Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: orb85750 on May 30, 2011, 12:47:20 AM

Title: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: orb85750 on May 30, 2011, 12:47:20 AM
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: magnetic on May 30, 2011, 12:54:09 AM
Yes, the middle button can be used for many things. Search aminet for drivers with docs.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: orb85750 on May 30, 2011, 01:00:07 AM
Quote from: magnetic;641262
Yes, the middle button can be used for many things. Search aminet for drivers with docs.


Thanks.  Were there any commercial titles that made use of it?
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: magnetic on May 30, 2011, 01:02:37 AM
sure there are quite a few iirc
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: freqmax on May 30, 2011, 01:36:28 AM
Unix copy & paste. Beats M$ anytime.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: kolla on May 30, 2011, 01:42:16 AM
Quote from: orb85750;641267
Were there any commercial titles that made use of it?


Many. Directory Opus Magellan to name one.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: orb85750 on May 30, 2011, 01:43:46 AM
OK, right.  The 3-button mouse came with the A3000UX?  But what are some (if any) of the Amiga OS (not Unix) commercial titles that use the 3-button mouse?  Anyone?
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: stefcep2 on May 30, 2011, 01:55:52 AM
Its not commercial but utilities like multicx and mcp allow you to a assign many different functions to a middle mouse button.  I had my 3 button Wizard mouse (560dp) assigned to cycle through screens.  A time save when multitasking apps on large RTG screens.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: smerf on May 30, 2011, 02:16:23 AM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?


Hi,

It is one more button than 2.

Actually I like the ones with the wheel, that way if the Amiga has a scroll program I can scroll the screen up and down.

There where a couple of games that used a 3 button mouse if you had it.

smrf
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: LaserBack on May 30, 2011, 02:52:19 AM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?


for example ibrowse,aweb, diropus 5.x
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: itix on May 30, 2011, 08:31:31 AM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?


Not many software support third button but in MUI you can scroll using middle button (useful in IBrowse). With MultiCX or MCP you can map your own functionality to 3rd mouse button i.e. screen switching.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Franko on May 30, 2011, 11:33:39 AM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?


A three button mouse on the Amiga is really handy (especially with a scrollwheel) I use it all the time in particular with DirWork where it add's lots of extra & easy to use functions... :)
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: hooligan on May 30, 2011, 11:36:23 AM
I used to doubleclick middlebutton to switch screens, was the best thing since sliced bread.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Karlos on May 30, 2011, 12:05:38 PM
You can always find uses for extra buttons and stuff. Mouse wheels seemed like a gimmick too when they first appeared but they are genuinely useful.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: ChaosLord on May 30, 2011, 03:02:31 PM
Total Chaos AGA uses all 3 mouse buttons.

If you do not have a 3rd mouse button then you must use the keyboard for the 3rd button.

Happy dragonslaying :)
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: smerf on May 30, 2011, 03:38:53 PM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?


Hi,


"There is no use for a mouse at all, all it does is slow you down by having you remove your hand from the keyboard, PC programs are much better because you don't have this obnoxious interruption. -------- Bill Gates 1987"

So there you have it from the Master

smerf
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Franko on May 30, 2011, 03:45:18 PM
Quote from: smerf;641395
Hi,


"There is no use for a mouse at all, all it does is slow you down by having you remove your hand from the keyboard, PC programs are much better because you don't have this obnoxious interruption. -------- Bill Gates 1987"

So there you have it from the Master

smerf


Hi Smerf... :)

Have to say for once I actually agree with something Billy Boy Grates said... :)

That's why I grew a third arm... problem solved... :)
(handy though for picking yer nose & typing at the same time as well...) :)

(can be tricky buying nice warm gloves in the winter though...) :(

Cheers

Franko
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: pyrre on May 30, 2011, 08:03:01 PM
Quote from: orb85750;641255
What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?  Is there any software that uses the middle button?
A third button option in Dopus 4.....
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: xyzzy on May 30, 2011, 08:07:06 PM
I wrote a tiny little commodity to make the middle button switch screens (Amiga - M or N, i forget which).
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: freqmax on May 30, 2011, 11:49:39 PM
Small keyboards with mouse. No need to lift hand, and easier on wrists.

Though there something special with the rapid direct response a C64 or DOS will give in text mode.

Something that does come across is Gates short sightedness. 640k enough!, keyboard enough!, local disk enough!, who needs internet!?, who needs webb!?, who needs privilege separation!?, etc..

smerf, Any source to that statement by Gates?
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: runequester on May 30, 2011, 11:51:45 PM
Quote from: freqmax;641459
Small keyboards with mouse.

Though there something special with the rapid direct response a C64 or DOS will give in text mode.

Something that does come across is Gates short sightedness. 640k enough!, keyboard enough!, local disk enough!, who needs internet!?, who needs webb!?, who needs privilege separation!?, etc..


He figured out much the same as Apple has:

People generally don't care about "great". They just want "good enough" and they'll pay for that.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: smerf on May 31, 2011, 03:28:15 AM
Quote from: freqmax;641459
Small keyboards with mouse. No need to lift hand, and easier on wrists.

Though there something special with the rapid direct response a C64 or DOS will give in text mode.

Something that does come across is Gates short sightedness. 640k enough!, keyboard enough!, local disk enough!, who needs internet!?, who needs webb!?, who needs privilege separation!?, etc..

smerf, Any source to that statement by Gates?


