Took this straight from the apple system help files:
The Finder and many other applications take advantage of special
shortcut menus (also called "contextual menus"). You can use these
menus to quickly choose commands or perform actions specific to an
active window or selected item.
Different items appear in a shortcut menu, depending on the context.
For example, the menu for a selected folder in the Finder lets you
open, duplicate, and archive the folder in addition to other options.
In a TextEdit document, you can open a shortcut menu especially for
modifying tables.
On May 28, 2005, at 6:10 PM, John Dawson wrote:
hi listers,
i am green to all this and just joined your list this week. what
is the contextual menu? hope thats not a stupid question. I am a
uni student and my friend bought me a ruby coloured imac g3 which
is the best computer i have ever had and working like a charm, she
connected me to your list so i could start to learn about macs and
now i am hooked on reading your endless emails.
thanks
johnny
On Sunday, May 29, 2005, at 01:14 AM, Peter Schaff wrote:
Hi Chris,
New here, first post. Just wanted to thank you for explaining the
reason for a single button mouse so well!
A couple of points here for all:
With a single button mouse you don't need to use the keyboard to
get the contextual menu. Just hold down the button a second or
so, then drag and it comes up.
I'm from an Amiga background (remember them?) so the single button
mouse is too complicated to learn. After some initial swearing I
switched to 2 buttons and find it wonderful on a Mac! The system
is obviously designed to use multiple buttons (even the back and
forward buttons). Any USB mouse (almost?) will work but I find
the M$ mouse to be best for me because of the OSX Microsoft Mouse
program. It lets you tailor the mouse action to particular
programs, set scroll speed, etc. And the mouse itself seems of
decent quality. Only change I'd like would be for the buttons not
to extend to the front edge of the mouse. I seem to keep snagging
them on my cluttered desk.
I too had problems resting my hand on the "body button" Apple
mouse, clicking unintentionally. But it is elegant. ;^)
As are the new keyboards. As I type for a living, I couldn't live
with the Mac keyboard. They don't have enough recess for fingers,
it's difficult to find home (my hand leaves the keyboard a lot now
that I'm using Word ;). I use the M$ Natural keyboard as I need
an ergonomic one to keep the nasty carpal tunnel syndrome away.
At least M$ does SOMEthing right...
On Friday, May 27, 2005, at 10:39 PM, chris wrote:
Why has Apple refused to develop a mouse with more than one
button?
The simple reason? Because too many users can't understand multiple
buttons. I do tech support for a living, and even the higher
computer
functioning people have problems with the "right click" concept.
<snip>
The Mac is supposed to be simple, simple enough that anyone and
their
grandmother can use it. That means a 2 button mouse is nothing but a
confusion. There is nothing on the Mac that requires a 2nd button
(or
Control-Clicking).
<snip>
... a 2nd button is just a confusion for too many people and
encourages
right-click only features, which Apple doesn't want to be an
issue they
have to battle.
Good point! Hadn't though of that.
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>
This list seems like a good place to learn things and ask questions.
- Peter Schaff
iMac G3/600 Jaguar 768MB Epson 2450 scanner, 785EPX printer,
Brother HL1870N
PowerMac DP 1GHz, 1GB RAM 80GB HDx2 SuperDrive
AmigaOne (RSN ;)
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