Author Topic: Best modern Trackball to pair with Mac Classic  (Read 1526 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline knightjp

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 209
Best modern Trackball to pair with Mac Classic
« on: Thu, 06 February 2025, 05:47:21 »
I've gotten myself a Mac Classic for a retro computer project and it came with a matching M0116 keyboard. I wondered what would be the best modern trackball to pair this combo.

Currently I'm using an Elecom HUGE and I absolutely love it. However I also like the Kensington Slimblade, Logitech M570 and Kensington Expert.

Offline knightjp

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 209
Re: Best modern Trackball to pair with Mac Classic
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 09 February 2025, 08:10:48 »
 The project involves gutting the entire non-working mac classic and putting in a M1 mac mini. The idea is to keep the mac Classic look as stock as possible, so since I will be using a M0116 keyboard, I would like to know what trackball would look the part?

The shortlist would probably be the 
Kensington Expert
Logitech M570
Elecom HUGE,
CST -L-Trac

Offline Findecanor

  • Posts: 5070
  • Location: Koriko
Re: Best modern Trackball to pair with Mac Classic
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 09 February 2025, 09:10:00 »
I'd think the best-matching trackball would be the one that Kensington made specifically to match the M0116 keyboard back in the day. "Kensington Expert Mouse 4.0" / "Kensington ADB Turbo Mouse" or the four-button  5.0 (but I dunno if the last one has the correct hue).
Then see if you could reuse the old ball and upgrade its sensor with that of the modern Kensington Expert.

The oldest one has only two buttons though, but if you're a skilled modder, perhaps you could fashion other parts of the case into buttons...

A few images:
* https://systemfolder.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/the-best-mouse/
* https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/moscow-russia-sept-13-2020-kensington-1983236444
« Last Edit: Sun, 09 February 2025, 09:18:37 by Findecanor »
🍉

Offline knightjp

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 209
Re: Best modern Trackball to pair with Mac Classic
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 10 February 2025, 05:53:07 »
@Findecanor thanks for that. Yeah I did see those classic trackballs and it looks like they are going for a good price on ebay. However I do want something with a scroll wheel. That was why I thought about the modern trackballs.
I'm currently using the Elecom HUGE on my BSD machine and its great.