-hand complement to the traditional computer mouse. The devices control the position of on-screen objects in design programs such as Adobe Systems' Photoshop and its 3D modeling application, Maya. That enables designers to work without constantly togging between 'view' and 'create' modes." Smash TV veterans need no extra training.
Uh oh - from the patent infringement dept (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermat e/
Interesting - looks like there my be a patent infringement in the works here. The Griffin PowerMate is a super useful product for video and time code manipulation.
I'm left handed (Score:3, Interesting)
Err... (Score:4, Interesting)
What I wish is that there was a one-handed keyboard so I could type with one hand and mouse with the other.
Traversing back & forth between using the keyboard and the mouse causes noticable slowdown when you use the computer all day.
Maybe that's why I like CLIs so much? *shrug*
Don't get me wrong, I use GUIs all the time, too, but you can't type in data with a mouse... (at least, not with any program I have)
why can't i just use a second mouse? (Score:4, Interesting)
why hasn't someone written a driver which lets you use a second mouse/trackball as a "view" device. for example, in autocad, it'd have the same functionality as the main mouse, but would be dedicated to view commands.
Re:Err... (Score:3, Interesting)
First of all, have you sat with a stopwatch and timed yourself, or does the mouse just feel slower? When TOG created the mac he did that, and discovered many tasks where the CLI felt faster, but by the stopwatch the mouse was. This includes time switching back and forth between the keyboard and mouse! Note that this is a more limited statement than most mac users think, the mouse is not a perfect input device. Nobody normal person writes a novel with only the mouse.
As for data, when you are working with graphics the mouse is often the best tool for entering it.
Re:Pointless (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe this will catch on if and when stuff like 3D desktops and Project Looking Glass [sun.com] become more mature.
Tendonitis learns you good, fast (Score:5, Interesting)
Because I make my living as a computer geek, I was surprised and dismayed to find just how messed up my right wrist was after that boneheaded combination of events. I tentatively switched over to using the mouse left-handed, meaning to do it temporarily, but discovered that within a week I was pretty comfortable, and within two weeks I had fully adjusted.
Five years later I'm still using it left-handed, which seems to mess up both righties and lefties when they try to use my workstation. I used to use xwrits [lcdf.org] to remind me to take regular mouse breaks so I don't (&%# up this wrist too, but I've been bad lately.
I've thought about a two-mouse system, but editing code and writing tech docs really lends itself to a keyboard. If I was an artist maybe a two-mouse system would let me switch brushes and colours midstroke, but I'm no artist. Just a recently minted ambidextrous person. I suppose if I were in Russia, I could say that the mouse manipulated ME...
nothing new... DIALS AND BUTTONS!!@ (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.rrzn.uni-hannover.de/Grafik/sgi/onyx/d
Basiclly two panels... one covered with programmable buttons, the other with programable knobs. These, plus a SpaceBall, and you really didn't need to spent much time using the keyboard. I see that Magellan/Logitech still sells Spaceballs--they're sure neat, especially when using an app that supports two-handed modeling... one hand "holds" and moves the 3D model (usually in wireframe mode) with the 3D spaceball, while the other hand uses the mouse to work on the wireframe itself.
My idea.. (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd like to be able to have two mice, two pointers, on the screen at the same time. Say you're working in Photoshop. It's a pain to have to go to the left-hand side to switch tools. What if you could select tools with the left-hand mouse and paint/select with the right-hand mouse? (This is different from what they are doing in that I would like two seperate, fully functioning mice and cursors.)
It ain't possible in Windows.. is anything like this doable with X under Linux?
I don't know, it could turn out to be a terrible idea in practice (end up something like trying to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time), but I think it would be neat to try..
Re:Can someone with some experience in these progr (Score:5, Interesting)
Won't somebody PLEASE think of the smokers? (Score:2, Interesting)
Where are mass market data gloves? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm amazed it is taking so long to get there.
Nothing new: ShuttlePro (Score:4, Interesting)
This is nothing particularly new. I've been using a Contour Designs ShuttlePro [contouravs.com] for years now with my left hand. It's a Jog/Shuttle controller, which you can of course use for video editing, but it's completely programmable for any other use, so I've configured it for back/forward buttons when in Mozilla, delete/compose/send/reply buttons in my mail client, scroll up/down in most applications (it's far easier on the hand then a wheel mouse), etc...
It's well worth checking out, especially because of their great programmable software which lets you do just about anything from the controller. It takes a little getting used to, but worth it in the amount of time it saves.
Re:Tendonitis learns you good, fast (Score:4, Interesting)
Ya know, you bring up an interesting point, something that I've really notice in myself in the past year of so: I want to be a keyboard commander.
I look for the key board short cuts for EVERYTHING I do on a regular basis. Anything I can do with out taking my hands off the keyboard is a a moment saved, and when you're moving at the speed of thought... well, that's a good thing.
Examples: Using firefox. I used to instinctively reach for the mouse when I wanted to click a link... now I find myself just typeing the text of link in, and Firefox goes to it. Killer.
Co workers: I design and make online applications for my coworkers, and I KILLS me when they go the a form, type something in, and then remove their hands from their keyboard to click the submit button. I'm always going, 'hey, you don't have to do that, JUST HIT ENTER!'.' Ack.
Programming. I've gotten to the point where when I edit, compile, deploy code, I can do it all with out using the mouse. I just avoid it. I went so far as to install a macro program that will execute commands that are not available in a given program. I can bounce around text code with the keyboard faster with the keyboard that I ever could with a mouse.
I even had a conversation with a lady neighbor friend who works with H&R block that does taxes... her comment was that she does a lot of clicking... and I was like, well, don't hey have shortcuts? A couple of days later, she mentioned to me that she started paying attention to that, and now she can do stuff a lot faster becuase she doesn't have to shift to the mouse as much any more.
Re:why can't i just use a second mouse? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Tendonitis learns you good, fast (Score:2, Interesting)
However, I decided to get a universal mouse (a Microsoft Optical Mouse that is uniformly shaped) and make it a real left handed mouse where the primary button is on the right side. It took me 3 days of using the mouse left handed to train my hand and mind to get used to the form.
By two weeks, it was natural to use a left handed mouse, and it was a bit confusing to use a right handed mouse with my left hand.
After several months, I got sick of using my mouse left handed and my pinched nerve healed. I decided to switch back to the right hand for the mouse. It took 3 days to get reaccustomed, and now my left hand feels uncomfortable using a mouse set up for lefties.