No PS2 on my PC - is a PCI card mouse adapter available??

[foneman]

My work has recently recieved a lot of 'pretty, cheap' Dell compact PCs.. *no ps2 or mouse port!!* :disgust: :frown: - they use USB - and we have no option - we have been trying for new PCs for the last year, and only got this far because our old ones won't work with the new wireless cards.. So, if we had said no, that would mean to finance 'we dont need them' :shocked:

Of course all our old software that can't use this has to be reconfigured or trashed... so I can say from experiece that their optical USB mouse feels like a *dirty* rollerball mouse!! It feels like the ball is 'sticking' at points, and this is a 3 Ghz PC with Win2k!! any fine movement (lining up the 'X' to close a page, framing a 'cut-out' point, seems to be very 'laggy' !! (yes, all mouse options are set to high..) The PCs are great otherwise - but I will not be using them unless I can find a way to attach a *real hardware* PS2 mouse...

and yes, I have tried before using a 'PS2-serial adapter' - none worked! and I don't think you can get *any* optical mouse with a serial plug!!

but if any one does know, I would like to know...

 

[imported_fatal]

What brand USB optical mouse did you try? I have used several Logitech USB Mice that work Great including their basic optical wheel mouse & now the new MX510 - all very accurate & smooth

 

[BlueWeasel]

Ugh...you definately don't want to use a mouse on the serial port. The sampling rate on a COM port is much slower than either PS2 or USB.

It sounds like just a crappy mouse and/or mousepad. Have you tried a different USB mouse and tracking surface?

 

[Zucarita9000]

Man, there's something really wrong with the USB mouse you tried. Get a MS Basic Optical Mouse. They're dirt cheap, and have excellent performance.

 

[Googer]

They used to make PCI PS/2 ports, if they still do it will be hard to find; I have seen them in use before.

Your Other option is a usb to PS/2 adapter. I know it is not quite as good as PS/2 but it will work.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...tem-details.asp?EdpNo=615772&CatId=469
By the way, Screw you dell for not including PS/2 in new computers! This is the first day of my new boycott!

 

[stevty2889]

Thats actualy pretty odd, a USB optical mouse should be way more responsive than an older PS/2 mouse with a ball. Perhaps it's the entire system that is laggy, Dell tends to put only 256mb of ram in their windows XP systems, and uses smaller, slower hard drives. Since windows XP uses almost the full 256mb by itself, the page file on the hard drive is accessed often, and can slow down the entire system. Also you aren't trying to use a mouse pad with optical an optical mouse are you??

 

[Googer]

I personaly prefer these. for usb
http://www.ymouse.com/ymouse/whym08.php

But if you want to go the Serial DB9 optical route here is your option
Get a Lavalink serial card
http://www.lavalink.com/
Then get a Serial to PS/2 adapter
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...-Details.asp?EdpNo=225972&sku=B20-7420

From there you will be all set to go! More solutions from me when I get home from work. TTFN!

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
Thats actualy pretty odd, a USB optical mouse should be way more responsive than an older PS/2 mouse with a ball. Perhaps it's the entire system that is laggy, Dell tends to put only 256mb of ram in their windows XP systems, and uses smaller, slower hard drives. Since windows XP uses almost the full 256mb by itself, the page file on the hard drive is accessed often, and can slow down the entire system. Also you aren't trying to use a mouse pad with optical an optical mouse are you??

In otherwords DELL is CRAP!

 

[foneman]

thanks, googer! anyone else that has tried this with a Dell?? - Its the problem in *large* companies, managers and admin are dumb, they only see the pretty pictures!! -- only reason dell survives..

the system is an optiplex gx280, 512 ram,P4/530cpu, 80g SATA HD, with Win2kPro (it formatted so fast, I didnt think it had done it!
page file set to separate partition, out of the way of data..

- SUSE9.2 looks great on it - I'll try more when I have time..

 

[Zepper]

Yes there are PS/2 to usb adapter cables - will allow you to attach PS/2 mouse and /or keyboard. Don't cost too much. Get one to try. If it doesn't work, you won't be out much. I prefer PS/2 kbd/mse - why use a shared resource when dedicated ones are available?

