Microsoft BallPoint 8.1 Update Kit README.TXT

• Microsoft Mouse Driver for MS-DOS, version 8.1

SUMMARY

The following text is the README.TXT from the Microsoft Mouse Driver 8.1 Update Kit. You can view this by running the README.EXE file.

MORE INFORMATION

MICROSOFT BALLPOINT MOUSE RELEASE NOTES (software version 8.10) Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1991

This document contains information that supplements the "Microsoft BallPoint Mouse User's Guide" and accompanying software.

CONTENTS

     I. Notes on Setup for DOS and Windows 3.0
          The APPEND Command
          PATH Modifications
          Single-drive PCs
          Network Installations
          Loading the DOS Mouse Driver under Windows
    II. New LCD Screen Pointer Options
          Improving pointer visibility in DOS
          Improving pointer visibility in Windows
          Pointer settings in MOUSE.INI
          Using pointer options with included menu software
   III. Using the BallPoint Mouse with OS/2
          Installing an OS/2 Mouse Driver
          Setting Orientation and Buttons for OS/2
    IV. Miscellaneous Items
          New Single-Button Clicklock Release
          Using high or expanded memory with DOS 5.0
          Loading MOUSE.INI Settings
          Acceleration Profiles
          Tutorial Notes
          Using the mouse with Desqview
          Mechanical Tips

I. NOTES ON SETUP FOR DOS AND WINDOWS

The APPEND Command

     APPEND;

PATH Modifications

Note that some systems may not start properly if the AUTOEXEC.BAT file being used contains a PATH statement that is too long. If this occurs with your system, restart the computer using a floppy system disk (DOS boot disk) and edit the PATH statement so that it contains fewer than 127 characters.

If you have an older version of the mouse software on your system and the directory that includes the older version is included in your PATH, you should delete this directory from the PATH statement. Leaving the directory in the PATH may cause the older files to be found when you enter mouse commands at the DOS command line.

Older versions of the mouse software do not include all the features of version 8.0+, including BallPoint Mouse support. Delete older versions of the mouse software from your system and use a text editor to remove the older directory from the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

Single-drive PCs

Network Installations

Loading the DOS Mouse Driver under Windows

     1. Exit Windows
     2. Type MOUSE at the command line
     3. Restart Windows

II. NEW LCD SCREEN POINTER OPTIONS

To improve mouse pointer visibility on computers with liquid-crystal (LCD) displays, version 8.10 of the mouse software introduces several features. Pointer visibility can be improved by altering the size and color of the pointer. The pointer can also be made to grow in size when the mouse is moved, returning to its normal size when mouse movement slows. This "growth" capability helps you keep track of the pointer when it is in motion, yet still do detail work with the pointer at its normal size--without obstructing vision of an object or control on the screen. Pointer settings are kept in the MOUSE.INI file.

Improving pointer visibility in DOS

     POINTER [size,color,growth,threshold,delay]

where       size = 1, 1.5, or 2
                   (normal/small, medium, large)
           color = normal, reverse, or transparent
          growth = 1 or 0  (on or off)
       threshold = 1-100
           delay = 1-100

Text mode pointer shapes:

                              X                XXX
       Normal  X     Medium  XXX        Large  X X
                              X                XXX

The normal (white) pointer can be made reverse (black) in color. The actual colors may differ depending on the type of screen you are using. A third color choice is transparent, which makes the pointer opposite in color to whatever is beneath it at any given time. This gives it a transparent effect as it is moved over text and objects on the screen.

The growth option is specified as either 1 or 0 (on or off). When growth is on, the setting for threshold is used to determine the speed at which the mouse must be moving before the pointer will be "grown" to either medium or large (depending on which was specified with the size parameter). Both threshold speed and delay are relative numbers in the range 1 to 100, representing minimum to maximum settings. A maximum delay of 100 corresponds to a delay of approximately ten seconds before the pointer returns to small size on the screen. Note that threshold and delay settings have no visible effect when the growth parameter is off.

Pointer parameters must be entered in the order shown above, separated by commas. However, parameters may be skipped by leaving out their numeric values.Spaces are ignored. Values that are not being changed, but follow those you are changing, may be omitted. Parameters that are skipped or omitted result in no change to those settings in mouse- driver memory.

Example DOS pointer commands:

     POINTER 2
     POINTER 2,reverse
     POINTER 2,reverse,1,30,10
     POINTER 1.5,,0
     POINTER,transparent,1
     POINTER,,,30,10

     POINTER         (displays brief command-line help)

Improving pointer visibility in Windows

Pointer settings are now available using the Pointer option button in the Windows Mouse Control Panel version 8.10. You can customize your Windows pointer by selecting the Size and Color icons that make it easiest to view on your LCD screen. Note that your choices take effect immediately, so that you can quickly determine which combination of settings is best for you.

The pointer growth feature is available when you choose either a Medium or Large pointer size. To turn on growth, click the On button. When you move the mouse quickly, and with growth on, the pointer will "grow" to the pointer size you have selected. Once mouse movement slows, the pointer will return to its Normal (or smallest) size again. You can set the mouse speed required to cause the pointer to grow by moving the Threshold slider bar. The amount of time that the pointer remains larger, before it returns to Normal size, is set using the Delay control.

