What’s the worst thing about using a wireless mouse? The batteries eventually die.
What’s the best thing about using a wireless mouse? The batteries eventually die.
You see, I have a problem. I am a mouse addict. I’m nearly helpless without one and when the mouse batteries die, I come face to face with my addiction and I have to make a decision:
1. Run to the store and pick up a fresh pack of batteries. And quick.
2. Reach into the desk drawer and pull out the USB mouse which is in desperate need of attention.
3. Rely on keyboard shortcuts.
I’ve made various attempts to become a keyboard-only coder in the past, but it never seems to work out. It’s either my brain is too small to remember all the key combinations or I am so training to reach for the mouse that I can’t possibly work any other way. (Let’s collectively hope it’s the latter.)
I’ve been using the USB mouse for the last day now and I’ll be purchasing batteries later today. I’m feeling a little ashamed of myself. I don’t know. Do you think this could roll into a New Year’s resolution? In 2007 I’m going to stop using my mouse (quite so much.)
[ Update: Before I posted this, I figured Google AdSense should have a field day... They did. ]
by Charles Petzold
by Roy Osherove
Well, you knew I’d respond to this…
We’re all like that. We’re all recovering mousers. Two tricks that have helped me me:
1) Put the mouse out of reach while you’re working. Using keyboard shortcuts isn’t hard, it’s just inconvenient. Make using the mouse just a little more inconvenient and you’ll find that you’re making subconscious choices for keyboard shortcuts pretty soon.
2) Put the mouse on the other side of your keyboard. This is really a variation on (1); it’s just making the mouse a little less convenient so you’ll use the keyboard shortcuts more often. If that fails, you’ll at least be ambimoustrous.
I almost do everything with my keyboard, only. I use Total Commander for my filesystem (copying, viewing of files, deleting, etc.). Tt replaces the Explorer perfectly, old Norton Commander Style and ultra fast as soon as you are experienced with it. Keyboard browsing (opera implents that very nice), and in VS2005 I also know every shortcut.
I think you can save like 2 weeks of time in a year by using your keyboard only (After you learned how to use it perfectly)
Oh, I’ve got the ambidextrous thing down. I stick with one side until my forearm is burnt out. I tend to alternate between my left and right side a few times a year. You would think this would be enough to get me using the keyboard more often, eh?
And, yes, I knew you would reply. I just didn’t think it would be so early…
Good point at the end. It makes me wonder how much time is lost learning how to save those two weeks of time a year.
The worst thing about the keyboard shortcuts is that Microsoft changes them. Back with Visual Studio (pre-.NET), I could do everything with the keyboard. Now that VS.NET has changed them all, the only one I’ve learned is Ctrl+Shift+B. Course, I’m not coding as much now as I used to then. Now that I think about it, I do know some crazy keystrokes for Word formatting. Ugh. Shame on me…
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[...] Ben Griswold06:23 amAdd comment1,486 Views I brought attention to my dreaded mouse addiction a couple of months back. For those of you with a similar problem, The Daily Grind made reference [...]