Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!nu!boyd
From: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Obstinate Mice! (beware!!)
Message-ID: <1991Mar16.154759.16230@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Date: 16 Mar 91 21:24:17 GMT
References: <1991Mar14.103050.5074@cs.ruu.nl> <VyZVy3w162w@fquest.fidonet.org>
Reply-To: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State Universiy Computer Science Department
Lines: 43

nico@cs.ruu.nl (Nico Verwer) writes:
> The problem is in the mouse itself.
> The only solution is: Buy a better mouse.

Well, let me point something out.  I have a buddy that bought a nice ST 
mouse (not made by atari, I cannot remember the manufacturer), and we 
noticed a slight problem.  The dpi tracking speed of mice has become a 
marketing buzzword (i.e. "hey, ours tracks at 400dpi, wow").  Well, that
means that for some constant distance the mouse moves, a higher dpi mouse
outputs more values for that movement (thus resulting in the mouse pointer
moving farther).  You commonly see "you don't need an accelerator with this
mouse".  However, there is a problem.  With his mouse (400dpi), the pointer
did seem to move at about twice the speed of a normal atari mouse, and if 
you moved the mouse quickly (as an experience desktop user would), the 
hardware handling the mouse values would apparently get overloaded and poop
out.  What would happen is that I would move the mouse around doing normal 
file operations, and occasionally the mouse pointer would just kind of 
'freeze'.  By experimentation, the speed of movement was determined to be 
the culprit.  Thus, my friend now has need of a mouse decellerator to be 
able to use his nifty mouse (and this may not work either).    

To sum up, don't be impressed with large dpi values.  In fact, stay away from 
them!

I wish to note that "moving the mouse fast" was not artificially induce, just 
my normal operating speed when I get cooking.  You can even overload the 
Atari mouse if you really sling it around (not recommended).  The point here 
is that the higher dpi mice don't need to be moved nearly as fast to get this 
to happen.

Also, as per the "better mouse" argument, I would like to note that I have one
of the newer Atari mice (with the nylon rollers and the round ball door on the 
bottom), and it has performed flawlessly for 2 years.  The older Atari mice 
were prone to 'wear out' quickly, but the new ones seem solid and reliable (hey,
I hve really given this one a workout).   

--
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             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "It's amazing how much growing up 
          FSU Computer Science       |      resembles being too tired."
        Technical Support Group      |
      email:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu  |                  - Heinlein 
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