🚀 go-pugleaf

djheydt@garnet.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J. Heydt) writes:

>At work, however, I have to use Word on a Macintosh.  Yuchh.
>	*I HATE MICE*
>Does anybody know about a program I've heard of called Easy Access--
>designed, so I'm told, for people with mobility problems in their
>hands--which completely eliminates the use of the Mouse on the
>Macintosh?  All the Mac-related groups, stores, etc. I've called
>to inquire about the subject have been profoundly unable to
>believe
>	(a)	that such a package exists;
>	(b)	that anybody could possibly *want*
>		not to use a mouse.

Easy Access, as several others have pointed out, is part of the
Mac system software. In the system 6.0 manual I have titled
"Macintosh System Software User's Guide" it's on p. 166.
As long as the Easy Access file is in your system folder you
will have use of the "sticky keys" feature and the "mouse keys"
feature. (Sticky keys makes it possible to type key sequences
without having to press two keys simultaneously.) Mouse keys is
what you're thinking of. Pressing command-shift-clear (on the
keypad) makes the number keys on the keypad move the cursor, 8,
2, 4 and 6 move the mouse up, down, left and right. The 5 key
acts as the button for clicking and the 0 key locks the mouse
button for dragging. I don't know why knowledgeable Mac people
would claim to have never heard of it, unless you were asking
the question in a way that threw them off.

Whether mouse keys would really make it easier not to use the 
mouse is another thing, personally I find it a little too
cumbersome. And besides, if you're using Word on the Macintosh
there's absolutely no reason to ever touch the mouse if you
don't want to (and I agree that for word processing the mouse is
often, but _not always_, a slower way to do things). There are
so many keyboard features built into Word that it would make
this already lengthy posting too long to go into detail (email
or phone me if you need more info) -- menus can be accessed by
letter of title, position number or arrow keys after hitting
period on the keypad, dialog box choices can be selected by the
first letter of the command name, arrow keys and tab key can be
used to move to and select check boxes and radio buttons, the 
keypad numbers can be used to move the cursor and make selections
(with the shift key) etc, etc. Have a look at the Word manual
and/or the online help for keyboard commands and throw away your
wretched mouse if you want to. As for me, I don't hate the
mouse, I see a good use for it in some situations and a good use
for the keyboard in others -- wouldn't want to throw away either
one.
--
Dana E. Keil                Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
University of California, Berkeley                      dana@are.berkeley.edu