Abstract: Six cursor control devices (absolute touchpad, mouse, trackball, relative touchpad, displacement joystick, and force joystick) were compared on seven graphics editing tasks. Analysis of subjects' performance data showed better task completion times (TCT) for the trackball and mouse than the remaining four devices. Preference rankings by subjects reflected the performance results.

Keywords: Empirical studies; Graphics; Hardware development; Joystick, displacement; Joystick, force; Mouse; Pointing device input; Touchpad, absolute; Touchpad, relative; Trackball

Originally published: Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 31st Annual Meeting, 1987, pp. 442-446

Republished: G. Perlman, G. K. Green, & M. S. Wogalter (Eds.) Human Factors Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction: Selections from Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meetings, 1983-1994, Santa Monica, CA: HFES, 1995, pp. 75-79.