SkydivinGirl
Retro Girl
Hey everyone!
I recently broke down and purchased an Individual Computers Micromys Mouse Adapter to use on both my Amigas and my Commodore 64s and I wanted to give a quick review of the product.
I purchased this device from Red's Retro Computing eBay store and received it much quicker than I would have through some of the other stores that carry it (Vesalia, AmigaKit, etc) because Red is located in the U.S. I had some troubles with the adapter on my C64 (see below) and Red worked with me through e-mail to troubleshoot the issue. Unfortunately, he has still not left me feedback on eBay.
I hooked up a Microsoft USB Optical Mouse to this device with a USB to PS/2 adapter, set the switches on the Micromys to the Amiga settings then plugged it in. The mouse worked perfectly on the first try! No configuration necessary. The Micromys also supports the scroll wheel on the Amiga using drivers but I did not test this functionality.
I next hooked up the same mouse to my Commodore 128. Unfortunately, things did not go nearly as smooth as I would have liked. The first problem was that the connector is large and will not plug directly into Port 1 on a C128 because it hits the molded plastic on the case. The only way to use the device in Port 1 on the C128 is by using another cable in between the computer and the Micromys adapter. This simple fact is what caused most of my problems.
Undaunted, I plugged the Micromys into Port 2 and started testing. I use a Final Cartridge 3, which has a built-in desktop that will use a Commodore 1351 mouse so this was the first thing I tried. The mouse worked and I was able to click on menus, but the cursor jumped all over the screen as I moved. I next tried a program called Art Studio 1351 and the mouse worked until I clicked a button then it stopped working altogether. Finally, I tried the 1351 Test/Demo disk and the mouse did nothing at all.
Well, after multiple e-mails with Red, I pulled out a C64 and tried the mouse in Port 1. Everything worked flawlessly! I ended up buying some Joystick Extension Cables on eBay then used one of those in between Port 1 on my C128 and the Micromys and everything worked there as well. I tried the 1350 mode (hold down the right mouse button while turning on the computer), but I couldn't get it to do anything. I'll have to find the 1350 Mouse manual to figure out how to use it in that mode.
Mircomys Pros:
Can be used with Commodore 64, Amiga and Atari Computers
Allows you to use inexpensive PS/2 or USB Mice (Using a PS/2 Adapter) on your retro computers
Gives you scroll wheel functionality on your Amiga
Works great!
Micromys Cons:
Absolutely no instructions or drivers are included
Expensive - You could buy quite a few Amiga mice for the cost of this adapter
Does not fit into Port 1 on the C128
Please let me know if there are any Pros or Cons I missed. All-in-all, the device is expensive but works on all my retro Commodore gear. I'm very happy with my purchase.
Thanks!
Heather
I recently broke down and purchased an Individual Computers Micromys Mouse Adapter to use on both my Amigas and my Commodore 64s and I wanted to give a quick review of the product.
I purchased this device from Red's Retro Computing eBay store and received it much quicker than I would have through some of the other stores that carry it (Vesalia, AmigaKit, etc) because Red is located in the U.S. I had some troubles with the adapter on my C64 (see below) and Red worked with me through e-mail to troubleshoot the issue. Unfortunately, he has still not left me feedback on eBay.
I hooked up a Microsoft USB Optical Mouse to this device with a USB to PS/2 adapter, set the switches on the Micromys to the Amiga settings then plugged it in. The mouse worked perfectly on the first try! No configuration necessary. The Micromys also supports the scroll wheel on the Amiga using drivers but I did not test this functionality.
I next hooked up the same mouse to my Commodore 128. Unfortunately, things did not go nearly as smooth as I would have liked. The first problem was that the connector is large and will not plug directly into Port 1 on a C128 because it hits the molded plastic on the case. The only way to use the device in Port 1 on the C128 is by using another cable in between the computer and the Micromys adapter. This simple fact is what caused most of my problems.
Undaunted, I plugged the Micromys into Port 2 and started testing. I use a Final Cartridge 3, which has a built-in desktop that will use a Commodore 1351 mouse so this was the first thing I tried. The mouse worked and I was able to click on menus, but the cursor jumped all over the screen as I moved. I next tried a program called Art Studio 1351 and the mouse worked until I clicked a button then it stopped working altogether. Finally, I tried the 1351 Test/Demo disk and the mouse did nothing at all.
Well, after multiple e-mails with Red, I pulled out a C64 and tried the mouse in Port 1. Everything worked flawlessly! I ended up buying some Joystick Extension Cables on eBay then used one of those in between Port 1 on my C128 and the Micromys and everything worked there as well. I tried the 1350 mode (hold down the right mouse button while turning on the computer), but I couldn't get it to do anything. I'll have to find the 1350 Mouse manual to figure out how to use it in that mode.
Mircomys Pros:
Can be used with Commodore 64, Amiga and Atari Computers
Allows you to use inexpensive PS/2 or USB Mice (Using a PS/2 Adapter) on your retro computers
Gives you scroll wheel functionality on your Amiga
Works great!
Micromys Cons:
Absolutely no instructions or drivers are included
Expensive - You could buy quite a few Amiga mice for the cost of this adapter
Does not fit into Port 1 on the C128
Please let me know if there are any Pros or Cons I missed. All-in-all, the device is expensive but works on all my retro Commodore gear. I'm very happy with my purchase.
Thanks!
Heather