Author Topic: Just switched from mouse to trackball (Read 15535 times)

lal · « **on:** Tue, 17 March 2009, 11:09:01 »

After ten years of mousing I'm using a Logitech Cordless TrackMan Wheel now. It's been an hour since the Amazon package arrived and I'm surprised by how painless the change turns out. I set the mouse preferences to "xset m 5/3 0" and I'm doing quite good already.

Of course it needs a lot more time until I'm up to the same speed I was with mice but I'm dedicated to keep using this trackball. Main reason is that I always end up with the mouse at the far edge of the desk somehow :| I think it's much more comfortable to rest the arm and hand in a fixed position and just turn the ball with a finger. I have yet to get used to it of course, my hand wants to move all the time but the rubber feet keep the trackball in place as a reminder to not to.

One cable less on the desk is also nice as well as the size of the thing. My complete hand fits it perfectly, although the hand should not get much bigger. Thankfully I'm grown up already

Summarized first impression: Approved and very promising.

iMav · « **Reply #1 on:** Wed, 18 March 2009, 07:51:40 »

I actually prefer the older-style Trackman Marble (and Marble Wheel). But, in general, thumb trackballing is very nice. Not sure I'll ever get used to this SlimBlade (but I want to give it a good couple of months to see how I adjust)

lal · « **Reply #2 on:** Wed, 18 March 2009, 10:53:16 »

I remember you saying that the new TrackMans don't allow for comfortable three finger clicking and I absolutely agree. I've always middle-clicked with middle finger and right-clicked with the ring finger, and this new TrackMan is not made for that. I'm currently training myself to operate both the middle and right buttons with the middle finger. I think once I get used to it it'll feel natural.

o2dazone · « **Reply #3 on:** Wed, 18 March 2009, 17:14:16 »

nice and good luck! I switched from mouse to trackball in the middle of a huge first-person-shooter binge. Needless to say my skills plummeted, but I've never looked back since. (I'm on year 5)

Biggs · « **Reply #4 on:** Wed, 18 March 2009, 20:25:06 »

Too bad trackballs nowadays are looked upon as "retro" and major mainstream companies (other than Kensington) have shunned it in favor of mice

rdjack21 · « **Reply #5 on:** Tue, 31 March 2009, 22:59:35 »

Quote from: iMav;24808

I actually prefer the older-style Trackman Marble (and Marble Wheel). But, in general, thumb trackballing is very nice. Not sure I'll ever get used to this SlimBlade (but I want to give it a good couple of months to see how I adjust)

Man I could not agree more with you on that. I started to use the Trackman Marble when it first came out and have not really used anything else since. I personally liked the feel of the original better it fit my hand better and it had three real buttons on it. The newer Trackman Wheel is smaller and does not fit my hand as well. I also remember when they quit making the original I went out and got 4 of them so I would always have a spare then I lost them in a move so now I'm stuck with the newer Trackman Wheel which works but does not fit my hand as well.

I may have to break down and look on ebay and see if I can get another old style one.
EDIT: This is the one I mean: http://cgi.ebay.com/LOGITECH-TRACKMAN-MARBLE-TRACKBALL-T-CH11-PS-2-MOUSE_W0QQitemZ230333854742QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item230333854742&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

majestouch · « **Reply #6 on:** Tue, 31 March 2009, 23:20:57 »

Congrats Lal on converting, may the trackball gods bless you and your's

This thread makes me emotional. I used to swear by the Trackman Marble Plus. Zealously when the Trackman Wheel replaced it. Then one day several years ago a friend with my same conviction gave the Wheel a whirl and invited me to try it out - and yep, 1. too small and 2. buttons too damn close together - but the trackball mount had been improved and I envied the smoother ball movement, particularly because it lessened the amount you needed to spin the ball to move the cursor with the same speed and acceleration settings, but I couldn't get over the size and shape of the thing and stuck with my Marble Plus for another year. Then my job took me on the road and I needed another trackman to make working in hotels a bit easier, so I broke down and got the Wheel since the Marble was no longer available. Took a hell of a long time to stop clicking buttons accidentally due to squeezing my fingers so close together, but the smoother trackball movement eventually converted me.

