[comp.sys.ibm.pc] joystick

davej@entropy.ms.washington.edu (Dave Jenner) (12/23/87)

Every 6 months or so someone asks (even I did) if there is some way
of using a joystick (i.e. through the game port) in lieu of a mouse.
I don't know that anyone has ever come up with the "ideal" answer:
a mouse.sys driver that looks at the game port (joystick) and returns
calls compatible with a (e.g. Microsoft) mouse.

Kraft, the maker of joysticks, tells me that they are about to release
(sell for $10-$20) such a mouse.sys driver in about 6-8 weeks.  This
posting is just to let anyone interested know that a product will be
available soon.  I will post details when they send me further info
after the first of the year.


-- 
Dave Jenner                     (206) 543-6182, 543-2888 (Message)
Department of Astronomy, FM-20  BITNET: davej@uwaphast
University of Washington        UUCP: ...!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!phastvax!davej
Seattle, WA 98195               INTERNET: davej@entropy.ms.washington.edu

herb@hpindda.HP.COM (Herb Gellis) (12/24/87)

There is a public domain program called "Poor Man's Mouse" (PMM) that can be
found on BBS's, that is supposed to transform a joystick into a mouse
(a pig's ear into a silk purse!). Don't know anymore about it.

 .                                  .
 |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|
 | Herb Gellis                      | "... What will I be when I grow up?
 | {ucbvax,...}!hplabs!hpindda!herb | You are already grown up.
 |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-| You mean this is as UP as I will get?..."
 |                                  |
---                                ---

david@infopro.UUCP (David Fiedler) (12/24/87)

In article <693@entropy.ms.washington.edu>, davej@entropy.ms.washington.edu (Dave Jenner) writes:
> Every 6 months or so someone asks (even I did) if there is some way
> of using a joystick (i.e. through the game port) in lieu of a mouse.
> I don't know that anyone has ever come up with the "ideal" answer:
> a mouse.sys driver that looks at the game port (joystick) and returns
> calls compatible with a (e.g. Microsoft) mouse.

What about people who have to do real work (and so bought a mouse) but
don't have a lot of spare slots (and can't justify a game card)? How about
a joystick that plugs into the mouse bus card? Any ideas?
-- 
David Fiedler         {ames,attmail,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid,ucdavis}!infopro!david
USMail: InfoPro Systems, PO Box 220, Rescue CA 95672      Phone: (916) 677-5870

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

psc@lznv.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (01/01/88)

In article <693@entropy.ms.washington.edu>, davej@uw-entropy.UUCP writes:
> Every 6 months or so someone asks (even I did) if there is some way
> of using a joystick (i.e. through the game port) in lieu of a mouse.
>(Tells that Craft will have a driver soon) --Dave Jenner
> uw-beaver!uw-entropy!phastvax!davej davej@entropy.ms.washington.edu

Dave, thanks a lot for your info.  But I'm in the opposite position!
I've got a Logitech bus mouse but no game port.  Obviously I'm stuck
(unless Logitech does magic on the card) for self booting games, but
does anyone know of a driver that'll make my mouse look like a joystick
to games?

Is PMI, that company with the $80 EMS/serial/parallel/game port card,
still in business?  I haven't seen their ads in a while.

-Paul S. R. Chisholm, {ihnp4,cbosgd,allegra,rutgers}!mtune!lznv!psc
AT&T Mail !psrchisholm, Internet psc@lznv.att.com
I'm not speaking for my employer, I'm just speaking my mind.

baumann@hope.UUCP (Michael Baumann) (01/03/88)

on the poor mans mouse (PMM), near as I can tell, all it really does
is remap the arrow keys to joystick control. If you program can use the
arrow keys you can use it, else no.
m. baumann