How “Wintel thinking” reduces productivity

by Paul Murphy

try timing this:

(1) focus on some text on your screen

(2) move one hand to the mouse, select the text

(3) release the button, focus on a menu, move the mouse to that menu

(4) use the mouse to select something,

(5) refocus on your text, move your mouse hand back, click again.

Paul has essentially described a situation where novice users constantly depend on the screen to give feedback in order to perform some routine tasks and hence is reducing speed and productivity.

That also deeply influenced my choice of Chinese Input Method in the series "Learning Chinese Read/write way". ChangJei Method allows blind-typing meaning if you are proficient in ChangJei, you don't need to look at the screen as you type. You can keep on eye on the document, or whatever else you like. Other Chinese input method involves selecting characters of a list displayed on the screen. In order words, you have to look at the screen every character, but interrupting your thinking as well as transcribing.