Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!iscuva!carlp
From: carlp@iscuva.ISCS.COM (Carl Paukstis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: help with deciding what mouse to Buy
Message-ID: <1447@iscuva.ISCS.COM>
Date: 3 May 88 22:55:22 GMT
References: <40159GTI@PSUVM> <4330075@hpindda.HP.COM>
Organization: (or lack thereof) ISC Systems Corporation, Spokane, WA
Lines: 48

In article <4330075@hpindda.HP.COM> mintz@hpindda.HP.COM (Ken Mintz) writes:
[lotsa stuff, followed by:]
>
>  BTW, just how easy is it to mix-and-match mice and applications/games?  Is
>  it as easy as matching modems; or is it more like matching printers?  That
>  is, just how cautious should I be in selecting a mouse:  is the mouse 
>  interface a critical issue?  Does "MS Mouse compatibility" imply a mode with
>  sigificant limitations; or does it simply affect the communication between
>  mouse and driver?
>
>Ken Mintz

I also have the Logitech mouse (serial "lo res" version).  I've not had 
any problem with dirt, and my computer desk environment is not too clean 
(I have two kids).

As to mix/match - every piece of software I've tried which claims to work
with MS mouse works fine with Logitech, although I admit not having tried a
lot of the more expensive commercial programs.  The compatibility issue is
not between mouse and driver but between driver and application.  I've done
a bit of hacking with MS C and my mouse, using summary descriptions from PC
Magazine for the MS mouse driver functions, and everything works as
expected.  The MS mouse driver has, for example, a function which returns,
among other things, the number of buttons on the mouse.  MS specs say a
zero return means two buttons, any other number means some other number of
buttons.  Logitech's driver returns a 3, which suits me fine.

As to resolution - I have a program which polls the mouse for coordinates
and displays them (they're basically in pixels, for graphics modes).  I
have difficulty moving the mouse a small enough amount to change the
coordinates by just 1 - it's usually 3-4, no matter how gently I move.  I
haven't tried the functions which return movement in "mickeys", but I fail
to see how a higher-resolution mouse could be more useful.

I think Logitech's Point editor (free with mouse) has been discussed.  I
like it fine for a mouse-oriented editor, but I don't generally like mouse
editors as a race.

I also bought LogiPaint (PC Paintbrush).  It's OK, not wonderful.  It is,
however, certainly worth the ~$20 extra you pay for it with the mouse.

BTW - CodeView (from MS) works fine with the Logitech mouse.

-- 
Carl Paukstis    +1 509 927 5600 x5321  |"I met a girl who sang the blues
                                        | and asked her for some happy news
UUCP:     carlp@iscuvc.ISCS.COM         | but she just smiled and turned away"
          ...uunet!iscuva!iscuvc!carlp  |                    - Don MacLean