Author Topic: Best trackball for person with arthritis  (Read 33837 times)

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Offline AlphaStudios

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Best trackball for person with arthritis
« on: Wed, 18 May 2022, 05:20:01 »
My sister has trouble with a mouse and I suggested a trackball to her instead - something like the Logitech MX ERGO - has anyone any experience with or any alternative suggestions on what might be good? her hands are not crippled but she gets sore from clicking and scrolling.

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 21 May 2022, 13:27:07 »
My sister has trouble with a mouse and I suggested a trackball to her instead - something like the Logitech MX ERGO - has anyone any experience with or any alternative suggestions on what might be good?

If it is of any use, I have two suggestions you may want to consider.  Before I make them, I should tell you in advance that I tend to favour older* peripherals.  Meaning: I do not know what kind of luck you will have getting them to work with your sister's particular operating system.

With that said, these two particular trackballs leap to mind because they do not require fine motor control and should be easier to use for arthritis sufferers.  Suggestion #1 is the Kensington Expert 4-button USB Trackball:

286509-0

(Photo credit: not me.)

The Expert combines a large trackball with 4 big, can't-miss buttons.  However, the milled black ring you see around the trackball is what it uses for scrolling.  You may be able to re-map one of the 4 buttons for scrolling, but I am not certain of this, and I do not want to tell you you can when it turns out you cannot.

Any road, the model shown in the picture is an older model of the Expert and Kensington offers other, newer models.  A search for Kensington Expert on That Internet Auction Site should turn up a variety of different models with the same basic design and you can pick and choose what you think will work best.

Suggestion #2 is the BigTrack Trackball:

https://www.bltt.org/hardware/geniusroller.htm

Same basic idea, but this trackball has only two buttons rather than the four found on the Kensington.  However, I mention it because it is a fairly bomb-proof trackball originally designed for children that has a much wider base and is specifically meant for use by people who do not have good fine motor control.  If this one is of interest, be sure to confirm with the seller before you take the plunge that the one you are being offered is a USB model because it was originally offered with a PS/2 connector before it was updated with a USB one.

As with suggestion #1, you can find the BigTrack on eBay at prices ranging from the reasonable to the ridiculous.

I do not know if you will find either/both of these two suggestions to be of use, but they may at least help to steer you in the right direction.  In the meantime, can you please post back and tell us what operating system your sister is using?  That way, someone can comment on the availability of drivers, third-party software, etc. that might enable you to utilise one/both of these options for your sister's particular OS.


*I have found that older peripherals tend to be built with greater care than their present-day counterparts, so I am willing to trade a bit of work to get them to work with newer machines in return for longer service life.
« Last Edit: Sun, 22 May 2022, 05:32:31 by Stupidface »

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 22 May 2022, 23:29:54 »
Hi - she is using MACOS. The latest one she tells me.

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 23 May 2022, 04:58:23 »
Hi - she is using MACOS. The latest one she tells me.

Ah, yes, macOS 12 Monterey.

I do not know if you are already familiar with it, but you may want to have her take a look at SteerMouse:

https://plentycom.jp/en/steermouse/index.html

It's a utility that allows you to customise and remap trackball buttons, etc.  Your sister can try it out free for 30 days; if she likes it, the authors ask a modest US$20 for it.  Otherwise, she can uninstall it.

If your sister is going to use a third-party trackball of some sort, it is well worth a look.

Meanwhile, do you think either the Kensington Expert or BigTrack trackball are along the lines of what you are looking for?  Or have you found something else in the meantime that will fit the bill better?
« Last Edit: Mon, 23 May 2022, 05:15:55 by Stupidface »

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 23 May 2022, 08:08:55 »
Thaks for the excellent infromation. I will look at all the options. That remapping software looks useful!!

Offline kidviddy

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 23 May 2022, 18:15:36 »
Just chiming in to say I've been using the Kensington Expert wireless model on macOS with no issues, and I love it! The official Kensington software works fine on macOS, but SteerMouse gives you a few extra options which allowed me to make better use of the four buttons. Definitely recommended!

The wireless model comes with a little wrist rest that attaches to the bottom, which I found makes the trackball much more comfortable to use. Does the wired model come with something similar? I'm thinking of getting a second one for the office, and considering the wired model so I don't have to faff about with batteries.

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 23 May 2022, 22:29:15 »
I agree the Kensington looks like it might do the trick!! - Many thanks for the well reasoned inputs.
« Last Edit: Tue, 24 May 2022, 01:25:07 by AlphaStudios »

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 24 May 2022, 19:01:12 »
The wireless model comes with a little wrist rest that attaches to the bottom, which I found makes the trackball much more comfortable to use.

I must say I like the way the red trackball looks on the Expert wireless:

286589-0

(Photo credit: not me.)

Very striking.

Does the wired model come with something similar?

I cannot speak to Kensington's current offerings, but I know the older wired models were originally sold with a wrist rest and you can easily find these on offer:

286591-1

(photo credit: someone else)

The wrist rest on the Expert seems to be one of those accessories that tends to go walkies if you do not leave it attached to the unit.

