Baslinux mailing list

[Ian Scott <mriscott AT yahoo.co.uk>]

> > Second, if you have gone to the bother to actually learn 
> > how to type, the gui mouse system sux. 
> 
> Why is that?  I know how to type and I see no difference
> between the two.  Once you are on the line typing, it's
> exactly the same.  The only difference is in one case (GUI) 
> you use the mouse to select options, and in the other (wp51) 
> you use drop-down menus or function keys to select options.  
> Perhaps some people have learned to touch-type the wp51 
> function keys (all 40 of them), but not me.
> 

The argument against mouse-based word processors that I have always heard is
that you have to 'context switch' between mouse and keyboard : type type type
 - oh I need  apage break - move hand from keyboard, find mouse, select menu 
- type type type.

If you can touch-type, vi (or one of it's more powerful clones - vim, elvis,
nvi, etc) is apparently brilliant.  There's a hefty learning curve, but once
you learn the key combos, it should be a lot faster - rather than using
function keys, you are always using the main qwerty area - making it a lot
easier to touch type.  Disclaimer: I cannot touch type - but I have often
heard this as an argument for vi.

Ian