This page shows you how to setup single-click to open files, and window-switching by mouse hovering (auto-focus, auto-raise). For {Microsoft Windows, Linux}.
You can make single-click to open files instead of double-click. Single-click is much superior than double-click. Double-click is from the 1990s, and is awkward. The single-click behavior is similar to web browsing.
At first you may find it annoying. I first tried it for few days, got annoyed, switched back to normal double click. But after a month, i went to single-click again, and this time stick with it. Now i've been using single-click for 3 years now, am happy with it.
To Select files, hold down Ctrl and click. For single file, hoover mouse over item will automatically select it.
For Linux, you can usually set single-click in the file manager preference.
Another great feature is window auto-raise. This way, you don't have to click the window to activate it, just hover mouse over it.
This save you a lot clicks. However, it takes some time to get used to.
One problem is that if you moved your mouse carelessly, some background window pops to the front. You can quickly go back to your previous window by【Alt+Tab ↹】. However, it is especially annoying when the window you are working on is a small dialog that just popped up while you are moving the mouse. You can't switch back to the dialog because it's not a window or app.
Auto-raise is especially good if you are a trackball or trackpad user. 〔☛ Best Trackball Mouse〕 Because trackball are less likely to move the pointer unnecessarily.
For me, over all i still like auto-raise. After a while, you learned not to touch your mouse when you don't need to.
To turn this on, go to “Control Panel”, then “Ease of Access Center”, then click “Make the mouse easier to use”, then checkbox “Activate a window by hovering over it with a mouse.”, click Save.
For linux, you usually find a setting in the Window Manager preference pane.
It's nearly impossible to set window auto-raise in OS X. See: 〔Settling the OS X focus-follows-mouse debate By Steve Yegge. @ steve-yegge.blogspot.com…〕