156 lines
5.8 KiB
Erlang
156 lines
5.8 KiB
Erlang
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%/ \%
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% The Official Joystik Review Guide %
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% By: The Tracker %
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% %
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% A Rebel Alliance TextFile %
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% Written: 12/8/85 1:45 PM %
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% %
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% Call RAPS> 1-206-584-6900 %
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%\ /%
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Excuse me? You say that your 3 yr old joystick just took a dive? Your
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favorite game suddenly dosen't work and you realize you have a GOOD copy? Then
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it hits you: time to dump $30-$65 into a new JOYSTICK.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Since the above situation just happened to me very recently, and I had to wade
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through tons of junk wares to the junk joystick section and was literally
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ATTACKED by salesmen trying to get me to buy a good joystick, I'm going to list
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some of the more popular joysticks in this file, as well as some other
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alternatives to sticks that you might consider purchasing.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Joysticks
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---------
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TG Products, Inc.
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"TG joystick", around $45-55 at good
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stores and larger soft-
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ware houses
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This joystick is made by an older company, and as far as I know the first one.
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Before my TG crashed, I had it for 4 years (i.e. it's a rugged little baby) but
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once I needed to send it back because my button #0 kept sticking (the company
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charged my $10 and sent me a whole new stick, the kind with a round cable
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instead of a ribbon cable). On the bad side, TG wants major $$$ for one of
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them, and they do take some getting used to. One quick note: the new- er TG
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sticks do have a flip/flop switch to change to and from self-centering. On a
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scale of one to ten, TG sticks get a 7.
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Kraft Inc. (not the cheese place)
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"Kraft joystick", roughly $40. I have
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not checked the price
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on these lately.
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Kraft makes a nice, long-handled stick with the two firebuttons in some odd
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places (one on top and the other on the back...but oddly, it's very comfor-
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table). I believe they now have one with little buttons to switch from self
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centering to non-self centering. Once again, I am not familiar with this stick
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very much. Overall, from what I have seen, they are a good 8.
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CH products
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"Mach ][" and "Mach III" joysticks, $45
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and $55 re-
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spectivly.
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After my TG crashed, I went over to a Mach III and so far have not been
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disappointed. The difference between the two (besides $10) is that the III has
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a button #0 on the top of the han- dle while the ][ does not. To tell you the
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truth, if they had any ]['s left I would have saved $10 and gone with it. Both
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have slide-switches to turn on and off self-centering and knobs (yes, knobs) to
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change the x and y deviation from the original axis (i.e. the little slidy
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things on a T.G. and most other joysticks). The Mach III might be rated down
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because the handle is kind of stubby (with the button on top) and too large for
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fingers but too small for hands. I suppose all sticks take get- ting used to
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though. Overall, let's give them an 8. So far the sticks have been good, eh?
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Apple Computer Inc.
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"Apple joystick", $60-$65.
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BLEECH! This joystick is SUCKY! Yes, that's right, it SUCKS! Nothing
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against Apple, hell they make great computers, but the joystick need some HELP.
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The thing falls apart quickly (so I have noticed from many people) and most also
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say that it isin't very respondent (i.e. you move left and it says 'huh? left?
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ohhh left! duhhh'). The buttons are nice, I think. While the Kraft and CH
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products both just go down and stop (nice but 'dead') and the TG's have a bad
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habit of no stop or very little (that's why the buttons are first to go), the
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Apple has a nice, loud CLICK when you press one of the buttons down. To tell
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you the truth, you have my warning not to get one. Overall, a 6. (7 1/2 if
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they didn't fall apart so quickly...)
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Some Alternatives
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-----------------
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Now that I have covered joysticks, let me just touch some quick points on
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other products.
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TG paddles- I got a pair for $10. Nice
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if you like a game that
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requires paddles, and fun
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to open and customize.
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Sirus Joyport- Plug Atari-style sticks
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into your Apple. There
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are a few things you
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should know though.
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1. Not made anymore.
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2. Requires special
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programming (if the
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game dosen't actually
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say 'joyport' then it
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won't work with it.)
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You can, however, plug
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in 2 Atari Sticks and 2
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regular sticks (or a
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stick and a paddle!)
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and choose with a small
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switch on the top of the
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unit.
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Wico joystick Adapter- Same as above
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but no special
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programming!
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But, for $20 it
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still dosen't
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work with every-
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thing.
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TG Trakball- I think we all know what
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a trackball is, if you
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don't, imagine an upside-
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down mouse that sits in
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one spot and you roll it's
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ball(s?). Let me say that
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it's no good unless you
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live for games that re-
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quired them (Centipede on
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the Apple is very easy
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with it). For $70 I say
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forget it.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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I am sure that I missed a few sticks and probably a few 'alter- natives' but
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those are the main ones. If you have any comments, feel free to call RAPS (the
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number is on the top) and leave me feedback. Or leave me e-mail on Apple Manor
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[716-654-POOF]. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.
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------------- The Tracker -------------
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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ALL POINTS BULLETIN: If you have a ware called GRABBIT (9 months old as of
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12/8/85, and never protected) please call RAPS [206-584-6900] and upload it.
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Thank you very much.
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