I still have the Marble Plus in good working order that I mess with from time to time, but it might go up in the marketplace someday when I'm ready to part with it.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #7 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 09:23:27 »

Quote from: majestouch;26392

Congrats Lal on converting, may the trackball gods bless you and your's

This thread makes me emotional. I used to swear by the Trackman Marble Plus. Zealously when the Trackman Wheel replaced it. Then one day several years ago a friend with my same conviction gave the Wheel a whirl and invited me to try it out - and yep, 1. too small and 2. buttons too damn close together - but the trackball mount had been improved and I envied the smoother ball movement, particularly because it lessened the amount you needed to spin the ball to move the cursor with the same speed and acceleration settings, but I couldn't get over the size and shape of the thing and stuck with my Marble Plus for another year. Then my job took me on the road and I needed another trackman to make working in hotels a bit easier, so I broke down and got the Wheel since the Marble was no longer available. Took a hell of a long time to stop clicking buttons accidentally due to squeezing my fingers so close together, but the smoother trackball movement eventually converted me.

I still have the Marble Plus in good working order that I mess with from time to time, but it might go up in the marketplace someday when I'm ready to part with it.

I was in kinda a similar boat but for me it was that I hated the mouse at work (way to much hand movement) and could only get the Trackman Wheel so got one for work. After using it for a while like you I really liked the smoother trackball and like you I had trouble with the buttons (I still click them antecedently ) but what really pushed me over the top was the Wheel. This was the first one I had used. Before using one I did not think I would use it much man was I wrong. Now I have the Trackman Wheel both at work and at home. But I still wish they made the body like the old one as it fit my hand better but I can live with it.

ozar · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 09:33:32 »

It would be fun to try one, but I'm not sure I'll ever get around to buying one just to see if I can adapt to it. Glad it's working out for some of you, though.

lal · « **Reply #9 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 09:50:17 »

Well, I have to say I adapted quite fast it seems. I converted to two-finger three-button clicking and it feels natural. Surfing is incredibly comfortable. I'm not even thinking about going back to a mouse at this time.

o2dazone · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 09:59:44 »

Good! Really the only thing that would be changing your mind about not using a trackball, is if you feel frustrated about maneuvering one. I'm glad I learned one, and I try to turn everyone that I know that uses a computer or cursor extensively to try it. It's tough making believers out of most though, not quite as easy as convincing people mechanical keyboards are a worthwhile purchase lol.

ozar · « **Reply #11 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:01:38 »

@ lal

Looking at Logitech's website and the photos of the model you are using, they really do look like they'd be very comfortable. I might try to pick up one on eBay if it's cheap enough and play with it some to see how it goes.

@o2d

Yeah, when I think about moving the cursor with my thumb, I can just imagine it going all over the screen.

lal · « **Reply #12 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:20:15 »

You could always put it up on eBay again if you don't like it.

I just thought about one possible problem though. It needs very extreme pointer sensitivity settings to be usable. With the standard setting I need to turn the ball like a dozen times to move the pointer from one side of the screen to the other (24"). In Windows I need to nearly max out the sensitivity slider in order to get along with just a single turn of the ball for a complete screen sweep. With this setting the trackball is very nice to use but it would probably render any mouse unusable that happens to be connected at the same time. As I'm using the trackball exclusively this doesn't bother me.

ozar · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:24:26 »

Guess I'm not too hard to convince because I found one for $29.99 with free shipping, so we'll see how it goes.

Edit: I should add that I went for the wired model because wireless devices and me just don't get along!

FKSSR · « **Reply #14 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:47:08 »

haha. that's the problem with being on a forum like this, there is a lot of pressure to keep buying stuff and trying stuff.

I have been resisting the desire to try out a trackball as well.

ozar · « **Reply #15 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:52:06 »

Looking at them in photos, they look like they'd be super comfortable to use if one can adapt. Guess I'll know in a few days.

bigpook · « **Reply #16 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 10:54:53 »

Quote from: FKSSR;26439

haha. that's the problem with being on a forum like this, there is a lot of pressure to keep buying stuff and trying stuff.

I have been resisting the desire to try out a trackball as well.

I wouldn't say there is alot of pressure to keep buying. For me its more like listening to what everyone here has to say and then getting the itch to try something new. The reality for me is that there is so much quality stuff out there to try, I am slowly trying to work through it all but if I stopped right now I would still have more than enough hardware to play with for awhile.
I just don't think I will be stopping any time soon though : )
For some reason I am hearing the siren song of the Realforce 86U....

As for the trackball, by all means give it a go. Just realize that it will take a week or so to get used to it. Once you dial it in though you may not go back to a regular mouse.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #17 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 13:42:39 »

Quote from: lal;26434

You could always put it up on eBay again if you don't like it.

I just thought about one possible problem though. It needs very extreme pointer sensitivity settings to be usable. With the standard setting I need to turn the ball like a dozen times to move the pointer from one side of the screen to the other (24"). In Windows I need to nearly max out the sensitivity slider in order to get along with just a single turn of the ball for a complete screen sweep. With this setting the trackball is very nice to use but it would probably render any mouse unusable that happens to be connected at the same time. As I'm using the trackball exclusively this doesn't bother me.

