Posted by Rick on December 03, 2002 at 12:20:39:In Reply to: Trackball Mod posted by Rick on December 02, 2002 at 10:25:54:
I've got the Old Trackman ripped open and can see that the internal structure will dictate the final form.
But, it will definitely be lower to the ground, and all the way around more compact.
The buttons are really three little boxes on the card that rebound on their own. The original buttons are way bigger than they need to be. I'll just need to find some kind of plungers and make some kind of stop so I don't smash the card.
I'm thinking erasers with mushroom caps.
The Marble is fixed on the card so it can't be moved in the way I was thinking. But the card can be rotated and a new housing could be made out of some kind of plastic lid like a "Go Snacks" lid (or something).
I don't think I'll be able to use any of the old housing at all. Except for the ball ring. I think the ball will maintain better response secured between its card cradle and the orignial ring.
In the end I'm sure cut plastic and gooy epoxy will be used.
I'll post some photos soon. I use a Trackman FX at work and Kensington Pro at home, both great but too large to pack around with the iBook. I figure this will cost me close to $0.00 because I've got a few odds and ends in my "Hey that looks useful I think I'll keep it" box.
I think this will fill a few weekend hours, and I'll be able to say, "See that Kludge*? Its mine!"
*kludge or kluge ( P ) Pronunciation Key (klj)
n. Slang
A system, especially a computer system, that is constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications.
A clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem.