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Seeking Mac driver for ALPS Glidepoint keyboard

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George Fowler

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Dec 2, 2001, 10:17:10 AM12/2/01
to
Greetings!

Someone gave me an oldish ALPS Glidepoint Keyboard model MGM-106. I am
using it with my G4/400 (AGP) running OS 9.1 via a Griffin iMate USB-ADB
adapter. I like the keyboard quite a bit, and it works out of the box.
However, it has programmable keys that I can't figure out how to modify,
such as the functions for the three buttons around the built-in
trackpad, the left side of the divided spacebar, etc. (The left side of
the divided spacebar functions as a Delete key for me. I'm not used to
it, but since the top-right Delete key is tiny, this seems like a good
idea to me. I'm just afraid that if I get used to it, I'll eventually
wear out the keyboard and have trouble going back to the old-fashioned
arrangement!!) The ALPS website (www.alpsusa.com) expresses "regret"
that they are no longer licensed to distribute the drivers for this and
other products. I tried European sites for ALPS, such as an Ireland web
site, but they don't seem to have anything but printer drivers. I did a
Google search for it, but while I found lots of people looking for the
drivers, I didn't find the drivers.

Anyone have this driver? If you're willing to email it to me, use
gfo...@indiana.edu. If you have it but know that it won't work with OS
9.1, please post or email.

Alternatively, are there any utilities which function like USB
Overdrive, but work for ADB devices? (I suppose there is QuicKeys, but I
have found it to be unstable on my system, and that's not a driver-level
thing, so it seems somewhat kludgy to use it for this purpose.)

Thanks in advance for any informed help!

George Fowler
gfo...@indiana.edu

John B

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Dec 16, 2001, 11:25:36 PM12/16/01
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George Fowler

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Dec 18, 2001, 9:14:56 AM12/18/01
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In article <email-DF7ABB....@hash-ext.ab.videon.ca>,
John B <em...@domain.com> wrote:

> try alps.co.jp
>
>
> JB

Thanks for this suggestion. However, IE fails to find it, I assume the
web address is out of date. Any suggestions?

George Fowler

Mike Rosenberg

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Dec 19, 2001, 7:23:20 PM12/19/01
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George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:

> > try alps.co.jp


>
> Thanks for this suggestion. However, IE fails to find it, I assume the
> web address is out of date. Any suggestions?

This is much better:

http://www.alpsusa.com/Product/MDP/drivers/adj_mouse.sea.hqx

--
Mike Rosenberg
<http://www.macconsult.com>

"What a long, strange trip it's been."

George Fowler

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Dec 21, 2001, 1:31:54 PM12/21/01
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In article <1f4oeb7.z1s7dtb2axeyN%mi...@POSTTOGROUPmacconsult.invalid>,
mi...@POSTTOGROUPmacconsult.invalid (Mike Rosenberg) wrote:

> George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
>
> > > try alps.co.jp
> >
> > Thanks for this suggestion. However, IE fails to find it, I assume the
> > web address is out of date. Any suggestions?
>
> This is much better:
>
> http://www.alpsusa.com/Product/MDP/drivers/adj_mouse.sea.hqx

Thanks again for trying to help me. However, this is a mouse driver, and
what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard, not a mouse. The page this
link points to gives a link for downloading a PC keyboard driver, but
not a Mac equivalent. But it is certainly a Mac keyboard; it has an ADB
connector.

Ungratefully yours,

George Fowler
gfo...@indiana.edu

George Fowler

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Dec 21, 2001, 1:46:44 PM12/21/01
to
> In article <1f4oeb7.z1s7dtb2axeyN%mi...@POSTTOGROUPmacconsult.invalid>,
> mi...@POSTTOGROUPmacconsult.invalid (Mike Rosenberg) wrote:
>
> > This is much better:
> >
> > http://www.alpsusa.com/Product/MDP/drivers/adj_mouse.sea.hqx

As a follow-up, after poking around some more around that www site, I
did find a table of drivers, which mentions:

GlidePoint Keyboard for Macintosh Version 1.03 MAC OS 6.04 & OS 7.0
or higher No Longer Service 8/22/96 72KB

And the link is inactive/disabled. Too bad! But if anyone has this
driver kicking around, I'd surelike to give it a try.

