Comment by eviks
7 days ago
Why is keyboard a problem if your left hand is always on it? It's easier to do than a mouse only gesture and easier to remember
7 days ago
Why is keyboard a problem if your left hand is always on it? It's easier to do than a mouse only gesture and easier to remember
Using a trackpad gesture is just as quick, easier, more spatially natural, and only uses one hand.
My left hand is not always on my keyboard. I'm not always typing. I'm not modelling 100% of my computer usage after "how to get RSI the fastest"; sometimes, I allow myself to lean back in my chair and just scroll the web, documents, photos etc. from time to time.
> Using a trackpad gesture is just as quick
Definitely not, many of swish gestures require you to move the mouse cursor to the title bar, which takes time, also holding a key and performing a simpler gesture can’t be slower than performing a more complicated gesture (which it needs to be to deconflict with regular mouse use)
Also many gestures have a delay built in so you can cancel or double down for a different functionally (close windows vs close app), so it’s slower by design.
> easier
It’s harder because you have to memorize more gestures and perform more complicated ones.
> more spatially natural
That makes no sense, the spatial movements are the same, can you give an example for resizing?
> and only uses one hand.
Yes, that’s the only potential benefit, unless, of course, your other hand is always near a corner, so it doesn’t matter
> I'm not always typing
That's fine, you don't need to type to have your left hand rest near the left near corner of the keyboard (it doesn’t even have to rest on the home row since you only need the corner)
> I'm not modelling 100% of my computer usage after "how to get RSI the fastest"
Well, you're, you've just moved your RSI to your right hand
Also hands have same length, so leaning back doesn't prevent leaving one finger on a modifier
Anyway, place your hands wherever you like them, it’s just that none of your arguments support it.
> Using a trackpad gesture is just as quick.
> Definitely not
Sounds like a you problem.
> easier.
> It's harder [...]
Sounds like a you problem.
> [...] because you have to memorise more gestures and perform more complicated ones.
Oh no, how will I ever remember (checks notes) swiping. On a Trackpad!? Insane.
> More spatially natural
> That makes no sense.
I swipe left, window goes left. I swipe right, window goes right. I swipe up, window goes up. I swipe down, windows goes down.
It's as close to actually flicking the windows around the space provided without getting a touch screen.
> and only uses one hand
We agree.
> unless, of course, your other hand is always near a corner
Corner of what?
> you don't need to type to have your left hand rest [...]
Big assumption that I'm left-handed. The modifiers on the right-hand side of some keyboards, including on notebooks, are seriously iffy.
> [...] rest near the left near corner of the keyboard
If my other arm isn't anywhere close to the computer, then it's nowhere near the keyboard, let alone the corner.
> you've just moved your RSI to your right hand
How often am I swiping windows? Barely.
Are you also saying any use of the trackpad or mouse, no matter how little, is automatically RSI?
Whereas having your fingers nearly-permanently at the ready over (or near the corner of) the keyboard is A-OK?
> Also hands have the same length, so leaning back doesn't prevent leaving one finger on a modifier
Back to the RSI angle because my hands are not glued to the keyboard. The way you seem to think so tells me you only sit at a desktop when using a computer, you never slouch, you never slump, you never use a notebook computer.
> it's just that none of your arguments support it.
Or your imagination cannot allow it.
> sometimes, I allow myself to lean back in my chair and just scroll
WHAT??! This cannot be allowed!! /s
It's clear from reading programmer geek thoughts on peripherals over the years that autistic types love the "Use keyboard 100% of the time!" dogma because it is black-and-white thinking. The idea of someone knowing how to do things in a multitude of ways and changing it up based on mood is displeasing.
It's tiring to discuss because it's never that they could ever sympathise with my usage, it's that they are physically (yes, physically!) incapable of imagining anything other than their own usage.
See also: Linux users who insist all you need is a terminal and vim. Exact same thing.
>> sometimes, I allow myself to lean back in my chair and just scroll
> WHAT??! This cannot be allowed!! /s
We just lean back with the keyboard and scroll with the Space key. Also using cwm, I move my windows with Super+{h,j,k,l} and resize them with Super+Shift+{h,j,k,l}.
Sometimes my left hand is holding a coffee mug