zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) (01/03/89)
Harv, go ahead and tell us about the mouse.
Dale, if you are not busy could you throw out a comercial
informative note describing it? Can you use it with other
comercial programs, is it friendly?
Thanks.
// You've heard of CATS, DOGS, & GOATS? *NOW* TRY GERBILS!
// "Gladly Educating Real Beginners In Latest Software!"
\\// Lawrence H. Brown USENET: ...!uunet!apctrc!zlhb0a
\/ (918-660-4389) USmail: 7325 E. 50th, Tulsa, OK 74145hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) (01/03/89)
zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >Harv, go ahead and tell us about the mouse. > Well, okay you twisted my arm. The Boing Mouse is about 3/8" shorter and lower than yer basic stock Amiga mouse. I have no use for the middle (3rd) button. The buttons are longer and narrower than the regular rodent's and have a shorter throw and a more precise kinda "snappy clicky" feel to them. I have big hands (I can stretch my hand so that the pinky and thumb on my left hand rest respectively on the CTRL key on the left and the " key on the right) and my hand does not rest as nicely on the Boing mouse since it doesn't have an arched top like the stock mouse does. The Boing mouse rides on an extremely smooth plastic-laminated mouse pad of "normal" size which has a ribbed rubber backing and won't slide around on your desk. The pad is included with the mouse of course since the pad's top surface is a mirrored "grid" affair of a sort of baby blue tint. The mouse rides across the pad on two 2" wide felt "feet" and shines a bright red sensing lamp down on the grid to get its coordinates. There are, excecpt for the switches, no moving parts in the mouse. No ball, no rollers, nothing to crud up or require cleaning. Cursor positioning on the screen "feels" very precise. I like it. I leave my Amiga on 24 hours a day, and since the mouse is taking power from the mouse port, it too is on 24 hours a day so we'll see how long it lasts. The mouse's cord terminates in a =male= db9 connector so it comes with a male>female gender bender already screwed onto the connector so it'll fit the Amiga's mouse port socket. As I said earlier, it came in a "plain white box" with absolutely no documentation, warranty, or registration card inside whatsoever. On my last visit to the dealer, I opened a couple more and found the same paperwork inside them: none. The bottom of the mouse indicates it was mfd by "MSC Technologies Inc. (Mouse Systems)" of Fremont CA. It's model M4 and has an FCC ID certification statement. A sticker on the outer box says "some contents made or assembled in Singapore, Mexico, Taiwan or HOng Kong as marked." I bought it at Creative Computers, Lawndale, CA. They run ads in AmigaWorld and such. Harv Laser, Sysop, The People/Link AmigaZone. Plink: CBM*HARV UUCP: {ames!elroy, <backbone>}!gryphon!pnet02!hrlaser INET: hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com <---open Push down while turning close tightly--->
zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) (01/04/89)
In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: >zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >>Harv, go ahead and tell us about the mouse. >> > > >Well, okay you twisted my arm. The Boing Mouse is about 3/8" shorter ...stuff deleted... >lasts. The mouse's cord terminates in a =male= db9 connector so it comes >with a male>female gender bender already screwed onto the connector so >it'll fit the Amiga's mouse port socket. .....more stuff deleted.. >paperwork inside them: none. The bottom of the mouse indicates it was >mfd by "MSC Technologies Inc. (Mouse Systems)" of Fremont CA. It's >model M4 and has an FCC ID certification statement. A sticker on the Whow!! WOW! Hey thats identical to the mousie I have hooked to my sun! (expect for the plug, it uses a plug that looks much like a phone jack) Thats neat! Can anyone give me a pinout? Maybe I can scrounge a spare from our sun parts... // You've heard of CATS, DOGS, & GOATS? *NOW* TRY GERBILS! // "Gladly Educating Real Beginners In Latest Software!" \\// Lawrence H. Brown USENET: ...!uunet!apctrc!zlhb0a \/ (918-660-4389) USmail: 7325 E. 50th, Tulsa, OK 74145
papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (01/04/89)
