OPEN LOOK Scrollbars

A commenter on Hacker News points out that the Google Wave scrollbars look very similar to the scrollbars used in Sun’s OPEN LOOK user interface:

OPEN LOOK scrollbars

He notes:

Clicking on them also moved the mouse cursor with the button.

This is not possible using JavaScript. I’m not sure it would be a good idea even if it were possible. It lets the computer take control of the one thing the user is always controlling, the closest thing to an on-screen representation of the user. I always find it extremely disconcerting when an application moves the mouse cursor on its own.

GUIdebook has more pictures.

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written by
Lukas Mathis

Hi. My name is Lukas Mathis. I studied Computer Science/Software Engineering and Ergonomics/Usability at ETH Zürich. I work as a software engineer and user interface designer for a swiss software company creating workflow management software. My first computer was a Performa 450, my first programming language was HyperTalk, my first electric guitar was a cheap Peavey, my first videogame was a VCS 2600 and my current snowboard is from Lib Tech. I live in a small cottage in a remote part of the Swiss Alps, and you can reach me at or on twitter.

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