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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 04:01:16

Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 04:01:16
(http://image.aving.net/img/2006/10/30/200610301840121.jpg)

This trackball is now 20 years old, but IMHO is still one of the best pointing devices, because nothing else left the hand in a so natural position.

I've used one of these for years and now I have a Dell branded one with gray housing.

BTW is still a mechanical device that needs frequent cleaning operations.

I'm just wondering if a modern version of this kind of trackball is available.

The actual logitech ones are incredibly unconfortable, but maybe a cinese clone is available somewhere.

Can anyone help me in this search ?
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: sadbox on Thu, 31 March 2011, 07:10:51
How would one actually use that trackball? Could you post a pic or something?
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 07:38:14
Is meant to be hooked on the right  side (or left for left handed people) of the keyboard with its spring clamp. It will remains about @45 degrees from the desktop plane and is meant to be used with the thumb on the ball and the finger on a button on the rounded side (the left button on mice). The two buttons you see on the photo are the middle and right button and can be used with the thumb.

I don't have the trackball with me right now, but you can see the photo on the trackman box here
(http://www.jankowski.ca/forsale/computerhardware/logitech%20trackman%20portable.jpg)

You can look also at the Olivetti Philos that used a similar solution as main input device

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wApADdqkvJQ/SUV3kORNbII/AAAAAAAADRg/r7OtjQEvhAs/s400/odc-009.jpg)
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: hcry4 on Thu, 31 March 2011, 09:53:38
Quote from: ripster;321925
I ordered a M570 to try out.  Will try to post a review sometime.
Show Image
(http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/rEEDTqNcs9M_MLE4K0QLvtc9BhHoeDuZhO6CA3LC4GLPraMW8BuMjMPPIhzLi_7wQWd4XFsfnHpefx_IO5uQLz8pmmhXtUdrwVu-lcBnNtLoY-2OZspxNGM4PDEM)



Good.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 10:00:18
Quote from: ripster;321925
I ordered a M570 to try out.  Will try to post a review sometime.


I know that trackball, has a good mechanics and optical sensors, but is completely different than the one I mentioned, on the ergonomics side.

Quote
I can also forsee a wild Bondo mod if you wanted to get crazy.


This was more or less the idea I had when the first optical logitech trackball was presented in the early 2000s, but I was too lazy to do it.

BTW this is the first time ever that i read the word bondo.

It's always funny to see how some technical equipment is called differently on different countries.
One of the funniest is what in Italy is called "tubetto sterling" (sterling pipe), is called "spagetti insulator" in the US...:smile::redface:
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 10:43:03
Quote from: ripster;321976
Here's a weird one from Fentek.  Could probably cut off the wrist rest part.  A Serial Port Logitech is on Ebay.  The advantage of this is USB (although through a dongle).

Link (http://www.fentek-ind.com/mwrtbb.htm).
Show Image
(http://www.fentek-ind.com/mwrtbb.jpg)


Yes but probably is still not optical, so modding it would be pointless.

A couple of that trackball are present on ebay


Dell (http://cgi.ebay.com/Compaq-Trackball-Ballpoint-Mouse-Vintage-Clips-2-Side-/320678704406?pt=Mice&hash=item4aa9f0b516)

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h277/rouge-1968/1%2020%2011%20uploads%20for%20afternoon%20list/175.jpg)

and logitech (http://cgi.ebay.com/Logitech-Trackman-Portable-mouse-trackball-new-Serial-/230603079979?pt=Mice&hash=item35b103c12b)

(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqJ,!gwE160cou),BNkrC1pRU!~~_12.JPG)

The dell one is very cheap if anyone wants to try it.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: Surly73 on Thu, 31 March 2011, 11:12:28
That Trackman Portable box shot is freaking me out a little.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 11:20:55
Quote from: Surly73;322002
That Trackman Portable box shot is freaking me out a little.


Looks like a B movie's film poster. ( probably, a B porn :biggrin:)
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 12:13:36
Quote from: ripster;322015
The Fentek one may be optical.  Email MsKeyboard and say hi to her for me.


Features:
19 mm opto-mechanical trackball
400 dpi mouse function
High reliable micro switches (one million life cycles)
Three button mouse functions
PS2 + USB interface connector
Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP, and Vista
Dimensions 12.4 inches X 2.4 inches X 1.4 inches.
Cord Length 12 feet
Color Black

"Opto" is almost surely referred to the rotating encoders, the ones found in any ball mouse.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 12:50:28
Quote from: ripster;322057
OptoMechanical is what all modern trackballs are.  They gotta roll somehow unless somebody floats them like this on magnets.


So how you call an old style trackball ?

All trackball must have a rolling part so it's implicit

But the e-tailers have to differentiate the description, so they usually call just "optical" the trackballs where the ball is the only moving part.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 13:07:02
Quote from: ripster;322081
You are proving difficult to give recommendations to.


Hehe.

I'm just used to asks on the forums something I can't find with just a bit of googling.

Like a mech backlit keyboard with the ISO layout. :smile:
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 31 March 2011, 13:13:55
Quote from: ripster;322092
Now you're sounding JUST like my wife.


At least, I hope she looks nicer than me :smile:
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: jon on Thu, 31 March 2011, 23:35:17
I had one of those, in the box, Back In The Day. I didn't care for the spring mount much. I left it in the basement in the last move. There was another one that I can't recall who made that used thumb screws for pressure to clamp to the edge. I liked it much better. I'm pretty sure it was PS/2.

Don't forget the Toshiba custom jobbies that plugged into the special port on the side of the Satellite laptops before they went to a pointing stick.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: Hak Foo on Thu, 31 March 2011, 23:54:49
Toshiba also made a version of those with slightly different button layout IIRC.  I think it might have been a Microsoft product.

It had a propriatery port which it fit to, but it may have been something workable underneath.

I bought one when I restored a T1950CT (486-40) in 2002 for a college knock-around laptop.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Fri, 01 April 2011, 01:58:47
Quote from: jon;322517
I had one of those, in the box, Back In The Day. I didn't care for the spring mount much. I left it in the basement in the last move.


Yes, the clamp was not long enough to fit in many desktop keyboards, being meant for laptop use, often I simply screwed the clamp section part on the side of the keyboard.
Title: Logitech TrackMan Portable
Post by: The Solutor on Fri, 01 April 2011, 02:09:58
Quote from: Hak Foo;322523
Toshiba also made a version of those with slightly different button layout IIRC.  I think it might have been a Microsoft product.

It had a propriatery port which it fit to, but it may have been something workable underneath.

I bought one when I restored a T1950CT (486-40) in 2002 for a college knock-around laptop.



Nice, I don't remember this laptop, probably was never imported in Italy.

Btw the Olivetti Philos solution was a bit more advanced because the trackball was retractable, completely invisible when not in use.