In article <668@apctrc.UUCP> lbrown@apctrc.UUCP (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: >>Well, okay you twisted my arm. The Boing Mouse is about 3/8" shorter >...stuff deleted... >>lasts. The mouse's cord terminates in a =male= db9 connector so it comes >>with a male>female gender bender already screwed onto the connector so >>it'll fit the Amiga's mouse port socket. >.....more stuff deleted.. >>paperwork inside them: none. The bottom of the mouse indicates it was >>mfd by "MSC Technologies Inc. (Mouse Systems)" of Fremont CA. It's >>model M4 and has an FCC ID certification statement. A sticker on the > >Whow!! WOW! Hey thats identical to the mousie I have hooked to my sun! ^^^ Yep, that's Sun for Sun Microsystems. >(expect for the plug, it uses a plug that looks much like a phone jack) >Thats neat! Can anyone give me a pinout? Maybe I can scrounge a spare >from our sun parts... The Mouse System Mouse has been around for at least 5 years. It first came out on IBM PCs (directly from Mouse Systems) and then was later OEMed to almost everybody, including Sun. There are various versions slightly different in the connector and some of the signals (that's the M2, M3, M4 harv was referring to). The signals for the PC versions are documented in the Mouse Systems docs, though I haven't seen any mention of them in the Sun 3/50 docs we have. This mouse is MUCH better than the built-in Amiga mouse, since it is optical instead of mechanical. Only drawback is that it must be used with its own gridded pad. The reason Dale's mouse doesn't come with documentation is that IT DOESN't NEED ANY. Just plug it in in place of your 'old Amiga mouse and go. -- Marco Papa 'Doc' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= uucp:...!pollux!papa BIX:papa ARPAnet:pollux!papa@oberon.usc.edu "There's Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Diga!" -- Leo Schwab [quoting Rick Unland] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
dale@boing.UUCP (Dale Luck) (01/04/89)
In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: >zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >>Harv, go ahead and tell us about the mouse. >> > Many personal comments on the Boing Mouse, deleted. Thanks Harv, for the kind words. > >As I said earlier, it came in a "plain white box" with absolutely no >documentation, warranty, or registration card inside whatsoever. On >my last visit to the dealer. I know I did not get the inside literature ready in time for the Xmas rush. The mouse does come with a 1 year warranty. The literature will be added to the next shipment. The mouse should be compatible with all amiga software. It uses the exact same quadrature mechanism as the standard amiga mouse. The buttons are connected to the same left/right buttons as the standard amiga mouse. The middle button is connected to the middle mouse button pin as defined in the hardware manual. X11 for the Amiga currently uses all three buttons. > >Harv Laser, Sysop, The People/Link AmigaZone. Plink: CBM*HARV -- Dale Luck GfxBase/Boing, Inc. {uunet!cbmvax|pyramid}!amiga!boing!dale
dale@boing.UUCP (Dale Luck) (01/05/89)
In article <668@apctrc.UUCP> lbrown@apctrc.UUCP (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: > >Whow!! WOW! Hey thats identical to the mousie I have hooked to my sun! >(expect for the plug, it uses a plug that looks much like a phone jack) >Thats neat! Can anyone give me a pinout? Maybe I can scrounge a spare >from our sun parts... Don't think so. The mouse you have on your sun uses a 6 wire connection. The signals are different then the signals on the amiga mouse which uses all 9 pins. +5/GND/4quad lines/3 button lines = 9. I don't know how sun gets these funtions onto 6 pins but they must be encoding the information in a different way. The last I heard, sun charges $150 for a replacement mouse. -- Dale Luck GfxBase/Boing, Inc. {uunet!cbmvax|pyramid}!amiga!boing!dale
griff@intelob.intel.com (Richard Griffith) (01/05/89)
In article <14439@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: >In article <668@apctrc.UUCP> lbrown@apctrc.UUCP (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >>In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: [ lotsa stuff deleted... ] >This mouse is MUCH better than the built-in Amiga mouse, since it is optical >instead of mechanical. Only drawback is that it must be used with its own >gridded pad. The reason Dale's mouse doesn't come with documentation is that >IT DOESN't NEED ANY. Just plug it in in place of your 'old Amiga mouse and go. About Time! I've been waiting for news of an optical mouse... my roomate and I aren't the worlds best house-keepers :-) and I was getting bored cleaning my mouse every so often... how much? - if my favorite distributor can't get it, how can I get it? etc. - griff ************************************************************************ * Richard E. Griffith * Cyrus Hammerhand * * "griff" * Household of the Golden Wolf * * BiiN, Hillsboro Ore. * Dragons' Mist * * (When are we getting * An Tir * * Our own Usenet node?) * * **************************************************************************
robert@trwind.UUCP (Robert W. Snyder) (01/05/89)
