Re: Koala Pads

[scraft@trident.usacs.rutgers.edu (Steve Craft)]

>I saw an ad for a Koala Pad.  Since I occasionally need to make
>graphics it interested me.  What is a KP and how does it work?
>Can you trace maps with them?
 
 
I have a Koala Pad, well actually my brother has one, for about 6 years.  It
doesn't get a lot of use these days for technical reasons, but it's still
another exmaple of neat-o ][ hardware. :)
 
It's a 4.25"x4.25" pad with two buttons on top.  It connects to the joystick
port and basically acts as a joystick (left button #0, right is button #1) if
you loaded a game or something.  The upper-left corner is 0,0 if you read the
pdl() values and the bottom right is 255,255.
 
The pad is pressure-sensitive, not magnetic like the newest ADB graphic
tablets.  So if you were going to trace a map on one, you'd have to be careful
not to put your thumb on the tablet while tracing.  I gave up on tracing stuff
after I got access to a scanner, but I usually have a short attention span in
this area.
 
The hardware came with The Illustrator, a DOS 3.3 painting program.  Don't
know if there is a ProDOS or even double-res paint program out, since my
brother got his many years ago.
 
It's not an "absolute" device, so if you tried to use it with the Finder
(using the joymouse NDA or whatever it is), you can't just poke a location and
expect it to go there. The cursor will slide like if you pushed the joystick
in a particular direction.
 
Dont take this as too negative, It's still a neat-o piece of hardware from
back when the ][ ruled all it surveyed. :)  Definitely get one if you have
kids, it's more natural to flat-out draw with one of these than a joystick or
mouse.  I don't know if they can be had new, but years and years ago they were
under $100.  Long-winded mode off.