George Fowler

Bebop

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Dec 22, 2001, 2:57:45 AM12/22/01
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George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:

I have verson 1.1.2. Where would you like it to be send to?

Bebop

George Fowler

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Dec 22, 2001, 8:31:00 AM12/22/01
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In article <1f4snwt.tb0klq1bi49dsN%e...@somewheredot.com>,
e...@somewheredot.com (Bebop) wrote:

> George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
>
>
> > GlidePoint Keyboard for Macintosh Version 1.03 MAC OS 6.04 & OS 7.0
> > or higher No Longer Service 8/22/96 72KB

> I have verson 1.1.2. Where would you like it to be send to?
>
> Bebop

Oh, bless you! Please email it to gfo...@indiana.edu. Thanks in
advance!! I'll copy this via email in case the email link also works.

George Fowler
gfo...@indiana.edu

Paul W. Good

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Dec 22, 2001, 8:10:37 PM12/22/01
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On Sat, 22 Dec 2001 07:57:45 GMT, e...@somewheredot.com (Bebop) wrote:

<snip>


>> GlidePoint Keyboard for Macintosh Version 1.03 MAC OS 6.04 & OS 7.0
>> or higher No Longer Service 8/22/96 72KB

<snip>


>
>I have verson 1.1.2. Where would you like it to be send to?
>
>Bebop

Would you send me a copy as well?

go...@look.ca

TIA...

--
Paul Good go...@look.ca

Geoffrey

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Jan 3, 2002, 11:00:07 AM1/3/02
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George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:

> ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is certainly a


> Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.

Art thou certain of this? Just because the cable sports a 4-pin miniDIN
connector that Apple use as their ADB plug of choice doesn't make it ADB
- the PC world *also* adopted the miniDIN-4 connector for connecting
keyboards and mice, and they're referred to over there as "PS/2"
connectors (because they first appeared on the IBM PS/2 range in the
late 80's).

ONLY use this keyboard if it says *clearly* on the baseplate label that
it is the Mac product.


Geoffrey

(remove excess baggage to reply via mail)
--
WARNING: mail to this address will be auto-bounced if:
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Martin Slaney

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Jan 3, 2002, 12:20:43 PM1/3/02
to

Geoffrey wrote:

> George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
>
> > ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is certainly a
> > Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.
>
> Art thou certain of this? Just because the cable sports a 4-pin miniDIN
> connector that Apple use as their ADB plug of choice doesn't make it ADB
> - the PC world *also* adopted the miniDIN-4 connector for connecting
> keyboards and mice, and they're referred to over there as "PS/2"
> connectors (because they first appeared on the IBM PS/2 range in the
> late 80's).

PS/2 connectors are miniDIN-6 actually :-)


Artur Yelchishchev

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Jan 3, 2002, 12:45:11 PM1/3/02
to
On Fri, 4 Jan 2002 02:30:07 +1030,
quanEXCESS...@bigfoot.com (Geoffrey) wrote:

>George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
>
>> ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is certainly a
>> Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.
>
>Art thou certain of this? Just because the cable sports a 4-pin miniDIN
>connector that Apple use as their ADB plug of choice doesn't make it ADB
>- the PC world *also* adopted the miniDIN-4 connector for connecting
>keyboards and mice, and they're referred to over there as "PS/2"
>connectors (because they first appeared on the IBM PS/2 range in the
>late 80's).

This is *quite* incorrect: PS/2 mouse & keyboard connectors are
6-pin MiniDIN ones, and are physically incompatible with ADB.

