Brian W. Epps
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: Pointing device input, Hardware development, Empirical studies, Graphics, Touchpad, Absolute, Relative, Mouse, Trackball, Joystick, Displacement, Force
Note: Originally published in Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 31st Annual Meeting, 1987, pp. 442-446, (online access).
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, California: HFES, 1995, pp. 75-79.