Apple Lisa Mouse
 

I have an Apple Macintosh 512k. See picture.

I was told recently that the mouse isn't a Mac mouse but is in fact an Apple Lisa mouse and when I checked the part number, sure enough it was. I'm also told that it's quite rare and valuable. Not that I want to sell it.

I read that the original Lisa mouse had a steel ball in it but mine has a rubber one. So my question is, does anyone know if all Lisa mice had a steel ball or did some, later on in production, have a rubber ball?

John

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

I think all the mechanical mice that I've seen had a rubber coated steel ball. The steel ball for weight and rubber coating for grip. I suppose that it could have just been a steel ball (ball bearings were available) in early models - I've not seen one though.

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

No, neither have I.

I read this: 'Unique to this mouse was the use of a steel ball, instead of the usual rubber found in subsequent and modern mice.'

I thought a steel ball would lack grip and maybe it was subsequently rubberised.

Whatever, I'm keeping it because the Mac is useless without it and I haven't got another!

John

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

I don't know these machines but I'm struck by how similar the desktop is to that of the Atari ST. I can understand now why the Atari ST was dubbed the 'Jackintosh' (after Jack Tramiel, who ran Atari at the time).

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

Lovely machine - I cannot believe I took mine to the Skip - sigh.

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

Skip! I have binned things in the past and subsequently discovered that actually, that was quite rare and iconic in its way and perhaps binning it wasn't a good idea. I've no doubt lots of us have done that!

My children played with the Mac endlessly, or they would have done if I hadn't rationed it. Now it's the grandchildren's turn, and rationing isn't my problem!

John

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

Yes we have - so far my lost inventory includes a TS2068, Memotech 512 and perhaps a worse situation was the use of an issue 1 ZX Spectrum as part of a fancy dress - along with an Amstrad serial port I think...

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Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

I will have to dig through my collection but I am pretty sure I've seen another mouse with an uncoated steel ball. I think it was a 3-button thing so certainly not for a Lisa or Mac.

Re: Apple Lisa Mouse
 

Not skipped, but I gave away two Mac Portables, four IBM 5160s,a Panasonic Senior Partner and a Toshiba T3100SX.... regret all of them :(
Oh and gutted an IBM 5170 to swap in a 486SX motheboard. That one is a particular regret as it had a PGC and monitor - still have the PCG, no idea what happened to the monitor or the rest of the system.