I've seen only one occurence of using 4-pin MiniDIN connector in
PC world - as "S-Video" output on some videocards, TV-tuners,
videograbbers and MPEG decoders (this kind of connectors is a
standard for S-VHS equipment like VCRs, SatTV-tuners, DVD players
etc).

Another example is an US Robotics' external Courier modem
(although it isn't a "PC peripheral", of course), where this
connector is used for AC power supply unit, but speaking about
input devices, it was never used on PC machines.

Regards,
Artur

Wayne C. Morris

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Jan 3, 2002, 4:07:58 PM1/3/02
to
In article <pe593usa6u7273ara...@4ax.com>,
Artur Yelchishchev <ris...@hot.ee> wrote:

> On Fri, 4 Jan 2002 02:30:07 +1030,
> quanEXCESS...@bigfoot.com (Geoffrey) wrote:
>
> >George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
> >
> >> ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is certainly a
> >> Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.
> >
> >Art thou certain of this? Just because the cable sports a 4-pin miniDIN
> >connector that Apple use as their ADB plug of choice doesn't make it ADB
> >- the PC world *also* adopted the miniDIN-4 connector for connecting
> >keyboards and mice, and they're referred to over there as "PS/2"
> >connectors (because they first appeared on the IBM PS/2 range in the
> >late 80's).
>
> This is *quite* incorrect: PS/2 mouse & keyboard connectors are
> 6-pin MiniDIN ones, and are physically incompatible with ADB.

However, outwardly they're almost identical to each other and to Apple's
old serial/LocalTalk connectors, except for a symbol (which some
manufacturers omitted) and the number of pins (which is only visible on
close inspection). Most people wouldn't notice the difference.

Fortunately, the three types of connectors are all keyed differently, so
they can't be plugged into the wrong type of socket by mistake.

George Fowler

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Jan 3, 2002, 10:49:12 PM1/3/02
to
In article <wayne.morris-C701...@news.pp.shawcable.net>,

"Wayne C. Morris" <wayne....@this.is.invalid> wrote:

> In article <pe593usa6u7273ara...@4ax.com>,
> Artur Yelchishchev <ris...@hot.ee> wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 4 Jan 2002 02:30:07 +1030,
> > quanEXCESS...@bigfoot.com (Geoffrey) wrote:
> >
> > >George Fowler <gfo...@mac.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is certainly a
> > >> Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.
> > >
> > >Art thou certain of this? Just because the cable sports a 4-pin miniDIN
> > >connector that Apple use as their ADB plug of choice doesn't make it ADB
> > >- the PC world *also* adopted the miniDIN-4 connector for connecting
> > >keyboards and mice, and they're referred to over there as "PS/2"
> > >connectors (because they first appeared on the IBM PS/2 range in the
> > >late 80's).

> Fortunately, the three types of connectors are all keyed differently, so

> they can't be plugged into the wrong type of socket by mistake.

It's definitely ADB, and it works with my iMate USB-ADB adapter with my
G4/400. I kind of like the keyboard, except that I can't quite seem to
get used to the split space bar (the left part is used as a delete key).
Also, the keyboard has a slightly sluggish action, so that two beats on
the same key often register as only one. I was hoping that installing a
real driver might make that a bit smoother, but no luck so far. At the
moment I have temporarily retired it and am using a MacAlly keyboard
with a rather stiff action, so that it is slightly more work to use, but
this forces me to be careful and I make fewer mistakes.

George Fowler
gfo...@indiana.edu

Geoffrey

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Jan 5, 2002, 7:34:14 AM1/5/02
to
Martin Slaney <mar...@slaz.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

> > > ... what I have is the ALPS Glidepoint keyboard ... But it is
> > > certainly a Mac keyboard; it has an ADB connector.
> >
> > Art thou certain of this?

> PS/2 connectors are miniDIN-6 actually :-)

My bad :-)

Me, I've never liked miniDIN connectors, mostly because I've had to
solder up lots in my time, and they are _so_ finicky - too much heat and
the pin melts the frame.

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