CompUSA Serial Mouse - The only pointing device you'll ever need!

[@BC-qb7tx]

I watch your channel for stress relief. Cant stress watching a serial mouse demonstration.

[@misterhat5823]

He does talk about dirty balls though.

[@Ratigan2]

these comment are giving me stress relief

[@NJRoadfan]

Another thing to try in newer versions of Windows. In Device Manager, click on any piece of hardware then goto the "Actions..." menu and select "Add legacy hardware". That brings up the old scan new hardware dialog from XP and older. It should be able to detect the serial mouse, but I've never tried it.

[@themaritimegirl]

CompUSA: We have stocking all the totally American hardwares and softwares for your computering needs.

[@devikwolf]

I can't wait to get clickin!

[@mattmoreira210]

@@devikwolf Me too. Can't wait to pug it into my serial port and "get clickin' works with windows"

[@prismstudios001]

Comp USA... it’s a deception... it’s actually a little offshore Chinese island called “Compusa”... They got us good..

[@jaykay18]

Fantastic through and through. Man, that thing is FULLY compatible all the way up. I was also curious about serial mouse support in Windows 10, but never tried it, now I know!

[@eg1885]

I like forcing legacy hardware onto Windows 10. It usually requires an unsupported driver from an older version but works most of the time.

[@lemagreengreen]

I'd like to test that, wonder how far back you can go using Windows NT drivers for stuff?

[@eg1885]

@eggypickle Compatibility usually stops at Windows Vista

[@Ale.K7]

I like how you can always make a review on the most mundane piece of technology actually enjoyable and worth watching. Also, love Cassette Comeback's channel!

[@futureshock7425]

Remember taking the ball out and picking the crusty good stuff out?

[@devikwolf]

This was one of the most cathartic things, open that hatch and scrape the rollers clean.

[@JohnSweevo]

ALL the time

[@prismstudios001]

Yep....

[@Thorpe]

Getting all those loose long hairs from the rollers...yeah.

[@jhonwask]

That mouser booklet says OPTO mechanical. Where's the OPTO? Seems all mechanical to me.

[@MetallicBlade]

Man, I really miss having CompUSA around. That and Circuit City were my go-to's for tech shopping.The only large retail chain that survived in my area was Best Buy (which really isn't even a compliment).

[@Karmy.]

Same! Best Buy is awful compared to CompUSA and Circuit City

[@cee128d]

The nearest CompUSA was a 4 hour drive each way for me. About 2 months after they all closed I got a new job and moved to a town that had had one that had just closed. I passed by that empty store for the entire time I lived and worked there.

[@CptJistuce]

Yeah. I was fortunate enough to live in a town with a Fry's and a MicroCenter. Now I'm fortunate enough to live in a town with a MicroCenter, but I miss Fry's. They were the best place to buy adapters, cables, and random widgets.

[@ThriftyAV]

I'm more impressed with the USB to serial adapter you found for $1.99... As I already have a box full of old ball mice, including an old Microsoft "Dove Bar" mouse. I have a few other devices that use the RS-232 protocol including an old Panasonic Video Mixer, so having such an adapter could come in handy.

[@lagunagfx]

I had the same USB to Serial adapter, and definetely you're missing a mini CD. Love your channel VWestlife!

[@ardenpips]

Brain: Let’s make a review! VWestlife: I know! Whatever I find at the thrift store! Brain: Hey! A mouse! VWestlife: Perfect! KZbin: Great, another mouse review. Put it up anyway. (Gets 1M views)

[@warrenmacdonald1372]

Kevin, listening to that floppy drive boot into DOS brought back some VERY FOND memories of my IBM PCJr days! Thank you.

[@adamharris7775]

I have put 2 serial mouse boxes in the recycle bin at home someday in some week.

[@lemagreengreen]

Memories of serial mice, like anyone who used PC's in those days. I remember having problems with interference between serial bus and and cheap sound card too, could never fix that on some old 386 machine back then. When I moved the mouse there would be a sort of clicking from the speakers.

[@mattydevine1]

So happy to see you visiting Cassette Comeback! I eagerly await his videos!

[@fixman88]

Same here!

[@Eyetrauma]

~somewhere in Redmond~ "Well Jenkins, it looks like your idea to provisionally disable the serial mouse won out. No one's complained and our telemetry shows not one computer across the billions with Windows 10 installed has it enabled." Jenkins smiles wide and leans back in his chair. For decades he's been hoping to formally deprecate the serial mouse drivers and finally, at long last, he can retire. "Thanks, Bill. I guess it's finally time for me to go ho-" A RAPTUROUS NOISE as Jenkins' door is swung open wide. "GUYS GUESS WHAT!"

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

And so an era of computer sabotage ends… while another era of computer sabotage moves on…

[@coondogtheman]

My old 486 could use the mouse on DOS programs. Mouse used PS/2 interface. It worked when playing Doom but you had to type in mouse before loading up the game. I would never go back to using a mouse with a ball. I cleaned the gunk on mine so many times I even cleaned the pad. I'm glad I can use my optical mouse right on my desktop. big wear spot from me playing games.

[@jpolar394]

I picked up 4 of the same mouse's at Comp U.S.A. in Manhattan on 8th ave for 2 dollars each and 12 Fisher space pen refills for 25 cents each when they were going out of business.

[@marios.k239]

Mouses?? You mean mice

[@travis4798]

Always good to find hardware new in the box. I have a Logitech ps/2 Access Keyboard from 2002 new in the box. Waiting to find more components new in the box to throw a system together.

[@marvingarden4587]

"It's a mouse!" - quote of the year :)

[@VectraQS]

I have a serial on my old 386 (more specifically an HP Vectra QS/20 from March 1991). HP had a proprietary mouse port (the HP-HIL port) that has something wacky going on with the IRQs/interrupts. I put a SoundBlaster in it, and when I move the HIL mouse while sound is playing, Windows crashes. So I picked up a Logitech mouse at a garage sale -- it's a PS/2, but is serial compatible with the help of a PS/2 to serial adapter.

[@kareno8634]

NO FEAR HERE! ~ You've got All the Working Gear! Love the Knowledge! Thanks! ~- *

[@flemardo]

Yeah, you gotta reboot after it installs to the serial port if you don't fiddle with registry. I had to build a nearly current Win10 PC with 2 PCI slots and 5 serial ports. Hilariously it also had 64 gigs of ram. Science profs. can want odd computers to run old instruments. I'd bought a serial mouse in the early 2000s at the 99 cent store because it amused me and it came in very handy to make sure the 4 port PCIe serial card worked fine. The first install of the card driver went badly and having the mouse let me know. Been nearly a year and haven't had a complaint about the PC yet.

[@Fluteboy]

5:56 - Great promotion there! A very deserving site too.

[@JessHull]

I love your style

[@stevejohnson1321]

I actually bought one of these shortly before compusa closed. They were $3 even, and the one I got worked very well. Of course, having no scroll wheel takes some getting used to.. Though these will work on current versions of the Debian-side, you have to plug in this mouse before installing the OS.

[@MrMaxeemum]

Try using a program called Either mouse. You can set two different mouse speeds and it automatically switches depending on which mouse you are using, comes in more use when using on a laptop and using a trackpad and an external mouse.

[@The_Traveling_Clown]

Goodwill is a nice place to find vintage items. I found two camcorders a high 8 and a mini dv in working condition.

[@Pukkie201195]

It's kind of cool that cmouse works with USB mice in DOS. I was never aware of that to be honest.

[@haydenbush]

Looks like a product you would find in the movie “Employee of the Month”

[@albear972]

Holy cr@p! Maybe this is one of the reasons CompUSA went out of business by selling cheap Chinese junk like this. And I have to say, the Chinglish is quite amusing. 😂 USB mice were common even before that store went out of business. The last time I ever went into one was 2005.

