Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!news.arc.nasa.gov!eos!aio!washington.jsc.nasa.gov!shirley From: shirley@washington.jsc.nasa.gov (Bill Shirley) Newsgroups: comp.human-factors Subject: Re: Track ball on a keyboard? Message-ID: <1991Jun13.005001.12849@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> Date: 13 Jun 91 00:50:01 GMT References: <91163.083144CJS@psuvm.psu.edu> <2909@sumax.seattleu.edu> Sender: news@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (USENET News System) Organization: Software Technology Branch - NASA/JSC Lines: 55 In article , yee@osf.org (Michael K. Yee) writes: |> In article <1991Jun12.181324.12617@den.mmc.com> doehr@magellan.den.mmc.com (Brett B. Doehr) writes: |> > They are popular with the |> > portable computer industry and also with space applications like |> > shuttle and space station. In zero-gravity, a mouse would float |> > at the end of its cable, you may accidently click a mouse button |> > when grabbing it, etc. |> |> Yeah, you're right. In zero-gravity, the ball in a mouse would also |> float. It would not be hard tension the ball not to float (most already are, the "little rollers" touching the ball are on springs.) Just make the springs a little stronger. |> May be an optical mouse with a magnetic base attached to its |> mating steel optical mouse pad would be better. Hmmm... may be I |> should patent it. Not to much of a joke in this pathetic day and age. But be quiet about it, get the pattent, wait around for 10 years 'till everyone's doin' it (it's common sense right, how else would ya do it), get a damn good lawyar (oxymoron?) who'll work on comission, bleed the corporates for all they got! But really, if magnets make me jitter. If you can assure there'll be no loose magnetic media in zero-g (either no floppy drive or an optical) then I'd feel a bit more secure. |> Yeah, that's the ticket! And I'll call it the |> Mighty-Mouse! |> |> And for keyboards, how about a tiny magnetic mouse (about the size |> of a finger) attached to a steel pad the size of the numeric keypad. |> The mouse button would be the size of the mouse, but requires firm |> finger pressure to activate. Hmmm... may be I should patent this |> too, and call it .... Mini-Mouse 8*). twice the $$$ |> |> =Mike |> |> -- |> == Michael K. Yee -+- OSF/Motif Team |> == Open Software Foundation - 11 Cambridge Center - Cambridge, MA 02142 |> == "Live simply, so that others may simply live." -- ____ ____ ____ Bill Shirley / ___| / ___| / ___| bill@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov |_|omputer|_|ciences|_|orporation _______________________________ _ _ _ Opinions expressed are obtained| | |___ ___| | | |___ by a room full of immortal apes| \____| |____/ \____| with unbreakable typewriters. | ~~~~~~~~~~~DISCLAIMER~~~~~~~~~~~