Atari Three Button Mouse?
I just acquired this interesting mouse. I have no idea if it’s actually an Atari product or a prototype or whatever it is. It’s definitely a three-button mouse and it has some Atari emblems pasted to it. Below are auction photos as I have not yet received the mouse but in a day of scouring the Internet, I can find nothing on it. I usually never post anything about an acquisition until it’s in my hands but this one has driven me a little crazy trying to find info on it.
Some of my personal observations not knowing anything about this mouse:
- It’s a three button mouse. I didn’t think Atari made a three button mouse but there was some mention of a three button mouse in the Atari TT Hardware reference manual. I would assume it would be used for Atari System V Unix on perhaps the Atari TT/X model?
- It has vague Atari-ish lines but the slant is in the wrong direction for the buttons. On the TT, design elements slant to the right ( / ) yet on this mouse, the buttons slant to the left ( \ ).
- The rear label indent has a top corner hat slants to the right so that works. However, it doesn’t really match the styling. It’s very boxy which could work for the design of the TT but is not at all modern and the ergonomics are sub-par, to say the least.
- The color is wrong because it’s a prototype? I don’t know what Atari computer is this color. Certainly not a production Atari TT.
- It has a 10 pin (5×2) connector for a mouse cable but it doesn’t have a cable. It would be unlikely that someone needed a cable so they removed it.
- The side emblem I have never seen. This would indicate that it’s a wireless mouse perhaps? Perhaps “Infrared” because of the “R” on the right of that emblem?
- Perhaps this was capable of wireless and wired operation? If it was wireless and there is a dongle, there is no dongle as the seller does not have one and he purchased it from the original owner not far from the Atari head office in Sunnyvale, California.
In any case, this mouse conjures more questions than it provides answers. Once I do receive it (it won’t be for a while), I am hoping that taking it apart will provide some more clues with identifiable PCB markings and insight into the mechanics of the mouse.
If you might happen to know anything about this mouse, please leave a comment. I will post pictures of the internals when it arrives in a week or two.
Should be interesting nevertheless. I love finding this type of stuff.