PowerBook 100 & 170 owners

[JDW]

Apple Mice with the "low power circular symbol below" are not common to my collection, as I only have one...

And I have no idea why some ADB plugs on mice would need to be longer than the shorter ones. Shorter would seem to be better to keep it plugged in place.

But the big question is this. If there is no issue whatsoever with the LOW POWER mice, why didn't Apple make all of them low power at some point? Why waste power by selling high current-draw mice?

The only big issue that I've noticed among my mice is that some have heavier and larger balls. The smaller and lightweight ball mice don't roll as well.

 

[Fizzbinn]

Apple Mice with the "low power circular symbol below" are not common to my collection, as I only have one...

View attachment 25053

And I have no idea why some ADB plugs on mice would need to be longer than the shorter ones. Shorter would seem to be better to keep it plugged in place.

But the big question is this. If there is no issue whatsoever with the LOW POWER mice, why didn't Apple make all of them low power at some point? Why waste power by selling high current-draw mice?

The only big issue that I've noticed among my mice is that some have heavier and larger balls. The smaller and lightweight ball mice don't roll as well.

From that Macintosh Portable and PowerBook: ADB Mouse Q & A 3/93 TIL article I took it to mean that the longer plug was to include a "ferrite EMI filter" that was somehow deemed required for low power, and or mobile use "to meet EMC standards". Not sure why those standards are different from the non-portable Macs using ADB mice though.

It does seem to make sense that lower power versions of the ADB mouse became possible using newer smaller process/die size components at some point, i.e. they weren't always possible. At some point they stopped making the original non-low power ADB mice.

1986 Original ADB mouse, "0.5 inch long connector"
~1989? Low Power ADB mouse, "low power circular symbol" and "0.5 inch long connector"
1989 Low Power/Portable (and PowerBook) ADB mouse, "low power circular symbol" and "1 inch long connector" (ferrite EMI filter)

I guess I'm wondering what happened to the "ferrite EMI filter" requirement for portable use? did regulations change? or perhaps all ADB mouse II units include one? (even though their connectors all appear to be 0.5 inch long...)

 

[David Cook]

But the big question is this. If there is no issue whatsoever with the LOW POWER mice, why didn't Apple make all of them low power at some point? Why waste power by selling high current-draw mice?

I suspect they learned a lot about power usage when designing the portable. (The Apple IIc was always plugged in, correct?)

I'll guess that the order went:
1. Original mouse
2. Portable mouse
3. Hey we figured out how to make low power mice and will need some for our PowerBooks -- let's just make them all low power.

I have purchased a extension cable that I'm going to cut to be able to measure ADB current. I'll let you know what various mice draw.

 

[JDW]

The normal 80mA or so Apple ADB Mice will work on the Portable, but they post a greater battery drain, which is why the low-power model is recommended. But my low-power mouse is the one with the small and lightweight ball which isn't great at all to use. I wonder if they made low power versions of the mice with the larger and heavier balls.

 

[David Cook]

I wonder if they made low power versions of the mice with the larger and heavier balls.

Yes. Apple ADB mice in my pile (not counting Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II or later)
(5) large heavy gray ball
(2) low-power large heavy gray ball
(1) low-power small middle-weight gray ball
(3) low-power small light-weight black ball

If you add in the Portable with a 1" inch connector, then there are at least five versions. The wikipedia article needs updating.

 

[David Cook]

Oh, and at least two more variations exist:

non-low power small light-weight black ball (on the left side of the image below)

unusual ball retainer and skid (image below)

 

[JDW]

@David Cook
I appreciate your photos!

Do both of your low-power mice have the long ADB connector, or normal size connector?

 

[David Cook]

@David Cook
I appreciate your photos!

Do both of your low-power mice have the long ADB connector, or normal size connector?

Only normal, I'm afraid. I'm interested in learning if the long connector has something special in it.

 

[JDW]

Here’s my low power mouse with the small and light ball that’s really terrible and the normal size connector…