Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
> >Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:58:18 +0000,
> >[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:
> >
> >>Mister Bartlett <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>> The
> >>> bad thing is that now I have a box of wired mice that I'm too spoiled to
> >>> use, exept for a little one that I travel with - I HATE touchpads!!
> >>
> >>It's fine for most of the stuff I do, but I can only do editing with
> >>itwhen using notation software- for real work I need a keypad and a midi
> >>keyboard.
> >
> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>
> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.

The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
their usability IMO.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>>
>> >Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:58:18 +0000,
>> >[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:
>> >
>> >>Mister Bartlett <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >>> The
>> >>> bad thing is that now I have a box of wired mice that I'm too spoiled to
>> >>> use, exept for a little one that I travel with - I HATE touchpads!!
>> >>
>> >>It's fine for most of the stuff I do, but I can only do editing with
>> >>itwhen using notation software- for real work I need a keypad and a midi
>> >>keyboard.
>> >
>> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
>> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>>
>> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>
>The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>their usability IMO.

I didn't mean the diddly little things.

This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
--

Martin

Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000,
[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>>
>> >Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:58:18 +0000,
>> >[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:
>> >
>> >>Mister Bartlett <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >>> The
>> >>> bad thing is that now I have a box of wired mice that I'm too spoiled to
>> >>> use, exept for a little one that I travel with - I HATE touchpads!!
>> >>
>> >>It's fine for most of the stuff I do, but I can only do editing with
>> >>itwhen using notation software- for real work I need a keypad and a midi
>> >>keyboard.
>> >
>> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
>> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>>
>> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>
>The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>their usability IMO.

A small one though. As I deal with UI stuff all the time, I am always
watching out for really revolutionary stuff. The Wii controller is the
only interesting thing I have seen in the last year.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
> >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
[]
> >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
> >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
> >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
> >>
> >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
> >
> >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
> >their usability IMO.
>
> I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>
> This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.

I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about. 25 years ago I
didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
ago, I owned one. The 90s trackball was not a success, and with good
reason IMO. Still, the two finger thing on touchpads really does change
the way you use the laptop.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) <[email protected]> wrote:

> Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> > chancellor (*)) wrote:
> >
> > >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
> > >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
> []
> > >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
> > >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
> > >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
> > >>
> > >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
> > >
> > >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
> > >their usability IMO.
> >
> > I didn't mean the diddly little things.
> >
> > This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>
> I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about. 25 years ago I
> didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
> ago, I owned one.

Fair to say I'm not good at arithmetic either- I meant 23 years ago that
I owned a computer...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:44:01 +0000,
[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:

>David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> > chancellor (*)) wrote:
>> >
>> > >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>> > >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>> []
>> > >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>> > >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
>> > >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>> > >>
>> > >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>> > >
>> > >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>> > >their usability IMO.
>> >
>> > I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>> >
>> > This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>>
>> I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about. 25 years ago I
>> didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
>> ago, I owned one.
>
>Fair to say I'm not good at arithmetic either- I meant 23 years ago that
>I owned a computer...

I got given a piece of shit PDP 11/70 at about that time, and quickly
moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:39:40 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>> >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>[]
>> >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>> >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
>> >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>> >>
>> >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>> >
>> >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>> >their usability IMO.
>>
>> I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>
>> This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>
>I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about.

I guessed you wouldn't. The ball was getting on for tennis ball size and had a
lot of momentum. It was part of a graphics system


>25 years ago I
>didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
>ago, I owned one.

Eh?

--

Martin

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:53:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:44:01 +0000,
>[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:
>
>>David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> > On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>>> > chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>> >
>>> > >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> > >
>>> > >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>>> > >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>>> []
>>> > >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>>> > >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it and
>>> > >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>>> > >
>>> > >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>>> > >their usability IMO.
>>> >
>>> > I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>> >
>>> > This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>>>
>>> I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about. 25 years ago I
>>> didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
>>> ago, I owned one.
>>
>>Fair to say I'm not good at arithmetic either- I meant 23 years ago that
>>I owned a computer...
>
>I got given a piece of shit PDP 11/70 at about that time,

Never heard anybody call it that before.

> and quickly
>moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.