You need to learn how to spin the ball

I've tried both the extreme pointer sensitivity and very low sensitivity on either one I end up having to change the sensitivity through out the day so I can work on things that require more precise pointer control. So what I do is find the highest sensitivity I can deal with and still retain precise pointer control when I need it. This takes quite a bit of playing with the settings. But once you have it you have the best of both. For whipping across the screen you just spin the ball again that takes a little practice as well to learn just how much you need to spin the ball.

When I moved to the new Trackman Wheel I had to relearn/adjust my spin because the new ball is smother and spins better. There is one problem with this technique though you have to keep the ball clean and the dust bunnies out of the ball holder because the dust will build up and slow the ball down throwing you off on your spins.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #18 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 13:55:39 »

Quote from: bigpook;26441

As for the trackball, by all means give it a go. Just realize that it will take a week or so to get used to it. Once you dial it in though you may not go back to a regular mouse.

I can't go back. The first thing I do at a new computer is replace the mouse with a track ball. Next to go is the keyboard. Thats telling you something when the Track ball has a higher priority than the keyboard. After about an hour or so of using a mouse I'm ready to throw them out the window

I can deal with those cheap keyboards but man a mouse is far more irritating.

o2dazone · « **Reply #19 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 15:01:48 »

I agree. I can "stand" a switch dome, but running my hand off the edge of a desk or mouse pad or just the ball jamming up drives me insane.

Also, I don't have a Trackman, but I do own a thumb controlled trackball. This is my mouse setting.

On these monitors

Don't mind the shanty-esque development, it's designed to cut out light, not look pretty LOL. But yeah 3600 combined width, and I don't have any trouble getting from one side to the other. Once you start putting more weight on your thumb as you're learning a trackball, you get better accuracy, but you suffer the ability to freely spin it like what rdjack is saying. You'll get the hang of it eventually though, just never go back to mouse! Practice makes perfect!! lol

itlnstln · « **Reply #20 on:** Wed, 01 April 2009, 15:15:05 »

So you're the one who stole my computer: http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=11843&postcount=247

I like that theme you are using as well. I used to use it myself for some time.

ozar · « **Reply #21 on:** Thu, 02 April 2009, 09:38:03 »

Someone on another forum recommended this trackball mouse. It looks interesting in concept but seems rather expensive considering it's simplicity. I know that Kensington makes some very good products but I probably wouldn't want to purchase this without trying it first.

itlnstln · « **Reply #22 on:** Thu, 02 April 2009, 10:03:29 »

Quote from: ozar;26633

Someone on another forum recommended this trackball mouse. It looks interesting in concept but seems rather expensive considering it's simplicity. I know that Kensington makes some very good products but I probably wouldn't want to purchase this without trying it first.

That trackball is widely regarded as one of the best trackballs available by this forum as well.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #23 on:** Thu, 02 April 2009, 12:06:52 »

Quote from: ozar;26633

Someone on another forum recommended this trackball mouse. It looks interesting in concept but seems rather expensive considering it's simplicity. I know that Kensington makes some very good products but I probably wouldn't want to purchase this without trying it first.

Yea I keep thinking I should get one of those and try it out. I have used them on other peoples computers but you really can't evaluate a Track ball that way.

itlnstln · « **Reply #24 on:** Thu, 02 April 2009, 12:20:19 »

Quote from: rdjack21;26663

Yea I keep thinking I should get one of those and try it out. I have used them on other peoples computers but you really can't evaluate a Track ball that way.

Yeah, and I really don't like touching other people's input devices.

EDIT: Wait. I just re-read what I wrote, and it's kinda gross. My statement still stands, however.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #25 on:** Thu, 02 April 2009, 20:02:27 »

Quote from: itlnstln;26668

Yeah, and I really don't like touching other people's input devices.

EDIT: Wait. I just re-read what I wrote, and it's kinda gross. My statement still stands, however.

Yea I know what you mean but some times when you are helping someone you just have to do the driving. Which means you have to touch there input device

EDIT: I'll let you figure out what I mean

vyshane · « **Reply #26 on:** Fri, 03 April 2009, 00:12:13 »

Quote from: ozar;26633

Someone on another forum recommended this trackball mouse. It looks interesting in concept but seems rather expensive considering it's simplicity. I know that Kensington makes some very good products but I probably wouldn't want to purchase this without trying it first.

