USB or PS2 Mouse

I have an MS trackball with a USB cord, plugged into a PS2 adapter, stuck in the hole next to my keyboard. Why am I not using the USB port directly? I have 3 empty ones... I can remember unpacking it, looking at the adapter (included) thinking- better just plug it in where the mouse goes! But I don't know which is "better" or what difference it makes. It works fine this way, and have no idea if it works in a USB port at all! Enlighten me, guys.

Hey, do you believe people PAY me to fix their computers? Lucky for them, I'm much better with software than hardware!

Johanna

 

I believe it's better to reserve USB resources; the trackball doesn't need the extra speed.

 

I use usb just because if i need to i can put it in and take it out when i want as for sparing up usb ports i just got a usb hub so i could work with devices like usb keys and cameras more easily.

So i have to say USB for me.

Jonno

 

jonno001

Your idea is fine. It does work and I have used the idea for other things. But for overall usage and depenbability of a mouse, PeteC has the better idea.

A USB device will not work in DOS or the Safe mode. ( unless changes have come about that I am not aware of )

On this machine I have both. PS2 is for normal every day constant use. My Wife uses the USB when we play games.

BillyBob

 

PeteC

Thank you for the info.

Would you please give me the info on how to get XP Pro into the safe mode. In all the time I have had XP Pro I have yet to see the safe mode. I know there is a way to do it but I have not had to use it and apparently neither has XP itself.

Also I have just plain forgotten which key to punch at boot-up to force 98SE into the safe mode. It ( 98SE ) did restart into the safe mode yesterday but it was because I S****ed up.

BillyBob

 

One problem with USB mice, no DOS support. Bad news to me.

Billy Bob,
Hit F8 key for safe mode.

Dale

 

Confirmed, t ball works w/ USB in regular or Safe Mode. BB, on my comp, I need F5 to get into Safe Mode. Think I'll leave the t ball PS2, even though it is unlikely that I'll need any DOS any time soon... Just bought a new digital camera the other day, and have been rearranging cords and the general "behind the desk mess" that Merlin referred to in another post!

Thanks, all!
Johanna

 

Thanks to all for the info.

On 98SE F8 brings up the Menu. F5 goes directly to the safe mode. Now I just gotta get the timing of the key press fixed up.

Have not had the guts to mess with XP yet. Do not have the time today to see what happens. I know what things get change by the safe mode in SE.

BillyBob

 

I keep my trackbal optical hooked up as PS2. I've used it as a USB device and haven't noticied any benefit. There's nothing else I can plug into that mouse port whereas I have plenty of items that use USB.

 

Hi, Ice!
Yep, that was my thinking, too. I didn't notice any difference in performance, and you are right, USB ports are handy. I'm not going wireless, or I'll lose the durned thing! So I'll stay with the optical t ball on the PS2 port...

Hey, I heard it got so warm up your way the other day that the kids took off their jackets. True?

Johanna

 

Just as a side note, most BIOS in the past 3-4 years will have an obscure option called 'USB Legacy Support'. The feature will allow the new fangled 'legacy free' machines to have a USB keyboard/mouse work properly in DOS/BIOS. Its an interesting process how this actually works, if your into APICs, lots of fun reading in the spec..

Myself, I have been known to play a video game or two like Quake, etc.. Those games require split second reflexes, and I prefer to use PS/2, so I can tune the refresh rate of the port up for higher resolution, without having the 'bottleneck' of the USB HID subsystem slow me down. This is not noticable for 99% of the people out there... This is the same reason I returned a wireless mouse, because the latency was too high. I got some odd looks for that at the return counter

 

Johanna,

Ha ha!

Jacket - what's that?

Cheers,
ICE

 

USB pointing device

I thought the refresh rate was higher on a USB mouse? The high performance mice, like the Razor Boomslang, strictly use USB. they have supposedly triple the accuracy of a PS/2 mouse. I use the Logitech dual sensor optical, and run it on USB for gaming. I think it is more precise than My old PS/2 mice, but I got rid of them, and can't test to make sure.

Johanna, did you ever decide what you are going to buy for a new system? The new AMD 939 socket and chips are out now.

 

Oh Boy !! Here we are AGAIN.

Discussing something that how it works or which one is best Depnds 100% on the Combination of SYSTEM and maybe even user.

USB and PS2 both work. But the one that does the job the way the USER wants it to is the one that should be used.

In our Links 2003, Win98 SE the Microsoft PS2 was just fine. The Logitech USB was VERY touchy and at times troublesome. Now with LS2003 and XP the USB is just fine but at times the PS2 is ( was ) touchy. But I found the problem to only be around when I left ICQ running in the background. Shut ICQ down and all is well.

So. I guess we are back to the age old idea of " It may well be the COMBINATION of things that creates a problem. " Not just the device itself.

BillyBob

 

I forgot something.

In mentioning combination I left out a very important piece of the puzzle.

DRIVERS Not all drivers ( for either ) work with all systems.

BillyBob

 

With an ERD disk (emergency recovery disk) I use my IPOD to retrieve data of stuffed or damaged hard drives just boot up in USB mode and it's done.

Great device and program

ERD 2002

Jonno

 

Ruger44's right. No offence but you guys need to modernize. USB mice have triple the polling rate of PS/2 mice and should work in most any situation as long as you have the aforementioned bios option(s) set correctly. But I think I have run into DOS apps that require a driver for any mouse - even a PS/2 one.

A much higher polling rate = mousing heaven. And if you've never tried optical, get one...you'll never go back to a ball mouse. You can snag a Logitech basic optical USB mouse for ~$12.

I even went so far as to buy a USB-only KVM to maintain the full functionality of any USB mouse/trackball/keyboard I decided to attach. When you attach USB pointing devices through a PS/2 KVM, many people report losing the full functionality of that peripheral.

Gary

 

For safe mode hit F8 at the right time. On my Asus MoBo, Win XP system, if you hit it too early you get a boot device menu. I have to press F8 right after the post data but right before the XP load screen.

mordin