# Computer: do you use the mouse or hotkeys? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573 "2006-12-26T01:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/1 "2006-12-26T01:00:37Z")
I myself use the mouse almost exclusively. To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, why clutter up my mind with a bunch of extraneous info when I can do it with the mouse easily and painlessly? But I know a lot of you I am sure use the hotkeys instead. Just curious as to what all your preferences are. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/2 "2006-12-26T01:02:37Z")
I use a drawing tablet instead of a mouse. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/3 "2006-12-26T01:04:49Z")
I use both. I find I can maximize my navigational speed by knowing shortcuts and keystrokes to rapidly do what would take many mouse clicks to do the same thing. Windows-E, Windows-Break, Alt-Print, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-B, Ctrl-I are the ones I make the most use out of. There are many more that I use. Jim ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/4 "2006-12-26T01:50:45Z")
I use the mouse for everything except enlarging text size. Ctrl and the arrow keys are marvelous! ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/5 "2006-12-26T01:52:20Z")
Bit of both. I use the mouse most of the time, but I use the shortcuts for cut, copy, paste and new Firefox tabs. I’m sure if I wanted to I could get used to using more shortcuts, I just haven’t bothered learning them. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/6 "2006-12-26T01:57:23Z")
:smack: It’s not Ctrl and arrow keys, it’s Ctrl and the scroll thingie on the mouse that enlarges text. (Just in case someone was wondering why nothing happened when they did Ctrl-Arrow.) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/7 "2006-12-26T03:49:58Z")
I use a little bit of both. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/8 "2006-12-26T03:57:03Z")
Always the mouse. I’m so enamored of the mouse, in fact, that I also use one with the laptop whenever I can. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/9 "2006-12-26T04:24:42Z")
I use the keyboard as much as possible. It always irritates me to have to move my hand fromt eh keyboard to the mouse and back. I even play Freecell usng just the keyboard controls, which tkaes a bit of getting used to. StG ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/10 "2006-12-26T04:50:10Z")
I like the mouse for most things other than Ctl-A, Ctl-C, and Ctl-V…oh and Ctl-N. Other than that, my brain is full. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/11 "2006-12-26T04:55:47Z")
I use both. Depends on the situation. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/12 "2006-12-26T05:01:10Z")
⌘-o, ⌘-p, ⌘-i, ⌘-w, ⌘-n, ⌘-f, ⌘- ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/13 "2006-12-26T05:03:36Z")
And apparently one such key combo tells vBulletin to go ahead and post! If it’s a new program I’ve never used before, I’ll use the mouse until I learn what keystrokes do what. I use the hotkeys because I’m a touch typist and it’s a major slowdown to have to stop what I’m doing and reach for the mouse. Obviously different if I’m in a drawing program and mostly using the mouse already anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/14 "2006-12-26T05:08:09Z")
Like **Ruby** - mainly the mouse, aside from the classics. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/15 "2006-12-26T05:13:46Z")
Mostly the mouse. I use some lefthanded hotkeys, so I don’t have to take my right hand from the mouse, but since I have to look to use numbers, capital numbers, and F-keys, I’m limited. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/16 "2006-12-26T06:05:53Z")
I use the hotkeys as much as possible. In work, I use Excel quite a bit and it helps to know Ctrl + Shift + 1 creates the “2 decimal and commas” format, ALT and “+ key” yields the sum function, and so on. I use the computer a lot at work and at home. Among other things I have heard that using the mouse excessively might cause carpal tunnel syndrome due to the enormous amount of repetitive right index finger motions. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/17 "2006-12-26T10:05:22Z")
I use a lot of hotkeys, not just the universal ones already mentioned, but also the application-specific ones like in Adobe Photoshop and Premiere, or in Lightwave. It bothers me when the standard ones do not apply, though (like when Ctrl-F is not the “Find” key in Outlook, and instead means “Forward”. Stupid Microsoft.) ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/18 "2006-12-26T10:28:39Z")
Though I’m not a computer, I think I’m still qualified to answer your question. I like to know the hotkeys, and I use them a lot; my Linux days still inform my sensibilities. However, I use the extra buttons on my fancy Kensington mouse to go back and forward in my browser, etc., and I try to rely as little on the keyboard as possible when gaming. Back in the Quake I days I actually mapped right click to “run forward”. Can’t do that anymore, since weapons have secondary fire now, but if I could map the extra buttons on my mice to in-game functions, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/19 "2006-12-26T11:34:54Z")
Both. Mouse and Hotkeys, depending on how I feel and how fucked up my wrist is at that point in time. If my RSI gets too painful in my mousing hand and I don’t feel like going through the palaver to switch the mouse to the other side of my desk, then I’ll start using the hotkeys. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573/20 "2006-12-26T19:59:15Z")
I mostly use hotkeys once I have them committed to memory. I find using them to be much faster than clicking with the mouse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-do-you-use-the-mouse-or-hotkeys/385573.md?page=2)