Author Topic: Budget trackball? (Read 7260 times)

steeef · « **on:** Tue, 19 October 2010, 13:21:51 »

The questions about budget keyboards in the keyboard forum were very helpful, and I ended up finding a Compaq 11800 for about $20 so I could try out Cherry Browns. The Wiki entries were very helpful too.

Now I'm looking to switch to a trackball, but I'm not ready to shell out $50+ on something like the Expert Mouse (let alone $75+ for the Slimblade). They look like great products, and I'm kicking myself for not getting in on the Buy.com sale while it was still on.

I've been using Logitech mice for a long time, and the last trackball I used regularly was a Marble Mouse over 10 years ago. I prefer using my fingers on the ball rather than my thumb. Is there anything decent for around $30 or less that would help me transition to a trackball?

steeef · « **Reply #1 on:** Tue, 19 October 2010, 13:32:51 »

That thing is long gone, sorry. I gave it up when I started playing FPS's regularly, and switched to mice exclusively. What's changed now is that I don't need a mouse at work, and I feel like a trackball would be a nice change, especially moving between three monitors.

Arc'xer · « **Reply #2 on:** Tue, 19 October 2010, 14:14:13 »

Logitech recently released the M570 but it's around 60 and it's a thumb based version so you may not like it over a finger based.

Really the only cheap finger based one is the marble and Logitech hasn't said anything on whether they are planning a marble upgrade. If Microsoft still built the Explorer and Optical they'd probably sell them at an affordable price like the Logitech.

Trackballs are really niche products and have gone the way side compared to mice. The drive for cheaper, mass volume mice and lack of advances in better parts especially sensors put trackballs in a bad position, except for a few niche industrial companies like CST and whatnot continue to propagate them with better technology.

You really have no choice but to pay that much unless there is a special.

WhiteRice · « **Reply #3 on:** Tue, 19 October 2010, 14:34:24 »

steeef · « **Reply #4 on:** Tue, 19 October 2010, 15:11:19 »

Not that this will help anyone else, but it looks like WhiteRice was able to help me out. Sweet!

Rajagra · « **Reply #5 on:** Thu, 21 October 2010, 08:53:26 »

For what it's worth, the current Logitech Marble Mouse is great for something so cheap. It's far smoother than I expected. Only the lack of dedicated scroll wheel lets it down. Mine judders the mouse pointer occasionally now, but that may be because I dismantled it a couple of times to see if I could reuse the parts in a project.

TexasFlood · « **Reply #6 on:** Thu, 21 October 2010, 09:16:13 »

Trackpoint L40s?

microsoft windows · « **Reply #7 on:** Thu, 21 October 2010, 15:38:07 »

Trackpoint L40's are decent mice. I use mine all the time.

TexasFlood · « **Reply #8 on:** Thu, 21 October 2010, 15:42:55 »

Quote from: microsoft windows;236940

Trackpoint L40's are decent mice. I use mine all the time.

I'm using mine as a trackball and like it pretty well.

Voixdelion · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 22 October 2010, 00:13:56 »

Well. to help out anyone else, about the only budget trackballs I am familiar with are the Kensington Orbits of varying iteration - Opto mechanical (blue ball) or Opto only (grey pearlescent ball- but BOTH Of them remind me of "ALWAYS with Wings" in their contour.) Both can be found for less than $30 even new, I think. Not great, though, but finger manipulated as opposed to thumb. And be prepared to chase the damn ball around the room if you get the opto only or do a hanger mod like I did to hold the ball in place (take a wire hanger and bend it into a circle just smaller than the diameter of the sphere with a wand sticking off of it, then find a non moving part of the plastic to melt or glue the wand to with the circle over the top of the ball. PITA, but remarkably better than being on hands and knees under the table three or four times a week. I dunno why they didn't just finish the damn thing when they made it like the first opto mechanical ones. Budget, I guess.)

You might get lucky if you are a odd hour owl like me and find a used version 5 Expert for 30 ish on the Ebay. (Sometimes I get stuff just by WILLING it with my mind to be listed and generally unnoticed by anyone else.)

Senor_Cartmenez · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 10:27:29 »

I remember when trackballs were going out of style and you could by them for 15 DM (that's around 7,50€ which might be around 10 bucks) in baskets near the cashier of Hardware retailers.

Now I check on ebay and they charge like 160€ for those things. The irony is killing me.

instantkamera · « **Reply #11 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 10:37:30 »

Quote from: Senor_Cartmenez;239445

I remember when trackballs were going out of style and you could by them for 15 DM (that's around 7,50€ which might be around 10 bucks) in baskets near the cashier of Hardware retailers.

Now I check on ebay and they charge like 160€ for those things. The irony is killing me.

That isn't ironic, that is called supply and demand. Also, when were trackballs ever IN style? You can still buy a "cheap" trackball today, but you will get what you paid for.

instantkamera · « **Reply #12 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 10:44:33 »

The cheapest one that I can actually recommend is the Logitech Trackman wheel. It has a scroll wheel, two buttons and a thumb controlled ball (which I generally prefer). 30 bucks or less, but no much you can do to mod/fix it if it dies. The bearings are non-replaceable (although I did mod my wife's to take the click out of the scroll wheel as it bothers her). I have a Kensington Orbit as well ...what a POS. Only pluses would be a finger-ball, not thumball (no scroll wheel, buttons are a pain in the ass).

bigpook · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 12:31:26 »

The Kensington K72337US Orbit can be had at Amazon for 24.99.

2 buttons with a scroll ring. I use this at work and it is a pretty good trackball.

instantkamera · « **Reply #14 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 12:35:46 »

Quote from: bigpook;239502

The Kensington K72337US Orbit can be had at Amazon for 24.99.

