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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!seismo!mcvax!ukc!dcl-cs!bath63!pes
From: pes@bath63.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: mouses
Message-ID: <747@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 12:56:18 EST
Article-I.D.: bath63.747
Posted: Fri Jan 30 12:56:18 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Feb-87 16:24:44 EST
References: <8701270401.AA02677@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: AUCC c/o University of Bath
Lines: 23


You probably need to clean your mouse.  I just did mine, and it makes an
incredible difference.  Opening it is trivial -- see the manual.  In the
absence of a manual, turn it over and look.  The ring around the ball slides
in the direction of the arrows on it.  Gently, press the ring inwards and
slide.  Take out the rubber ball.  Look at the inside, and you'll see
3 little silver rollers.  Don't see them?  I saw 3 black rollers when I
did mine.  Gently, with say a wooden match or a toothpick or a Q-tip, and
maybe the tiniest bit of alchol or disk cleaner, make them into 3 shiny
silver rollers.  Then reassemble.  It's magic.

On the trackball subject, I managed (with about $2 worth of parts) to modify
an 8-bit Atari trakball to look like a mouse.  (I could have done it with
no added bits, but I wanted to leave it the capabilities of looking like
an 8-bit joystick and an 8-bit graphics tablet -- God know why, cause
I don't have an 8-bit, but nevermind.)  For some applications it is much
easier to use than the mouse.  For others it is worse.  The problem is
that 'holding a button and moving' using a trakball requires 2 hands,
which isn't always practical.

Back to the mouse, if you *do* feel the need to lube it, I'd recommend something
like powdered teflon (can get it at Sears if you're in the States, sorry,
I didn't note the return address).