Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!server.cs.uri.edu!reynhout From: reynhout@cs.uri.edu (Andrew Reynhout) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: Possible Jerky Mouse FIx Message-ID: <1991Jun25.115736.9986@cs.uri.edu> Date: 25 Jun 91 11:57:36 GMT References: <1991Jun22.163648.12548@techbook.com> Organization: University of Rhode Island, Computer Science Dept. Lines: 33 In article <1991Jun22.163648.12548@techbook.com> larryh@techbook.com (Larry Hutchinson) writes: >Yesterday I got feed up with my jerky mouse and decided to take the damn >thing apart and find out what the problem was. I came to the conclusion >that minute flecks of gunk contaminate one or both of two rotating contact >wheels and/or the sliding contact fingers. > >The solution then is to somehow clean the wheel &/or fingers. For what it's worth, and if you haven't seen it elsewhere: Apple is recalling some mouses, serial numbers AP038xxxxxx - AP103xxxxxx, bearing the marking "Made in USA." Apparently you can just take them to an authorized Apple reseller, and they'll replace them at no charge. The same holds for another item, the power supply for the portable(?), bearing "Made in Japan." I forget the numbers, and I didn't write them down, since I don't have a portable and I don't have any users that have portables. I had a similar problem with a mouse on an SE...My problem turned out to be that the fingers were lifted away from the rotating board, only making inter- mittent contact. My solution was to gut an IBM mouse and take the roller assembly from there. (I don't remember who the OEM on the IBM mouse was, but I did notice that the insides of the two mouses were made by the same company.) I was worried that the contact spacings might be different (causing the mouse to track at different speeds for each axis,) but it's working perfectly. I will say, though, that soldering onto Saran Wrap is a bit of a challenge if you're stuck without solder wick... :-) Andrew PS: recall information gleaned from the latest issue of MacWeek. Yes, I *do* get *that* bored at work... --