[@vwestlife]

The English is a lot better than the CompUSA external hard drive case I did a video about: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGS4mpirZa2Za7c

[@jhonwask]

I know this is an older video, but you went to the CassetteComeback site. You are indeed a geek, like me. LOL I watch that guy, too, since i still have thousands of cassettes. -ha ha.

[@nellayema2455]

CompUSA was my favorite store in the 90's. I bought most all of my PC peripherals there if i didn't buy from some other place via "mail order." i was bummed when they closed because it was so convenient.

[@aemerox5773]

The only time I've ever seen someone use a serial mouse was at a POS terminal. It seem like it was almost a decade ago since then.

[@kpjVideo]

Funny enough, I recently worked on a brand new HP computer that came with Windows 10 and the customer needed Windows 7 for specialized software. The new desktop only came with USB 3.0/3.1 ports which apparently the Windows 7 setup screen didn't recognize, preventing any keyboard/mouse input to continue the setup. Luckily it had a serial port and I was able to dig out one of these bad boys and it worked flawlessly enough to get the USB 3 drivers installed lmao

[@Lachlant1984]

I couldn't go back to using a mouse without a scroll wheel or 3 buttons. I remember the extremely popular Mitsumi serial mice back in the mid 90s, they were everywhere, so was the Microsoft 2 button mouse, but I'm not sure if that was PS/2 or serial.

[@beerrox711]

never thought of it but i bet id probably be dumbfounded if i tried to use a track-balled non scroll wheeled mouse these days... last time i did was around 2000

[@gmcnewlook]

I bought a Microsoft scroll wheel mouse (with optical instead of a ball) in 2000ish they were the only ones doing it at the time from what I recall

[@bagintheback]

Are you going to continue to use XP after they stop support for the POS version this year?

[@vwestlife]

Yes.

[@mrsmash698]

Microsoft ended support for POS Ready 2009 in January this year

[@Caltash]

Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 is already dead, my dude. support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search/14078 My old Dell GX260 SHOUTcast/iTunes server doesn't care though!

[@vwestlife]

Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 support ended in April 2019. Support for Windows Embedded Standard 2009 ended in January 2019.

[@mrsmash698]

@@vwestlife oh ok, I couldn't remember

[@germaineliew2012]

I don't know why. I can't stop laughing about the box the thing came with.

[@amanguver]

SERIAL MOUSE SERIAL MOUSE SERIAL MOUSE

[@fixman88]

I think I actually saw those boxes on the shelf at CompUSA back in the day; I got a chuckle out of the generic way they looked because they reminded me of the 'plain label' cereal and other things you could get at supermarkets back in the 80s. I had no interest in getting one since I already had a trackball I was happy with.

[@andygozzo72]

i have an old apple a1005 laptop with a 'compusa' sticker on it, probably an unusual find here in the uk 😉

[@mikemac2188]

finally something that uses a Serial port on all my old computers and laptops LOL. After re storing in rebuilding older computers and laptops All of them Have a Serial port That I have typically never used

[@pineappleroad]

I have a windows 10 desktop that has an internal serial connector And im now tempted to get a serial port bracket thing to install into the computer (i won’t have to worry about running out of slots on the back of the computer, as the computer only has 3 pcie slots on the motherboard, and the case has more than 6 slots on it

[@olik136]

apparently the scroll wheel was invented in the mid 80s, but commercially available not until 1995 and in 1996 the microsoft intellymouse made it pretty popular

[@waytostoned]

Actually Genius made one first, and I one somewhere round here. Beat Microsoft by a year or so to market.

[@1980sGamer]

Works with all versions of windows®. Ah so it'll work if I drag it across my bedroom window. Sweet! And how very interesting that you went to Cassette Comeback's website. I found his YT channel not too long ago and he definitely makes very detailed videos about cassettes.

[@fixman88]

Cassette Comeback is awesome.

