GyroPoint GyroMouse Presenter ?

[michaelsanford]

My boss just lent me a GyroPoint GyroMouse Pro Presenter (P/N GP9450-001) with a PS/2 to USB (male) adaptor but I can't seem to get it to work on my iBook G4 and Tiger.

I've verified that it does work on an XP box.

Their web site alludes, in one small place, that it only works on PS/2 enabled Macs. I would assume that's just covering to prevent them getting too many support calls about it, but that it should work with an adaptor.

Anyone have any experience with one of these ?

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Heh... that sure is covering themselves, since a Macintosh that is PS/2 enabled never has, doesn't, and never will exist.

I've heard that the PS/2 spec is strikingly similar (compatible?) with USB, so the adaptor should work fine.

Does the mouse provide basic mouse movement at all? Most wireless devices need to be "paired" to their base unit (not "Bluetooth pairing", but similar)... usually the mouse itself and the base unit have small buttons that, when pressed, "connect" the mouse to the closest base station, and vice-versa for the base to the mouse. Have you tried re-pairing the devices with these buttons?

 

[michaelsanford]

Hey ElDiablo, nice to see you again.

Yeah I've tried everything I can think of in that respect, including detatching batteries, nothing works.

I have a feeling that it just might not be totally compliant with the normal HID drivers.

 

[nixgeek]

Heh... that sure is covering themselves, since a Macintosh that is PS/2 enabled never has, doesn't, and never will exist.

Not unless you have a Power Mac 4400 or any of the Mac clones that used the same motherboard design or something similar. It actually had two PS/2 ports: one for the keyboard, and one for the mouse. My StarMax 4000 has them.

It might work, but I don't know if it will recognize anything other than the usual mouse click. You're going to need some software forthe MAc that will support any supplemental mouse buttons on that thing. And we're talking OS 9, since most of those Macs and Mac clones won't run OS X.

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

I don't think the 4400 has PS/2 ports on it -- are you sure you're not confusing those with ADB ports? I don't think any Apple-branded Macintosh ever used PS/2 ports...

http://lowendmac.com/ppc/4400.shtml

I do see that the StarMax and certain clones did use PS/2 ports... learn something new every day!

 

[nixgeek]

I don't think the 4400 has PS/2 ports on it -- are you sure you're not confusing those with ADB ports? I don't think any Apple-branded Macintosh ever used PS/2 ports...

http://lowendmac.com/ppc/4400.shtml

I do see that the StarMax and certain clones did use PS/2 ports... learn something new every day!

You are absolutely right on the 4400.....excuse my brainfart.

I actually thought that the 4400 had them. No, I wasn't confusing the ADB ports for PS/2. I was alwaya under the impression that it was one of the only Macs (excluding the clones) that had a PS/2 port. Duh me.

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Strange -- no wonder Jobs axed the clones... how dare they use proprietary PC ports!

Still, I worked with a Motorola StarMax back in the day, and I don't remember it having PS/2 ports (but took a look the other day, and sure 'nuff, it does!). Eh -- round connectors with a strange pin layout -- I just assumed it was the ADB port!

 

[nixgeek]

Strange -- no wonder Jobs axed the clones... how dare they use proprietary PC ports!

Still, I worked with a Motorola StarMax back in the day, and I don't remember it having PS/2 ports (but took a look the other day, and sure 'nuff, it does!). Eh -- round connectors with a strange pin layout -- I just assumed it was the ADB port!

Yeah, but it has the keyboard and mouse icons on it for the PS/2 ports. Next to it are the ADB ports with the familiar icon.

I haven't ever tested it out with e PS/2 keyboard, as I already had an ADB keyboard that was way better. However, uner Linux the two buttons did work, but not as nicely as it would have on an actual PC. I had to configure the buttons in a weird way through XF86Config to actually get the two mouse buttons working properly. I also tried with a PS/2 scrollwheel mouse but that never worked. What did work, however, was using the USB card I had installed to plug in a USB mouse. In that configuration, the buttons worked normally. However, for some reason I still couldn't get the scroll wheel to work, even with the ZAccessMapping enabled for it.

Of course, right now I think it's suffereing from a dead PRAM battery since the thing won't come to life once the power cord is removed. Ah well.....at least I have my iMac G5.