BS: Alternative mouse drivers for Win 2000?

Subject: BS: Alternative mouse drivers for Win 2000?
From: Julie B
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 11:45 AM

...Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know the Mudcat isn't really the place to raise technical computer problems, but Mudcatters are such helpful people and I'm a desperate woman!

In a nutshell, I'm seeking alternative mouse drivers for Windows 2000

I suffer from RSI but have worked without serious problems in past years on Windows 95 (using a special "Anir" vertical mouse). In October 2002 I was issued with Windows 2000 and was soon in a lot of pain, and had to revert to using a Window 95 machine for the bulk of my work. After exhaustive investigation it turns out that Microsoft have altered the mouse driver software in all versions of Windows from Windows 2000 onwards, meaning that the acceleration feature now works in a fundamentally different way (computer game players in particular complained about this as they found the mouse harder to control accurately). For some people with RSI this can cause problems. (Note: The problem is unrelated to the mouse hardware. Even when the special drivers were installed exactly the same problem persisted.)

The UK RSI Association suggested an alternative third party driver called "Intellipointer" (note - "IntellipointER" and NOT "Intellipoint") that was developed to try and remedy these problems. (See http://intellipointer.com for details). However, sadly I've found that even this does not give me the comfortable mouse control and precision that I have under Windows 95.

Does anyone know of any mouse driver software that will make my mouse pointer behave exactly as it did under Windows 95 when the acceleration option was set to "Low" with a medium speed setting? Also, has anyone else experienced similar problems when moving to Windows 2000? I'd be eternally grateful for any help on this, as every avenue now seem to have been exhausted. I'd even consider paying for somebody to write a "95 like" driver for me (but I assume that's no simply task or Microsoft would have done it themselves).

Your hopefully,

Julie B
Milton Keynes
UK

Subject: RE: BS: Alternative mouse drivers for Win 2000?
From: NicoleC
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 12:29 PM

Julie,

Pretty much every mouse manufacturer has different mouse drivers; they all access Windows architecture to varying degrees. No doubt 'Intellipointer' is the same. I also suffer from RSI, but I do not use acceleration anyway as it makes the problem worse for me.

I am quite happy with my Logitech Trackman Marble+. You might consider trying out some other mouse form factors -- trackballs, gyro mice, etc. -- to see if one of them helps your control.

Subject: RE: BS: Alternative mouse drivers for Win 2000?
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 01:34 PM

I don't have RSI, but I do use a Logitech Trackman Marble FX at work and a Trackman Marble at home. I don't like having to move my hand and wrist around to use a mouse.

You might also try (and this will sound utterly strange) turning your mouse upside down and holding it that way, moving the mouse ball with your thumb and operating the buttons with your fingers. It takes practice, but I'm seen it used quite successfully.

If you have an optical mouse or another type without a ball this won't work, of course. And the mouse ball must fit fairly snugly in its little hole so that it will work against the contacts.

Subject: RE: BS: Alternative mouse drivers for Win 2000?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 04:47 PM

The "special purpose" mouse used with some "high-end" drafting and CAD programs reads (optically) a grid of lines on a special pad. When used within the programs, you have to "zero" the mouse by clicking on diagonally opposite corners of the pad, and it thereafter works as a pure "displacement" input with no acceleration. All of these that I've seen work in other programs, but I can't say with certainty that the acceleration function stays off in Windows programs.

In effect, these mice work much like a stylus pad, in which your "pointing spot" or cursor on the screen follows where you place your "pencil" on the pad. One of these might be a suitable option for you.

The mice I've used most recently, of the type above, were on CADAM and APOLLO systems, but it's rather difficult to get information on equipment or accessories for either of these. AutoCAD and Photoshop (or other "Art" programs) are other places where similar "specials" are sometimes used.

The generic term to look for "unmousy" options would likely be "pointing devices," which will, of course, include the standard mouse.

I'll note that I get significantly different performance on my laptop with a USB connected mouse. The "touch pad," which kept making my cursor fly around when I'd brush it while typing, is connected to the external mouse port, so you can't turn off the touch pad if you use a "normal" external mouse (or trackball), but the USB mouse works independently - with it's own driver, and with it's own rate and acceleration settings. With the external USB mouse plugged in, Windows settings don't affect the mouse. These settings seem to behave differently than the "normal mouse in XP" settings, but I'd have to do some experimenting to see which differences are due to the connection and which are because the USB mouse is an optical.

John