I would like a touch-sensitive mouse that causes display of the mouse cursor to be suppressed when not being touched, and consequently allow it to display when the mouse is touched again. One only needs to see the mouse cursor when touching the mouse.

I know there are other ways to have the cursor vanish, such as having the cursor disappear after a certain period of mouse inactivity, or the 'hide cursor while typing' setting in Windows, etc, but none of these accomplish what I want.
-- waugsqueke, Apr 05 2005

Touch Sensing Input Devices http://research.mic...s/touch-sensing.pdf
(Note: PDF) After posting this, I see Microsoft is already researching, with an eye toward removing mouse function screen items such as toolbars when the mouse is not being touched. One presumes that a disappearing cursor would be inherent in this concept, though it is not mentioned. [waugsqueke, Apr 05 2005, last modified Apr 06 2005]

Lose your hate of cursors cursor_20game_20printout
from the cursor liberation front [zeno, Apr 05 2005]

Why do you want this?

Seems annoying, because when you do touch the mouse, you may not know where the cursor had been, and start moving the mouse the wrong way. I'd just shove the cursor into a corner. (maybe the middle button could be programmed to do that)
-- phundug, Apr 05 2005


As mentioned, Win allows the user to select whether or not the cursor disappears when typing. Something I've never done. Also, even though I've used Macs a lot, I don't think I've ever noticed that they hide the cursor on entries.

I guess I think that either way is fine.

I haven't ever been annoyed by the presence of the cursor, either. I suppose for reading it might bother some people.
-- bristolz, Apr 05 2005


There should be a way to incorporate this in to enhance a trackball, such as a delay-off timer. I would hate to have the display switching off bits of the tableau every time I lift my finger off the ball (hundreds of times an hour) while scanning pages or utilizing roll-over content. That would make my computer into a take-anywhere seizure machine.

I agree though, with the idea that a <= over text is incredibly annoying.
-- reensure, Apr 05 2005


// Why do you want this? //

Because I don't want to see the cursor when I'm not touching the mouse.
-- waugsqueke, Apr 05 2005


Yeah, I can see this being useful on occasion.
-- DrCurry, Apr 06 2005


I never thought much about the cursor. Now I am consumed by hate for it. Can't do much else.
-- bungston, Apr 06 2005


//you may not know where the cursor had been, and start moving the mouse the wrong way.//
This could be solved by having an adjustable ripple effect from the cursor when you touch the mouse. Or customizable skins, like fire, explosions, and Don Knotts getting strangled with a shower curtain.
-- AfroAssault, Apr 07 2005


I know some people who never let go
-- pashute, Sep 07 2023


The cursor on my Wacom computer (by default a little cross-hair instead of an arrow) disappears when I move the stylus out of range. I think there is an option to not have a cursor displayed at all. I haven't connected a mouse (which I don't have anyway) or trackball (which I do have) to it. Experiments must be done!
-- neutrinos_shadow, Sep 18 2023


The way I'm imagining this working is if you don't move the mouse around for a bit, a little paintbrush appears in the cursor's hand and it starts carefully varnishing the window or other bit of UI closest to where it is
-- hippo, Sep 18 2023


This would be great. There are many times I'm working at my desk, but not using the computer. I'm doing paperwork, or taking calls, or just relaxing playing a game on my phone, and enjoying the screensaver as a relaxing backdrop to the setting, but if I so much as set my phone or a drink down on the desk, that little vibration is enough to shake my mouse and wake the screen up. I don't want to turn down the mouse sensitivity, so I've just been living with it. This would be perfect for someone like me.
-- 21 Quest, Sep 18 2023



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