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- From: artn@bert.eecs.uic.edu (Ellyn Sandor)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.pen
- Subject: Context switch on pen... idea
- Message-ID: <1992Aug20.212708.22109@bert.eecs.uic.edu>
- Date: 20 Aug 92 21:27:08 GMT
- Article-I.D.: bert.1992Aug20.212708.22109
- Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
- Lines: 30
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- One thing that has hit me about the pen in pen computing
- (in my opinion, pen computing is a done deal, its just waiting for
- the hard/software to catch up. I'm not happy about it since I type
- well, but I'll get used to it) is that the pen is used only as a
- pointing device. After all, you've got this thing in your hand,
- and a lot of fingers on it.
- Mice have buttons. Why can't a pen have a button?
- I am picturing the sort of button you use on a ball point pen
- at the top of the pen to click the ink thingie into and out of writing
- position.
- I think a button at the top of the pen, usable with the thumb,
- would be ideal for some sort of "context switch" within applications.
- For example, one mode for creating text <click> another mode for editing.
- Perhaps there would be some sort of LED or even a mechanical indicator
- of mode (do pens have batteries in them?)
- Does anyone else think this would be a good idea? What sort of
- context changing can you think of? How about a two-sided pen, sort of
- like flipping a pencil over to use the eraser? Maybe the pen-clicker
- could switch the computer on, or switch between two application (LED on=
- go to schedule/phonebook mode, LED off=go to my favourite application
- (Mathematica, etc). It seems like it would be quick and intuitive for
- choosing an either/or situation...
-
- Stephan Meyers
- --
- --
- Stephan Meyers | artn@uicbert.eecs.uic.edu
- (Art)^n Laboratories, inventors of the Stealth Negative PHSCologram
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