Path: news.uh.edu!barrett From: mjbrown@cryo.cryogenic.com (Michel J. Brown) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Subject: REVIEW: DigiPrint IBM Bus Mouse Interface Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Date: 21 Jun 1994 16:51:16 GMT Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett Lines: 184 Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator) Distribution: world Message-ID: <2u75q4$2rc@masala.cc.uh.edu> Reply-To: mjbrown@cryo.cryogenic.com (Michel J. Brown) NNTP-Posting-Host: karazm.math.uh.edu Keywords: hardware, mouse, IBM, commercial Originator: barrett@karazm.math.uh.edu PRODUCT NAME DigiPrint IBM Bus Mouse Interface BRIEF DESCRIPTION The DigiPrint Bus Mouse Interface is a completely self-contained product that allows you replace your Amiga mouse with a wide variety of IBM bus mice, trackballs, and other peripherals. It supports three button mice, uses port 1 only (i.e., the port you would normally use for your Amiga mouse), and is entirely transparent to the user. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Name: DigiPrint, Inc. Address: PO Box 13016 Richmond, VA 23225 USA Telephone: (804) 560-1769 FAX: (804) 560-1769 E-mail: 71174.3436@compuserve.com LIST PRICE $9.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling (US funds). SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE An IBM compatible bus mouse or trackball. Examples given are the Microsoft Bus Mouse, Logitech Mouseman, and Logitech Trackman. SOFTWARE Works with all Amigas, and all versions of the OS. COPY PROTECTION None. MACHINE USED FOR TESTING Amiga 2500/030, 2MB Chip RAM, and 8MB Fast (32 bit) RAM. 1 high-density floppy disk drive. Quantum Empire 1080 internal hard disk, Oktagon 2008 host adapter. A1960 multisync monitor. Kickstart version 37.300, Workbench version 38.35, AmigaDOS 2.1. CBM A2386SX25 bridge board. INSTALLATION After turning off the power to your Amiga, simply plug in the round male plug of your bus device into the female receptacle of the interface, and plug the interface into port 1 (the usual mouse port). The installation is intuitively obvious to the most casual user. REVIEW After my mouse (an Alfa-Data three button mouse) died, I was in the market for a replacement. Looking at all the different possibilities left me disheartened, as most Amiga mice are low resolution, and often the middle button is non-functional (as on my old Alfa-Data). I was also bothered by the pricey but pretty trackballs for the Amiga that also suffer from resolution problems. Then the solution struck me! Why not use an IBM type device? They are high resolution, usually have three buttons, and are (relatively) inexpensive. I inherited a Logitech TrackMan Mouse from an IBM friend and tried the interface just as soon as I got it in the mail. My first impression was WOW! This thing is GREAT! As space is at a premium in my household, a trackball is more a necessity, rather than a luxury. It works flawlessly with almost all programs that recognize the middle button. With the program middle button by Michael Sinz, it now becomes a shift key for multiple selections, freeing my keyboard for combination commands like those found in Deluxe Paint 4.x and Imagine 2.0 and 3.0. The only problem that I have found so far is that the middle button is not supported by AMouse, the mouse emulator for bridgeboard Amigas, but this is a fair tradeoff, all other things considered. The 600 DPI resolution of the trackball makes the Amiga cursor fly around the Workbench with lightning speed at the flick of a thumb. Using a trackball (like a mouse, but upside down) takes some getting used to, but so far I have been well pleased in most respects with both the interface and my new trackball. By the way, I called Computer City, and they said they would sell me the same trackball new for $29.95 (US funds), which I find reasonable. DOCUMENTATION Documentation consists of four paragraphs describing installation, types of devices supported, and the standard disclaimer information with their support number. LIKES I like the fact that I can now use inexpensive peripherals for input, and look forward to their keyboard adapter allowing us Amiga users to use the 101-key enhanced AT-style keyboards. I also like the fact that I can now use high resolution devices that were previously are unusable on Amigas. This product is ideally suited for any kind of precision work where pixel-by-pixel resolution is required, like in 3D work, animations, 24 bit paint, touch up, and image processing. DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS This really isn't something that DigiPrint can control, but some of the IBM bridgeboard programs I use don't like the bus mouse interface, and none so far recognize the middle button as anything other than the left mouse button. As this is probably an AMouse software problem, I can't hold DigiPrint responsible for this, but a rewritten AMouse driver would be nice, VERY nice. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS Unlike analog joysticks and keyboard adapters, the bus mouse interface has no other comparable or similar product available, as far as I know. BUGS None noted. VENDOR SUPPORT I have had previous experience in calling the vendor about a related product (their analog joystick adapter), and found them helpful, enthusiastic, and very supportive. They intend to stay with the Amiga as long as the users continue to use their Amigas. I am in no way associated with DigiPrint, other than being a very satisfied customer of their fine products. WARRANTY This product is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 90 days after receipt of purchased merchandise. Replacement of product is the buyer's sole remedy, with standard disclaimers applying to damages and standard exclusions as provided by law. Your state laws may vary. CONCLUSIONS This is an excellent product at a very reasonable price. I am very happy with my new trackball setup and have increased my productivity with the use of the middle button as a shift key. If I were to give a rating to this product, I would be hard pressed to give anything less than a five star rating out of five, unless, of course, they wrote a new AMouse driver (hint hint). In my opinion, no one would complain about the ease of use and the increased usability given to their system. Finally, I'd like to thank DigiPrint for coming out with a very useful product that really has become an indispensable part of my Amiga environment. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright 1994, Dr. Michel J. Brown. All rights reserved. --- Daniel Barrett, Moderator, comp.sys.amiga.reviews Send reviews to: amiga-reviews-submissions@math.uh.edu Request information: amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu Moderator mail: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu Anonymous ftp site: math.uh.edu, in /pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews