"Tank Mouse"

Posted: 18 April, 2023

The Commodore 1352, or the "Tank", was my first mouse and probably the design that I rocked the longest. '89-'95,ish? I still have several, but time's not been kind to ball mice, and let's be honest, who wants to clean those any more? Not me...

So yeah, despite my constant moaning about Retro grifters, Lukas Remis' Kickstarter for a modern mouse, inspired by the 1352, caught my interest. I ordered two and a couple of DB9-USB adaptors.

Despite my confusion around shipping dates — the UK is no longer part of the EU, doh! — mine arrived this week.

So... They look just like the 1352! Woo!

Both mouse buttons have a decent click, and at 1600 DPI, the mouse travel feels good, even on a PC.

Bluetooth works as flawlessly as Bluetooth ever does, and inside there's a tiny wireless connector, which the mouse paired to instantly. Build quality is good; the moulding's left no rough edges, and nothing creaks.

It does what it says on the tin.

I had a quick go at using one as a daily driver, and unfortunately, I had to bail. Mouse wheel input (something I use on a PC all the time) is handled by a touch-sensitive section on the top of the mouse, and it's...shite—serviceable at a pinch but nowhere near good enough for daily use.

Also, for my taste, they're far too light, even with the batteries in. I prefer a bit more heft, so I'd be inclined to add a bit of lead to them.

But hey, these weren't bought to replace my Logitech; they're for my Amigas. So not only do they look the part, they feel (reassuringly) correct when I'm bouncing around Workbench. (Ok, still too lightweight, but whatevs...)

Apparently, Lukas will be setting up a Web-shop for future orders, so we're good if we ever need a replacement mouse for our Amigas. Hurrah! Good work, everyone.

I wouldn't recommend using a PC with one, though.