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Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight?

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  Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-02-27 15:30 +0000
    Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Koen Lefever <koen.lefever@gmail.com> - 2014-02-27 08:15 -0800
      Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-02-27 20:16 +0000
        Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Koen Lefever <koen.lefever@gmail.com> - 2014-02-28 07:17 -0800
      Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2014-02-27 14:18 -0600
        Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-02-27 20:52 +0000
    Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-02-28 11:23 +0000
      Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2014-02-28 11:11 -0500
        Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2014-02-28 16:29 +0000
        Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-03-01 00:48 +0000
          Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2014-03-01 15:18 +0100
            Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-03-02 15:30 +0000
        Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Shadow <Sh@dow.br> - 2014-03-02 12:54 -0300
      Re: Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight? Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2014-03-04 13:35 +0000

#1039 — Ever wondered why your mouse pointer is angled, not straight?

 http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer
-is-angled-not-straight/
-- 

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#1043

On Thursday, February 27, 2014 4:30:14 PM UTC+1, RS Wood wrote:
> http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer
> 
> -is-angled-not-straight/
> 
> --

I appreciate the postings, but could we please have some text in stead
of just a link?

"    When the graphical user interface was later developed by Xerox, however, the team found that the vertical pointer was almost impossible to see due to the low resolution displays in use at the time.

    Rather than make the pointer larger, the decision was made to turn it 45 degrees, making it easy to see. Despite the high resolution displays we have today, the concept has managed to stick for 33 years."

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#1051

On 2014-02-27, Koen Lefever <koen.lefever@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, February 27, 2014 4:30:14 PM UTC+1, RS Wood wrote:
>> http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/
>> 
>> --
>
> I appreciate the postings, but could we please have some text in stead
> of just a link?


Sorry.  This was posted from an Android phone by taking an article from
my RSS reader and using the "share" mechanism to send it through my
Usenet client (NNTP Reader, a very nice app).  Unfortunately it only
allows me to share either the link or the article text, but not both.
And since I'm usually doing it while at a meeting or something, I can't
do any better when sharing via that mechanism.  Sorry, not perfect.

When I'm shelled into my BSD box with newsbeuter and my little bash
script, you get better articles.  Meanwhile, thanks for following up
with a little text for the others.

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#1098

On Thursday, February 27, 2014 9:16:03 PM UTC+1, RS Wood wrote:
> On 2014-02-27, Koen Lefever <koen...@gm...com> wrote:
> 
> > On Thursday, February 27, 2014 4:30:14 PM UTC+1, RS Wood wrote:
> 
> >> http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/
> 
> >> 
> 
> >> --
> 
> >
> 
> > I appreciate the postings, but could we please have some text in stead
> 
> > of just a link?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry.  This was posted from an Android phone by taking an article from
> 
> my RSS reader and using the "share" mechanism to send it through my
> 
> Usenet client (NNTP Reader, a very nice app).  Unfortunately it only
> 
> allows me to share either the link or the article text, but not both.
> 
> And since I'm usually doing it while at a meeting or something, I can't
> 
> do any better when sharing via that mechanism.  Sorry, not perfect.
> 
> 
> 
> When I'm shelled into my BSD box with newsbeuter and my little bash
> 
> script, you get better articles.  Meanwhile, thanks for following up
> 
> with a little text for the others.

No apologies needed, I just tried to give some constructive feedback. 
Keep up the good work.

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#1052

On 2/27/2014 10:15 AM, Koen Lefever wrote:
> On Thursday, February 27, 2014 4:30:14 PM UTC+1, RS Wood wrote:
>> http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer
>>
>>
>> 
-is-angled-not-straight/
>> 
>> --
> 
> I appreciate the postings, but could we please have some text in
> stead of just a link?

Seconded.

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#1055

On 2014-02-27 20:18:24 +0000, Dave Garland said:
> 
> Seconded.


Go for it!  I can't wait to see what kind of stuff you guys post.  I'm 
certainly not interested in or able to be the official newsposter for 
the group.  This place will be the strongest if everyone contributes.  
Can't wait to see what kind of articles you share!

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#1089

In message <lenlm9$dao$1@solani.org> 
  RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>  http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/

Nope, I've never wondered that. Seems bloody obvious.


-- 
"Getting married for sex is like buying a 747 for the free peanuts." -
Jeff Foxworthy

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#1105

On Fri, 28 Feb 2014 11:23:24 +0000 (UTC), Lewis
<g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

>In message <lenlm9$dao$1@solani.org> 
>  RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>>  http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/


"When the graphical user interface was later developed by Xerox,
however, the team found that the vertical pointer was almost
impossible to see due to the low resolution displays in use at the
time.

"Rather than make the pointer larger, the decision was made to turn it
45 degrees, making it easy to see. Despite the high resolution
displays we have today, the concept has managed to stick for 33
years."


>Nope, I've never wondered that. Seems bloody obvious.

I never really thought about it myself, but when the question was
asked, my first thoughts were "for visibility". Even with today's
high-res screens, I think an angled cursor is more distinctive. It
offers more of a cross section when you move it across the screen,
aiding visibility and, with the cursor angled, it doesn't entirely
block what you are pointing at. I didn't consider that older screens
would only make the problem more extreme but it's obvious in
hindsight. 

I think my the mouse on my old Apple ][c had a straight arrow; that's
probably why I never used it much.*

Still, it's one of those things that only seem apparent after you
actually use the system. I'm sure during development, a straight arrow
/seemed/ a good idea, until somebody sat down in front of the screen.
And the solution probably wasn't as self-evident as it now seems (the
simplest ideas rarely are). Thank god the developers listened to the
users, though; computing would be far more frustrating otherwise.




* well, that and there was almost no software that utilized it. And
because it had horrible tracking. And it used the single serial port.
And it was horribly uncomfortable to hold. But I'm sure the straight
arrow thing was to blame as well.

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#1106

On 2014-02-28, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Still, it's one of those things that only seem apparent after you
> actually use the system. I'm sure during development, a straight arrow
> /seemed/ a good idea, until somebody sat down in front of the screen.
> And the solution probably wasn't as self-evident as it now seems (the
> simplest ideas rarely are). Thank god the developers listened to the
> users, though; computing would be far more frustrating otherwise.

I imagine in the early days at PARC, the developers *were* the users!


-- 
Today is Prickle-Prickle, the 59th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3180
"Mistake Not My Current State Of Joshing Gentle Peevishness For The
Awesome And Terrible Majesty Of The Towering Seas Of Ire That Are
Themselves The Milquetoast Shallows Fringing My Vast Oceans Of Wrath"

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#1117

In message <4kc1h9tj9eavjl4p3gnqakparbln03nd2b@4ax.com> 
  Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Feb 2014 11:23:24 +0000 (UTC), Lewis
> <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

>>In message <lenlm9$dao$1@solani.org> 
>>  RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>>>  http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/


> "When the graphical user interface was later developed by Xerox,
> however, the team found that the vertical pointer was almost
> impossible to see due to the low resolution displays in use at the
> time.

> "Rather than make the pointer larger, the decision was made to turn it
> 45 degrees, making it easy to see. Despite the high resolution
> displays we have today, the concept has managed to stick for 33
> years."


>>Nope, I've never wondered that. Seems bloody obvious.

> I never really thought about it myself, but when the question was
> asked, my first thoughts were "for visibility". Even with today's
> high-res screens, I think an angled cursor is more distinctive. It
> offers more of a cross section when you move it across the screen,
> aiding visibility and, with the cursor angled, it doesn't entirely
> block what you are pointing at. I didn't consider that older screens
> would only make the problem more extreme but it's obvious in
> hindsight. 

Of course. How often have you been hunting on the screen for the cursor
when in a document and you have the stupid "I-beam" instead of the
arrow?

-- 
I would rather be a mute poet, a blind artist or a deaf musician than a
heartless man. -Graffiti, bathroom wall @ The Napoleon House New Orleans
1967 (via @johnlarroquette)

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#1120

On 2014-03-01, Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
> In message <4kc1h9tj9eavjl4p3gnqakparbln03nd2b@4ax.com> 
>   Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I never really thought about it myself, but when the question was
>> asked, my first thoughts were "for visibility". Even with today's
>> high-res screens, I think an angled cursor is more distinctive. It
>> offers more of a cross section when you move it across the screen,
>> aiding visibility and, with the cursor angled, it doesn't entirely
>> block what you are pointing at. I didn't consider that older screens
>> would only make the problem more extreme but it's obvious in
>> hindsight. 
>
> Of course. How often have you been hunting on the screen for the cursor
> when in a document and you have the stupid "I-beam" instead of the
> arrow?

The subject line itself reminded me of the hard to spot I-beam used by
GUI desktop publishing systems and word processors in the early 90s.

My real pet hate in that era was the program which redisplayed the
complete line after every single character, presumably to get the
proportional spacing correct.  I found it intensely distracting, even
when seen being used by a colleague across the office.

-- 
Paul Sture

How many Linux users does it take to change a lightbulb? 20. 1 to change it
and 19 others to install new sockets do it their own way.

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#1150

On 2014-03-01, Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> wrote:
> My real pet hate in that era was the program which redisplayed the
> complete line after every single character, presumably to get the
> proportional spacing correct.  I found it intensely distracting, even
> when seen being used by a colleague across the office.

I'm curious what that software must have been, because it sounds
dreadfully unusable.  Something like an early version of MS Word or
Wordperfect?  

That's the sort of thing that would make me go back to pen and ink.

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#1152

On Fri, 28 Feb 2014 11:11:15 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank god the developers listened to the
>users, though; computing would be far more frustrating otherwise.

	Nudge nudge Windows 8 ....
	;)
	[]'s
-- 
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy  - Google 2012

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#1238

Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
> In message <lenlm9$dao$1@solani.org> 
>   RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> >  http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/26/ever-wondered-why-your-mouse-pointer-is-angled-not-straight/
> 
> Nope, I've never wondered that. Seems bloody obvious.

There's a more prosaic reason.  The pointer is a sprite (be it hardware or
software).  With an angled pointer, the active point of the pointer is the
top left corner.  With a straight pointer the active point would be in the
middle somewhere.  If the sprites are plotted top-down, the (x,y) of the
top-left of the angled pointer sprite is also the (x,y) of point-of-click -
no extra calculation needed.

Theo

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