IntelliMouse

[vic user]

those god damn buttons on the side of the mouse are driving me nuts.

this mouse must be great for gaming, but i keep accidentally hitting the left side button while surfing, and it keeps sending me back to the previous page i was on.

not fun when you are trying to post!!!

there has got to be a way of disabling the side buttons until i bring a serial mouse from home.

the new work computer only has a db9 serial port and no ps/2 port, which i find odd.

chris

[CP/M User]

"vic user" wrote:

> the new work computer only has a db9 serial port and no ps/2 port,
> which i find odd.

I usually thought a PS/2 port was something of an rarity on IBM based
computers. But certainally a few computers I have feature that particular
port (not just my IBM) - I was suprised to see my new Acer has one too.
The strangest thing about my Acer is -all- the input devices (Keyboard &
Mouse) are USB though. Which means my computer has lots of free DB9
serial ports - 2 free PS/2 ports, parallel ports. My printer is also USB
based - the only thing not being USB based is the monitor.

CP/M User.

[carlsson]

PS/2 connectors have been used for keyboards and mice since the ATX standard around 1996-97. Recently they have been phased out in favor of USB though. Perhaps Chris' work computer with a single DB9 is meant for other forms of serial devices than a mouse.

Yeah, some modern mice with buttons and wheels everywhere can be a bit difficult to handle. I remember using a Logitech MouseMan (IIRC) once after a round in the bar (which is very uncommon - I get drunk maybe once every five or ten years), and if it was tough to handle while being sober, it was almost a nightmare to control in drunk state. The mouse was assymetrical and buttons on the sides and optical and all kinds of things.

[Vlad]

I hate the new mice. Who needs 5 buttons on a mouse? That seems a bit much. I like my IBM pro Optical mouse. Just the 2 standard right-left buttons and the wheel. Nothing fancy. I just wish my IBM Model M Keyboard worked. (My crappy System Board doesint output enough voltage through the Keyboard port to power one so I'm thinking about getting one of those adapters from the Clickity keyboard people.....)

[CP/M User]

"vlad" wrote:

> I hate the new mice. Who needs 5 buttons on a mouse? That seems a
> bit much. I like my IBM pro Optical mouse. Just the 2 standard right-left
> buttons and the wheel. Nothing fancy. I just wish my IBM Model M
> Keyboard worked. (My crappy System Board doesint output enough
> voltage through the Keyboard port to power one so I'm thinking about
> getting one of those adapters from the Clickity keyboard people.....)

To be quite honest, I've never seen a mouse with 5 buttons. I've only just
got the pretty much stock-standard mouse - except this has the wheel in
the centre - which comes in handy.

Don't know what other mouse you'd need. My only grudge with it is the
USB - a mouse doesn't need such a fast connector - it's better saving the
USB for something which needs it.

CP/M User.

[Vlad]

One USB port can handle 127 devices on once, so its not like you don't have the room...... But I see what your saying, Why not stick with PS/2? USB also has more voltage than PS/2 I think.....

[Terry Yager]

Not to stray off from the original topic but, my g/f has a Treo 650 PDA that has buttons all over the sides & front, and if the phone rings, there is no way to pick it up without touching one of the buttons or the touch screen, which gives different results depending, but the usual outcome is that the call is lost by hitting the wrong button. Drives me knutz!

--T

[carlsson]

Many computers are only equipped with two or sometimes four USB ports, so if you don't fancy buying an USB hub, you will soon fill up all the connectors. My dad just did, but I found one unit that he doesn't need so I unplugged it instead. Maybe I'll give him an USB hub in 70th birthday present.. very sweet and up to modern standards? :P

[Unknown_K]

You can get the MS wheel mouse optical for older machines. It is a 2 button with scroll where optical that is USB native and has a PS2 adapter.

I have MS opticals with more buttons for gaming, but I think I prefer the simple type for everything else.

[Terry Yager]

Apple thought nobody should need more than one button on the early Macs (a philosophy that makes a lot of sense to me).

--T

[carlsson]

Early? I thought even recent Macs were one buttoned. At least until the first generation of IMac, IIRC.

[Mad-Mike]

MEh, I'm still using a 15 year old Microspeed PC-Trac Trackball. It's got 3 buttons, one redaundant (The "Click Lock" button, great for dragging and carrying stuff when needed). That's all I need, a DB-9 Serial Trackball with the ball the size of a pool cue. It fits my hand great, never fails, and is worth all the hours of work it took to get it working (since my ATX mobo whines about NEEDING a PS/2 mouse to be happy....shaaadap Intel!).

[Terry Yager]

I use an old Tandy Hand-Held TrackBall of about the same vintage. It has the two normal buttons and the click-lock thinggy too, but it jacks into a PS/2 port.

--T