I've got one of these. It's alright. I got used to it pretty quickly. However, I find it uncomfortable to use without without the included wrist rest. The ball sits too high up from the desk, which means that I have to tilt my hand upwards. The wrist rest fixes that, but it also spoils the look of the device and adds clutter to my desk.

itlnstln · « **Reply #27 on:** Fri, 03 April 2009, 07:04:34 »

Quote from: rdjack21;26718

Yea I know what you mean but some times when you are helping someone you just have to do the driving. Which means you have to touch there input device

EDIT: I'll let you figure out what I mean

LOL. When you say "driving..." do you mean stick shift?

FKSSR · « **Reply #28 on:** Fri, 03 April 2009, 07:47:40 »

Quote from: vyshane;26739

I've got one of these. It's alright. I got used to it pretty quickly. However, I find it uncomfortable to use without without the included wrist rest. The ball sits too high up from the desk, which means that I have to tilt my hand upwards. The wrist rest fixes that, but it also spoils the look of the device and adds clutter to my desk.

What mouse do you use?

ozar · « **Reply #29 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 18:39:52 »

My trackball mouse came in today and I must say, this is quite an experience. I never realized that my thumb and index finger have so little coordination between them. I'll have to play with this some more as time permits, but at the moment it's slowed my productivity to an absolute crawl. It's like having to learn to walk all over again.

That said, you do catch on pretty quickly.

Regarding the mouse itself, the ball doesn't glide within its socket quite as smoothly as I had anticipated, and it didn't take long to fall in love with the scroll wheel because it's such a time saver compared to thumbing your way up and down the screen.

Every computer user should try one of these if and when they get a chance!

vyshane · « **Reply #30 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 19:26:26 »

Quote from: FKSSR;26781

What mouse do you use?

I use the Logitech VX Revolution, and the Kensington Expert Mouse.

bigpook · « **Reply #31 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 19:28:30 »

I use the kensington expert and kensington orbit. Till recently, I used the G5 for gaming.

ozar · « **Reply #32 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 19:34:30 »

The Kensington Expert actually looks like it might be quicker and easier to master, but I probably won't be buying one to find out.

I've been using the Logitech G9 and it's been working quite well. I never could get used to the Dry Touch grip technology on the G5, so gave up on it.

ozar · « **Reply #33 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 19:40:16 »

Quote from: bigpook;27368

I use the kensington expert and kensington orbit. Till recently, I used the G5 for gaming.

After searching for the Orbit, it looks interesting and it's certainly affordable. If I can find a good deal on one, I might try one to see how it feels.

bigpook · « **Reply #34 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:11:54 »

Quote from: ozar;27371

After searching for the Orbit, it looks interesting and it's certainly affordable. If I can find a good deal on one, I might try one to see how it feels.

You need to remember that the orbit does not have a scroll wheel. Its a straight 2 button mouse. You can chord both keys to get universal scrolling though. I am using it left-handed so the scrolling isn't as much an issue for me. Plus it feels good to use.

Forgot to mention that it is also small. Small enough that I can close my keyboard tray all the way. I couldn't do that with the expert.

bigpook · « **Reply #35 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:13:17 »

Quote from: ozar;27369

The Kensington Expert actually looks like it might be quicker and easier to master, but I probably won't be buying one to find out.

I've been using the Logitech G9 and it's been working quite well. I never could get used to the Dry Touch grip technology on the G5, so gave up on it.

lol, the kensington expert is not a casual purchase. You really have to like track balls to get that one. Having said that, they are quite nice. The large ball has got to be the smoothest scrolling I have ever used.

ozar · « **Reply #36 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:17:12 »

Quote from: bigpook;27382

lol, the kensington expert is not a casual purchase. You really have to like track balls to get that one. Having said that, they are quite nice. The large ball has got to be the smoothest scrolling I have ever used.

So the ball itself is larger in the Expert? It's hard to tell anything from the photos.

bigpook · « **Reply #37 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:19:30 »

Quote from: ozar;27385

So the ball itself is larger in the Expert? It's hard to tell anything from the photos.

In comparison to the orbit the expert is positively huge.

bigpook · « **Reply #38 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:20:14 »

Quote from: ripster;27370

All you IBM Model M users should love this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TrackBall-PRO-by-CH-Products-FREE-ship-w-BIN_W0QQitemZ350187513095QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item350187513095&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

I'd call it the IBM Model M of the trackball world. It's built like a tank. For more details see the Black Unicomp thread in the mods section.

The ball is a true billiard ball size and weight. When bored I pop it open and stick a new ball in. I'll post some pics soon.

