Mouse vs. Pad

No Contest

Internet and Technology

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The to be cherished Mouse

Are you into teaching somebody how to use their new laptop?  Is the person on a pension?  Is this their first adventure with the World Wide Web?

If they don't have a mouse, stop right there and go to your local computer store and get them one.  Make it a present from your heart.  You will keep your sanity in the bargain.

If they try to use the touch pad that is common on new laptops, you are in for trouble.  They are universally terrible.  If you're trying to teach somebody for the first time, it's a real chore ... no it's agony.

Most pads work on the basis of the capacitance of your finger or hand or foot for that matter.  If you wear a glove they won't work. Don't try one with socks on either. Some people trigger the pads more than others.  It's called the 'Pad Aura'.

The nuances of using the pad are too much for a new user and you'll find that they make all sorts of mistakes and they need much more coordination than they would with a mouse.  There is a lot to learn for a new person, don't make it harder for them or yourself.

The only reason to use a touch pad is if you have no desk space and then even your knee with a mouse is better than some pads. 

The to be avoided Touch Pad

You have to teach your pupil all and more of the following:

• clicking on a hyperlink or program
• selecting a radio button
• selecting a pull down menu and then gliding to the right to select an option or moving again to a second tier.
• highlighting a string of text or picture for cut and paste
• scrolling up and down a page.
• the wonderful drag and drop motion

All of these movements are easier with a mouse.

Touch Pads are not very big, but they are in the way.  You get your student to do something and he/she will brush the pad with the palm of the hand and all is lost!  We run into this all the time. 

Teaching a new computer user how to use the mouse is bad enough, but it will take you twice as long with the Touch Pad, no three times  as long.  Also, you can't grab the pad away from the person and demonstrate the movement to them without sitting on their lap.

They can learn how to use the pad later.  They have a lot to learn without the error prone pad getting in the way.  Just buy them a mouse and if you want disable the pad.  Even with a mouse your 'free' hand will brush the pad and oops, what happened?  All my work is gone!

Yup.... you can get used to a touch pad, but the power mouse user will win easily in a productivity contest.

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Sunday, December 13, 2009