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Re: Finger Pad (Touch Pad/Glidepoint) Pointing Devices
Subject:Re: Finger Pad (Touch Pad/Glidepoint) Pointing Devices From:"Bob Lord, DTN 522-6614," <lord -at- CXCAD -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:09:44 PST
Josee,
FWIW, There was a thread on touch pad devices back about March 13th on the List.
There are two common brands of the standalone devices out there. One's by Alps
and one's by Cirque. Cirque developed the technology and licensed it to Alps,
so naturally the Alps devices are a little more expensive in the retail market.
Also, the Alps device comes only for either serial or PS/2 interfacs, not both.
You can get the Cirque device, which comes with a PS/2 interface _and_ serial
adapter, plus a mouse pad, for about $70 from PC Zone, at 800-258-2088.
I've been using my Cirque touch pad ("Glidepoint" trademark name) for about 2
weeks, and I'm beginning to really love it. You can just plug it in in place of
your normal mouse, and it'll work fine. It really comes into its own, though,
when you use the Glidepoint driver. With it, you get a control panel from which
you can really customize the pad's response and orientation.
For laptop applications, I think this is the best solution yet, and I bet we
start seeing these little guys OEM'ed to the major computer manufacturers in the
near future. Highly recommended as a break for your mouse muscles.
Bob Lord
Contract Information Designer
Digital Equipment Corporation "Just a PC guy lookin' for a
LORD -at- CXCAD -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM VAXectomy!!" b.l.
719.548.6614
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>Ah, I see. Well, if I remember correctly, they are rather expensive. I
>suppose that it's kinda the same mechanics of the pad I work with, except
>that yours would probably take less getting used to, since we learn how
>to use a pencil from age 3 on! :)
Well in Canada they run for about 130$. Fairly acceptable to me for that
kind of efficiency.
