Ever since MondoMouse came out I've tried to explain why it's so useful. I've had mixed success, drawing a dedicated band of users but not quite so many as I might hope. I'm not sure I really get the MondoMouse message across well.
So, I was more than a little pleased to see "Power Windows for Your Mac", Mason Mark's writeup on MondoMouse. Mason takes the time to analyze and explain how MondoMouse can save time and frustration when using your Mac, complete with diagrams that'll make it all clear even if you only skim the article.
Mason's post basically illustrates Fitt's Law, one of the cornerstones of user interface design. It provides a solid mathematical basis for why MondoMouse's approach to moving and resizing windows is not just way cool, but also provides a significant improvement in the overall Mac experience. Mason's writeup is more entertaining, and drops the math in favor of some obvious illustrations.
Fitt's law, by the way, is the reason that Macs have always had their menu bars firmly attached to the top of the screen. Applying Fitt's law, the menu bar can be regarded as if it were infinitely tall (because it's impossible to move your mouse too far when you want to click on it).
Mason is also the guy behind the excellent iGet and the promising iGet Mobile. Check them out.
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