[OSM-talk] What pointing device you use for mapping?

[Warin]

I have not used a graphics tablet .. yet. They are popular with graphic artist I believe.

However I have used a fair few track balls, mice and touch pads.

Touch pads have gotten better over time, their buttons though do ware out rapidly!

Mice .. very much second choice to a good track ball.

The best track ball I have used was some 80 mm diameter, metal with a fair amount of inertia.
It had very fine control .. yet could be rapidly spun in any direction to get to far parts quickly (requiring a number of complete revolutions),
  rapidly stopped and fine control regained .. all by the use of a single finger or thumb. Unfortunately that was part of a system ... not a single computer and not obtainable with reasonable money.

So I use a logitech M570, the ball lacks the inertial and fine control of the better one.
But I find it acceptable, particularly if you suffer any form of repetitive strain injury to the wrists.
There are 5 'buttons' .. one of which is a wheel thingy too. Each function is customisable, possibly to each program/app in use.
The previous model was connected by a USB cable, unfortunately no longer available. The new model has a USB dongle that wirelessly connects to the track ball.


On 7/13/2016 8:00 PM, Tim Waters wrote:
> I use a trusty Microsoft Intellimouse (although I do not customise the
> buttons), but I'm really replying to an observation about a helpful
> tip for mapping parties and workshops.
>
> When putting on a mapping party / workshop where people bring their
> own laptops, bring a bag of mice for participants to use! The Missing
> Maps  / OSM London do this and it seems as if all of them get used.
>
> (I also find it funny, how, several years ago at mapping parties we
> used to pass around a bag of GPS units to map, now it's a bag of
> mice!)
>
> Back on topic, I'd be curious to hear if the assorted map teams in
> companies like Mapbox etc use any specific hardware to point and map
> and increase productivity...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tim
>
> On 13 July 2016 at 07:34, Oleksiy Muzalyev <oleksiy.muzalyev at bluewin.ch> wrote:
>> I also noticed that often moderately priced items are more reliable than
>> high-end expensive ones. Probably because they are more widespread, and
>> consequently deficiencies in design are noticed, reported, and corrected
>> faster. The Nexus Silent Mouse costs about 20 USD. I got so accustomed to a
>> soundless mouse that I cannot use normal mice anymore, and not only for
>> mapping, each click sounds to me as a gunshot. That is why I keep a spare
>> one ready. But I work sometimes in a library where it is very quiet.
>>
>> I also received an e-mail where it is written that a graphics tablet is
>> being used for mapping by a correspondent's acquaintance; that a graphics
>> tablet is really precise, helps to map quicker, and that it is so convenient
>> that it is impossible to map without it. And that a graphics tablet must be
>> with a zoom control.
>>
>> If such a graphics tablet increases productivity by say twenty or even ten
>> percent, then it makes sense to invest in it. Because our working time costs
>> much more in the long run. It would be interesting to hear from someone who
>> has got firsthand experience of using a specific model of a graphics tablet
>> for mapping.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Oleksiy
>>
>>
>> On 12/07/16 22:10, Andreas Vilén wrote:
>>> Nothing fancy. Heavy osming has a tendency to break mice so I only use
>>> cheap stuff.
>>>
>>> Once I bought a fancy one but the precision was so bad I had to change
>>> back to the standard Ms mouse...
>>>
>>> /Andreas
>>>
>>> Skickat från min iPhone
>>>
>>>> 12 juli 2016 kl. 10:18 skrev Oleksiy Muzalyev
>>>> <oleksiy.muzalyev at bluewin.ch>:
>>>>
>>>> I use Nexus Silent Mouse SM-8500B [1]. This mouse does not produce a
>>>> "click" sound, though there is a tactile click. This type of soundless mouse
>>>> makes a difference while working in an OSM editor. I like SM-8500B. I own
>>>> three of them, including a spare one. It works fine on Mac and W10.
>>>>
>>>> There are numerous innovative pointing devices available nowadays, -
>>>> graphics tablets, vertical mice, pencil mouse, etc. If you have a positive
>>>> experience employing an innovative pointing device design for mapping,
>>>> please, let me know.
>>>>
>>>> [1] https://nexustek.us/mice/sm-8500
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>> Oleksiy
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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