[@1980sGamer]

@@fixman88 He sure is. :)

[@SudosFTW]

I don't remember when the first scrolling mouse made it to market either, but I do remember when the first commercially-available modern optical mouse with scroll wheel did, Logitech brought it to market with an ergonomic design and it had a scrollwheel in which the button for the wheel didn't function as normal, you needed software to tell that what to do. the software is long gone now, and logitech has forgotten the model even existed on their website in an attempt to get you to buy a new mouse, seems.

[@TechBaffle]

Scroll wheels are a great thing. I don't think I can survive without one!

[@tookitogo]

Well, some really, really early mice used purely electrical rotary encoders, so I gueeeessssss optomechanical might be a bit “smarter not harder” 😂

[@lopwidth7343]

So it really was the only mouser you'd ever need :D

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I wonder if that Mouse would work on a Sega Mega Drive as well? Some games supported a 9pin serial adapter Mouse. Like the Mega CD / Sega CD game "Mansion of Hidden Souls". Even thou i never understood why since it was perfectly playable with the standard gamepad.

[@brandonupchurch7628]

I've had to use a serial mouse to administrate my server running Server 2012R2(Windows 8.1), since it has a serial port and I didn't have any working USB peripherals around at the time.

[@command8783]

Vwestlife will you cover walkmans by any chance?

[@vwestlife]

Yes, I've done a few videos about them.

[@command8783]

@@vwestlife Thank you for the quick reply

[@CassetteComeback]

Thanks for the shout out! So, is the PC you're using one of those ersatz Commodores? They did one that looked like a C64 too didn't they?

[@vwestlife]

Yes, that was the 64X: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64x

[@HBC101TVStudios]

Kevin, don't mind if i ask, but does HP still make serial port drivers for Windows Vista and above? I have a HP Compaq PC (dc5850) with Vista Ultimate 64-bit and it has a serial port card in one of the PCI slots. But whenever i try to connect my serial mouse to my PC; it does not recognize the hardware that i connect.

[@SwitchingPower]

You don't have to edit the windows 10 registry, just plug the mouse into the adapter and then connect the adapter to the pc

[@vwestlife]

I did, and it didn't work. But like I said in the video, maybe if I had rebooted it would work anyway even without changing the registry.

[@jezzermeii]

I know this isn't related to the video, but I wonder if you could help me. I've got my Dad the exact same tape machine as the one at 2:40. I have actually purchased two of them, as the first one I got played tapes slowly. However, the second one plays tapes slowly too! I've replaced the belt and there was no change. We are using rechargeable batteries though. Do you happen to know if it requires alkaline cells? Alkaline cells are 1.5V but my rechargeable Ni-MH cells are 1.2V. I'd love to know if this is the case, before I send them off to be repaired. All the best from the UK! :)

[@vwestlife]

I only use mine with alkaline cells.

[@jezzermeii]

@@vwestlife Thank you for getting back to me! :) I'll have to give that a go then. Very kind man, thank you.

[@Trekkie4]

Please hold, your Serial Mouser is on the job! 👍

[@und4287]

Those cheap style plugs sort of look like Sega Genesis or Atari 2600 controller plugs.

[@lemagreengreen]

Yeah same connector, DB9 connector. Serial ports used these or the bigger 25 pin type.

[@jackkraken3888]

I'll be honest I don't miss having to clean old timey mouse, optical mice FTW!

[@pianokeyjoe]

woo! YEAH! A blast from my past! 1998!!

[@stellam5226]

I have a mouse with that Genius brand connector. Will it be compatible with Windows 10?

[@artsshorts]

Love your commentary please do more vinyl related work

[@ffmfg]

here's a hint for people who have to use a mouse without a wheel or with a broken wheel on any modern windows pc: MouseImp Pro. it makes moving mouse up-down while holding right button pressed work as scrolling. In certain situations it is actually WAY more comfortable to scroll webpages or documents like this, even if the wheel is fully functional. the software had a period when old versions didn't work well with modern Windows, but the 7.0.0.6 (latest version from 2013) still works on modern Win10 x64 with a recent Chromium-based browser. it's not perfect (there are some problems), but still very usable. There are alternatives, but when I was looking at the other options, it wasn't functionally as good, was commercial, or didn't work as well. Can't say 100% for sure if the situation is the same now.