Personally I can't stand them (my wife likes it) but it is fun to idly spin this sucker. And it doesn't go popping out all the time like the Kensington's.

- Ripster

P.S. I think I paid $17 when I bought mine on Ebay - it was so covered in smokey grime it looked like it came from a Poker bar.

It's 9 pin serial, that may pose a problem. How is the action on it?

ozar · « **Reply #39 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:20:56 »

Thanks for that... it seems reasonable that a larger ball would give more accuracy and control, so I'll keep that in mind before going for either of them.

bigpook · « **Reply #40 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:24:56 »

Quote from: ozar;27390

Thanks for that... it seems reasonable that a larger ball would give more accuracy and control, so I'll keep that in mind before going for either of them.

It takes a bit to get used to the expert, but once done it works out quite nice. Its probably safe to say that you need large hands to use this mouse. It really is big.
The orbit is less big, I can almost palm that one.

bigpook · « **Reply #41 on:** Mon, 06 April 2009, 20:46:51 »

humor is well taken : ) Now a bowling ball as a trackball would be uber. The downside is I would need a larger desk.
For some reason this reminds me of the Woody Allen movie Sleeper...I don't know why.

bigpook · « **Reply #42 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 04:24:18 »

Quote from: ripster;27415

This is it.

Show Image

You're thinking of the "Orb of Ecstasy". The trackball of the future.

- Ripster

yeah, thats it. I really want one of those : )

FKSSR · « **Reply #43 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 09:13:02 »

If I ever tried a trackball, I know I would want a big one. The Trackball PRO looks pretty cool, but the serial could be an issue. The Kensington Expert looks good as well, but, as said, neither of those are casual purchases. For now, I'm going to stick with my regular mice.

I want to look into the Logitech VX Revolution. I tried one of the Logitech mice in Best Buy that was built like that one, and I have to say that the buttons were a little weird for me since they are one piece that just bends down. I prefer the traditional kind where the buttons are separate pieces of plastic. The bending of the Logitech buttons just felt weird.

itlnstln · « **Reply #44 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 09:20:02 »

I sort of split the difference between the ergonomics of the trackball and the familiarity of mice. I got the MS Natural 6000 blah, blah, blah and have been happy ever since. I still wouldn't mid trying a trackball, and I, too, would probably go for the Kensington as it seems to have, or at leat the ability to emulate, all the features I enjoy on my MS. I haven't seen another trackball that has all the features my MS has that I use on a daily basis (forward/back buttons, scroll wheel with side to side scrolling, etc.).

bigpook · « **Reply #45 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 11:49:29 »

I have said this before but mice seem to be more of a personal decision then even keyboards. I wouldn't go crazy over mouse selection, especially if what you are using now meets your needs.
Keyboards on the other hand....those are real easy to go down the rabbit hole.

bigpook · « **Reply #46 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 12:33:27 »

Quote from: ripster;27479

Oh, don't try and shut down this thread. I wanna keep it going just so I can keep making fun of you trackball guys.

Head over to :http://WWW.TRACKBALLWORLD.COM

A FREE telescoping backscratcher with every order (caution, be careful to not scratch your balls with this).

Here's another that looks to be "Billiard Ball Compatible" with a 2.25" diameter (the magic number for US balls - I'm talking pool here).
http://www.trackballworld.com/40-155.html

- Ripster:rolleyes:

That website is pretty awesome. Cool.

ps: Prices are kind of on the high side though.

bigpook · « **Reply #47 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 12:45:57 »

Quote from: ripster;27483

It actually kinda is. I started reading "The History of the Trackball" before I stopped myself and thought:

"wait a second, I don't really LIKE trackballs".

- Ripster

Trackballs are an acquired taste, no doubt. And its ok to laugh at them : )
But I do prefer them for day to day work. Not so much for gaming. But I am on a PS3 now anyways; hence the G5 that now lives in the closet.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #48 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 13:04:17 »

Quote from: bigpook;27484

Trackballs are an acquired taste, no doubt. And its ok to laugh at them : )

The problem is that once you get acquainted with them it is really hard to go back to a mouse

I don't even own a mouse any more all I have are Trackballs.

bigpook · « **Reply #49 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 13:12:05 »

Quote from: rdjack21;27486

The problem is that once you get acquainted with them it is really hard to go back to a mouse I don't even own a mouse any more all I have are Trackballs.

Well, I can still use a mouse when I need to but yes, its trackballs all the way. I can see where a gamer would have a problem though, but for everything else I use a trackball.

