Date: Thu, 3 Mar 1994 23:28:07 GMT From: ab148@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Nahum Goldmann) Subject: Exotic mice (Hardware review) Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Newsgroups: ncf.sigs.windows-dos,comp.human-factors Exotic mice (Hardware review). . MicroSpeed WinTrack Trackball: The Superior Windows Mouse. MicroSpeed Incorporated, 5005 Brandin Court, Fremont, CA, 94538, USA. Phone 1-800-232-7888, FAX 510-490-1665, No e- mail support line. List price US$129. Requires: DOS 3.3+, Windows 3.1+, RS-232C DTE serial interface. Microsoft Mouse compatible. Nominal dimensions: 6.75" x 3.75" x 2.00". Weight 12 oz. . The Honeywell Mouse: Opto-Mechanical Cursor Control Device. Honeywell, Keyboard Division, 4171 N. Mesa, Bldg. D, El Paso, TX, 79902-9885, USA. Phone 1-800-445-6939. No e-mail support line. List price US$79. Requires: Standard serial (RS232) port for the Serial Mouse or a dedicated PS/2 mouse port for the PS/2 Mouse. Nominal dimensions: 101.6 mm x 63.5 mm x 34.3 mm. Resolution: 320 dots per inch in both the x and y directions. . Review by Nahum Goldmann. (c) Nahum Goldmann, 1993. The author does not represent the vendors. Please reply to the author. . . If you are tired of rolling the now standard Logitec or Microsoft-compatible mice, being stack now and then in the middle of delicate graphics work, consider these original replacements. . Ergonomically designed MicroSpeed WinTrack represents a newly emerging family of trackballs. Originally used by demanding CAD applications, trackballs became more popular with the introduction of laptop computers. The principal advantage of trackballs is that there is no need to roll the beast across the table or even a pad. Instead, with the base remaining in the same place on the table, you just rotate a huge ball and push the buttons at the appropriate time. I found this pointing device very convenient for using with any computer -- from a desktop to a portable that has its own difficult-to-handle undersized ball. . WinTrack is Microsoft Mouse compatible that is, it is capable of handling any application supported by the industry standard (although, in my computer, it refused to work with another Microsoft-mouse compatible driver, and I was able to activate it only by installing its own software). Software installation was not difficult but, unfortunately, disabled the driver for the originally used pointing device. The only other negative factor that I have found with this product is the lack of good Help utilities and quite primitive supporting documentation. . Some functionality additional to Microsoft Mouse is provided through TrackWEEL, a cylindrical device that allows input commands or key codes directly to applications. For example, by rotating a TrackWEEL, you might be able to scroll through a document without utilizing a sidebar or a PgDn key. WinTrack can also be programmed to behave individually in various applications, thus maximizing the operator's capability to efficiently handle every task in a particular application. By manipulating different parts of the pointer, you can also activate a menu without dislocating a cursor. . Still, unless you are a power operator of a dedicated graphic software package that requires all the bells and whistles that one can master, your main concern with the pointing device should be its basic functions. If your problem is the lack of table space for moving the mouse and you are looking for a high precision of cursor position on the screen, WinTrack might provide an invaluable alternative to a traditional mouse. . Honeywell opto-mechanical mouse, on the other hand, looks quite conventional. Appearances, however, could be quite deceiving. This pointing device is one of the easiest to control and convenient to handle that I had experienced in many years of using a computer. . The Honeywell mouse is based on the new technology that replaces conventional ball mechanism. Instead of a ball, two rotating feet assemblies accurately determine mouse movements using the gyroscopic effect. The contact with the operating surface is provided by a special magnetic traction feature. As the transducer assembly is sealed from the mouse's exterior, the external contaminants cannot penetrate it. . As a result, this mouse does not require periodic cleaning. In several months of intensive use, I haven't noticed even a slight degradation in the cursor control. This would be unthinkable with the conventional ball-based mice whose performance degrades with the time even if it is periodically cleaned. In fact, Honeywell provides limited lifetime warranty for all mouse hardware defects. . By weight, Honeywell opto-mechanical mouse feels about twice as light as do similar Microsoft or Logitec's mice. The mouse does not require a special pad and would work virtually on any curvature surface, even if placed on the grill of my telephone set. . The Honeywell mouse is plug-compatible with the leading industry standard ball mice, to the extent that is can easily substitute for most of conventional devices without any change in software drivers. Its own DOS-based driver software however, is quite primitive and documentation very minimal. Instead of installing its own software, you would be better off by just substituting an old mouse for the new one. I would, however, like this mouse to be supplied by the computer vendor for my next desktop purchase. . To sum up, every computer configuration might require its own pointing device. For a desktop computer system, the Honeywell mouse is in a league of its own. If, on the other hand, you are struck with the lack of space, and have to use a trackball mouse, MicroSpeed WinTrack should be considered a serious contender. -- Nahum Goldmann ARRAY Development Inc. (613)226-3852 N. Goldmann: "Online Information Hunting" - the first book for the end-user!