[@zwz.zdenek]

The tip is appreciated, but dragging with your right button still has other uses, such as gestures or getting a menu for the dragging operation, so I'll stick with the wheel.

[@ffmfg]

you know about shift/ctrl/alt modifiers when dragging, right? it's not one handed, but it is faster. the gestures that involve RMB+movement do not work, that's true. I've tried to get used to gestures in Opera at one time, but that wasn't for me. the only one I've used was RMB->LMB for Back and LMB->RMB for Forward. that's before mice had forward/back buttons. It was very useful.

[@daviddanser7801]

This was an excellent video. The question that I have for you is at 12:07, your Windows 10 start menu looks more like a Windows XP start menu. Please tell me how you did that. Thank you so much, love your Channel, I have been a subscriber for a long time. Take care.

[@vwestlife]

Install Classic Shell.

[@manoliskypraios4984]

Very Informative Video! Great job. :)

[@AugustRenders]

12:50 Is there anything else we need to do besides changing that data value? My device manager says that the adapter is working properly, but my serial mouse is still unresponsive.

[@vwestlife]

It's all I had to do in my case. Maybe your computer is different.

[@AugustRenders]

@@vwestlife Is there anything else you would recommend trying? It's my understanding that you went through a lot of trial and error, so I'm wondering if you modified a certain setting and then forgot to change it back to default?

[@AugustRenders]

@@vwestlife I went under the events of my USB Serial converter, and I found this message: Driver Management concluded the process to install driver ch341ser.inf_amd64_89e3544a870a2366 for Device Instance ID USB\VID_1A86&PID_7523\5&16A88BD2&0&4 with the following status: 0x0.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Now… plug that MOUSER into your serial port, my dude. There's a lot of computing to be done.

[@pay9011]

Haha. I remember using a mouse like that. You had to take the ball out and clean it every so often.

[@pupslace]

Mmm, my windows 10 box has a header for serial port... *orders a serial port on eBay*

[@IsoMacintosh]

Not a lot of people seem to know about those headers, anyone looking to use a serial device with a modern PC should definitely check if their MoBo has one.

[@QoraxAudio]

Yeah, just plug the mauser in your serial port. Don't forget to load it with some ammo first.

[@TimurTripp2]

"Works with all versions of Windows" somehow still true...

[@Destroyed007]

Serial, or any protocols made in the 80s/early 90s, were never intended to be PnP compatible, as doing so may end up damaging your other components inside your PC. But I was never fazed about it

[@vwestlife]

25-pin serial ports have voltages on them that could be inadvertently shorted to ground when plugging in or unplugging a connector, but with a 9-pin port that is not a problem.

[@zwz.zdenek]

Oh, you mean *hot plug*. PnP means jumper-free config.

[@intel386DX]

The PC is in the keyboard?

[@vwestlife]

Yes.

[@intel386DX]

@@vwestlife coool :) what are the specs and are they other models :) this idea is very cool it was a Yugoslav clone IBM PC from 1985 Lira 512 the same idea see pictures :) the motherboard is Taiwan XT clone en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lira_512

[@simonhangan2571]

Is that an older version of Windows 10? Because it doesn't look really familiar to me...

[@twocvbloke]

I keep forgetting I have one of them K3 keyboard PCs, mostly cos I screwed up Windows10 trying to de-10ify it in my own way (nuke & pave and put something less annoying on there), it's more a doorstop than computer these days... :P

[@futureshock7425]

This one is advanced. it has two buttons.

[@johncate9541]

Take that, CompUSA! You say we can't use your generic serial mouse on DOS? We'll show you!

