Four devices are evaluated with respect to how rapidily they can be used to select text on a CRT display. The mouse is found to be fastest on all counts and also to have the lowest error rates. It is shown that variations in positioning time with the mouse and joystick are accounted for by Fitts's Law. In the case of the mouse, the measured Fitts's Law slope constant is close to that found in other eye-hand tasks leading to the conclusion that positioning time with this device is almost the minimal achievable. Positioning time for the key devices is shown to be proportional to the number of keystrokes which must be typed.

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Abs tractTests and analysis to determine the best display selection techniques for computeraided textmanipulation system reveal that the choice does not hinge on the inherent differences in targetselection speed and accuracy between the different selection devices Of more importance are such factors as the mix of other operations required of the selectoperation hand the ease of getting the hand to and gaining control of given selection device or the fatique effects of its associated operating posture Besides light pen several cursorcontroffing devices were tested including joystick and an SRIdeveloped device known as mouse The study was aimed directly at finding the best display selection means for our own textmanipulation system but generali xations applicable to other types of online systems were derived