minar@reed.bitnet (Nelson Minar,L08,x640,7776519) (08/09/90)
I am a little bewildered at the choice of mice out there. Foremost, what is the difference between a bus mouse and a serial mouse? One assumes that a bus mouse plugs into the bus (with its own adapter), while a serial mouse plugs into a serial port. Seeing as how I do not own a serial port, why should I not get a bus mouse? Do bus mice work equally well in ATs and XTs? (I have an AT). Do I need to worry about what sort of driver I get to go with the mouse? Are they all the same? Does a trackball mouse exist for the IBM? How much should I pay? Thank you.
marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) (08/09/90)
minar@reed.bitnet (Nelson Minar,L08,x640,7776519) writes: >I am a little bewildered at the choice of mice out there. Foremost, what is >the difference between a bus mouse and a serial mouse? One assumes that a bus >mouse plugs into the bus (with its own adapter), while a serial mouse plugs >into a serial port. Seeing as how I do not own a serial port, why should I >not get a bus mouse? If you don't have a serial port, you MUST get a bus mouse or spend a lot more on the serial port. Bus mice cost ~$10 more than serial mice. A serial/parallel card will set you back $40-$50. >Do bus mice work equally well in ATs and XTs? (I have an AT). All bus mice I've seen are 8-bit, so they should work in virtually any PC except for the PS/2's that use MicroChannel. I have both bus and serial mice and cannot detect any difference. >Do I need to worry about what sort of driver I get to go with the mouse? Are >they all the same? One should come with your mouse. No. They aren't all the same. Example: I use Logitech mice. The come with their own drivers. They are also MS Mouse compatible, so they WILL work with a MS Mouse driver. However, you will lose the ballistic features of the Logitech mouse if you use Microsoft drivers. >Does a trackball mouse exist for the IBM? Yes. Logitech makes a nice one called the TrackMan. I bought one recently for my users to try out. It's different than a mouse and takes getting used to, but the person that used it first seems to want to keep it instead of his mouse. It's good for cramped areas like his. >How much should I pay? If you are interested in quality, I recommend either the Logitech P9 or the Microsoft Mouse. The price varies depending on what software comes with it (they often bundle paint or CAD programs with the mice). I think the Logitech P9 Bus mouse is about $75-$80 without extra software. Of course, you can go to a computer store and spend $100+ if you prefer. I paid $77 for that serial TrackMan. My ComputerLand catalog wants $115.95 for it. If you are looking for something in the $25-$50 range, ask someone else. >Thank you. You're welcome. -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov Senior Computer Missionary VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future
ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) (08/09/90)
In <15319@reed.UUCP> minar@reed.bitnet (Nelson Minar,L08,x640,7776519) writes: >I am a little bewildered at the choice of mice out there. Foremost, what is >the difference between a bus mouse and a serial mouse? One assumes that a bus >mouse plugs into the bus (with its own adapter), while a serial mouse plugs >into a serial port. Seeing as how I do not own a serial port, why should I >not get a bus mouse? You've got it right. I've been contemplating the purchase of a mouse too, and like you I've no serial port to spare. I *had* been pretty sure I wanted a bus mouse, but than I realized that i/o boards had gotten pretty cheap. Since bus mice cost more than serial mice, I could buy a two-port board and a serial mouse for maybe $10 more than a bus mouse. That'd leave me more flexibility (use the mouse with a laptop, take it to work, etc.) and also leave me a serial port to spare. >Do bus mice work equally well in ATs and XTs? (I have an AT). It's difficult to see why there would be any difference for a mouse. I've certainly not heard of any. >Do I need to worry about what sort of driver I get to go with the mouse? Are >they all the same? There certainly are. Some are bigger than others, some hook different interrupts (which might be important if you have TSRs or other software that hook the same interrupts), some have fancy features (like "ballistic tracking", which supposedly cuts down on hand motion), and some do a better job of emulating Microsoft's mouse than others, which is damn important. I'm not an expert, I just got the above from the August issue of PC Magazine, which has a comprehensive (though maybe a little superficial) survey of 58 mice, trackballs, and light pens. It also has a pretty good explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of pointer, and of what makes a good, ergonomic trackball. >Does a trackball mouse exist for the IBM? It does now. Took the mice makers a long time to get round to it. >How much should I pay? It depends on which one you buy. There's a nice little mouse/digitizer tablet that goes for $200; very nice if you're into CAD. At the other end, if you have simple needs and shop around, you could possibly pay $30, though $50 is probably more realistic. I want a three-button trackball (I'm into Smalltalk V), so I'll probably end up paying $90. >Thank you. You're welcome! -- ergo@netcom.uucp Isaac Rabinovitch atina!pyramid!apple!netcom!ergo Silicon Valley, CA uunet!mimsy!ames!claris!netcom!ergo "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know!" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) (08/10/90)
