Absolutely correct. Really precise work in Illustrator is nearly impossible unless you take the (incredibly time-consuming) step of zooming in to maximum magnification. Carpal tunnel zooming ad nauseam.

For years the selection tool has been the most frustrating tool to use in illustrator. The amount of time wasted having to zoom in to make a selection. No matter what setting is in preferences for selection it still isn't precise enough. It's great if you want to pickup points or set a pickup auto distance etc. But the sheer lack of accuracy of the pointer/object relationship is awful. When 2 small objects are next to each other and you make a selection, when the very end of the pointer is over the object you want and it goes and selects the other object. Even though the very tip was over the shape you wanted! This basic fault needs to be fixed... you've had 33 years to get this right! The interruption to working, to constantly have to zoom in is immeasurable.

Windows 10 - 1909
Illustrator 24.01

When trying to select bezier handles the cursor needs to be extremely accurate to successfully select a bezier handle. A pixel off and it creates a marquee instead meaning I frequently miss the handle. Changing the Selection Tolerance in preferences has no effect on the bezier handles, only the anchor points.

This is not the case on Mac OS where the bezier handles are also affected by the Selection Tolerance preference (I can select them within a few pixels outside of the physical handle)

I thought this may have something to do with high density displays and the inbuilt Windows scaling but I have tried playing with those settings to no avail and also tested on a regular 1920x1080 display with the problem the same. It occurs regardless as to whether I am using a Wacom pen or mouse.

The problem also occurs with GPU Performance on or off.

Judging by a forum search, this problem has already existed for quite some time but I wanted to add my experience to the chorus. As it stands now, it is unusable for me in a fast paced work environment so I've had to revert to using my Mac machine for any Illustrator work (which isn't ideal).

Note: working with Smart Guides on is not a viable workaround.

Thanks,
Chris

It is indeed broken; when text is inside a small circle the text tool cursor wants to select the circle and not the text although you are clearly right over the text. I have to zoom in considerably to select the text.

Same for text on a dimension line on measurements. To select the text with the text tool I have to zoom in otherwise it will select the dimension line.

Highly agreed - working in AI is a HUGE pain now - always rotating when you just want to scale. Or scaling a corner even though you just want to stretch from the center. It's especially noticeable on wacom tablets, however every other app gets it right. (InDesign, Xd, Mirra, Photoshop etc.) What's up AI team? It's a major pain to have to zoom in every time you want to do a transform.

@Alexandre Soubrier Agreed. Selecting points is easier now but selecting bezier handles is still a study in frustration.

@Rebecca Migdal : ok I see. But these functionalities exist since several versions.
The point of this thread is about selecting bezier handles without smart guides. Because some times, you don't want smart guides ON, as explained in the comments below

Alexandre Soubrier, here is what I see:
1. The pen tool is simplified-- it had already absorbed the functionality of the add and delete anchor point tools, and now these are eliminated. Can still switch between pen and anchor point tool by holding the option key.
2. Labels indicate what you are hovering over when using the pen tools and the selection tools, and these now include handle, as well as anchor and path
Tips:
• The function can be turned on and off under Preferences: Smart Guides: tick box "Anchor/Path Labels"
• Adjust the size of handles under Preferences: Selection and Anchor Display

@Rebecca Migdal : I have this version and don't see the improvements. What kind of improvements do you see ?

The latest 2019 version 23.0.4 solves this problem and is s huge improvement. Thanks for listening, Adobe!

Yes, why not increase the size, but I think this should stay an option because when you have hundreds of points, it can become difficult to grab the one you want.

Great Idea, but why not have both. Increase the size and change the cursor?

I strongly support your suggestion. I think I waste the most time in Illustrator just trying to grab bezier points. Adding tolerance and/or cursor change would go a long way towards mitigating the wasted time.

It is very strange because after having thought of all this, the cursor DOES change but only AFTER having clicked.... Which is useless because once clicked, who cares of the cursor ?

As for smart guides, nobody use them when we draw by hand, because they always drive you in a place you don't want to go. Smart guides are not the solution. There is a tolerance and a cursor change on anchor points while smart guides are off.
So why not on bezier handles ? The developers just forgot something in my opinion....

Of course I tried, and this is in my first comment ;) ! Preferences doesn't allow tolerance on bezier handles. Only on anchor point. And this is confusing for users.
You don't have the same bezier points as me because I changed that in preferences (that is on your screen capture).
Your video is not at 100% which is confusing... It is not the good size of points. But it shows exactly what I'm pointing out and which, when you use very often, is annoying : the cursor doesn't change on bezier handles. This is where the nightmare is : you can only guess that Illustrator will grab it or not.

Fairly enough, I didn't "notice" this selection as a "nightmare", since I rely heavily on smart guides, which, indeed, displays "handle" when you get close to one (see mp4 down there).

Also, on your screen, the dots seem smaller and to lack a tolerance, which is available as a preference in Ai. I suppose you tried some of that ?

Heartily seconded.

Tolerance is a problem, but the style of the cursor too. Showing where the cursor will REAlLY grab the handle is a solution. I show this here : https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/37709080-show-a-different-cursor-on-bezier-point-and-add-t

I suggest a solution here : https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/37709080-show-a-different-cursor-on-bezier-point-and-add-t