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MANAGER MOUSE AND SOFTWARE GIVES MORE FLEXIBILITY TO T1K USERS
By Susan J. Shepard
71226,515
Manager Mouse is a new three-button mouse that requires no hardware except
an RS-232C port. It requires no separate power supply and no tablets.
For Tandy 1000, 1200, 2000 users it is a chance to break away from the
trials of the two-button Digi-Mouse and its accompanying controller
hardware. As a Tandy user, I am excited because for once I responded to an
ad in a glossy PC magazine and got a product that is absolutely compatible.
It comes from the Torrington Company in Torrington, CT, which is also
producing applications software for IBM PC and compatible that takes
advantage of the mouse's flexibility. Torrington's mouse comes with memory-
resident driver software and a test utility. Based on experience, I find
it faster than ball and optical mice. It has a microprocessor on-board and
a self-contained drive mechanism.
The docs list compatibility with 25 applications. I have used it with
TopView, AutoCAD, PC Illustrator, Microsoft Word, Harvard Total Project
Manager, and REFLEX. The software Torrington itself has already put on the
market to further support Manager Mouse, such as TelePaint and Key-Free,
puts Tandy to shame.
I am using Manager Mouse with a 640K T1K configured with the Memory-Plus
board, one RS-232C card, a 20 meg Sysgen hard disk and two monitors. The
game ports are used by a graphics tablet, which I used for AutoCAD and
Micro Illustrator. I have never been happy with the tablet, however. I
run my Tandy under PC-DOS 3.1 and TopView, using TopView to the limit. By
adding Manager Mouse, I now have one very fine system. (Now, if Santa Claus
will bring me a 1 meg board that fits in the machine...)
I plan to install a second RS-232C as soon as I can get to the store--if my
local RS Computer Center has an RS-232C for the Memory Plus Board in stock,
which is unlikely--to take advantage of both driving TopView with the mouse
and running Crosstalk XVI and modem in the background. If you don't want
to add a second RS-232C or don't use the external modem that much, it is
perfectly convenient to switch cables.
Key-Free enables you to run Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony, dBase III, RBase 5000,
and more with Manager Mouse. You can use the application's menu, and
further configure each of the three mouse keys to accept up to 16
keystrokes. Button configuration can be changed on the fly.
If that isn't enough to make your day's work easier, Manager Mouse
apparently drives over any surface. I can run it on a ledger page. I used
it to trace a map from an atlas. It runs up the side of the monitor, if
you are into that. My particular appreciation is that, when my desk is very
cluttered, I just pick it up and use my fingers on the two directional
wheels or run it on the palm of my hand. It is fully portable, say between
home and office, and comes with a travel pouch.
The documentation is excellent and includes full technical information.
TMOUSE, the driver, has two entry points. One is through the system
interrupt table and the second is used to access the driver through the
BASIC CALL statement. TMOUSE also provides light pen emulation so BASIC
programmers can use light pen functions with the mouse. The manual includes
BASIC program listing example.
Manager Mouse retails around $200, depending on the accompanying software.
Softsel is distributing and retailer names are available from 1-800-982-
0030.