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List:       kde-look
Subject:    RE: [Fwd: Usability and open source]
From:       Magnus Ihse <d95-mih () nada ! kth ! se>
Date:       2000-01-31 22:49:33
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On Mon, 31 Jan 2000, Tyler Regas wrote:

> > Mind you, I always hated those interfaces that "warped" the pointer to the
> > default button - I always lost the pointer and had to scrub the mouse around to
> > find it again.
> 
> This works very well if the outcome is predictable. As long as the pointer
> snaps to modal dialogs only, then it becomes an expected response and can
> speed up work or at least UI usability. There are negatives that I don't
> have to mention, but the bennies outweigh them, I think.

You could of course go the other way round instead: move the dialog
box so that the pointer is over the default button, instead of moving
the mouse pointer. This has the added benefit that the users
attention is probably (this is my guess, haven't read any studies
about it) directed at the position of the screen where the mouse
pointer is, so the dialog box is noticed slightly faster.

I have a vague memory of seing this implemented on a system
somewhere, but I can't remember which or where...

/Magnus

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