Alan,

On Thu, 2 Mar 2006 15:28:18 -0000, Alan B. Pearce wrote:

> >While the actual time difference is negligible,
> >part of it is the novelty factor for now.
> 
> That is exactly why I can see a future "soft turn off/on" once the LED
> instant off/on disappears.

Why do you think that's a good idea?  The advantages of instant-on are that (a) it doesn't contribute to a 
delay in reaction (b) it's more noticeable.  This isn't a "novelty" thing, it's physiological.  Human eyesight 
operates by detecting changes in the view, which is why a flashing light stands out compared to always-on, and 
strobes stand out more than soft on/off flashing.

On the subject of reaction times, an alert adult should have a reaction time of around 200ms, so adding 100ms 
to that means a 50% increase in distance travelled before an action can be initiated.  Sometimes that will 
mean the difference between an adrenaline-shock and a pile-up!

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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