[@liliwinnt6]

hello, what kind of start menu plug-in are you using on this computer? thank you

[@vwestlife]

Classic Shell.

[@mercuryoak2]

Rare find there. I'm sure you like others got notice that windows 7 in 2020 won't be supported. And avast. Dropped windows xp support. . Guess Linux be my new operating system. At least that doesn't go away. But I still have my win 7 laptop. My xp vista desktop running. Funny part is xp and Vista and 7 runs fast as ever. Well actually no xp runs faster with my 500gb drive and 4 go ram lol dual core power!

[@prismstudios001]

It’s a serial mouse, its victim count is disturbing.

[@vwestlife]

That second it's should be its.

[@prismstudios001]

Damn predictive spelling.

[@notrandomtypek]

Won’t be able to use it as a daily driver, as certain apps require a middle button

[@TheGamerWithMore]

I wonder if this has that Engrish like what the other video did.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

That cheap connector... Nostalgia of cheap plastic stench and poorly equipped school labs came to mind.

[@isaacwright2247]

Unfortunately, USB-Serial stuff is expensive on eBay, Amazon, & Walmart for some weird reason. Why?

[@markm0000]

Great video 👍

[@tony714keene]

I do drag the mouse on laptop trackpad on my Dell because my USB mouse cord is stupidly long, that's why I don't use it

[@mattmoreira210]

Yeah... but it kinda makes sense if you think about it: "Just plug in into your serial port and get clickin' works" - plug in the serial port and, well, clicking must work great. "The only serial mouse you'll ever need" - that one is easy. Logically, once you have a serial mouse, you don't need a serial mouse anymore. You probably won't buy another one! "Work smarter, not harder" - I don't have a clue. Not like you're lifting some weights or carrying a wooden plank...

[@vwestlife]

I think they meant to just say "...and get clickin'." But the lack of punctuation make it run into the next sentence ("Works with Windows 3.1x / 95 / 98").

[@mattmoreira210]

@@vwestlife Yeaahhhh I know. Was supposed to be funny... maybe I'll try harder next time.

[@AMDXplusplus]

"That's called a mouse." Not a RAT!

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

A computer rodent you say?

[@AMDXplusplus]

@@KRAFTWERK2K6 Yes

[@NewChannels]

It's the only pointing device You'll Ever Need.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

But WHY would you wanna use a new input device to use a terminal? :O Nobody will ever need something like a mouse for a computer. ;)

[@ChrisW2024]

laptops dont have scroll wheels built in

[@vwestlife]

ThinkPads have a middle button which serves the same purpose: press it and then move the TrackPoint up or down to scroll.

[@himbeerme]

Two fingers on modern trackpads, right edge on older ones without multitouch.

[@SilverSpoon_]

well, I should write a review of my HP 1988 PS/2 keyboard

[@5roundsrapid263]

I saw a CompUSA network card at the thrift store a month or two ago. It looked a lot better than this. The package was full color.

[@numbers9to0]

Does it work with Windows Vista?

[@vwestlife]

Yes, unfortunately.

[@pcuser80]

Not suitable for lefthanded people 😒

[@AnOfficialAndrewFloyd]

i always use my mouser on windows opto mechanically.

[@E-virtuosEu]

They should Just give a download link 😛

[@bramvandenbroeck5060]

I don't think he is actually using windows xp, but a sku of it, which is named Windows 2009 POSready, looks the same, feels the same and it is the same as win xp but it is still supported by microsoft until the end of 2019

[@andrew867]

You should mix your mic audio to mono :)

[@vwestlife]

Why?

[@andrew867]

Slightly panned to the left, unless it was just me. I find AvE is the same way, makes it hard to listen to with headphones. Thanks for all the great videos btw, I love AM Stereo and the other weird things you manage to find :)

[@boggsty]

Gonna be interesting

[@RueAriarhod]

Thank you again to Panasonic for that lovely overreacting auto white balance!

[@TheCaitlinlopez]

Serial port?

[@vwestlife]

Serial port!