I posted a message a week or so back asking whether anyone had an old Spaceball 3003C that they wanted to sell. One person responded (very kindly) and I've sent a check to him. Then last night I accidentally found five others that are about to be liquidated to wholesale, but I can snap all five of 'em up at latest tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Anyone who wants one contact me IMMEDIATELY. I've already got the buy set up, credit account approved . . . I just don't know whether I want to buy one, two or all five. If none of them are DOA they would be $55 each SHIPPED to any address in the continental US. Probably Canada also, but I'd have to check costs. If one is DOA the price would go up accordingly, but I've been assured they're all working and I'll hook 'em up to be sure before shipping any of them. If I make $3 each on them I'll be surprised, but they'll be long gone if I don't buy 'em up first thing in the morning. Just willing to do the denizens of my favorite newsgroup a favor. The driver I have coupled with the SolidWorks companion application works with SolidWorks up through 2006. No guarantees after that, but I rather suspect there won't be future problems even though neither the OEM nor SolidWorks will support the device any longer.
To reprise, these are the old two-button rigid-ball device (no slop in the ball movement) made by Compaq and with serial (not USB) interface. No power supply necessary. Part number is 299395-001. I'll send a digital photo to anyone interested. One caveat -- I've noted that with a couple of recent vintage workstations the machine sometimes is balky about recognizing the device and it has taken me as many as four reboots to get it working properly (but usually works on the first or, more rarely, the second boot-up). I think it may be a matter either of the order in which drivers are being loaded, or perhaps a virus scanner (McAfee was common to both problem machines), or else some machines nowadays are expecting a very quick response when polling the serial port . . . and these devices may not respond quickly enough. Does NOT happen with all recent vintage machines. May be a function of the motherboard chipset (I'm just guessing).
I'll take checks and that's about all, but I'll include drivers. All I require to make the order is a verbal. Look on my Web site for my "real" email address and/or my phone (cell). Phone is balky where I work, however. If you want to get through by phone and the cell number doesn't work you can call the number listed for Profero Systems
Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton Watermark Design, LLC