I went for a decent ps\2 keyboard and a ps\2 mouse (optical) i specifically searched for an MMX compatible mobo that offered ps\2 for the mouse.
If we talk reaaaaaally old pcs (amiga) i went for the original tank, which is surprisingly comfortable.

iraito wrote on 2023-06-27, 19:46:

I went for a decent ps\2 keyboard and a ps\2 mouse (optical) i specifically searched for an MMX compatible mobo that offered ps\2 for the mouse.

I really like my modern USB mice and keyboards, so comfortable, would be nice to use them with my AT PC but I guess there are no USB to ISA cards, at least I didn't find anywhere.

What exact model is that?

rmay635703 wrote on 2023-06-27, 20:34:

What exact model is that?

If you mean the computer: Hewlett Packard Vectra QS/16s

Its a HP-HIL mouse port((( Rare and unusual thing. Just use the COM-port serial mouse.

As someone just getting into retro tech this year, I feel you - my first build was almost stymied because I needed a PS/2 keyboard to get into the BIOS to enable support for my USB keyboard! So really IMO it's worth it to scrounge up some actual PS/2 peripherals even if they're not what you intend to use for the finished thing.

If you're very particular about your KB/Mouse setup, might want to check out the USB4VC project that lets you plug any USB KB/Mouse into a Raspberry Pi and then converts it to PS/2 or Serial port data and your retro computer is none the wiser. I've certainly found it handy.

As a newbie too, I had this problems with keyboard and mouse after I got my first retro builds last year.
On the 486 I was stuck with serial mouse (with rubber ball, really crapy) and DIN to ps2 adapter (bought 4 different adapters from chinese market until I got 1 in good quality build).
On the Pentium I got a ps2 mouse header bracket but it had a different pin layout then my motherboard.
So after that I searched for retro pcs with ps2 keyboard and mouse ports.
Now I use an UNISYS 486 sg3500 and an IBM PC 330 pentium 166, all with build it ps2 keyboard and mouse ports.
Is a nice experience to use modern peripherals (I can still find new ps2 keyboards and mouse, and some usb keyboards come with ps2 to usb adapters).
So another aproach is to change the whole pc for hustle free peripherals.

Anyone know any brand new USB mouse or keyboard models which support the PS/2 adapter? I think that would be the easiest solution for me.

Isn't that just a regular AT DIN keyboard connector? The mouse is pretty obscure, but the keyboard looks utterly normal. AT DIN and PS/2 are identical in terms of protocol and voltages, a passive passthrough adapter is all you need. Second the idea of just using a serial mouse in this case.

And if you are worried about PS/2 or DIN keyboards - consider that mechanical keyboards were actually the norm in the 1980s and more common than today in the 1990s. Alps white and Cherry black boards are pretty ubiquitous. Alps white (or any other Alps switches for that matter) is by far the better (if noisier) option, but the switches will need cleaning or they feel irritatingly scratchy and that's a big chore. Cherry black are hardly spectacular (fairly stiff linear switches), but generally maintenance-free so at worst you just need to wash the keycaps.

There are a lot more exotic switch types out there, but IBM's buckling-spring-over-membrane (Model M) suffers from bad 2KRO and capacitive buckling spring (Model F) are hard to come by, expensive and usually have for our modern tastes obscure layouts; BTC foam&foil were mushy when new, now the foam has almost certainly degraded and needs replacing, and then there are Space Invader switches etc etc.

There's a huge rabbit hole to dive down, but chances are if you find a keyboard of same vintage as that system, it will actually be mechanical. In case of doubt, look up the potential keyboard here: https://deskthority.net/wiki/

Oh, and avoid Cherry MY switches at all costs. "Prodding a dead squid" is too kind a description of how they feel 😜

Plenty of solutions to use modern usb/PS2 dual protocol mice if you don't have a ps2 mouse port.

You can either get a serial to PS2 external adapter:

https://www.serdashop.com/PS2TOSERIAL

Or, you can get an all in one solution with a PS2 mouse port on an ISA card:

Another PS/2 Mouse ISA (ISA8) card adapter

Plenty of modern usb optical mice still work with passive usb to PS2 adapters. Most Microsoft and Logitech stuff does (though obviously check first!).

The good thing about standardising on both PS2 mice and keyboard is that PS2 KVM switches are dirt cheap.

Babasha wrote on 2023-06-27, 23:04:

Its a HP-HIL mouse port((( Rare and unusual thing. Just use the COM-port serial mouse.

Gotta wonder why the ps2 breakout for that wasn’t reverse engineered

It appears to be mostly ps2 compatible as is, I doubt the logic is even as complex as the XT to AT keyboard adapter

megatron-uk wrote on 2023-06-28, 17:51:

Plenty of solutions to use modern usb/PS2 dual protocol mice if you don't have a ps2 mouse port.

Man that's so helpful! I need to get a few of those adapters and try them out. I read from the internet they would not work with modern USB peripherals, good thing I asked here before paying 30 euros for a serial mouse (the only offer for such mouse I found locally).

If it's any help, I use a Logitech Trackman Marble (usb) on all of my old systems with PS2 mouse ports, via a passive usb to PS2 adapter.

megatron-uk wrote on 2023-06-29, 06:52:

If it's any help, I use a Logitech Trackman Marble (usb) on all of my old systems with PS2 mouse ports, via a passive usb to PS2 adapter.

Sounds promising, I've been thinking of getting a trackball anyway so getting one with PS2 support would be double its duty.