The Effect of Display Format on the Direct Entry of Numerical Information by Pointing

Abstract

Pointing is in many cases now a viable alternative to keying for the on--line entry of numerical data. This study compares three formats for the arrangement of the numerical display for use by inexperienced operators. The three formats are a linear array, a matrix array, and a cash register array. The particular layouts of each of these formats were optimized using the results of a preference study and an experimental pretest. The results of the main experimental comparison suggest that the linear and the matrix formats are about equally suitable for this task, and both are more suitable than the cash register format, although there are circumstances in which the cash register format performs equally well. Factors influencing performance, and thus those that should be considered in the choice of format for any particular application, are discussed.