Mouse and Trackball on one PC

  • Thread starter Thread starter ralph
  • Start date Start date
R

ralph

Currently I have a Microsoft Trackball Explorer running under Windows XP Pro
using Intellipoint v5.2. I have the need to add a mouse (keeping the
Trackball connected) so that I can frequently change-over between the two
input devices. I would prefer to add a Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse. I do
not need or want two separate cursors- I just need to alternate between two
input devices.

1: Can the Trackball and Mouse co-exist (presumably under Intellipoint
v5.5)?
2: Can the two devices have different button assignments or do they need to
be the same?
3: Should I install Intellipoint v5.5 over v5.2 or should I first remove
v5.2?
4: Any other thoughts about this proposed configuration?

thanks.....ralph
 
1. Sure, but you will have two cursors.
2. Each can have their own button assignments.
3. Intellipoint can be installed over itself, i.e., no need to remove the
old version first.
4. I would look first for a third party hardware or software solution before
relying solely on Intellipoint to do what you want. Intellipoint was not
designed for two pointing devices at the same time (although it works).
Also: You may prefer to view both cursors. Give each cursor a different
theme so you can easily tell which is which. You can always park the cursor
not currently in use in a corner of your screen.
 
We have a MS Trackball Optical and a Dell optical mouse
connected directly by USB and have only one cursor. We had
the same Trackball Optical (USB) and a ps/2 mouse on the
previous computer and had one cursor.


| 1. Sure, but you will have two cursors.
| 2. Each can have their own button assignments.
| 3. Intellipoint can be installed over itself, i.e., no
need to remove the
| old version first.
| 4. I would look first for a third party hardware or
software solution before
| relying solely on Intellipoint to do what you want.
Intellipoint was not
| designed for two pointing devices at the same time
(although it works).
| Also: You may prefer to view both cursors. Give each
cursor a different
| theme so you can easily tell which is which. You can
always park the cursor
| not currently in use in a corner of your screen.
|
| --
| Ted Zieglar
| "Backup is a computer user's best friend."
|
message
| | > Currently I have a Microsoft Trackball Explorer running
under Windows XP
| Pro
| > using Intellipoint v5.2. I have the need to add a mouse
(keeping the
| > Trackball connected) so that I can frequently
change-over between the two
| > input devices. I would prefer to add a Microsoft
Wireless Laser Mouse. I
| do
| > not need or want two separate cursors- I just need to
alternate between
| two
| > input devices.
| >
| > 1: Can the Trackball and Mouse co-exist (presumably
under Intellipoint
| > v5.5)?
| > 2: Can the two devices have different button assignments
or do they need
| to
| > be the same?
| > 3: Should I install Intellipoint v5.5 over v5.2 or
should I first remove
| > v5.2?
| > 4: Any other thoughts about this proposed configuration?
| >
| > thanks.....ralph
| >
| >
|
 
I'm thinking back to when I had two pointing devices on the same
computer...I was showing my 4-year old how to use the mouse, which I'm sure
I'll live to regret...and we did have just one pointer. You are correct and
I hope the OP sees this post.
 
To the best of my knowledge, Windows will only handle one cursor. I
currently have 4 Logitech mice installed on my gaming system, all with
different settings and all operating the same cursor. I have no idea if
MS software will allow the second cursor, but since there would be a
problem telling them apart not only for the user but also for the GUI,
I think that it would be just plugging in the second input device.

Personally, I always completely un-install one version of a program
before upgrading, but that is a personal preference.
 
Thanks to everyone for their replies.

I have just setup the system with an old Intellepoint Explorer mouse (plus
the trackball) and can confirm that, at least for this configuration, there
is only one cursor and both devices can access it.
However, I haven't been able to <independently> program the buttons. If I
change the assignment on one device, the assignment changes on the other to
match it. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
thanks......ralph
 
you will have only 1 cursor

the mouse driver (control panel dialog) can be set to one device; the
other will just "mimic" it.

therefore the button assignment will correspond to the one device you
select; the other mouse's buttons should perform the same assigned
function. If one is a 5-button (your trackball) and the other is a
3-button then there may be some mapping "problems". Likewise, if the
mouse is new and has horizontal scrolling (TB-E does not) you may not be
able to use that feature w/o selecting the new mouse as the device.

Intellipoint 5.4 and later (5.5 is current) now do a good job of removing
all traces of older mouse drivers during the install; older versions
didn't do such a good job and often needed the user to fuss w/ the
registry; there was a long KB artical about how to do that.

Note that IntelliPoint and IntelliType _may_ interact, most notably if
your keyboard has a scroll wheel/bar. If you use both try to keep them at
the same version number, unless your KB is older and is no longer
supported by the latest IntelliType. In that case use the last available
one (most likely IT5.0), and install TYPE first, then POINT.

From my experience, IP 5.4 and 5.5 are pretty stable; earlier 5.x drivers
had strange issues, like forgeting your mouse type occasionally, and a
component crashing on boot up. All that now seems cleared up.

Good Luck
 
frodo:
Thanks for your comprehensive reply. I've ordered the Wireless Laser Mouse
(5 buttons and horizontal scrolling) and should get it in a few days. My
plan is to attach both the TB-E and the new mouse to USB ports, boot up the
system, install Intelipoint 5.5 over 5.2 and then program the buttons on the
new mouse and see how well the buttons on the TB-E are mapped. Ill report
back if there are any problems.

BTW: Would things be better or worse if I were to add a Logitech mouse
instead of a Microsoft mouse?
regards......ralph
 
Frodo:

Thought that you might be interested in knowing how things worked out.

I installed Intellipoint 5.5 and connected a Trackball Explorer and a
Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 to two USB-2 ports.
Both are 5 button devices and one can program eith one and then the other
accepts the same button assignments.

Everything works very well except for the scroll wheel (vertical) on the
trackball. Whenever the Laser mouse is connected,
the trackball scroll wheel either does not work at all or at best
occasionally scrolls once if one very
rapidly moves the wheel several rotations. If one disconnects the Laser
mouse, the trackball scroll function immediately works;
if one reconnects the Laser mouse, the trackball scroll function immediately
stops working.

The following have been tried and have no effect:

1: Connecting the Trackball to a PS2 port.

2: Booting up with 1 pointing device connected and then connecting the
other.

3: Booting up with both connected.

4: Using various combination of USB ports (I have 6 accessible)

I spoke with Microsoft tech support and was told that there are some known
conflicts between the trackball and the Laser mouse but he
had no details and could not refer me to any documentation. I'm not sure
that he understood my questions.

Thanks....ralph
 
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