An empirical comparison of menu selection, command entry and combined modes of computer control

Command entry and menu selection control modes, along with a combination of the two, were compared using objective performance and subjective preference measures. Experienced as well as novice users of an interactive computer aided design system participated in the study. Although command entry produced performance that was superior to the other two modes, there was a strong user preference for the combined mode. Therefore, it is recommended that combined modes of control be considered for future systems, as long as there is a means to deactivate the menus. These results dispel the notion that menus are necessarily viewed as a hindrance by experienced users of a computer system.