Hi,

Would really have to look that one up, it happened a lot of years ago. Probably the first year that the Amiga came out, he was also looking at the MAC's back then, who also where using mice.

Lets see if I can find it somewhere

smerf
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: cv643d on May 31, 2011, 09:32:08 AM
Quote from: smerf;641395
"There is no use for a mouse at all, all it does is slow you down by having you remove your hand from the keyboard, PC programs are much better because you don't have this obnoxious interruption. -------- Bill Gates 1987"


This is a joke, right? He actually said that?! If it is true why is the "640kb is enough... bla bla" more popular in signatures?
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: whabang on May 31, 2011, 10:02:06 AM
Quote from: cv643d;641507
This is a joke, right? He actually said that?! If it is true why is the "640kb is enough... bla bla" more popular in signatures?

Because it's was actually true back then (and to a limited extent, it still is). Keyboard shorcuts are incredibly powerful, especially when compared to early GUI's.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: nikodr on May 31, 2011, 12:59:48 PM
Don't forget what the famous quote says "Real men do it on keyboard only".Probably gates knew that :D
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Franko on May 31, 2011, 01:08:16 PM
On the subject of mouses...

I can understand why when they first appeared they were called mice cos the cable looked like it's tail (though some of em were big enough to be called Rats back then...) :)

But with wireless meeces these days shouldn't they be called Hamsters instead... :)

A good program/ GUI / desktop, when written well should only require the minimal amount of keyboard use and the mouse should be the main source of input... :)

A good Word Processor/ database etc... should be the opposite in that the keyboard should be the main source of input with the mouse being something that you shouldn't really have to use... :)

Simples... :)
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: drHirudo on May 31, 2011, 01:20:43 PM
Third mouse button can be very useful if you want to clear your RAM DISK: fast. Map it to reset the machine every time you press the button and it will clear the memory as well.
Just be careful to not press the middle button when you have unsaved work.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Franko on May 31, 2011, 01:24:35 PM
Quote from: drHirudo;641530
Third mouse button can be very useful if you want to clear your RAM DISK: fast. Map it to reset the machine every time you press the button and it will clear the memory as well.
Just be careful to not press the middle button when you have unsaved work.


:eek: That's gotta be the doggiest tip I've ever heard... :eek:

One wrong click and you could have a lot of work down the drain... :nervous:
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: drHirudo on May 31, 2011, 01:29:46 PM
Quote from: Franko;641531
:eek: That's gotta be the doggiest tip I've ever heard... :eek:

One wrong click and you could have a lot of work down the drain... :nervous:


You will learn to control yourself extremely well this way. This is also in pair with the philosophy of Guru meditation. For example coding in assembler - one wrong poke and the Guru comes to visit you.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Franko on May 31, 2011, 01:36:23 PM
Quote from: drHirudo;641532
You will learn to control yourself extremely well this way. This is also in pair with the philosophy of Guru meditation. For example coding in assembler - one wrong poke and the Guru comes to visit you.


Nah... it don't help if you've got a nervous twitch or Parkinson's disease... :)

PS: Erm.. you don't use "pokes" when coding in assembler on the Amiga so the Guru should never pop by for tea & scones... :)
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: pVC on May 31, 2011, 02:12:31 PM
I don't probably even remember all the functionality I've included with middle mousebutton on my A1200 (as I don't use it as my main machine anymore), but I'll try to remember few ;)

The most important thing is that it is used to scroll areas in MUI. Scrolling web pages, big images etc in _any_ direction while MMB is pressed is very handy.

I also assigned shift key to MMB and it made scrolling in previous cases perfectly fast ;)

In-line renaming in Magellan is good with MMB. Also button banks have one more option to click them.

I also used double MMB to bring windows to front (then they won't pop up witout intention like with double LMB could happen).

Then I used MMB+RMB to switch to next screen and MMB+LMB to switch to previous screen.

All these have worked fine together without overriding others. MCP is good to assign some of those features...
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: muahaha on May 31, 2011, 05:12:33 PM
All that bit above + the third button keeps his belly from showing. It's called a belly button.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: Minuous on May 31, 2011, 08:26:35 PM
Some software does use it, eg. I think Worm Wars and AmiArcadia do something useful with it IIRC.

Personally I have the MMB set up to simulate doubleclicking the LMB, in both AmigaOS and Windows. It makes those OSes much more ergonomic. Doubleclicking is one of the most poorly thought out UI elements, whoever came up with the idea should be shot. Probably some lamer from Apple or Xerox.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: amigadave on May 31, 2011, 09:31:10 PM
Quote from: muahaha;641556
All that bit above + the third button keeps his belly from showing. It's called a belly button.

Interesting first post here at Amiga.org?

Welcome and I hope you will introduce yourself and tell us something about your use and knowledge of Amiga computers.
Title: Re: What is the point of a 3-button Amiga mouse?
Post by: amigadave on May 31, 2011, 09:37:21 PM
Quote from: drHirudo;641530
Third mouse button can be very useful if you want to clear your RAM DISK: fast. Map it to reset the machine every time you press the button and it will clear the memory as well.
Just be careful to not press the middle button when you have unsaved work.

I usually don't agree with Franko on most issues, but I have to agree that using a click of the MMB to reset your Amiga for the purpose of clearing the RAM disk has got to be one of the strangest uses I have ever read about, compared to the many other uses of the MMB listed by others in this thread.