Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cwjcc!gatech!linus!mdh From: mdh@linus.UUCP (Mike Houle) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Summary to Track Ball inquire Keywords: Track Ball Message-ID: <39590@linus.UUCP> Date: 7 Sep 88 12:47:08 GMT Distribution: na Organization: SOON to be, The Orginization of Procrastinators Lines: 99 As a compilation to the request for Track Ball info for the Mac. I have gotten only a couple of results, but these are the summaries..... From: harvard!uwvax!speedy.cs.wisc.edu!engber (Mike Engber) There a a product called the Arcade Adaptor (by Nuvo Labs) that lets atari joystics work on a mac+. If their trackballs are the same in terms of their output then I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. The adaptor came with a nice PacMan game and the package cost me $30. The adapter is a tiny thing (1.5"x1"x.25" approx) and just attaches to the end of the joy stick plug and then you plug it into the mouse port. I think their phone is 805-544-5766. I don't know how much trackballs go for, but I suspect that this is the cheapest route. ------------------------------------------------------------------- From: goldman@encore.UUCP (Steve Goldman) < ***** This information has recently been sent across the net ***> I've connected an Atari trackball to my Mac, it requires a very simple cable change. I never really liked using it because the button was to hard to use. If you want I can post/email the details. Steve Goldman ------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ll-xn!ames!coherent!dplatt (Dave Platt) There are three brands of trackball available for the Mac; I believe that all three are available in ADB (Mac SE / Mac II) and non-ADB (older) models. There was a review and comparison of all three in one of the big Mac magazines (I believe it was MacUser) within the past couple of months. Summary: Kensington Turbo Mouse. The original; recently released in a substantially updated form. The magazine review described the old model (rectangular case and switches), but showed a picture of the new model (squarer case, triangular switches in symmetric positions). The old switches had a somewhat mushy feel; I suspect that they've been revised in the new model. New model apparently uses optical sensors, with no moving parts aside from the trackball itself; old model uses wheel encoders. Original model lists for about $130; new model for about $170. New model has just started shipping and may be in short supply. New model contains auto-accelerator logic; if you move the ball quickly, the cursor speed increases. One-year warranty. Abaton ProPoint. Large ball, which can be lifted out of the socket without removing the cover; convenient for cleaning, but may not be as suitable for video-game use because the ball might pop out during rapid spinning. $160 list, I think. This model was the most expensive of the ones reviewed (the new Kensington wasn't available then) and was top-rated; "well engineered". Optical sensors. Lifetime warranty. Asher Turbo Trackball. Small ball (about 1/2 the size of the others); some people seem to prefer the larger ball, some the smaller. Patented encoder mechanism (made by Honeywell) using rubber-coated shafts on which the ball rotates. Least expensive ($99 list), available for under $70 from mail-order dealers; if you buy it directly from the factory they'll offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Some early models had problems with cursor "sticking"; this was corrected by the rubber- coated encoder shafts, and defective units will be replaced by the manufacturer. Lifetime warranty. If you have a Mac SE or II, you can use a trackball as well as a mouse by daisy-chaining them on the ADB. I don't know if this is possible on a Mac Plus or older machine. I have no details as to how one would go about adapting an Atari trackball to work with the Mac. I suspect that it would require a substantial amount of work, as Mac keyboards and mice contain microprocessors that participate in a rather complex dialog with the Mac's processors. -- Dave Platt VOICE: (415) 493-8805 USNAIL: Coherent Thought Inc. 3350 West Bayshore #205 Palo Alto CA 94303 UUCP: ...!{ames,sun,uunet}!coherent!dplatt DOMAIN: dplatt@coherent.com INTERNET: coherent!dplatt@ames.arpa, ...@sun.com, ...@uunet.uu.net To those who just needed to know... ------------------------------------------------------------------- Again, thank you to all who replied.. You were very helpfull -- Mike Houle | | If I really had an opinion, and you ! UUCP -> decvax!linus!mdh | believed it. Then it's your fault.. ! ARPA -> mdh%linus@mitre-bedford | not mine.