I think I am starting to repeat myself here : P
I will stop now.

cchan · « **Reply #50 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 18:45:22 »

Quote from: FKSSR;27451

If I ever tried a trackball, I know I would want a big one. The Trackball PRO looks pretty cool, but the serial could be an issue. The Kensington Expert looks good as well, but, as said, neither of those are casual purchases. For now, I'm going to stick with my regular mice.

I want to look into the Logitech VX Revolution. I tried one of the Logitech mice in Best Buy that was built like that one, and I have to say that the buttons were a little weird for me since they are one piece that just bends down. I prefer the traditional kind where the buttons are separate pieces of plastic. The bending of the Logitech buttons just felt weird.

The VX Revolution is my favourite mouse, but I still prefer the Logitech Marble Mouse trackball.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #51 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 20:59:42 »

I'm currently a very big fan of the Trackman Wheel. But after following this tread for a while and finding that great web site above I'm going to have to try out some new trackballs and see what they are like. I'll get to it as soon as I finish filling out my keyboard line-up

rdjack21 · « **Reply #52 on:** Tue, 07 April 2009, 23:37:41 »

Quote from: ripster;27579

Especially useful for overweight hackers.

The only problem is that we would not fit in their because we are overweight

Maybe it was intended for skinny hackers

majestouch · « **Reply #53 on:** Wed, 08 April 2009, 00:07:44 »

bigpook

Quote

Well, I can still use a mouse when I need to but yes, its trackballs all the way. I can see where a gamer would have a problem though, but for everything else I use a trackball.

I think I am starting to repeat myself here : P
I will stop now.

Trackballs work for gamers:

bigpook · « **Reply #54 on:** Wed, 08 April 2009, 04:26:40 »

Quote from: majestouch;27585

bigpook

Trackballs work for gamers:
Show Image

If we are talking about arcade games then we must include Missile Command.

itlnstln · « **Reply #55 on:** Wed, 08 April 2009, 06:27:03 »

Missle Command is classic; one of my favorite games of all time. My dad was nuts playing Centipede, though.

I had both on the original Atari 2600 in all of its luxurious wood grain glory.

ozar · « **Reply #56 on:** Thu, 09 April 2009, 10:48:07 »

I went ahead and ordered the Kensington Expert so we'll see how that goes when it arrives in a few days. I'll sell it here, or on eBay if it turns out that I don't like it.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

bigpook · « **Reply #57 on:** Thu, 09 April 2009, 11:23:22 »

Quote from: itlnstln;27611

Missle Command is classic; one of my favorite games of all time. My dad was nuts playing Centipede, though.

I had both on the original Atari 2600 in all of its luxurious wood grain glory.

There was a Missile Command at a local tavern I used to frequent back in the day. Many a quarter was spent on that. While its available on my linux box its just not the same as the original.

FKSSR · « **Reply #58 on:** Thu, 09 April 2009, 11:27:16 »

Quote from: ozar;27868

I went ahead and ordered the Kensington Expert so we'll see how that goes when it arrives in a few days. I'll sell it here, or on eBay if it turns out that I don't like it.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

Cool. I can't wait to hear your perspective. I'm still 40/60 about either trying a wheel mouse or sticking with my traditional mice.

FKSSR · « **Reply #59 on:** Thu, 09 April 2009, 14:47:31 »

Yeah, I saw that auction, but I wouldn't want to mess with a serial port.

ozar · « **Reply #60 on:** Fri, 10 April 2009, 16:52:36 »

Quote from: bigpook;27382

lol, the kensington expert is not a casual purchase. You really have to like track balls to get that one. Having said that, they are quite nice. The large ball has got to be the smoothest scrolling I have ever used.

Just curious, bigpook... did you have to remap your buttons on the Expert for operation under Linux, or did it work out of the box?

bigpook · « **Reply #61 on:** Fri, 10 April 2009, 18:44:51 »

Quote from: ozar;28214

Just curious, bigpook... did you have to remap your buttons on the Expert for operation under Linux, or did it work out of the box?

Out of the box the left/right bottom and scroll ring worked.
I used the left/right top in firefox where the top left was universal scroll and the top right was go back a page.

cchan · « **Reply #62 on:** Fri, 10 April 2009, 22:34:23 »

Quote from: FKSSR;27985

Yeah, I saw that auction, but I wouldn't want to mess with a serial port.

Isn't the serial port mouse scan rate 30Hz, as opposed to USB 120Hz?

ozar · « **Reply #63 on:** Sat, 11 April 2009, 14:17:01 »

Quote from: bigpook;28232

Out of the box the left/right bottom and scroll ring worked.
I used the left/right top in firefox where the top left was universal scroll and the top right was go back a page.

