David W. Fenton wrote:
On 27 Jun 2009 at 19:32, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:
On Sat, June 27, 2009 7:25 pm, David W. Fenton wrote:
All I know is what the researchers report, that overall, mousing is
faster than keyboard. I don't know exactly how they tested, but the
results have stood up over many years of assault from those who
didn't believe them.
Was it general public or touch-typists? I'm gonna guess general public, which
would make a huge difference. If you have to look, I'd guess mouse is faster.
I would assume that they tested reasonable users. I don't know the
details of the study design, but Apple and Microsoft have both
replicated it repeatedly. I would think both companies have very
smart people working for them who know how to design scientifically
valid studies, and thus think it's ridiculous to raise trivial
objections like the idea that they just didn't test people who know
the keyboard shortcuts.
Apple and Microsoft hire very smart people -- and very smart
people know how to manipulate statistics. Far earlier than
personal computers, Mark Twain made the observation that
there are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and
Statistics.
Any researcher with an agenda can get the data to support
that agenda, and companies who are desigining user
interfaces around a mouse and who want to sell lots of units
of mice would want data to prove that they're right.
Doesn't matter how old the research is, until a truly
independent research company with no possible agenda other
than the truth ran a study, I would hold any data from
Microsoft and Apple concerning computers to be suspect.
--
David H. Bailey
dhbai...@davidbaileymusicstudio.com
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