geekhack
geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: rxmd on Tue, 26 October 2010, 03:36:55
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Hi guys & gals,
this being my first post to the forum, first thing I'd like to say hi to everyone, this looks like a great community - been lurking for a while.
That said, I'm looking for a trackball due to carpal tunnel - the keyboard side is more or less covered (moved from Thinkpad laptop keyboards to a Model M, and then to a split adjustable Fujitsu KBPC-E), but the trackball side is a problem. I borrowed a friend's Logitech Cordless FX for a while and found it great, but the two I Cordless FX I ordered afterwards both had problems maintaining a connection (I checked in various locations, with the original receivers as well as my friend's). Now I'm looking for a new trackball with a large ball, preferably driven by the fingertips, and some kind of wrist support.
Large-ball trackballs I've tried out:
- Logitech Cordless FX, this is great, but I can't seem to find working specimens and, having sunk into non-working ones something like 50 EUR each, I'm not too enthusiastic.
- Logitech Cordless Trackman Marble: doesn't work with my hands. The smallish ball might be OK, but in particular the rather difficult-to-press thumb button moving inwards (rather than downwards with the FX) basically spoils it.
- Logitech Marble FX: armrest doesn't for my big hands due to the symmetric construction; I see the appeal of a symmetric model from a marketing viewpoint but the shape doesn't cut it.
- Kensington, an older model. Feels awkward because there is no armrest - either my hand rests at an awkward angle which gets painful after a while, or my hand lies flat on top of the ball which feels even more awkward.
I haven't tried a Microsoft Trackman Explorer yet, but they're hard to find and sell for prices that are well beyond buy-to-test territorry.
Does it only seem to me that what I'm looking for doesn't really exist anymore, or is being traded used for astronomical prices? Or am I missing a model here?
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Try a palm rest with the older model full-size Kensington, something that supports your palm 1/2" to 3/4" high should do. I cut about 4" off the end of a foam (not gel!) keyboard wrist rest. Those foam wrist rests (really it's a palm rest) are getting hard to find now, I can't find a pic of one...
Or get a Kensington Expert Mouse v7, it comes with a pretty good palm rest, this is my daily driver now.
I'm selling a full size trackball, an opto-mechanical USB model made by Clearly Superior Trackball, because I couldn't get comfy with it. It's the same shape as the CST L-Trac and L-TracX that a lot of geekhackers like. Have a look at the CST trackballs. They fit a billiard ball which is fun :)
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It seems quite common for people to make stands for trackballs to get them working the way they want. Here's just a quick and dirty example I did, if I was using this trackball I'd make something decent.
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=9477&d=1272323761)
I may get a CST L-Trac some day, they are a similar shape to my Microspeed, but with modern internals suitable for today's screen resolutions.