Thanks for the info, bigpook. I'll play around with it some and see if it works well enough out of the box and if not will look into some remapping efforts. I've become spoiled to the free spin mode with the scroll wheel on the Logitech G9, so might find myself missing that with the Expert, but feel sure that I can eventually adapt.

o2dazone · « **Reply #64 on:** Sat, 11 April 2009, 20:19:19 »

Quote from: bigpook;27488

I can see where a gamer would have a problem though

Really not as much as you think. Moving your wrist and clicking is no more accurate than moving a ball once you get familiar with it, and have used it for a while. I generally find my ability to "snipe" in fps's much better, because I can click a button, and all the while being sure I will never move my cursor (I usually had a hard time with this by 'twitch' shooting and moving my mouse all over the place. Coupled with the ability to go from one side of the screen to the other with ease, and still keeping the sensitivity on my mouse really low, I'd have to say I'm happier with the change. This was so long ago, I can hardly remember how it was on a mouse. (This is speaking with a thumb trackball). I will say that switching is definitely daunting...but it's paid off 10 fold in the end. You might finding yourself favoring a trackball once you can "spin" the ball freely and get your cursor from point A to point B without having to pick up your mouse, or without having to turn the sensitivity up high. I guess it's different strokes for different folks, but I'm a huge fan

bigpook · « **Reply #65 on:** Sat, 11 April 2009, 20:34:41 »

Quote from: o2dazone;28399

Really not as much as you think. Moving your wrist and clicking is no more accurate than moving a ball once you get familiar with it, and have used it for a while. I generally find my ability to "snipe" in fps's much better, because I can click a button, and all the while being sure I will never move my cursor (I usually had a hard time with this by 'twitch' shooting and moving my mouse all over the place. Coupled with the ability to go from one side of the screen to the other with ease, and still keeping the sensitivity on my mouse really low, I'd have to say I'm happier with the change. This was so long ago, I can hardly remember how it was on a mouse. (This is speaking with a thumb trackball). I will say that switching is definitely daunting...but it's paid off 10 fold in the end. You might finding yourself favoring a trackball once you can "spin" the ball freely and get your cursor from point A to point B without having to pick up your mouse, or without having to turn the sensitivity up high. I guess it's different strokes for different folks, but I'm a huge fan

I tried using the trackball while playing battlefield 2 but ended up getting killed way too often. To be fair I didn't give it enough time to really adjust. The initial reaction was pretty bad too. Its one think to use a trackball for normal everyday stuff but inside of a game the regular mouse seemed to work best.

Its kind of moot now anyways. I just blew out my one and only windows box and made the move over to a PS3. The graphics are much better, I get to sit on the couch, and the game play is pretty much the same. Granted, I am such a noob on the PS3 controller : ) I die a lot right now.

bigpook · « **Reply #66 on:** Sat, 11 April 2009, 21:05:53 »

Quote from: ripster;28404

Pook, you just need a PS3 trackball...

http://ps3maven.com/wireless-keyboard-with-trackball-for-ps3/

Show Image

Sorry, couldn't resist. This is the thread that will not die....

- Ripster

Hmm. Trackball not so much, it looks to be a scroll wheel; which might be kind of neat. But that is more then what I want to be holding.

The controller is sort of small but has all of the necessary buttons.
Give me a month or so and it will be all good.

ps: I just noticed the trackball on the right hand side....still though, it is kind of small. Got anything that is as large as the trackball in the Missile Command arcade game? : )

o2dazone · « **Reply #67 on:** Sun, 12 April 2009, 01:26:21 »

Playing an fps on a console is horrible, but that can be for a completely different thread

And yeah, a video game is not the best place to keep up your motivation to learn trackball. I did it the hard way, but would NOT recommend it LOL...it's better to 'ease' into it. Although, I've heard, with Dvorak keyboards, it's best to keep trying and never "go back" so maybe it's the same way with trackballs? I 'unno...

iMav · « **Reply #68 on:** Sun, 12 April 2009, 07:51:47 »

FYI, the wireless Trackman Wheel is larger and feels a lot more comfortable in your hand (a lot like the Marble). Buttons are the same as on the wired Trackman Wheel.

I have 5 Trackman Marble Wheels, 4 Trackman Marbles, and a Trackman Wheel Wireless. (wife has a Trackman Wheel that she loves...she has small hands)

Trackman Marbles feel and function the best IMHO. If you need a scroll wheel (and I typically do), the Trackman Marble Wheel is great as well.

bigpook · « **Reply #69 on:** Sun, 12 April 2009, 13:04:02 »

Just for fun, and being influenced, perhaps too easily by this thread, I took the logitech trackman marble out for a spin. I was using the kensington orbit for the past week or so and the first thing I notice is that the mouse ball sits higher on the logitech versus the kensington. Which is neither good or bad in itself just something I noticed.