2 buttons with a scroll ring. I use this at work and it is a pretty good trackball.

I should give that a whirl as I currently prefer only thumb balls, but choice is nice. That is way better than the orbit I have.

bigpook · « **Reply #15 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 12:39:49 »

Quote from: instantkamera;239505

I should give that a whirl as I currently prefer only thumb balls, but choice is nice. That is way better than the orbit I have.

I also have the older orbit without scroll ring, which was a fine mouse. Except for the lack of a scroll ring. The newer one is actually pretty good, the scroll ring is smoother than the Expert Mouse ( but thats not saying much ) but not as smooth as the slimblade.
Not a bad price at Amazon either.

instantkamera · « **Reply #16 on:** Wed, 27 October 2010, 13:18:32 »

Quote from: bigpook;239507

I also have the older orbit without scroll ring, which was a fine mouse. Except for the lack of a scroll ring. The newer one is actually pretty good, the scroll ring is smoother than the Expert Mouse ( but thats not saying much ) but not as smooth as the slimblade.
Not a bad price at Amazon either.

indeed. Too bad Im in Canada. I haven't yet looked, but it'll be 20 bucks more almost certain.

instantkamera · « **Reply #17 on:** Thu, 28 October 2010, 07:19:30 »

Quote from: bigpook;239507

I also have the older orbit without scroll ring, which was a fine mouse. Except for the lack of a scroll ring. The newer one is actually pretty good, the scroll ring is smoother than the Expert Mouse ( but thats not saying much ) but not as smooth as the slimblade.
Not a bad price at Amazon either.

I ordered on of these off amazon today. Gonna give non-thumb trackball a shot before I dish out for CST ...

Senor_Cartmenez · « **Reply #18 on:** Thu, 28 October 2010, 08:05:47 »

Quote from: instantkamera;239455

That isn't ironic, that is called supply and demand. Also, when were trackballs ever IN style? You can still buy a "cheap" trackball today, but you will get what you paid for.

supply and demand can work in an ironic way

instantkamera · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 01 November 2010, 19:04:43 »

got my kensington orbit with scroll ring. Not going to comment just yet as it will take some getting used to... Ill give it a shot, stay tuned...

bigpook · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 01 November 2010, 19:47:10 »

I use mine without the wrist rest as the shape of the trackball doesn't put my wrist at a weird angle. I have been using trackballs for years and it didn't take too long to adjust to it. I prefer trackballs that use the fingers versus those that use the thumb. However, I have used both extensively over the years. What got me away from the the thumb activated trackballs was that I wasn't able to find one for left hand use.
I should say that I am a righty, but have been trackballing with my left hand for the past few years.
It just works better for me.

instantkamera · « **Reply #21 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 06:16:55 »

Quote from: bigpook;241372

I use mine without the wrist rest as the shape of the trackball doesn't put my wrist at a weird angle. I have been using trackballs for years and it didn't take too long to adjust to it. I prefer trackballs that use the fingers versus those that use the thumb. However, I have used both extensively over the years. What got me away from the the thumb activated trackballs was that I wasn't able to find one for left hand use.
I should say that I am a righty, but have been trackballing with my left hand for the past few years.
It just works better for me.

I have tried with and without the rest, and I do like it with. However, I find my hand wants to sit the same way on this as the thumb trackball I have, so Im really only working it with my index (pointer) finger. Is that normal?

muchadoaboutnothing · « **Reply #22 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 11:00:15 »

I'm debating between the Kensington Orbit for $30 or the Logitech M570 Wireless for $48 shipped. Any advice?

instantkamera · « **Reply #23 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 11:09:11 »

Right now I gotta say I'm going with the logi, because I have been using a thumb-op ball for ages. More buttons is nice too, I use the middle button a lot, with the orbit scroll ring, im finding I have to emulate via simultaneous l-r button click.

Don't like wireless though, and Im getting more and more accustomed to the orbit. DO NOT get a ring-less orbit, by the way. what a hunk of ****e.

Losttsol · « **Reply #24 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 13:47:56 »

We go through a lot of the basic Logitech Trackman's at work. We buy them because they are cheap (I have no input into the decision), but they break a lot. Many times the scroll wheels go on them first. Have a few Marbles as well, but most don't like using them where I work, including myself. We give them out as loaners when we're waiting for another Trackman to come in.

Just my 2 cents.

bigpook · « **Reply #25 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 17:35:22 »

Quote from: instantkamera;241472

I have tried with and without the rest, and I do like it with. However, I find my hand wants to sit the same way on this as the thumb trackball I have, so Im really only working it with my index (pointer) finger. Is that normal?

I use my index and middle finger, not sure what normal is though. What ever works best for you would be 'normal'. I go from the slimblade to the orbit and back again. I use the orbit at work and the slimblade at home. Oddly, I use the slimblade with my left hand but use the orbit with my right hand. But I have been using them for awhile now and have gotten used to them.

instantkamera · « **Reply #26 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 20:08:31 »

Quote from: bigpook;241788

I use my index and middle finger, not sure what normal is though. What ever works best for you would be 'normal'. I go from the slimblade to the orbit and back again. I use the orbit at work and the slimblade at home. Oddly, I use the slimblade with my left hand but use the orbit with my right hand. But I have been using them for awhile now and have gotten used to them.

is the slimblade's ball quite a big bigger?

Oqsy · « **Reply #27 on:** Tue, 02 November 2010, 23:06:55 »

CST or CH. My DT225 is my favorite input device of all time. I love my mechanical keyboards, but that trackball is so awesome I'd trade half my keyboards away for a second one

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Author Topic: Budget trackball? (Read 7260 times)