.bh.

 

[Philippine Mango]

No, USB mice will always be slower then PS/2 mice unless you convert the USB into PS/2 then they have the exact performance. PS/2 is faster because they've had drivers for that stuff since 3.1 and not much is needed to refine them since. I mean the MS mice with the USB to PS/2 work so well that I've got them to run on a 3.1 machine and it's wonderful (obviously no drivers). Yea man I hope you find a PS/2 conversion so you can use the PS/2 port otherwise you WILL experience what your experiencing now forever!

 

[shoRunner]

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
No, USB mice will always be slower then PS/2 mice unless you convert the USB into PS/2 then they have the exact performance. PS/2 is faster because they've had drivers for that stuff since 3.1 and not much is needed to refine them since. I mean the MS mice with the USB to PS/2 work so well that I've got them to run on a 3.1 machine and it's wonderful (obviously no drivers). Yea man I hope you find a PS/2 conversion so you can use the PS/2 port otherwise you WILL experience what your experiencing now forever!

??? yeah usb sucks.....usb mouses have terrible performance... </end sarcasm>

 

[3chordcharlie]

I would try a non-shiny mousepad.

USB works great for mice; you might have some specific issue, but there's no 'general' problem with usb mice.

 

[Zepper]

I was going to add that too. Most optical mice won't work well unless the surface you are using it on has some pattern or texture to it. A really smooth and featureless surface like one-color formica or glass will give them fits.

.bh.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: foneman
thanks, googer! anyone else that has tried this with a Dell?? - Its the problem in *large* companies, managers and admin are dumb, they only see the pretty pictures!! -- only reason dell survives..

the system is an optiplex gx280, 512 ram,P4/530cpu, 80g SATA HD, with Win2kPro (it formatted so fast, I didnt think it had done it!
page file set to separate partition, out of the way of data..

- SUSE9.2 looks great on it - I'll try more when I have time..

Your very welcome! I am still searching for a PCI PS/2 Adapter, I know they exist but its just plain tough to find one. A buddy has one in his computer. But it's now 5 or 6 years old. I will not give up untill I find one, because I am a DIE HARD PS/2 fan (and usb sucks! 1394 rocks!) and may one day be in the same situation as you.

For the rest of you who may not be familiar with the coporate IT enviroment, many of those computers in use by large companies are older machines (pentium 166?) running certified operating systems that may not have support for newer technologies like usb and in his case may only provide support for PS/2 since it's rather native for almost everything. Many companies are still running NT 4.0. Yes the latest service pack provided support for it, but the hardware may not. Many companies don't upgrade to it the way you and I do. It usualy has to undergo rigorous testing before it is installed on a corporate machine. Most of the time they dont bother with a service pack for this reason unless their software requres it.

I had a problem with a USB keyboard once when trying to access my bios and Install DOS 6.11. I have run in to the same problem when trying to install windows 98 on certain machines for people. Simply put PS/2 is more compatable and reliable.

 

[Ewu]

Dell charges an extra 6-8 dollars to get ps2 ports on the Optiplex GX280 in the form of a ps2 and serial port card. It plugs into a special connector on the motherboard and takes up a pci slot. It may look different depending on which form-factor Optiplex GX280 you get.

 

[foneman]

Originally posted by: Ewu
Dell charges an extra 6-8 dollars to get ps2 ports on the Optiplex GX280 in the form of a ps2 and serial port card. It plugs into a special connector on the motherboard and takes up a pci slot. It may look different depending on which form-factor Optiplex GX280 you get.

Thats great! but can you get it 'after sales' ie, as an add-on?? I would also need a Dell reference, or if you have a direct web address...

I have managed to try with my (personal) MS Intellimouse ( but only for a short time, hols coming up!), and it seems a lot better - I'll have to give it harder workout later..

I have had no problems with optical mice in general, the *only* problem I had once was with the ancient wooden desk I was using at the time - the wood was so dried that cavities were formed by the grain of the wood, so of course it confused it!! - simple solution, put a couple of sheets of fresh paper down!!