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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: lowtec on Sun, 10 June 2012, 00:18:21
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Hello GH. I'm new to the forums but I've been a lurker off an on. I still haven't made the plunge on a mechanical keyboard but have my eye on a nice board with cherry mx blues.
To the point: My laser / optical mice just aren't cutting it for me anymore. Mostly I don't like the repetitive motions I have to do like picking up the mouse. It also seems like a less than ideal angle for my wrist.
Most of what I use the computer for is web browsing, programming, graphical applications. So no gaming here. I've looked at some alternatives but nothing has jumped out at me.
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This one right here (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?32246-SEALED-BRAND-NEW-IN-BOX-MICROSOFT-TRACKBALL-EXPLORER-MOUSE-PS2-USB&p=610628#post610628).
jkjk, welcome to GH!
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How much do you want to spend?
I don't have much experience with trackballs, nor do I like them very much.
But I find the Kensington slimblade (The only one I own) quite nice.
I much prefer it over the mouse shaped logitech ones, as I always try to use them like a mouse.
Lots of people here like the CST L-Trac, so maybe look into those?
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Thanks, for the right device I'd be willing to spend ~ $200. I just looked at that CST L-Trac and it definitely has some good features, my biggest complaint would be the size of the actual trackball -- it seems quite small.
Physically, I like the look of the Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball, but apparently parts of it are very breakable. And.. no software drivers under Vista or Win 7.
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You can replace the ball in an l-tracx with a pool ball.
There is an all about trackballs wiki somewhere, I'll edit this post with the link. (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=All+About+Trackballs)
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http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?29602-Ripster-s-All-About-Trackballs-Guide&highlight=microsoft+explorer
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I tried the Microsoft Trackball Optical and the Explorer and I don't think they are all they are cracked up to be. I noticed no significant difference between them and the much less expensive Logitech Trackman models, which start at around $25 for the Marble, which is an excellent ambidextrous finger-operated model. The Kensington Orbit is also around the same price and shape and quite good, if you have more money you could buy an Expert Mouse which has a much bigger ball and four buttons. Personally, I have tried the Orbit and the TrackMan Marble and liked them better than the Microsoft ones.
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I use the Logitech based on the recommendations here. Nothing fancy but work fine.
You could probably get about 7 or 8 of them for the $200 you talked about.
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I'll agree with Ironcoder, the Logitech Marble is perfect if you like the finger kind. Cheap, extremely smooth and easy movement. Great for aiming in all kinds of FPS games and great for quick pointing and dragging, etc. The Marble Mouse would be my number one I would recommend. I love mine so much, I took it outside today and gave it a custom spray paint job. It looks kickass and I might post a picture later of what it looks like.
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I also agree with the marble. Its cheap and gets the job done :)
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After having never used a trackball, I recently purchased a Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Trackman-Wheel-Optical-Silver/dp/B00005NIMJ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337745018&sr=8-4)which is similar in design to Logitech's M570 (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/trackballs/wireless-trackball-m570). I have a beef with wireless stuff otherwise I would have got the M590. I really like moving the trackball with my thumb - the movement feels very natural to me. It took about 10 minutes to get used to and using the driver to make it move more responsively improved my experience further. After a single day of using it I temporarily had to go back to a regular mouse for a day and I was miserable.
I have noticed that precision tasks such as photo touchups are not something that I can do with this mouse. If I want to move the cursor only slightly in one direction, it ends up going too far over. This problem does not occur in my normal web browsing experience. It's probable that if I really had to I could slow down the responsiveness of the curser and gain sufficient precision that way, but because that would have to be changed back for efficient browsing most likely I'll just switch to a different mouse when photo editing. Since you mentioned graphics I thought this was important to note.
If you can, it'd be wise to consider visiting a computer store so you can feel different trackballs and see if one stands out as remarkably comfortable in your hand and intuitive with movement.
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I use the Logitech M570 (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-910-001799-M570-Wireless-Trackball/dp/B0043T7FXE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339684210&sr=8-1). It's the first time I've tried a trackball, and I really like it so far. It's smooth, but the ball has enough inertia that you don't spin it too far accidentally. I wouldn't use it for graphics or gaming, though. Like notageek said, it doesn't really have the precision necessary for either. For programming and web browsing, though, it's great.
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WTF!? I looked at your links on Amazon and the cheapest price for the Logitech Trackman Optical is $97? And many on Amazon's list are selling for $200 or more? I bought three for 29 bucks each a few years ago and I thought I overpaid. Time to quit the day job and start trading trackball futures.
