Mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen: none won every Word task
Of 56 tasks, the mouse was fastest in 27, the touchscreen in 23, and the touchpad in six. The mouse had fewer errors in 32.
The key idea
The mouse made fewer errors on more Word tasks, but the fastest or most accurate device varied by action.
The study, in plain language
Moving text, selecting a word, or adjusting a table are different actions, even within the same program. An experiment asked each participant to complete the same Word 365 tasks using a mouse, touchpad, and touchscreen.
The mouse was fastest on the most tasks and had fewer errors on a larger share of them. The touchscreen was also faster in several cases, and the touchpad was fastest in some others.
Comparing actions one by one showed that the most comfortable or accurate device changed depending on what a person was doing.
What they found
- The mouse had fewer errors on more tasks than the touchpad or touchscreen.
- Speed depended on the action: some tasks were faster with a mouse and others with a touchscreen.
- On one task, the touchscreen also showed an accuracy advantage.
How they studied it
A usability experiment in which each person tried all three devices in different orders. Fifty-four people completed 56 Microsoft Word 365 tasks with a mouse, touchpad, and touchscreen; the team measured time, errors, and satisfaction.
What the study cannot show
- A convenience sample from academic institutions, only Microsoft Word 365, and tasks selected by the authors; six video records were excluded due to failures. Performance measures do not prove that an adaptive menu improves work in other apps or tasks.
- That a mouse is always superior, that touchscreens are generally less useful, or that grouping tasks in a custom menu improves real productivity without direct evaluation.
The original study
Touch or click friendly: Towards adaptive user interfaces for complex applications
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