Aside from the extra buttons on the logitech and the taller hand rest they both seem to perform about the same. The one thing that is favorable for the logitech is that the mouse is solid in the socket. On the kensington orbit I can rock the ball in its socket. I found that to be a little bit annoying.

ozar · « **Reply #70 on:** Sun, 12 April 2009, 13:08:16 »

I've garnered a great deal of information from this thread as well, and just a few weeks back, I'd never have thought I'd be interested in trackball devices.

Regarding the ball moving around in the socket, I've noticed the same happens with my (wired) Logitech Trackman Wheel Mouse, and it irritates me slightly.

bigpook · « **Reply #71 on:** Sun, 12 April 2009, 13:10:58 »

Quote from: ozar;28459

I've garnered a great deal of information from this thread as well, and just a few weeks back, I'd never have thought I'd be interested in trackball devices.

Regarding the ball moving around in the socket, I've noticed the same happens with my (wired) Logitech Trackman Wheel Mouse, and it irritates me slightly.

I have a Logitech Trackman Wheel Mouse also but the ball is pretty solid in the socket. It is very noticeable on the Kensington Orbit though. I should point out that while the trackball can be rocked in the socket it does not take away from its usefulness or performance. It is just something that I noticed, and for me was annoying. YMMV

ozar · « **Reply #72 on:** Mon, 13 April 2009, 17:17:37 »

Hey, the Kensington Expert arrived today, and just like you guys said, it truly is HUGE!

Anyway, it seems very usable, and adaption seems much easier than it is with the thumb manipulated trackball, at least for me. The scroll ring is easier to use than I'd thought it would be as well, except that the movement doesn't feel all that smooth. Perhaps that gets better with some time for break-in. The ball itself glides very smoothly.

bigpook · « **Reply #73 on:** Mon, 13 April 2009, 17:22:46 »

Quote from: ozar;28692

Hey, the Kensington Expert arrived today, and just like you guys said, it truly is HUGE!

Anyway, it seems very usable, and adaption seems much easier than it is with the thumb manipulated trackball, at least for me. The scroll ring is easier to use than I'd thought it would be as well, except that the movement doesn't feel all that smooth. Perhaps that gets better with some time for break-in. The ball itself glides very smoothly.

The scroll ring could have been a better design. Its basically plastic on plastic but it does the trick. The trackball is very smooth once it breaks in which should take an hour or so.

ozar · « **Reply #74 on:** Mon, 13 April 2009, 17:47:11 »

Yes, just from my limited use I'd say that the scroll wheel is the weakest link, although like you say, it does get the job done. Too bad it doesn't turn as smoothly as the ball glides.

bigpook · « **Reply #75 on:** Mon, 13 April 2009, 17:54:13 »

Quote from: ozar;28696

Yes, just from my limited use I'd say that the scroll wheel is the weakest link, although like you say, it does get the job done. Too bad it doesn't turn as smoothly as the ball glides.

I don't know why kensington didn't take the extra step with that. But thats the way it is. Mine works fine though, and to me it was a genius design.

CrapTypist · « **Reply #76 on:** Wed, 27 May 2009, 16:29:59 »

I've gone whole-hog to trackballs over the last 6 months. The Logitech Optical Marble Mouse (easy to find @ around $15 NIB on ebay) works so well and saves me so much hand pain, I've now bought 4 of them.

I miss a real scroll wheel, but assigning the left-side sub-button to ball scrolling works okay. The precision and feel are awesome. My home computer still has a mouse, and every time I touch it I just go AUGHHH, so I bought another two tballs and have called it a day.

The only crappy part is, if I have somebody sit down at one of my machines, they often spout for a few minutes about how they "can't use a trackball"... Of course, most of them are asking me where to find this one at the end, so...

hehe

bsvP585hUO2Y6 · « **Reply #77 on:** Tue, 09 June 2009, 20:35:43 »

lal writes:

> After ten years of mousing I'm using a Logitech Cordless TrackMan
> Wheel now.

After fourteen years of using TrackMen, I'm using a Mouse now. I would
have stayed with them if Logitech would have improved on their sensors
over the years. However, they seem to have stopped upgrading since the
switch from the optomechanical to the optical one in the last millenium.

The TrackMen's 400 dpi just feel anachronistic after using a MX1100 with
1600 dpi from the same manufacturer.

regards,
andreas

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