I'm thinking of getting a second one for the office, and considering the wired model so I don't have to faff about with batteries.

In the interest of guiding the OP in his search, how often do you have to replace batteries on the wireless?  I'm guessing you use Eneloops, is that right?




« Last Edit: Tue, 24 May 2022, 19:21:33 by Stupidface »

Offline kidviddy

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 24 May 2022, 19:15:36 »
In the interest of helping the OP along, how often do you have to replace batteries on the wireless?  I'm guessing you use Eneloops, is that right?

I do use Eneloops! Tbh I haven’t kept track of how frequently I replace them, but I feel like it’s only been a handful of times in the ~1.5 years I’ve been using the trackball. Maybe once every 4-6 months? Could be less than that, even.

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 24 May 2022, 19:41:55 »
I do use Eneloops! Tbh I haven’t kept track of how frequently I replace them, but I feel like it’s only been a handful of times in the ~1.5 years I’ve been using the trackball. Maybe once every 4-6 months? Could be less than that, even.

That sounds perfectly reasonable.  I have heard stories of some of the newer wireless mice/trackballs gobbling batteries, which is why I ask.

(Eneloops are brilliant, aren't they?  It's great being able to run all your wireless gear for only a few pence a go; can't imagine how I ever got along without them.)

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 24 May 2022, 22:17:52 »
I agree the Kensington looks like it might do the trick!!

After you've found something you like and your sister has used it for while, can you please post back and tell us about it?  I understand it may be some time before you do find something you like, but I ask because this particular thread might be of interest to others in the future.

- Many thanks for the well reasoned inputs.

You are welcome.  I have a chum who has been recently diagnosed with arthritis, so all of this is of interest to me, too.

Before I forget, there is something else your sister may want to take a look at: compression gloves.

* Handeze pic.webp (9.51 kB - downloaded 90 times.)

https://thedomecompanies.com/category/handeze/

These are tight-fitting gloves made of Lycra.  By helping your hands stay warm, and offering slight compression, the manufacturers claim they are of benefit to arthritis sufferers.  You can judge for yourself whether this is true or not. 

However, as a non-arthritis sufferer, I do find they help to keep my hands warm whilst typing.  At US$20 a pair for the Original model, I think the price is quite reasonable given both the comfort they offer and the build quality (the gloves are made in the US). 

(Handeze makes a couple of other models, so if this sounds of interest, you'll want to have a look at those, too, before you take the plunge.)

eBay does offer many somewhat similar compression gloves for much less money.  I have tried one or two of the cut-rate models, but favour the Handeze gloves because I do not like the feeling of fabric on my fingers.  The inexpensive gloves found on eBay cost less, but a lot of them have 1/4 to 3/4 length fingers, which I do not find comfortable.

(Not to mention the naff build quality of some of the gloves.  Bleugh...)

Anyway, you get the idea.  I cannot say for certain whether your sister would find these gloves to be of any benefit, but they might be worth a look.


Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 24 May 2022, 22:23:57 »
That RED ball - reminds me of HAL


Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 29 May 2022, 06:11:55 »
I showed her these but she it still tending towrards the Logitech option is apprewntly it tilts too so sh4 can take some pressure off her wrist. I will let you know what she finally plump for.

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 29 May 2022, 17:55:49 »
apprewntly it tilts too so sh4 can take some pressure off her wrist.

To clarify: is she looking for something that would allow her hand to stay in more of a "handshake" position (i.e. palm vertical with the thumb pointing up) and that is why she finds the tilt feature appealing?

I ask because Logitech makes a vertical mouse: the Logitech MX Vertical Advanced Ergonomic Wireless Mouse:

286701-0

(photo credit: not me)

If she is looking to reduce wrist strain, you may want to show her that one and see what she thinks.

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 30 May 2022, 02:20:01 »
Will do!!!

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #15 on: Tue, 31 May 2022, 07:04:50 »
OK - she had a look at that Logitech but eventually purchased the Logitech MX ERGO - it looks cool and I will get her to feed back to me once it arrives.

Offline Stupidface

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #16 on: Tue, 31 May 2022, 14:12:34 »
OK - she had a look at that Logitech but eventually purchased the Logitech MX ERGO - it looks cool and I will get her to feed back to me once it arrives.

When you are chatting with her (I understand it may be some time before she receives the trackball), can you please ask whether she finds the 20 degree tilt option on the Ergo to be off any use?

I ask because this particular feature may turn out to be helpful to arthritis sufferers.  So far as I can tell, the MX Ergo/Ergo Plus appear to be the only trackballs on the market that have this option.
« Last Edit: Tue, 31 May 2022, 17:00:06 by Stupidface »

Offline AlphaStudios

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Re: Best trackball for person with arthritis
« Reply #17 on: Tue, 31 May 2022, 21:53:51 »
Sure I will ask her  - this seems one of the features that appealed to her the most. She feels she is always twisting her wrist with a regular mouse.