According to the Microsoft Website, “If touch input is available on your [Windows Vista] computer, you can use the touch pointer to accomplish tasks that are difficult to perform with just your finger, such as targeting small objects on the screen”.
Source: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Turn-the-touch-pointer-on-or-off
Not having Touchscreen technology available on my PC, I have used a Pen Tablet as a substitute pointing device. This allows for a higher degree of accuracy when applying so-called ‘Mouse Gestures’.
Basically, ‘Mouse Gestures’ are a series of predefined sweeping motions of the hand that are interpreted by the software as specific executable commands.
Being a casual gamer for some years, I’ve observed with interest the transformation of board games into animated digital media which have won and continue to win fans amongst computer enthusiasts.
Most software are menu driven or controlled by keyboard input, but eventually ‘Mouse Gestures’ have have found their way into consumer computer products. In its beginnings, this feature was essentially reserved for professional hardware like Computer-Assisted Design Workstations and Broadcast Quality Non-Linear Editors. Today, in addition to the familiar keyboard, mouse, trackball or game-pad, some games on the Home PC are controlled through software that accept a set of intuitive gestures.
Even if your PC is equipped with a standard mouse, there is Freeware that will add ‘Mouse Gestures’ functionality to your Operating System. ‘gMote For Windows’ is one of the suggested programs designed for this purpose.
http://www.handform.net/apps/gmote
Earlier this year, I conducted an experiment in controlling a browser game with the help of a Pen Tablet (and its bundled drivers). The game was a simulation of ice skating and required the use of gestures, which made the Pen Tablet the pointing device of choice. After the initial stage of trial and error, I concluded that controlling the very same game with a mouse yielded a less satisfactory result. The Online Shockwave game I briefly tested was ‘Championship Figure Skating’. It is freely accessible on the Web at this location:
http://www.silentbaystudios.com/redirecting.php?gameid=championship_figure_skating&lang=en
