From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V8 #59 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Saturday, April 19 2003 Volume 08 : Number 059 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse [Robin Thurlow ] Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse [Robin Thurlow ] RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse ["Bill Krzysko" ] RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse ["Robin Thurlow" ] RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse ["Bill Krzysko" ] Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse [Paul Baily ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:25:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Robin Thurlow Subject: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse Dear all, I hope someone out there can give me a quick tip.. I'm working in an on-campus graphics lab that no one seems to be maintaining with any regularity (grrrrr) The mouse I need to use is dirty dirty dirty and it's one of those Mac ones that's disc-shaped. I've tried turning what seems to be the little ridgy panel that you normally would turn to open the thing to get to the rollers, but it isn't moving. The filthy mouse is really slowing me down not to mention making my poor carpal tunnel wrist flare up - just trying to make the cursor move one millimeter is an exercise in torture. Can anyone tell me how to open this particular style mouse to clean it? Thanks!! xx ~r The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:42:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Robin Thurlow Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse An addendum to my message.. in poking around the internet it seems this is one of the ipucks that have gotten very bad reviews for usability.. still I know this thing would benefit from a good cleaning, judging by the amount of hair strands I've already managed to pull out from the ball enclosure. The rollers must look even worse. I just need to know how (or if!) it can be opened. If the only solution is to crack it open and duct-tape it back together then I'm ready.xx ~r The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:48:59 -0600 From: "Keith Stansell" Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse Sorry, no help for you but... Dirty Insane Mouse - what a great band name. - -Keith - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robin Thurlow" To: Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 12:42 PM Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse > > An addendum to my message.. in poking around the internet it seems this is one of the ipucks that have gotten very bad reviews for usability.. still I know this thing would benefit from a good cleaning, judging by the amount of hair strands I've already managed to pull out from the ball enclosure. The rollers must look even worse. I just need to know how (or if!) it can be opened. If the only solution is to crack it open and duct-tape it back together then I'm ready.xx > ~r > The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:55:41 -0500 From: "Bill Krzysko" Subject: RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse Robin, I'm seem to remember taking some of the hockey puck mouse's apart, so I think you should be able to do it. However, these things were so terrible we replaced all of them, so they never really got dirty. The problem everyone seems to have with them is that you can't tell if the mouse is pointing forward by feel. I would seriously try to get them to put in a replacement, even when working properly they are terrible. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-alloy@smoe.org [mailto:owner-alloy@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Robin Thurlow Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 1:43 PM To: alloy@smoe.org Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse An addendum to my message.. in poking around the internet it seems this is one of the ipucks that have gotten very bad reviews for usability.. still I know this thing would benefit from a good cleaning, judging by the amount of hair strands I've already managed to pull out from the ball enclosure. The rollers must look even worse. I just need to know how (or if!) it can be opened. If the only solution is to crack it open and duct-tape it back together then I'm ready.xx ~r The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:11:29 -0400 From: "Robin Thurlow" Subject: RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse Thanks for the help. I feel better knowing at least there's hope of my opening it. But I know these ipuck nasties won't be replaced.. this is the art department at a new york state university we're talking about. We're lucky we even have walls at this point, let alone outdated computer equipment. Thanks again!! xx ~r ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:20:22 -0700 From: Jon Drukman Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse At 11:25 AM 4/18/2003, Robin Thurlow wrote: >Dear all, I hope someone out there can give me a quick tip.. I'm working >in an on-campus graphics lab that no one seems to be maintaining with any >regularity (grrrrr) The mouse I need to use is dirty dirty dirty and it's >one of those Mac ones that's disc-shaped. I've tried turning what seems >to be the little ridgy panel that you normally would turn to open the >thing to get to the rollers, but it isn't moving. The filthy mouse is >really slowing me down not to mention making my poor carpal tunnel wrist >flare up - just trying to make the cursor move one millimeter is an >exercise in torture. Can anyone tell me how to open this particular style >mouse to clean it? Thanks!! xx go buy yourself an optical mouse and carry it around with you. mechanical mice are a dead end. even if you could clean it it would just be dirty a week later. generic usb optical mouse = $10 - -jsd- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 14:28:20 -0500 From: "Bill Krzysko" Subject: RE: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse Yeah, this would be my advice too. I have some Logitech USB optical mice I got from one of these dollar store places, I think they were around $5. And any USB mouse should work, it doesn't have to be Apple specific, even Microsoft USB mice should work. I thought I had a puck mouse here, but I can't seem to find it, so I can't give you any more details on how they open, but I don't think there was anything too unusual about it. Good luck... - -----Original Message----- From: owner-alloy@smoe.org [mailto:owner-alloy@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Jon Drukman Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 2:20 PM To: alloy@smoe.org Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse At 11:25 AM 4/18/2003, Robin Thurlow wrote: >Dear all, I hope someone out there can give me a quick tip.. I'm >working >in an on-campus graphics lab that no one seems to be maintaining with any >regularity (grrrrr) The mouse I need to use is dirty dirty dirty and it's >one of those Mac ones that's disc-shaped. I've tried turning what seems >to be the little ridgy panel that you normally would turn to open the >thing to get to the rollers, but it isn't moving. The filthy mouse is >really slowing me down not to mention making my poor carpal tunnel wrist >flare up - just trying to make the cursor move one millimeter is an >exercise in torture. Can anyone tell me how to open this particular style >mouse to clean it? Thanks!! xx go buy yourself an optical mouse and carry it around with you. mechanical mice are a dead end. even if you could clean it it would just be dirty a week later. generic usb optical mouse = $10 - -jsd- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 09:09:21 +1000 From: Paul Baily Subject: Re: Alloy: (OT) dirty insane mouse [Baily dips back into the present to catch up on a few weeks' worth of email...] Hey Robin! Ah yes the hockey puck mouse. One of the first things I swapped out when I first got a Mac that had one. :-) Some people swear by them, and I could imagine they'd be great for the paw grip a child might use, but I can't stand them myself. When they're clean they track well enough, but I'd agree with the others - if you have the chance go shopping for a mouse you can take with you. Pretty much any USB mouse will work just fine, its just a matter of finding one you like. As far as cleaning this critter, you're on the right track by twisting the ring surrounding the ball but in lab conditions some people either lock or glue the ring on (why? dunno, some people are just like that I guess...) If it's glued then it's going to be a forceful affair to break the bond but I'm hoping they've just locked it. If you have a look at the underside of the mouse with the cord facing away from you, just above the ring you should see a small hole. Bend a paperclip partway straight then stick it in this hole, you should feel a slight springiness - the trick is to push this down a little and twist the ring which should then move fairly freely. After that it's just a matter of looking at the rollers, going 'ewww gross!', and cleaning them the usual way (fingernails work well) - bonus points, you can also get the ball more grippy by washing it with soapy water and drying it throughly. Happy Easter all! (or happy four days off if you prefer :-) Paul. This message powered by the sound of Reg cooking bacon & eggs for brekky... yummm... (another beautiful day at Coolum Beach... ) ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V8 #59 **************************