What was impressive was what one could do with 8K words of memory and no disk of
any sort 40 years ago, like test and control a satellite.
--

Martin

"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:53:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>Let is be knownst that on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:44:01 +0000,
>>[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:
>>
>>>David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne,
>>>> > _the_
>>>> > chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> > >
>>>> > >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>>>> > >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>>>> []
>>>> > >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am
>>>> > >> >sure
>>>> > >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it
>>>> > >> >and
>>>> > >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>>>> > >>
>>>> > >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>>>> > >
>>>> > >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation
>>>> > >in
>>>> > >their usability IMO.
>>>> >
>>>> > I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>>> >
>>>> > This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons
>>>> > AFAIR.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about. 25 years ago I
>>>> didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27
>>>> years
>>>> ago, I owned one.
>>>
>>>Fair to say I'm not good at arithmetic either- I meant 23 years ago that
>>>I owned a computer...
>>
>>I got given a piece of shit PDP 11/70 at about that time,
>
> Never heard anybody call it that before.
>
>> and quickly
>>moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.
>
> What was impressive was what one could do with 8K words of memory and no
> disk of
> any sort 40 years ago, like test and control a satellite.
> --
>
> Martin
>

Was probably a TRS80-16. Nice box. Mote 68000 CPU and running SCO Xenix.

"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:39:40 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
>>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:59:41 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne,
>>> _the_
>>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>>
>>> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:36:40 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>>> >> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>>[]
>>> >> >I haven't yet found a touchpad that is as good as a mouse. I am sure
>>> >> >they will come up with something eventually that replaces both it
>>> >> >and
>>> >> >the mouse. Who know what it will look like.
>>> >>
>>> >> I quite liked using a tracker ball about 25 years ago.
>>> >
>>> >The "two finger" function on touchpads was a significant innovation in
>>> >their usability IMO.
>>>
>>> I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>>
>>> This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>>
>>I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about.
>
> I guessed you wouldn't. The ball was getting on for tennis ball size and
> had a
> lot of momentum. It was part of a graphics system
>
>
>>25 years ago I
>>didn't really know what a computer was, though fair to say that 27 years
>>ago, I owned one.
>
> Eh?
>
> --
>
> Martin
>

Never could get used to it. Have one in the garage junk I think.

Martin wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:39:40 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
>
>>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>>
>>>This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>>
>>I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about.
>
>
> I guessed you wouldn't. The ball was getting on for tennis ball size and had a
> lot of momentum. It was part of a graphics system
>
Was that the Logitec one? My husband uses one like that. I think it
came in a few sizes. This one was the biggest available - he's 6'5",
and has big hands.

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:54:16 -0500, S Viemeister <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Martin wrote:
>> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:39:40 +0000, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>I didn't mean the diddly little things.
>>>>
>>>>This one fitted into the palm of your hand and had three buttons AFAIR.
>>>
>>>I'm not sure what kind of thing you're talking about.
>>
>>
>> I guessed you wouldn't. The ball was getting on for tennis ball size and had a
>> lot of momentum. It was part of a graphics system
>>
>Was that the Logitec one?

I don't know. It was delivered as part of a system.
Was Logitek around in 1982?

> My husband uses one like that. I think it
>came in a few sizes. This one was the biggest available - he's 6'5",
>and has big hands.

I googled for an image of one without success, but did find a photo of the first
computer I used.
--

Martin

Deeply Filled Mortician schrieb:
> Let is be knownst that on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:09:23 +0100, Martin
> <[email protected]> writted:
>
>> On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:53:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>> and quickly
>>> moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.
>> What was impressive was what one could do with 8K words of memory and no disk of
>> any sort 40 years ago, like test and control a satellite.
>
> Most importantly it had an excellent version of Basic, plus a good
> manual on how to write it. Much better than the C64, even if the
> latter was a better machine.
Omigod, computers one could understand. Those were the days...
Volker
--
For email replies, please substitute the obvious.

Let is be knownst that on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:09:23 +0100, Martin
<[email protected]> writted:

>On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:53:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>> and quickly
>>moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.
>
>What was impressive was what one could do with 8K words of memory and no disk of
>any sort 40 years ago, like test and control a satellite.

Most importantly it had an excellent version of Basic, plus a good
manual on how to write it. Much better than the C64, even if the
latter was a better machine.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:53:11 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>Let is be knownst that on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:09:23 +0100, Martin
><[email protected]> writted:
>
>>On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:53:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
>><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>> and quickly
>>>moved onto a TRS80. It's amazing what was impressive back then.
>>
>>What was impressive was what one could do with 8K words of memory and no disk of
>>any sort 40 years ago, like test and control a satellite.
>
>Most importantly it had an excellent version of Basic, plus a good
>manual on how to write it. Much better than the C64, even if the
>latter was a better machine.

What did you get with your PDP11?

A local HP/Compaq dealer is advertising a cheap dual core processor lap top in
NL including a free 19" monitor with everyone.
--

Martin