scoop@aplvax.UUCP (Steve Cooper) (11/24/87)
I'm thinking about adding a mouse to my Tandy 1000. I'd like any info that anyone out there could offer on what mice are good, which are bad, and of course, which ones would work with a Tandy 1000. Since the board length max is 10", what would I need to get a mouse going? Also, what software is good to use a wouse with? I've read about MS Word and others, but as far as a list of good "mousable" software, I have yet to see. Please - any help woud be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Steve Cooper -- Steve Cooper scoop@aplvax.arpa
hundt@wind.UUCP (11/25/87)
>I'm thinking about adding a mouse to my Tandy 1000. I'd like any info >that anyone out there could offer on what mice are good, which are bad, and There are two types of "sensing mechanisms" used: a ball that moves by friction with your desktop (or a mouse traction pad), and LEDs/phototransistors that sense movement by reflecting beams off of a grid on a special (flat metal) pad. Which is better is largely a matter of preference. Try them. Good mice: Logitech (3 buttons), trackball. Mouse systems (3 buttons) optical. Microsoft (2 buttons), trackball. I would advise against "clone" mice, they are really kind of cheap. And a mouse doesn't cost that much anyway. ($80?) >of course, which ones would work with a Tandy 1000. A serial mouse should be more compatible with your machine than a bus mouse. Call the manufacturer is my advice. >Since the board length max is 10", what would I need to get a mouse going? Bus mice generally come with small boards, 1/2 slot size. Serial mice require a serial port, which you provide. >Also, what software is good to use a wouse with? I've read about MS Word >and others, but as far as a list of good "mousable" software, I have yet >to see. Word is nice, and so is Norton Commander. Norton Editor. Various "paint" programs. Desktop publishing. Also, there's software that comes with the Logitech and Mouse Systems mice that lets them emulate arrow keys (ie. move mouse up = a bunch of up-arrow keystrokes fed to the application -- similar to the AT&T 6300 mouse). I think there may be such for the MS-mouse too (I'm not certain). There's also menuing software that lets you set up pulldown menus for all your favorite programs, to make them mouse-activated. By the way, it's really pretty easy to write software that uses the mouse. All you do is hook into the interrupt and the Microsoft-compatible mouse driver. The driver does all the moving of the cursor for you... it even keeps track of numbers of button-presses and such things. /-^-\ Thomas M. Hundt / BELLCORE Morristown NJ / hundt@bellcore.bellcore.com | | {seismo|ihnp4|ucbvax|decvax|ulysses|allegra|clyde}!bellcore!hundt /--_--\
toma@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Tom Almy) (11/30/87)
(I never saw the original to this, and the reply is missing the originator) In article <3830@bellcore.bellcore.com> hundt@wind.UUCP (tom hundt) writes: >>I'm thinking about adding a mouse to my Tandy 1000. I'd like any info >>that anyone out there could offer on what mice are good, which are bad, and > >A serial mouse should be more compatible with your machine than a bus mouse. I have used a Mouse Systems Bus Mouse with no problems. (Of course the metal bracket on the board must be bent, but any 1000 hardware hacker knows about this). Try them all out before you buy. It really is a personal thing. I happen to like optical mice, but then I had some bad early experiences (circa 1980) with the mechanical type, and good experiences with optical. The bad problems with mechanical mice (namely sticking) seem to be solved, so now it is a matter of feel. I also prefer a three button mouse (you don't have to use the extra button, but its there if you want it); I suppose if I could custom make a mouse it would have five buttons! Tom Almy toma@tekgvs.TEK.COM