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After having never used a trackball, I recently purchased a Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Trackman-Wheel-Optical-Silver/dp/B00005NIMJ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337745018&sr=8-4)
WTF!?!? I looked at your links on Amazon and the cheapest price for the Logitech Trackman Optical is $97? And that is for a crappy seller with 70% approval rating. Most of the reliable sellers listed are selling them for $200 or more? I bought three for 29 bucks each a few years ago and I thought I overpaid. Did somebody start gold plating these? Time to quit the day job and start trading trackball futures.
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WTF!?!? I looked at your links on Amazon and the cheapest price for the Logitech Trackman Optical is $97? And that is for a crappy seller with 70% approval rating. Most of the reliable sellers listed are selling them for $200 or more? I bought three for 29 bucks each a few years ago and I thought I overpaid. Did somebody start gold plating these? Time to quit the day job and start trading trackball futures.
Haha, I grabbed an Amazon link because it was handy and I was too lazy to find a better one. I did not purchase from that Amazon page nor am I recommending anyone else do so. :P I paid less than $50 for mine used; you can find them around that price on Ebay. No idea what's up with the Amazon prices...
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I mean I bought mine new for 29 bucks each and at the time they were selling them around 19.99 to people who live in America. Us 'ferners had to pay top dollar. What a bargain it turned out to be! Did they quit making them or what?
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I mean I bought mine new for 29 bucks each and at the time they were selling them around 19.99 to people who live in America. Us 'ferners had to pay top dollar. What a bargain it turned out to be! Did they quit making them or what?
Oh. Hmm. It seems they did discontinue it but the model they replaced it with, the M570, is "better" in all conventional respects that I can see as well as being the same design so I'd have no idea why the older ones would be even more valuable now than they were new.
Congrats. :D
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That would explain why the M570 is listed on Amazon starting at 500 bucks a pop. j/k!
Anyway I like the older ones. Too much gimmicky crap on the new ones which I guess is normal for anything new and it's wireless, programmable etc. which means it only works with Windows probably :lock1:
But how typical it is that buying frenzy erupts and merchants price gouge on NOS...
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That would explain why the M570 is listed on Amazon starting at 500 bucks a pop. j/k!
Anyway I like the older ones. Too much gimmicky crap on the new ones which I guess is normal for anything new and it's wireless, programmable etc. which means it only works with Windows probably :lock1:
But how typical it is that buying frenzy erupts and merchants price gouge on NOS...
I don't know. I use my Trackman M570 with Linux, and it seems to work just fine (even the back and forward buttons work).
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I didn't like the M570. I am an FPS gamer and the precision of thumb trackballs doesn't cut it. I would recommend the Logitech Marble or the Kensington Orbit (especially the scroll ring one). I haven't tried the Expert Mouse but I have heard it is fantastic. The Orbit and Marble are the best bets on a budget. I honestly tried one of the Microsoft trackballs and did not like it at all. I would recommend sticking with the ambidextrous finger operated ones since I use my index, middle, and ring fingers to control the ball with excellent precision. Once you get used to them, they much are better than the thumb kind.
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People want what they can't have.
People want what they are used to, some want it so bad they will pay $300 for it.
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I just looked at that CST L-Trac and it definitely has some good features, my biggest complaint would be the size of the actual trackball -- it seems quite small.
Small? I'm pretty sure it's 2.25" diameter. I wouldn't call it small.
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I just looked at that CST L-Trac and it definitely has some good features, my biggest complaint would be the size of the actual trackball -- it seems quite small.
Small? I'm pretty sure it's 2.25" diameter. I wouldn't call it small.
My Marble Mouse and Orbit have a 1.5" ball. 2.25" is pretty big, that's an American billiards ball.
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It is 2.25".
http://www.clearlysuperiortech.com/ltracx.html#Specs
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A lot of people have recommended the CST L-Trac X.
Personally, I've used the Kensington Expert and I liked it, but I found it to be a little cheap.
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I'm happy with my Trackman wheel and Marble FX. Oh and the tiny laptop trackball in my G80-11802.
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Not in Windows.
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I have a Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical and agree with what notageek said.
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For index finger operated trackballs, the CST series is nice (preferably the one with the "more button" ports). I didn't like the Slimblade, as I found the extra buttons in awkward positions.
For thumb operated, I've been using my MTO (Microsoft Trackball Optical) for over 8 years now. Huge fan. And all they've ever needed was a cleaning. Second, I would say the Logitech M570. It's much lighter, the ball is smaller, so it's less desirable. But it's wireless, has great battery life, and so far no issues with any of the buttons.
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I looove the large ball on my Old School version 5 Expert Mouses And the feel of the optomechanical roller bearings, but I als o like that the software is up to date on the newer v7's and the scrolling ring but ind the motion to be less pleasing on them even with a free spinning ball. It fees a little less consistent, I think, than the predecessors. But I just got my hands on some version 6 Expert mice and am looking forward to test driving them with excitement! :)
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Trackman Wheel all the way, if you can get used to the thumb action...