[comp.sys.mac.system] The Saga of the Jerky Mouse

warack@eecs.umich.edu (Christopher Warack) (06/18/91)

Several people have posted about problems with their cursor jerking around
on the screen as they moved their mouse smoothly along a line either on
a pad or not.  I too had this problem:  Mac IIsi 5/80, ext keyboard, etc.
After many phone calls, the summary of what didn't work and finally did:

Clean the mouse (brand new!)             No     (Not a dirty mouse)
Switch from Sys 6.0.7 to Sys 7:          No     (Not a sys unique problem)
Replace the mouse driver (mouse file)    No     (Not a mouse file problem)
Startup with no extensions               No     (Not an init problem)
   -- Particularly After Dark (?)        No
Plug the mouse directly into the ADB
  port instead of the keyboard           No     (Not a keyboard problem)

GET A NEW MOUSE                          YES

The new mouse works just like it is supposed to (and since I'm still under
warranty -- it's free).  No one at Apple or the dealer seemed to have heard
of this problem; but, by the number of "me too"s on the net it seems to
be somewhat common.  I'd suggest that if you have this problem, to try
the hardware route before your warranty expires.

G'Luck,
Chris

derosa@motcid.UUCP (John DeRosa) (06/20/91)

warack@eecs.umich.edu (Christopher Warack) writes:

>Several people have posted about problems with their cursor jerking around
>on the screen as they moved their mouse smoothly along a line either on
>a pad or not.  .

There are two sources to this problem that I have encountered.

1) Light weight balls - There are heavy balls and light balls.  The
light balls weight as much as a ping pong ball and are just not heavy
enough to prevent skidding on the pad.  A heavy ball is the weight
of a golf ball (or more).  The difference is VERY noticeable. 

Light balls can be helped with a good cleaning and a rough
cloth mouse pad for a while but eventually you need to get 
a heavy ball.  This is not covered under the warranty unless you can
talk fast and brow-beat the repair shop a little.

2) One way mice - If the mouse will only move in one direction (maybe
just a little jerky motion in the other) then this mouse has a problem
that is covered under warranty (and I have been told under an 
extended warranty).  The problem is related to a bad motion sensor that
no amount of cleaning will fix.  

-- 
= Enjoy!                                                                   = 
=          John DeRosa, Motorola, Inc, Cellular Infrastructure Group       =
= e-mail:    motcid!derosaj@uunet.uu.net, n1111@applelink.apple.com        =
=I do not hold by employer responsible for any information in this message =

leavens@aludra.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) (06/25/91)

Well, my mouse wasn't dirty, it didn't have any problems with going one
way or the other, and it had a heavy ball. The problem was simply that
the mouse was bad. 

If you've been having the problem that we've been posting about, where your
mouse jerks back and forth, often negating any forward motion and making
it nearly possible to move your mouse from one side of the screen, make
sure that you try everything that everyone else has suggested (clean it, make
sure your table surface is flat, etc)... And if that doesn't work and it's
under warranty (which most of the mice which have had this problem are) 
take it to your friendly Authorized Apple Repair center and get a new one.

I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a working mouse!