[dromio]

What is this article even trying to say? Clickbait title but the whole thing is about using a mouse? Yeah, interfaces are evolving. Most of the populace use a computer not for using's sake, but to accomplish a goal. Touchscreens are great for information consumption and free-form entry. Keyboards are good for text production. What is a mouse good for other than manipulating 2d objects?

[Dalewyn]

>What is a mouse good for other than manipulating 2d objects?

Precise control.

I absolutely refuse to play an FPS or operate a productivity program (eg: Illustrator, Powerpoint) without a proper mouse. Trying to do that on a touchpad or a touchscreen is a hell I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemies.

[adrian_b]

I agree about mouse vs. touchpad and touchscreen.

Nevertheless, there are alternatives to a mouse. A trackball can have very similar precise control while being more comfortable (for a productivity program; less suitable for a FPS, because the fingers are slower than the hand).

A stylus on a graphic tablet used in mouse mode (i.e. relative mode) offers even faster and more precise control than any mouse.

[poisonborz]

I'm strongly biased against the "neckbeard" stance of keyboard superiority. GUIs evolved for a reason. Keyboard-only controls require a lot of memorisation, are less intuitively learned (besides a slim portion of OS specific traditions), muscle memory becomes tied to the hardware more strongly (layout and feel). Mouse allows to quickly point in a complex UI where elements visually describe themselves. Thumbsticks and touchpads are clunky, fingers just don't have the same precision. The downside being the constant arm movement away from keyboard.

[oliwarner]

Why are we comparing keyboard-only software though? Keyboard shortcuts are super effective in software that allows both.

Think of complex editors like Office apps or Photoshop. You can do the same things with both input methods but learning keyboard shortcuts makes each operation about five times quicker.

GUIs aren't immune to muscle-memory rigidity.

[a_gnostic]

3D PC gaming?

Kb/mouse > game pad > touch screen

[skyyler]

I still think the trackball should have taken off for FPS games.

Huge flicks and fine precision on the same device without a dpi switch...

[LightHugger]

Trackball is my 100% goto for a tiny desk/table or even in bed, basically any time i want to control the pointer without swinging my whole arm around.

But mouse is far more precise specifically because you are throwing your whole arm around in addition to your wrist and fingertips. there is a far wider range of speeds you can be very precise at. Trackball is not great for FPS, though it's better than trackpads.