computer hardware/plug and play question

[goofygirl]

I downloaded Pacman and Ms Pacman from the net onto my PC. They work great, but I have been using the arrow keys to play it!

I dont want to kill my keyboard, so I want to get a joystick. I need one that will plug into my pc, of course! I have a fairly new Dell with Windows ME.

From the back of the pc, it looks like I will need a joystick with a plug that is small and round, like the plug on my speaker set, or that a microphone would have. Or maybe not? I have one space in the back that is not taken, and it look like a typical port- small, and something that a plug with "teeth" would fit in to.

Any tech heads out here have ANY idea of what I should ask for when I go to the pc electronics/game store?

 

[helenabear]

It wouldn't be the one that looks like a mic or a speaker... those are still part of the sound. For a joystick, you will need a port that is pretty much rectangular. There should be (I just counted on ours) 8 holes on the top and 7 on the bottom. Joysticks are pretty much universal in how they connect. I hope that helps.

 

[Disney845]

Do you have any available USB ports? If so then you can get a USB Joystick, or actually you could just buy any joystick you wanted and buy a USB adapter for it.

 

[helenabear]

I forgot to mention the USB ports too as Disney845 did above. If you have those on your computer (and most likely if you say it is relatively new... I have them on mine and it is 3 years old) then you can pick those. They are tiny rectangular (about 1/2 inch long and skinny). Either of those two would work and are easy to find.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Most new Dells come with a USB port in the front that they made especially for people who use joysticks on games. If you have one of those just go to your local computer store and tell them you need a USB Joystick. If you don't have USB (and if you have ME I'm sure you have a USB somewhere) then you can ask for a PS2 Joystick. Those are similar to the older mouses (mice?). Just see what kind of ports you have and buy a joystick to go with it. If you don't know the dif, PS2 is the one with an 8 pin hole (I think it's 8 or something like that) and USB is a thin rectanular slot.

 

[goofygirl]

Thanks, my BF mentioned USB ports too. My mouse has a USB, so I know what you mean.

What I am also going to do is bring the page from my pc's manual that has the illustration of the back ports!

thanks!