Ask HN: Why did MS never add 2 mouse and pointer support in old days?

5 points by dev12345 ↗ HN
If most pointer is like pointing with your hand, 2 pointers could have been like using your both hands. We all see advantage of multi touch now a days.

6 comments

[ 4.5 ms ] story [ 33.0 ms ] thread
Have you tried using the mouse with your off-hand?

Not saying it's universal, but I use the mouse left-handed like I'm beyond drunk.

Beyond that, I can't think of a very useful purpose, despite the things multi-touch are useful for.

Sejje, its because you are use to of using it.

I am left handed and using mouse with my right hand from past 10 years, since i started with a PC.

its same problem with keyboard with 2 hands. I haven't though about it till now but just realized how proficient I am with my right hand in operating mouse.

The only time I've heard about two mouse pointers at the same time is the Amiga version of the game Lemmings. It had a two-player mode with a split screen, and each player had a mouse which would control the cursor on his side of the screen.
Maybe 5 or 6 years ago ms had a api via .net that allowed for two cursors on the screen and two mouses obviously. The drive behind it was to make applications for developing nations where people could share computers
This can be done. Here's some links http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4012352/linux-dual-mice-m...

Using both hands is pretty tricky. I'm left handed, and it's much easier for me to do mouse stuff with my left hand than with my right. Using both together would mean my right hand is under moving, and my left hand would be over moving. Working out what pointer belongs to what mouse would be tricky too.

It would be a bit like one of those "brain training" games where they display the word RED but in a blue colour, and you have to say "Blue".

Also, multiple monitors still suck, even though they're commonly used. I can only image how bad dual mice would suck.