mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (12/09/88)
In the latest Amazing Computing, I also read this little blurb:
"Most everyone in the Amiga community know what a Boing Ball is, but how about
the Boing Mouse? What's a Boing Mouse? It's an optical, three-button mouse for
the Amiga that was demonstrated at AmiEXPO! Instead of a roller in the bottom
of the mouse, it has a LED and comes with a mirror pad. The mirror pad has a
grid on it that tells the mouse where it is moving. The Boing Mouse is
compatible with the existing Amiga mouse port and comes with a 4-foot cable.
Boing Mouse is slated for release on December 7, and will be available from:
Boing, 1881 Ellwell Dr., Milipitas, CA"
Three questions (since Dale Luck is probably reading this):
1. How much does it cost?
2. Is it really shipping now, as the blurb implies?
3. What's the zipcode on the address for Boing?
--M
--
Michael Portuesi / Information Technology Center / Carnegie Mellon University
INET: mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu / BITNET: mp1u+%andrew.cmu.edu@cmccvb
UUCP: ...harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!mp1u+
"I'm very sorry, Master, but that WAS the backup system" -- Slaverneill@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Richard Neill) (01/06/89)
Just received three Boing mouses and would recommend them to anyone needing a professional quality product. Its one of the nicer enhancements to the Amiga. Rich Neill Happy Customer
gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) (11/14/89)
Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available. Thanks, Gavin Stark. gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
gbbrooks@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU (G. Brandon Brooks) (11/14/89)
In article <4028@ur-cc.UUCP> gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes: > >Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking > >to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available. > I have had my BOING! Optical Mouse for just over half a year, and I love it!!! I have never had a problem with it, except for the fact that I have to be careful about the special optical pad that comes with it. If the mouse pad ever gets bent, the mouse won't work. I DO have a slight knick from a falling joystick in one corner of the pad - but its in the corner, so it's no problem. The mouse glides incredibly smooth, and there is no noise to be heard. If you've got the money, it's well worth it. Oh, in addition, you also get THREE mouse buttons. -Brandon!
magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM (Darrin A. Hyrup) (11/16/89)
In article <4028@ur-cc.UUCP> gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes: >Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking >to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available. Yes, I've had my Boing! optical mouse now for 7 months or so, and I love it! I have never had any problems with it, and its so smooth flowing I nearly forget I'm using a mouse. And with the extra center mouse button it opens up new possibilities for such things as the new Amiga UNIX and can be used with many programs currently available such as Matt Dillon's Dme, etc. Overall its one of the best mice (if not the best) I've owned for any of my machines. (Blows the doors off the original Amiga mouse, and is also better than the Mac Optical in responce, etc.) It is indeed a bit pricy however, but if you look at how often you have to clean the bloody mouse, and how often it fails/breaks down vs. the Boing! mouse's 25 year MTBF (mean time between failures) it's worth it in the long run. Especially if you get it through a discount place like Abel or such. >gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu Hope that was helpful. Darrin Hyrup -- Darrin A. Hyrup // AMIGA Enthusiast rencon!esfenn!dah magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM \X/ & Software Developer pacbell!sorinc!magik ========================================================================== "Speak little and well, if you wish to be considered as possessing merit."
plav@cup.portal.com (Rick M Plavnicky) (11/17/89)
From <4028@ur-cc.UUCP> gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark):
$ Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking
$ to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available.
Here's another vote for the Boing! mouse. I've been using it on an
A1000 since the last AmiExpo (New York). It's quiet, accurate, and the
(three) buttons have a nice feel. I found a little PD hack somewhere
that lets the middle buttom emulate the shift key for extended
selection that's pretty useful.
Someone else already brought up (the article isn't handy right now) the
semi-fragility of the pad. While I'm not sure, I'd suspect that the
pad can be replaced easily if one were to call Mouse Systems, the
manufacturer.
Here's another concern. Since the mouse is powered by the Amiga, you
probably shouldn't detatch it without first powering down. From the
warranty card: "We recommend you [plug/unplug the mouse] with the power
turned off on your Amiga." Better safe than sorry!