Robert Snyder >zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) writes: >>Harv, go ahead and tell us about the mouse. >> > > >The bottom of the mouse indicates it was >mfd by "MSC Technologies Inc. (Mouse Systems)" of Fremont CA. It's >model M4 and has an FCC ID certification statement. Just a note. This is the same mouse that SUN uses for its workstations. Only the connector described differs. -- Robert Snyder Disclaimer -- nobody claims dis, but me TRW Information Networks Division 23800 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance CA 90505 USENET: {ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!trwrb!trwind!robert ARPA: robert@trwind.TRW.COM Ph 213-373-9161
scott@applix.UUCP (Scott Evernden) (01/05/89)
In article <14439@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: > >This mouse is MUCH better than the built-in Amiga mouse, since it is optical >instead of mechanical. Hmm. I slightly prefer my Amiga's mouse to my Sun's mouse. In time, the optical mouse's felt pads will attract the same skingum that the rolling ball will. Both mice require cleaning and scraping to function properly. And you'll have to windex that grid pad too, from time to time. I believe I spend more time cleaning the optical mouse. However, since there are 2 optical sensors, you can detect rotation with the Mouse Systems mouse. As to reliability, the buttons are probably the first thing to fail anyways. With Shanghai, the Amiga mouse always loses this contest. -scott
wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (01/06/89)
I called Mouse Systems about a year ago after I had seen an MSC mouse used in an OEM application with a bigger mouse board. I was able to get a board that was roughly double the height and width of the one that comes with the mouse. It was moderately expensive; I think it was ~$20. If you have a laser printer, you can also print out a grid whatever size you like. The black stripes seem to be contrasty enough to be detected by the mouse. Actually, I think the black lines are actually more reflective than the paper itself to the mouse, so the lines are actually analogous to the mirrored part of the mouse board. The aluminum mouse board is much more fun, however, as you can park the rhodent in your lap, thus freeing up more room on the desk top for clutter. The new Sun Roadrunner 386i comes with an MSC mosue too, but the mouse board uses lines that are about 1/2 the width of those on the "standard" mouse board. This makes working with the mouse real nice, as it improves the sensitivity. Note that there are actually two colors of light used in the mouse to sense motion: a red and an infrared LED. The light sources are aimed at slightly offset angles, apparently reflecting differently off the board, generating a quadrature signal so that the direction of motion can be sensed. (I'm a chronic disassembler of things to see how they operate.) The Amiga version of the MSC mouse must be a little different from the IBM version, as the Amiga can read a quadrature signal directly; the IBM version generates a 5 byte stream of 1200 baud serial data for each mouse movement. The serial protocol is the one that was first used by Summagraphics and then later also used by Microsoft, Logitech, et al. I suppose that is enough from the 'for what it's worth department'. Happy new year, --Bill
lee@sed170.HAC.COM (John Lee ) (01/07/89)
In article <10236@gryphon.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: [...] >paperwork inside them: none. The bottom of the mouse indicates it was >mfd by "MSC Technologies Inc. (Mouse Systems)" of Fremont CA. It's >model M4 and has an FCC ID certification statement. A sticker on the >outer box says "some contents made or assembled in Singapore, Mexico, >Taiwan or HOng Kong as marked." [...] >Harv Laser, Sysop, The People/Link AmigaZone. Plink: CBM*HARV >UUCP: {ames!elroy, <backbone>}!gryphon!pnet02!hrlaser >INET: hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com ><---open Push down while turning close tightly---> If it's the same Mouse Systems Corp., they also make the optical mouse for Sun Microsystems workstations, except on the Sun 3/50 I looked at that mouse is marked Mouse Systems, Santa Clara, CA and is mouse model M3 along with the usual FCC certification statement and other stuff. I saw the Boing mouse at AmiExpo and think I remember it having the same appearance and feel as the Sun mouse; even the mouse pad was the same. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raining CATS and DOGS? Join the RATS: Remote Amiga Teleconferencing System +--------+ John Lee | HUGHES | +--------+ ARPAnet: jhlee@hac2arpa.hac.com Hughes Aircraft Company The above opinions are those of the user and not of those of this machine.