Ken - This is off message for this discussion, but wanted you to get this:
I THINK I FOUND THE CAUSE of the missing cursor issue:
When I am typing a message in Apple Mail, then I go to another program (can be anything - Safari, TextEdit, Contacts - doesn't matter) -- if I then choose "Hide Others" (i.e. hide other programs so only the one to which I've just gone is visible) then when I go BACK TO MAIL - the cursor is gone.
This happened all the time for me since I use DragThing with the preference to "Hide all applications when switching to a new application". So each time the "Hide Others" command was given. By not using that preference in DragThing - my cursor is always there when I go back to Mail.
BUT if I choose "Hide Others" while in the other program, when I go back - cursor hidden. (and I have to touch another message in Mail to reactivate the cursor).
Hope this helps but it demonstrates the cause, but not how to fully correct it.
Comments welcome - but best to comment in my other post: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4287467?answerId=19617153022#19617153022
Best regards,
Steve Schulte
Wednesday 19 September 2012