Note that the growth feature works only with the normal system pointers used in Windows. Many Windows applications include additional pointers for specific tasks. These additional, or application-specific, pointers are not affected by the growth option. The size and color options do, however, take effect with application-specific pointers.

The Restore button at the bottom of the Pointer Options dialog box allows you to return all pointer settings to their default values for Windows. When you choose Restore, the Size and Color options will indicate that nothing is currently selected, and the Growth feature is turned off. You may notice that the shapes of some of the Small pointers differ slightly from the default (restored) Windows shapes. The Small pointer shapes have been adjusted to improve visibility on LCD screens.

You keep pointer settings in effect in Windows and in your Windows applications, by choosing the OK button. To discard the changes you have made, choose Cancel. When you choose OK, the Pointer Options dialog closes and you are returned to the Mouse Control Panel where you can choose other mouse settings. Note that settings changes are recorded permanently from the Control Panel only when you choose OK. In order to keep the growth feature running when you choose OK, the following filename in added to your WIN.INI file:

     load=c:\ballpt\pointer.exe

Pointer settings in MOUSE.INI

  [DOSPointer]              [WindowsPointer]
  PointerSize=Large         PointerSize=Large
  PointerColor=Normal       PointerColor=Normal
  Growth=OFF                Growth=OFF
  Threshold=20              Threshold=20
  Delay=3                   Delay=3

Using Pointer Options with Included Menu Software

__________________________________________________________

III. USING THE BALLPOINT MOUSE WITH OS/2

Installing an OS/2 Mouse Driver

     OS2MOUSE.V11     for OS/2 version 1.1
     OS2MOUSE.V13     for OS/2 versions 1.2 and 1.3

     MS Serial-PS/2 Mouse
     MS Bus(Inport) Mouse
     MS BallPoint Mouse

To install an OS/2 mouse driver:

   (Assume your device drivers are in the directory C:\OS2.)

     1. Copy OS2MOUSE.V11 (or OS2MOUSE.V13) to C:\OS2.

     2. Edit your CONFIG.SYS file to remove the line that
        points to your current mouse driver. This line will
        vary according to the type of mouse installed.
        Example line to be removed:

        DEVICE=C:\OS2\IBMMOU1.SYS       (remove this line)

     3. If you are using OS/2 version 1.2, you must also
        remove the line that includes MOUSE.SYS. Example
        line to be removed:

        DEVICE=C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS  TYPE=MSSER$
                                       (remove this line)

     4. Insert one of the following lines in the CONFIG.SYS
        file:

        DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V11 (insert for OS/2 ver.1.1)
         or
        DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13 (for OS/2 1.2 or 1.3)

     5. Save these changes and restart your computer.

Setting Orientation and Buttons for OS/2

To set orientation, use the ROTATE= option to specify the number of degrees of rotation from the default (right-hand side) BallPoint position.

To set buttons, use the BUTTONS= option. The BUTTONS= option specifies button assignments for all four BallPoint mouse buttons. The letter P designates the primary button, S designates the secondary button, and zero (0) indicates an unassigned button.

When you use the BUTTONS= option, a value must be given for each of the four BallPoint mouse buttons, and only one button at a time can be either primary or secondary. The two unassigned buttons become the clicklock pair if this feature is used (see below).

Note: For more information on rotation angles and button numbering 1-4, see Appendix A in the BallPoint Mouse User's Guide.

Example: The default (right-hand side) configuration for the BallPoint mouse would be represented by the following line in CONFIG.SYS:

     DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13   ROTATE=0    BUTTONS=P0S0

A left-hand configuration would be represented by:

     DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13   ROTATE=180  BUTTONS=0P0S

To enable the clicklock feature for OS/2, use the CLICKLOCK= option:

     DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13   CLICKLOCK=ON

Note that the OS/2 options ROTATE=, BUTTONS= and CLICKLOCK= can appear in any order on the DEVICE= line in CONFIG.SYS, and that none is required.

___________________________________________________________

IV. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Loading MOUSE.INI settings

Saving changes permanently from any of the mouse utilities updates both the settings in driver memory and the settings in the MOUSE.INI file. However, if you edit the MOUSE.INI file manually, your new settings will not be recognized by either mouse driver until it is reloaded.

To make your edits to settings take effect in DOS:

     1. Save the edited MOUSE.INI.
     2. Restart your computer.
        or,
        Remove the mouse driver from memory by typing MOUSE
        OFF;
        then reload the mouse driver by typing MOUSE.

     1. Save the edited MOUSE.INI.
     2. Exit Windows.
     3. Restart Windows.

New Single-Button Click-lock Release

Using High or Expanded Memory with DOS 5.0

Acceleration Profiles

Tutorial Notes

The tutorial requires a CGA-capable display. Some portable computers or displays may not be able to switch to CGA mode. An advisory message is displayed if CGA is not available.

Using the Mouse with Desqview

Mechanical Tips

If you are cleaning the BallPoint mouse, and the ball retaining ring seems to stick in its housing, try tapping the mouse gently into the palm of your hand. The inertia of the ball should carry the retaining ring away from the assembly and into your hand along with the ball.