Many programs make use of tool tips, hover help, and other such features where parking the mouse pointer on an object will cause a message to pop up describing the object. This can be nice, but sometimes it can be annoying waiting for the pop-up to appear, and sometimes it doesn't seem to want to appear at all. These problems can be especially severe in places where vibration may cause subtle mouse movements.

A proposed solution would be an "I'm hovering" button, either on the mouse or as a keyboard hotkey. This button, when pushed, would cause the system to act as though the mouse was hovering motionless over an object whether it actually is or not.
-- supercat, Mar 28 2005

A look from the "shorten the delay" direction http://msdn.microso...tooltip/tooltip.asp
"The cursor must hover over a tool for a period of time before the ToolTip is displayed. The default duration of this timeout is controlled by the user's double click time and is typically about one-half second." [half, Mar 28 2005]

Not nearly as exciting an idea as I'd imagined.
-- Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005


Not why I chew my pencil, but I do get it.
-- reensure, Mar 28 2005


Maybe a button that causes the mouse's microcontroller to ignore any motion.
-- half, Mar 28 2005


No [half], I think the idea is to get the message quicker. If you just had a movement disable button then you would still have to wait for the OS to decide that you're hovering. The idea is that you get the message instantly as soon as you hit the button. I also get annoyed waiting for hover to engage, but I think the benefits would not be worth the complexity of another button.
-- wagster, Mar 28 2005


Can we also have an "I'm not hovering, I just don't happen to be moving the mouse at the moment" button, to kill these bloody pop ups?
-- Basepair, Mar 28 2005


//I think the benefits would not be worth the complexity of another button//
This can also be added to the right click menu for those that don't want the super duper new fangled keyboard.... or those who bought last season's.
-- brodie, Mar 28 2005


Wouldn't even have to be a 'new' key--just add some new functionality so that, e.g. control+alt would trigger the 'hover' action. Might trigger it occasionally when trying to hit some weird goofy hotkey, but since hover actions are pretty harmless anyway I wouldn't see a problem.
-- supercat, Mar 28 2005


I've had programs that were too sensitive with the hover help and found it quite annoying.
-- contracts, Mar 28 2005


// Not nearly as exciting an idea as I'd imagined.//

My hover button allows me to hover just above the earth. I don’t use it when anyone is looking. Not anymore, not after that first time. You wouldn’t believe how envious they are... I see one now, glancing over at me, waiting for me to leave. He wants me to leave so he can steal my button. But I won’t leave, not until he does. And when I do, I’m taking my button with me. I’ll hover at home... Damn him! He’s still looking, and I DO so want to hover.
-- ldischler, Mar 28 2005


When I go to hover over something, I just lift my hand from the mouse. I don't have to worry about the cursor moving. But I agree sometimes I'm impatient waiting for it to popup.

But by the time you hit a key, would it really be that much faster?
-- billybob5982, Nov 11 2006



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