Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!husc6!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Joysticks
Message-ID: <347@uwslh.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jul 88 15:25:45 GMT
References: <890@esunix.UUCP> <1656@vu-vlsi.Villanova.EDU>
Reply-To: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab
Lines: 46

Regarding joysticks:

      I have used a fair number.  My experiences are:

1) First joystick was an Atari 2600 joystick.  It lasted maybe four
months after being used for many tense sessions with my brother and
father.  I am sorry to have seen it die...it just wasn't built strong
enough. 

2) Second joystick was called something like a Specta Video bugger.
It had suction cups on the bottom, and a very comfortable hand grip.
Lasted less than a month.  Too bad, but it was built worse than the Atari.

3) I've used Amiga joysticks, but I can *never* get the darned things
into the diagonal, and the buttons have a less-than-adequate response
for me.  The computers are much better than the joysticks, IMHO ;-)

4) The third joystick I bought was a Wico, and I payed $30 on sale for
it.  It has lasted 4 or 5 years (I don't remember how long its been),
and is still in excellent condition.  It is a bit hard to get in the
diagonals, but whenever I get disgusted with it, I just go inside the
bugger and re-bend the leaf switches.  I've seen a personal computer
joystick stand up to so much punishment, either.  A great value.

5) I've used my brother's Wico Boss joystick, which doesn't have as
much metal in it as the red Wico's, but is still built like a truck.
It does have a nice feel, and a good grip, though.

     Basically, I've found that it looks like it is built solidly, it
is.  All of the cheasy plastic joysticks always seem to break
(including those my friends have owned), whereas the impact-resistant
plastic and metal joysticks will probably survive the next World War.

     A little trivia: there was once a joystick on the market that
used mercury switches instead of mechanical ones.  I never did get
one, and I bet they were not that responsive, but I also would bet
they *never* wore out.  Did anyone here ever own one of these?

						-Chris
-- 
Christopher Lishka                | lishka@uwslh.uucp  
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene    | lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
Immunology Section  (608)262-1617 | ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
"...Just because someone is shy and gets straight A's does not mean they won't
put wads of gum in your arm pits."
                          - Lynda Barry, "Ernie Pook's Commeek: Gum of Mystery"