Why isn't "click-and-hold" taken more advantage of?
Seems like some programs use the click-and-hold idea to fully utilize the one-button approach, but why isn't this incredibly useful feature present in most native Apple software? Rather we have to control-click and command-click and what other archaic, cryptic, unintuitive nonense to get this added functionality. I'd love to be able to hold the mouse button down under Safari and get a context menu that allows me to open a link in a new tab, or hold the button down in OS X to get a file's info. This is how Tablet PCs operated when they only had the pen tip to work with, and it worked so well.
I just wonder what their philosophy is on this, if they are going for user friendliness and ease of use. Instead I've been learning a lot of keyboard commands.
I just wonder what their philosophy is on this, if they are going for user friendliness and ease of use. Instead I've been learning a lot of keyboard commands.
Comments
FinderPop was great but unless click-and-hold is truly system-wide, then it's just a tease.
Apple? If you are so determined to ship a single button mouse then this would shut up all the typical complainers (and be truly useful).
As far as Apple is concerned, I understand they have their "Human Interface Guidelines" that they put a lot of work in, but maybe they ought to figure if click-and-hold wouldn't be a natural extension that they could include in future versions of OS X.
In any case, it never caught on with me for 3 reasons:
1. Already used ctrl-click
2. Holding down the mouse button on a laptop is annoying
3. It's unintuitive to my muscle memory I'm way too used to "holding" the click on the mouse for just what it takes to click.
Originally posted by JonE
Seems like some programs use the click-and-hold idea to fully utilize the one-button approach, but why isn't this incredibly useful feature present in most native Apple software? Rather we have to control-click and command-click and what other archaic, cryptic, unintuitive nonense to get this added functionality. I'd love to be able to hold the mouse button down under Safari and get a context menu that allows me to open a link in a new tab, or hold the button down in OS X to get a file's info. This is how Tablet PCs operated when they only had the pen tip to work with, and it worked so well.
I just wonder what their philosophy is on this, if they are going for user friendliness and ease of use. Instead I've been learning a lot of keyboard commands.
it takes too long to work. If you hold down the mouse on the dock it does take a while to pop-up. Ctrl-click is faster
Originally posted by MacCrazy
it takes too long to work. If you hold down the mouse on the dock it does take a while to pop-up. Ctrl-click is faster
I don't know. A half a second on my iBook is fast enough for me.
Originally posted by MPMoriarty
I don't know. A half a second on my iBook is fast enough for me.
but it's frustrating holding down the mouse on itunes for half a second when you can right-click or ctrl-click and get it instantly. That's my opinion.
Originally posted by MacCrazy
but it's frustrating holding down the mouse on itunes for half a second when you can right-click or ctrl-click and get it instantly. That's my opinion.
I don't think anyone here is talking about removing the ability to right-click or ctrl-click. We'd just like to see Apple implement yet a 3rd option which would be click-and-hold. It could even be something that you could enable/disable in the system preferences.
Originally posted by Boukman
I don't think anyone here is talking about removing the ability to right-click or ctrl-click. We'd just like to see Apple implement yet a 3rd option which would be click-and-hold. It could even be something that you could enable/disable in the system preferences.
No I agree, flexibility is good. I think it might confuse new users who aren't as sure about what they're doing and therefore click for a long time as they are thinking about it. I'd to see more flexibility and user preferences in most areas though.