In <marshall.650215522@wind55> marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) writes: >If you don't have a serial port, you MUST get a bus mouse or spend a lot >more on the serial port. Bus mice cost ~$10 more than serial mice. A >serial/parallel card will set you back $40-$50. Maybe they list for that much, but I've seen street prices around $25. When you consider that a bus mouse usually costs about $10 more than an equivalent serial mouse, then the difference is about $15. True, a lot of people would see no reason to spend that extra $15, but that's a lot different from saying they *must* get a bus mouse. -- ergo@netcom.uucp Isaac Rabinovitch atina!pyramid!apple!netcom!ergo Silicon Valley, CA uunet!mimsy!ames!claris!netcom!ergo "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know!" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
davidsen@crdgw1.crd.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (08/14/90)
In article <15319@reed.UUCP> minar@reed.bitnet (Nelson Minar) writes: | | I am a little bewildered at the choice of mice out there. Foremost, what is | the difference between a bus mouse and a serial mouse? One assumes that a bus | mouse plugs into the bus (with its own adapter), while a serial mouse plugs | into a serial port. Seeing as how I do not own a serial port, why should I | not get a bus mouse? The reason most of us get a bus mouse is because we are out of serial ports, having used them all for modems and printers and such-like. If I didn't have a serial port at all (only if someone GAVE me a system) I would order a serial port because it's useful for many other things than the mouse. A used working serial board should run you $10-15, but for about $35-40 you can get 2S+P boards using only one slot. Don't just think about your needs today. On the other hand if you have some good reason to know that you won't use the serial port, the bus mouse is cheaper. | | Do bus mice work equally well in ATs and XTs? (I have an AT). Modulo any bugs in the driver, yes. | Does a trackball mouse exist for the IBM? Logitech makes a very nice trackball mouse, I haven't used my new one enough to decide if I like it or the moiuse better. And something you didn't ask: I suggest a three button mouse, because X-windows is coming to PC's and DOS. The public domain server is overdue, but it's coming, as is Desqview+X and a few other things. You can always just use two buttons, but X on a two button mouse is pretty grim, unless you have a real feel for mouse and shift this that and the other thing. -- - bill davidsen (davidsen@crdgw1.crd.ge.com) GE Corp. R&D Center; Box 8, KW-C206; Schenectady NY 12345
ambush@kk4fs.UUCP (Ambush Bug) (08/14/90)
About mice, specifically, cheap mice. I bought an "Agiler" mouse. It's the least expensive mouse I've ever seen. It'll cost you about $35 through the Computer Shopper (I bought mine used for $25). I don't care for most mice available for the PC. Logitech and Genius mice are a bit light and feel flimsy (sorry to offend Logitech fans, I just don't like the critters). The Microsoft xDmouse is a bit tall and feels awkward, but I've got pretty small hands. To make a long story longer, I really like Apple's mouse, and the Agiler is the closest to it I've found for the PC. It'll emulate a PC mouse (3 buttons)or Microsoft (2 buttons). It comes with some drivers for Lotus, Wordperfect and Dbase, but I never use any of these programs, so I can't tll you how good they are. The mouse itself is GREAT. I really like it. I'd reccomend it unreservedly. At $35 (that's shipping & handling and everything) it's a deal that can't be beaten with a stick. You really ought to go out and check out mice for yourself. See what one you like best. Shop around, you won't go wrong that way. Hey, I'd have one of those cute signature files, but it's all in the header anyway...
CUMMINGS@S55.Prime.COM (08/15/90)
/* Written 11:54 am Aug 9, 1990 by minar@reed.UUCP in S55:comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware */
/* ---------- "Mice - what do I want?" ---------- */
I am a little bewildered at the choice of mice out there. Foremost, what is
the difference between a bus mouse and a serial mouse? One assumes that a bus
mouse plugs into the bus (with its own adapter), while a serial mouse plugs
into a serial port. Seeing as how I do not own a serial port, why should I
not get a bus mouse?
Do bus mice work equally well in ATs and XTs? (I have an AT).
Do I need to worry about what sort of driver I get to go with the mouse? Are
they all the same?
Does a trackball mouse exist for the IBM?
How much should I pay?
Thank you.
