Mouse Gestures Gain Followers

StefMeister writes "According to this article at ZDNet, the use of the mouse using 'mouse gestures' (as introduced in Opera) is gaining a lot of followers. Personally, I almost solely use the keyboard as input device, but it might be interesting for others. Although changing the way people are accustomed to working is always tricky." I certainly enjoy gestures in Mozilla, thanks to OptiMoz.

Comments

Reasonable use of gestures

[AlecC]

I use Opera gestures - and love them. But they don't make sense for all applications. The problem is a dsicontinuity when you switch between keyboard and mouse - either way. Editing, and most programming operations, is fundamentally a keyboard based operation, and hot keys are far more sensible than mouse gestures for this. But for me, browsing the web is a mouse-based operation. I have to point to links to follow them, so my hand is on the mouse. I have a wheelmouse, so scrolling is also under my fingers. The only gestures I use regularly are back and forward, and they have become so automatic I use them (uselessly0 wherever the model applies - i.e. in all "browser" type applications, such as Konqueror or Windows Explorer.

One thing we want to do is to try and get people to standardise. It will be a *real* pain if one piece of software used a gesture for minimise and another for quit.

Re:Reasonable use of gestures

[wbattestilli]

I agree with this and would like to make a second point.

I work for Alias|Wavefront. We make Maya. It has a fantastically efficient and powerful UI that is based around gestures. To see people working with Maya, who use it professionally, is quite amazing. I also have to say that it has a very steep learning curve and is way beyond what you can expect from Joe User.

For gestures to work efficiently, there can be no visual feedback while executing the command. If there is visible feedback, your interface is basically reduced to multidirectional menues. Maya can be used this way but it is no better than using the standard pulldown menues.

I love gestures in Galeon/Opera/Mozilla, but I think that they should be left to the power user and that they should be used sparingly in applications.

Re:Mouse gestures were not "introduced in opera"

[silvaran]

Computers were introduced to me when I was 6 years old, by my father. Consequently, he didn't invent them, but he did introduce them. Similarly, Opera brought their web browser to the masses, and mouse gestures along with it. Just like Microsoft introduced GUI to the masses, they didn't invent it, and weren't the primary people to actually "introduce" it first. Opera is the first application I've ever used that supported gestures, and I would imagine many people are in the same situation.