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Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

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Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#71

Post by reddalo »

zb wrote: post #60
Stratoscope wrote: post #44

It's a bit scary to see that one of the highest-voted answers to this question (188 points) is completely wrong. It says that the (0,0) hotspot simplified the calculations for a cursor position update, because you didn't have to add any (X,Y) offset. https://ux.stackexchange.com/a/52349/43259 The problem with this idea is that the arrow pointer was never the only cursor. On the first Macintosh, there were many others…

The arrow has a white outline around it, so the hotspot is at the tip of the black arrow, at (1,1).

And if I'm not wrong, it still applies to today's Mac interface. The cursor still has a white outline all around.

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#72

Post by ack_complete »

wolpoli wrote: post #29
behnamoh wrote: post #2

The real question is: Why does Windows cursor look "imperfect"? https://mspoweruser.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/windows-c...

The current high-resolution cursor seems like a scaled-up version of the original cursor. Perhaps it's that way for compatibility reason since there are tons of monitors using 100% scaling.

At larger scale factors, Windows renders the cursor from an SVG source. It's not clear if there would be a compatibility issue with straightening the arrow image at larger scales since it uses a hardcoded .cur image at small sizes.

Additionally, Windows 10/11 go to some extent to hide cursor scaling from applications. Win32 GDI/USER calls only see the base 32x32 arrow cursor and only DXGI Output Duplication (screen capture API) can see the real cursor. This causes other problems, though, such as various bugs and inconsistencies with custom cursor images.

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#73

Post by cqqxo4zV46cp »

reddalo wrote: post #71
zb wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The arrow has a white outline around it, so the hotspot is at the tip of the black arrow, at (1,1).

And if I'm not wrong, it still applies to today's Mac interface. The cursor still has a white outline all around.

Yup. You can even customise both the inner and outer colours as an accessibility feature!

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#74

Post by rightbyte »

webignition wrote: post #64
raffraffraff wrote: post #39

Without reading everything there is on the subject, I'd guess it's tilted for the same reason it's tilted to the left . Humans are tool makers and tool users. After enough time the tool becomes an extension of the body, even if the tip of the tool is mechanically or virtually detached from the hand that is controlling it. The tool maker designed this as a right-handed tool, coming into the frame in the right hand. If…

I'm left handed and have always used the mouse with my left hand. The tilt on the cursor has never seemed odd or wrong or strange to me in any way. I've been using computer mice in one way or another for more than 30 years and perhaps a lack of oddness comes from having so very much gotten used to it. Maybe newer left-handed mouse users would find the cursor tilt strange?

Oh dear. I am left handed and I have not even considered the arrow is tilting the wrong way. Now suddenly it annoys me to no end. I need to replace my cursor ...

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#75

Post by account-5 »

wruza wrote: post #68
account-5 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I didn’t know it’s a joke. I’ve heard about Samsung vs Apple long ago, but never learned how it resolved or if it was about just rounded corners. Probably because of ubiquitous and unmarked jokes like this one, combined with no research on my side. I’m not insulted, but I don’t get why people do that. It’s not far from trolls changing opinions on politics or society standards, just less harmful.

I was replying with a flippant joke to what I took to be a flippant remark/joke about the windows pointer not being "perfect" like Apple's pointer supposedly is.

The fact the post I replied to garnered no similar criticism to my flippant remark shows more about the culture on HN than anything else. That seemingly being: critise everything but Apple, Apple is off limits unless you're hear to fawn over them. This is currently playing out on my karma.

I've made similar flippant remarks/jokes about Google, Microsoft, Meta with no repucussions but god forbid I level some critism at apple!

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#77

Post by rightbyte »

Ekaros wrote: post #66
webignition wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm left handed and have always used the mouse with my left hand. The tilt on the cursor has never seemed odd or wrong or strange to me in any way. I've been using computer mice in one way or another for more than 30 years and perhaps a lack of oddness comes from having so very much gotten used to it. Maybe newer left-handed mouse users would find the cursor tilt strange?

I think left handed users do not find it weird as it works in left to right up to down information systems. So unlike with pen they get the same benefit of operating tool sensibly.

The arrow gets replaced with a ... pin with a stylized bird in each end? ... so the arrow does not hide text anyways, when going left to right over text, as a physical pen would do.

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#78

Post by papichulo2023 »

raffraffraff wrote: post #39

Without reading everything there is on the subject, I'd guess it's tilted for the same reason it's tilted to the left . Humans are tool makers and tool users. After enough time the tool becomes an extension of the body, even if the tip of the tool is mechanically or virtually detached from the hand that is controlling it. The tool maker designed this as a right-handed tool, coming into the frame in the right hand. If…

The only tool I find hard to use, as a left handed, is scissors, the rest is just fine. As for the mouse, always used it with the right hand.

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#79

Post by bluenose69 »

haunter wrote: post #26

Because it mimics the fountain pen? That’s how you hold it when you write with one (the cursor being the virtual tip) https://youtu.be/U9mWKwXfF6s?t=155s

Thanks for the link! As a fountain pen addict, I found the video captivating. I was curious, though, as to why the person was printing, not writing. Sad.

Re: Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?

#80

Post by martopix »

papichulo2023 wrote: post #78
raffraffraff wrote: post #39

Without reading everything there is on the subject, I'd guess it's tilted for the same reason it's tilted to the left . Humans are tool makers and tool users. After enough time the tool becomes an extension of the body, even if the tip of the tool is mechanically or virtually detached from the hand that is controlling it. The tool maker designed this as a right-handed tool, coming into the frame in the right hand. If…

The only tool I find hard to use, as a left handed, is scissors, the rest is just fine. As for the mouse, always used it with the right hand.

I'm also left handed and don't usually have a problem with scissors, unless they're bad quality scissors.

I also use the mouse with my right hand and I'm always surprised by how many left-handers actually ended up using the mouse with the right. It's quite strange. Even stranger, was a right-handed colleague who decided to use the mouse with her left.

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