/* End of text from S55:comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware */
I recently bought a new mouse for my PC. I went with a Mouse Systems Optical
mouse, bus version. Surprise! Their "bus" mouse is their serial mouse with
a dedicated serial port (not using COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4). For the $10
extra I spent on the "bus" version, the serial port was well worth it! The
mouse came with a "dynamic tracking" driver, and configuration software to help
you find an unused interrupt on your machine. It will try and use IRQ 3 or 4
unless you already have COM ports installed. Then it avoids those, and tries
others. The serial card can use some AT IRQ lines and thus is a "16 bit" card,
but it only uses 8 data lines, and if you limit yourself to the first 8 IRQ
lines, will run just fine in an XT machine. I paid ~$100 for my new mouse,
but I knew I was also paying for a GOOD mouse. (SUN and VISUAL are among the
corporations that use Mouse-Systems optical mice on their
workstations/X-Terminals). The only problem I have with the MSM is that
while the CGA programming necessities are built into the mouse driver (all you
have to do is turn the cursor on), you can't write EGA/VGA code that uses the
mouse without buying the MSM developers package. (My understanding is that
programs which use the mouse in EGA/VGA modes need to keep track of some screen
information that is write-only in the adapter, thus the need for extra
software). The hooks to use the libraries is in the mouse driver already
(I have no problem running EGA/VGA programs that support the MS mouse
with the MSM mouse driver), you just can't write your own programs without
the extra package.
============================================================================
Kevin J. Cummings Prime Computer Inc.
20 Briarwood Road 500 Old Connecticut Path
Framingham, Mass. Framingham, Mass.
InterNet: CUMMINGS@S55.Prime.COM
CSNet: CUMMINGS%S55.Prime.COM@RELAY.CS.NET
UUCP: {uunet, csnet-relay}!S55.Prime.COM!CUMMINGS
Std. Disclaimer: "Mr. McKittrick, after careful consideration, I've come
to the conclusion that your new defense system SUCKS..."
============================================================================nxh@mead.UUCP (Nobuya Higashiyama) (08/16/90)
In article <1249900002@S55.Prime.COM> CUMMINGS@S55.Prime.COM writes: >I recently bought a new mouse for my PC. I went with a Mouse Systems Optical >mouse, bus version. Surprise! Their "bus" mouse is their serial mouse with >a dedicated serial port (not using COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4). For the $10 >extra I spent on the "bus" version, the serial port was well worth it! I too have the Mouse Systems Optical bus mouse, and I like it a lot. Having used it for a while, I find it difficult to go back to mechanical or opto-mechanical mouse anymore. No reliability problems. CUMMINGS@S55.Prime.COM reports that he paid about $100 for it; I was able to pick it up for less than $80. You might want to shop around for the best price. > The hooks to use the libraries is in the mouse driver already >(I have no problem running EGA/VGA programs that support the MS mouse >with the MSM mouse driver), you just can't write your own programs without >the extra package. I'd like to add one caveat here. I've had no compatibility problems with it except for one: MS Windows 3.0 (did you guess?). When the bus board is used, the current version of the driver (it can be downloaded from Mouse Systems BBS) does not seem to work with 386-enhanced mode properly (works OK with standard mode, thank goodness). They'll probably get around to fixing this soon. Higgy -- Nobuya "Higgy" Higashiyama | ____/| Data Integrity Systems | \ o.O| Vote for Bill in '92! Mead Data Central, Dayton, OH | =(_)= mead!nxh@uccba.uc.edu (or) ...!uccba!mead!nxh | U ACK! THPHTH!
dalessio@motcid.UUCP (Mario D'Alessio) (08/16/90)
ambush@kk4fs.UUCP (Ambush Bug) writes: >About mice, specifically, cheap mice. >I bought an "Agiler" mouse. It's the least expensive mouse I've ever seen. >It'll cost you about $35 through the Computer Shopper (I bought mine used >for $25). I bought mine for only $15!!! (<$20 w/ S&H). I got it from National Computer Accessories @ (916) 441-1568. I also like it a lot. It doesn't come with any "extra" programs, but if you want them, buy them separately. BTW, it is 100% Microsoft compatible. NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated with National Computer Accessories. ****************************************************************************** * ************************************************************************** * * * * * * * Mario D'Alessio Motorola, Inc. * * * * dalessio@motcid.UUCP Cellular Infrastructure Division * * * * * * * ************************************************************************** * ******************************************************************************
genesis@kk4fs.UUCP (Genesis) (08/24/90)
Trackman(men?) completely DWARF mice by all standards.They save space,more comtrol,and are logitech so they are easy to install (driver wise), and have good documentation(3 books!) that comes with them.If you thinkk about gettinga mouse,GET A TRACKMAN!