Rick Plavnicky
{...}!sun!cup.portal.com!plav
"I've got a bunch of bananas, and a bottle of bleach..."thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (11/19/89)
plav@cup.portal.com (Rick M Plavnicky) in <24132@cup.portal.com> comments in a discussion about the "Boing! Mouse": Here's another concern. Since the mouse is powered by the Amiga, you probably shouldn't detatch it without first powering down. From the warranty card: "We recommend you [plug/unplug the mouse] with the power turned off on your Amiga." Better safe than sorry! Gee, do you think the stock Amiga mouse runs on batteries or sumtin'? :-) It, too, has IR photoemitters, photodetectors, and associated and accompanying "glue" circuitry (powered from the Amiga over the mouse cable). The "general" rule is: don't ever not ever plug ANYTHING into ANY system that's powered up (even those claimed to be capable of and designed for "live insertion" of component cards (just think what'd happen if you sneeze while inserting a card and it drops and shorts across other circuitry)). And weekly I hear horror stories of people plugging printer cables, Digi-View, etc. into a powered-up Amiga and shorting out the 8520 when the connector isn't inserted properly and shorts against pins, connector shell, whatever. At least one company mfgs a mouse port switching device that allows one to safely deselect and switch to other goodies. Similar devices exist as parallel port and as serial port switchers. Be safe, not sorry; do you REALLY want to be without your Amiga while it's in the shop being repaired? Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]
jac@muslix.llnl.gov (James Crotinger) (11/22/89)
Just thought I'd add my $0.02 to the traffic. I've been giving some thought to the Boing mouse since I first heard about it. However for the last several months I've been using a Sun 3/80 at work, which uses the same mouse, and quite frankly I much prefer the feel of my Amiga mouse at home. I tried a Boing mouse at the last AmiExpo just to make sure it felt the same as the Sun's, and it does. I'd really like to see a mechanical 3 button mouse which is shaped like the Amiga mouse. (There is a mechinical 3 button mouse available, but I hate the shape). Jim
poirier@dg-rtp.dg.com (Charles Poirier) (11/23/89)
In article <8911152226.AA07846@sorinc.PacBell.COM> magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM (Darrin A. Hyrup) writes: >In article <4028@ur-cc.UUCP> gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes: >>Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking >>to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available. > >Yes, I've had my Boing! optical mouse now for 7 months or so, and I love it! I can't speak to the Boing! mouse in particular. The Mouse Systems optical mouse I use at work has one minor misfeature: when you have to lift it to reposition yourself on the pad, the cursor moves a bit before losing optical contact with the pad. Thus, while doing a prolonged one-direction roll, you are fighting the mouse's tendency to backslide on every mouse lift. I personally prefer the crisp separation-from-pad of a roller mouse. Perhaps someone with a Boing! mouse could comment on whether it too exhibits this effect? >It is indeed a bit pricy however, but if you look at how often you have to >clean the bloody mouse, and how often it fails/breaks down vs. the Boing! >mouse's 25 year MTBF (mean time between failures) it's worth it in the long >run. I'm not sure I buy that 25 year figure. Seems to me you'd have to test a *whole lot* of mice in the (roughly) one year Boing!s have been available, to be able to extrapolate a valid MTBF of 25. Besides, of all the mouse failures I've personally heard of, the only ones not fixed by cleaning the rollers have been (a) the switches wearing out, and (b) the cable wearing out. Are these components THAT much better in the Boing! mouse? Perhaps the 25 years applies only to the pickup and encoding electronics. The roller units' shaft encoders seem to be very reliable. Cheers, Charles Poirier
plav@cup.portal.com (Rick M Plavnicky) (11/23/89)
From thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) in <24216@cup.portal.com>: > plav@cup.portal.com (Rick M Plavnicky) in <24132@cup.portal.com> comments in > a discussion about the "Boing! Mouse": > > Here's another concern. Since the mouse is powered by the Amiga, you > probably shouldn't detatch it without first powering down. From the > warranty card: "We recommend you [plug/unplug the mouse] with the power > turned off on your Amiga." Better safe than sorry! > > Gee, do you think the stock Amiga mouse runs on batteries or sumtin'? :-) Duh! :-) :-) Rereading (only) the included text, though, I could have been talking about *any* mouse (the generic 'the' :). And even the quote could have been (but wasn't) lifted from virtually any hardware warranty statement if you replaced the 'the mouse' with the appropriate hardware term. Heh. :-) > It, too, has IR photoemitters, photodetectors, and associated and Indeed it does. > The "general" rule is: don't ever not ever plug ANYTHING into ANY > system that's powered up (even those claimed to be capable of and [sound testimonial omitted] > Be safe, not sorry; Agreed. Sorry if I caused any misunderstanding with the original post. Rick Plavnicky {...}!sun!cup.portal.com!plav "I've got a bunch of bananas, and a bottle of bleach..."
magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM (Darrin A. Hyrup) (11/25/89)
In article <640@xyzzy.UUCP> poirier@dg-rtp.dg.com (Charles Poirier) writes: >In article <8911152226.AA07846@sorinc.PacBell.COM> magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM (Darrin A. Hyrup) writes: >>In article <4028@ur-cc.UUCP> gest_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes: >>>Does anyone have any opinions on the Boing optical mouse? I am looking >>>to replace my mouse and this seems like the best one available. >> >>Yes, I've had my Boing! optical mouse now for 7 months or so, and I love it! > >I can't speak to the Boing! mouse in particular. The Mouse Systems optical >mouse I use at work has one minor misfeature: when you have to lift it to >reposition yourself on the pad, the cursor moves a bit before losing >optical contact with the pad. Thus, while doing a prolonged one-direction >roll, you are fighting the mouse's tendency to backslide on every mouse lift. >I personally prefer the crisp separation-from-pad of a roller mouse. > >Perhaps someone with a Boing! mouse could comment on whether it too exhibits >this effect? Actually, the Boing! mouse is made by Mouse systems, and yes it does exhibit the same misfeature. But it has been my experience that the roller style mice also move a bit when picked up and placed on the mat. Although not to the same degree. >>It is indeed a bit pricy however, but if you look at how often you have to >>clean the bloody mouse, and how often it fails/breaks down vs. the Boing! >>mouse's 25 year MTBF (mean time between failures) it's worth it in the long >>run. > >I'm not sure I buy that 25 year figure. Seems to me you'd have to test a >*whole lot* of mice in the (roughly) one year Boing!s have been available, >to be able to extrapolate a valid MTBF of 25. Besides, of all the mouse >failures I've personally heard of, the only ones not fixed by cleaning the >rollers have been (a) the switches wearing out, and (b) the cable wearing >out. Are these components THAT much better in the Boing! mouse? Perhaps >the 25 years applies only to the pickup and encoding electronics. The roller >units' shaft encoders seem to be very reliable. I am not certain how these tests were made, or how the 25 year figure was arrived, but the documentation does give these numbers, as does the press releases and advertisements, so I must assume they are correct. As for mouse related failures, I have had the rollers themselves fail, as well as the switches. I've never personally seen a mouse cable wear out, but I am sure it happens. When I used to work in an Apple dealership a few years back, we'd see the roller mice come in in real bad shape. They are easy to wear out with continual use, especially if people abuse them. I have friends who've owned optical mice for many years without any problems, and of course I also have friends who have used roller mice for years without many problems, aside from occasional cleaning, etc. But to me, I would rather use the optical mouse since it incurs less overhead in maintainance and I've yet to see one break down. > Cheers, > Charles Poirier Of course, these statements are mostly pure opinion. And like Charles' summary line said, if you are not sure, please try it out before you make your decision. -- Darrin A. Hyrup // AMIGA Enthusiast rencon!esfenn!dah magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM \X/ & Software Developer pacbell!sorinc!magik ========================================================================== "Speak little and well, if you wish to be considered as possessing merit."
king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King) (11/29/89)
In article <8911250855.AA07838@sorinc.PacBell.COM> magik@sorinc.PacBell.COM (Darrin A. Hyrup) writes: >In article <640@xyzzy.UUCP> poirier@dg-rtp.dg.com (Charles Poirier) writes: >>I can't speak to the Boing! mouse in particular. The Mouse Systems optical >>mouse I use at work has one minor misfeature: when you have to lift it to >>reposition yourself on the pad, the cursor moves a bit before losing >>optical contact with the pad. Thus, while doing a prolonged one-direction >>roll, you are fighting the mouse's tendency to backslide on every mouse lift. >>I personally prefer the crisp separation-from-pad of a roller mouse. > >Actually, the Boing! mouse is made by Mouse systems, and yes it does >exhibit the same misfeature. But it has been my experience that the roller >style mice also move a bit when picked up and placed on the mat. Although >not to the same degree. I also use a Mouse Systems mouse at work, and have used my friend's Boing! mouse. I don't experience this "backsliding" problem at all. Curious as to what the complaints were about, I just now paid attention to how I move the mouse on an extended tour. Basically, I tend to lift the mouse off the mat BEFORE I stop my forward motion. Kinda like so: <-- Lift and return _________________ / \ ( ) \_________________/ Move rodent forward --> This way, the "backsliding" tendency is transformed to a tendency to FORESLIDE, which is actually helpful! Just another viewpoint on matters, your mileage may vary... -- ---------------------------------------------------+--------------------------- There's nothing in this world quite so dangerous | Steve King (708) 991-8056 as a bored engineer. | ...uunet!motcid!king | ...ddsw1!palnet!stevek
spworley@athena.mit.edu (Spaceman Spiff) (01/02/91)
I'm thinking of getting a Boing Optical mouse for my amiga, since I don't like the responsiveness of the standard Amiga mouse. The big question is how compatable it is- Is it just plug-and-go, or do the mouse drivers have to be changed? Also, the extra (middle) button might be useful. I remember someone mentioning a program that made the middle mouse button type a keystroke, like R-Amiga-M to cycle through screens. If anyone knows if this program exists, or has experience with this mouse, I'd love an e-mail update. Thanks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steve Worley spworley@athena.mit.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (01/04/91)
spworley@athena.mit.edu (Spaceman Spiff)
in <1991Jan2.104959.3113@athena.mit.edu> writes:
I'm thinking of getting a Boing Optical mouse for my amiga, since I
don't like the responsiveness of the standard Amiga mouse. The big
question is how compatable it is- Is it just plug-and-go, or do the
mouse drivers have to be changed?
It's just "plug-and-go." It's great for Marble Madness, too ... you won't
find yourself needing a 4-foot-wide mouse pad anymore! :-)
Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]