A system and method for improving the usability of electronic products. Control devices such as keyboards, mice, and switches, for example, are often accompanied by software which allows users to configure the device response to suit their physical abilities, situation and task. The system and method enables automatic configuration of such control devices in real time to match the user's requirements and enables users to achieve accurate control. The system includes a device for monitoring user activity and determining an appropriate device configuration from user activity sequences with that device, and a configurer that implements the appropriate configuration determined by the algorithm. The method further includes optional steps for identifying when a user with different configuration requirements starts to use a device, and for resetting the state of an inference algorithm when such changes are detected. This allows rapid configuration in environments where many individuals may use the same device.