Left handed use

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 15:53:22 -0000, "Nigel."
<nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen to
>accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and would be
>simple to implement!!!!

Yes, the question has been asked many times over several years (see
next paragraph). And I know enough to be quite sure it would not be
all that hard to change the operating system to support such user
adaptations. But it has not happened.

I just used google () to look up
left handed
in this newsgroup and got 349 hits. I'm sure you will find more
threads if you try variations. And I'm sure the question was asked
before this newsgroup existed (back when Palm-size PCs, the Pocket PC
predecessor, existed).

>
>Nigel
>(Frustrated left hander!)
>

-----------------------------------------
To reply to me, remove the underscores (_) from my email address (and please indicate which newsgroup and message).

Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
PenFact, Inc.
500 Harrison Ave., Suite 3R
Boston, MA 02118
www.penfact.com

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"Nigel." <nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:eVjL5AV2EHA.2568@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen to
> accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and would
be
> simple to implement!!!!
>
> Nigel
> (Frustrated left hander!)
>
>

If it is so simple then why don't you do it yourself?

It sounds a good idea, but I don't think you can just assume it is really
that simple or there would be plenty of utilities to do it.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

AlanS wrote:
> "Nigel." <nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:eVjL5AV2EHA.2568@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>
>>Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen to
>>accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and would
>
> be
>
>>simple to implement!!!!
>>
>>Nigel
>>(Frustrated left hander!)
>>
>>
>
>
> If it is so simple then why don't you do it yourself?
>
> It sounds a good idea, but I don't think you can just assume it is really
> that simple or there would be plenty of utilities to do it.

For Bill Gates, it would be as simple as uttering the words "Make it
so!". But alas, I believe it would require a fundamental change to the
underlying graphics user interface to implement.

Nikki

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"Nikki Casali" <nikki@ncSasPali.deAmoMn.co.uk> wrote in message
news:coq55t$qvp$1$830fa7a5@news.demon.co.uk...
>
>
> AlanS wrote:
> > "Nigel." <nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> > news:eVjL5AV2EHA.2568@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> >
> >>Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen to
> >>accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and would
> >
> > be
> >
> >>simple to implement!!!!
> >>
> >>Nigel
> >>(Frustrated left hander!)
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > If it is so simple then why don't you do it yourself?
> >
> > It sounds a good idea, but I don't think you can just assume it is
really
> > that simple or there would be plenty of utilities to do it.
>
> For Bill Gates, it would be as simple as uttering the words "Make it
> so!". But alas, I believe it would require a fundamental change to the
> underlying graphics user interface to implement.
>
> Nikki
>

Figures I've seen generally vary between 7% and 11% of the population, can
Microsoft really afford to alienate them all if they made a stand? Problem
is there is no stand by lefties, so they'll get what they are given. Smaller
groups seem to be able to protest effectively, but why not lefties?

There must be some group to exert some influence. Or not?

Nigel. Why not organise it yourself *if* it really is important? Perhaps it
doesn't really matter if there is no organised protest? You have to live
with your choice, you chose. But maybe you can affect the future? Do you
really care?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

I think that before left handers get too strident about demanding a left
side scroll bar, they should try it for awhile. I am left handed and when I
wrote the PDA version of my program "Equilibrium Calculator" (available at
Handango.com) I included an option to move the scroll bar to the left. The
option works fine but after a few days of using it, I've moved mine back to
the right "where it belongs". I find it mentally, at least, awkward to use
a left side scroll bar on the PDA when all those on my desktop are on the
right.

I should also note that I write left handed with my hand below the line,
pushing the letters ahead of my hand rather than, as some do, with my hand
above the line and pulling the letters from above. This may make a critical
difference.
--
Robert D Allendoerfer
cheallen@buffalo.edu

<r_z_aret@pen_fact.com> wrote in message
news:ca81r01pcd9i21f3dh37mlofitp5d5pm2b@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 15:53:22 -0000, "Nigel."
> <nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>>Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen to
>>accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and would
>>be
>>simple to implement!!!!
>
> Yes, the question has been asked many times over several years (see
> next paragraph). And I know enough to be quite sure it would not be
> all that hard to change the operating system to support such user
> adaptations. But it has not happened.
>
> I just used google () to look up
> left handed
> in this newsgroup and got 349 hits. I'm sure you will find more
> threads if you try variations. And I'm sure the question was asked
> before this newsgroup existed (back when Palm-size PCs, the Pocket PC
> predecessor, existed).
>
>>
>>Nigel
>>(Frustrated left hander!)
>>
>
> -----------------------------------------
> To reply to me, remove the underscores (_) from my email address (and
> please indicate which newsgroup and message).
>
> Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
> PenFact, Inc.
> 500 Harrison Ave., Suite 3R
> Boston, MA 02118
> www.penfact.com

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

It might be interesting to note that Bill Gates is left handed. I'm sure if
he considered it a challenge, it would have been fixed at this point. I
figure he, like most lefties, has just learned to cope with things designed
by, and from the point of view of, right handers. Someone will surely point
out that Bill does not typically use a PPC, but he does indeed use a tablet
and the issue is there as well.

I'm certainly not suggesting lefties should be ignored, but this question
typically gets a reasonable amount of response from lefties, that don't find
the status quo all that annoying. Given that you are a minority, and that
the number of you that buy PPCs makes that market even smaller, I don't see
a change happening on the small OS, before a similar change exists on the
large one.

--
Sven, MS-MVP Mobile Devices
"AlanS" <news@remove.abyz.fslife.co.uk> wrote in message
news:coq6lt$q0r$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "Nikki Casali" <nikki@ncSasPali.deAmoMn.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:coq55t$qvp$1$830fa7a5@news.demon.co.uk...
> >
> >
> > AlanS wrote:
> > > "Nigel." <nigel.b.smith@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> > > news:eVjL5AV2EHA.2568@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > >
> > >>Is it possible to move the scroll bar to the other side of the screen
to
> > >>accommodate left handed users? Surely this has been thought of and
would
> > >
> > > be
> > >
> > >>simple to implement!!!!
> > >>
> > >>Nigel
> > >>(Frustrated left hander!)
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > If it is so simple then why don't you do it yourself?
> > >
> > > It sounds a good idea, but I don't think you can just assume it is
> really
> > > that simple or there would be plenty of utilities to do it.
> >
> > For Bill Gates, it would be as simple as uttering the words "Make it
> > so!". But alas, I believe it would require a fundamental change to the
> > underlying graphics user interface to implement.
> >
> > Nikki
> >
>
> Figures I've seen generally vary between 7% and 11% of the population, can
> Microsoft really afford to alienate them all if they made a stand? Problem
> is there is no stand by lefties, so they'll get what they are given.
Smaller
> groups seem to be able to protest effectively, but why not lefties?
>
> There must be some group to exert some influence. Or not?
>
> Nigel. Why not organise it yourself *if* it really is important? Perhaps
it
> doesn't really matter if there is no organised protest? You have to live
> with your choice, you chose. But maybe you can affect the future? Do you
> really care?
>
>