Microsoft Nabs Patent on Double-Clicking

Microsoft Nabs Patent on Double-Clicking

"In the United States, the company has successfully patented the use of short, long or double clicks on the same button to launch different applications on devices such as PDAs."

Give me a break, what kind of mental migits work at the Patent Office? I could swear one of the requirements for a Patent is that it "be novel, and not be obvious to someone else in the industry".

It started with Amazon and "one click" to purchase. What next? We'll have to pay patent fees to turn lights on/off? Flush the head? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

It's going to be interesting if Microsoft tries to do anything with this. I somehow don't think that finding some prior art is going to be any problem /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I think Commodore came out with a mouse (the 1531) with their C=64 back in the early 1980s, and it used double-clicking.

I don't know when Windows first came out, and used a mouse with double-clicking though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Throttle it back down people.
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The patent wasn't for double-clicking...
It was for "a method and system... for extending the functionality of application buttons on a limited resource computing device."

I'm surprised they haven't patended CTL-ALT-DELETE. It's SO popular, after all... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Remember, a flashlight can now be considered a "limited resource computing device" as demonstrated by the ARC4.

Good Grief...Bucket'O'Worms /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif!!!

Billy don't miss a trick!

I'm just wondering how long until a standard keyboard has an actual "any" key.

Can...open...
Worms...everywhere!!!

The worms go in..The worms go out...Windows O/S is all about.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif

14C....BAD...

Anyway the patent appears more towards their PDAs, problem being that Palm was around before PocketPC, and even on the first palms you could press a button for address book, or hold it to beam your address card, so...

LOL...sorry.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

Heres a good idea for old Bill.... a dedicated reboot key!

can you imagine the patent application ?

... following work studies as developed by Taylor at the early part of the last century, indicating that correct resources for tasks to be undertaken reduce demand on finite resources of time and labour, it has been determined that a constant pressing of three separate keys to re-boot a system that continuously crashes is inefficient; for this purpose a dedicated key to mimic the functions of a combined Control, Alt and Delete currently requiring three fingers and resources of two hands is proposed...

and

... due to anticipated frequency of usage, this key is to take the position currently occupied by the space bar ...

LOL!

Microsoft keyboard...

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Well, that'd be pretty pointless now, as giving XP the three fingered salute won't do anything if it's locked up! Just opens task manager.

Think I'll just stick with the Shift + break combination used on my old Arcimedes A5000, harware instruction sent to MB to force a reboot. Though there's a reset button on the keyboard anyway. Waitaminit...RiscOS never crashes anyway!

Task manager can kill hung processes - I'd say that's more useful than just forcing a reboot.

I've had machines lock up so badly that Task Manager freezes and I have to hit the reset button or kill the power to get the thing to come back.

OTOH, I have to reboot my Linux systems on average of once a year. And the OS is free.
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