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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Kamen Rider Blade on Sat, 08 March 2014, 23:49:57

Title: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: Kamen Rider Blade on Sat, 08 March 2014, 23:49:57: Are you a thumb ball, Index / Middle finger ball, palm ball, other type of trackball style user?

I'm curious as to which style you are.

My old roomies were a interesting bunch.

One was a thumb ball user, the other was a Index / Middle finger ball user.

When ever they sat at each other's PC, they couldn't use the other's trackball.

However, none of them had issues using my mouse.
Title: Re: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: jwaz on Sun, 09 March 2014, 00:38:37: Ltrac is index & middle to point, thumb for left click, ring for right click. I have pretty long fingers so the middle finger can hit the scroll wheel bar thing without too much movement.

Slimblade is a little different because of the scrolling mechanism, I use a combination of thumb/ index/ middle to point and scroll.

I started off with one of those logitech things with the thumb ball, still comfortable with that but much prefer either the slimblade or ltrac.
Title: Re: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: irendulic on Sun, 09 March 2014, 00:50:19: Thumb ball, Logitech M570. Tried index-middle finger ones, but thumb works better for me.
Title: Re: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: davkol on Sun, 09 March 2014, 06:04:56: I've been using Logitech TrackMan Wheel from time to time for six years, but I'm not too fond of the shape (my palm somehow doesn't really fit it and slides off; MTO feels a bit better in this regard) and mouse-like clicking with my right index finger (mild RSI). I still use it on the road though.

Two years ago, I switched to Logitech TrackMan Marble, because it was ambidextrous and buttons were controlled by thumb and ring finger, as opposed to index and middle finger. I liked it a lot, but eventually got a Kensington SlimBlade, due to better scrolling mechanism (twisting rules!) and obviously a bigger ball. I sometimes use it with my palm, sometimes with just fingertips.

I have briefly tried Logitech TrackMan Marble FX and Logitech Wireless TrackMan Optical, but the former wasn't very smooth, while the latter didn't fit my hand at all.

Meanwhile, I still keep a mouse for gaming; but mice, trackpoint, touchpads, almost anything causes me strain, thus I always go back to ambidextrous trackballs. I'd love to see a slimblade with DT225's build quality... and programmable firmware that would allow dual-role modifiers!
Title: Re: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: tayot on Tue, 11 March 2014, 09:32:48: I'm a Index / Middle finger ball user - I have a Kensington Expert Trackball for working and my CST LtracX for gaming. I tried the thumb ball style several times, just couldn't get the precision that you get with fingers. As for palm trackballing - how is that even done - seems uncomfortable and not as precise.

Now I'm waiting on a dynamo cue ball for my LtracX - it its heavier at 6.75 ounces compared to Ltrac ball at 6.06 ounces and a pool ball at 5.85.

I found that the original ball rolls better than the pool ball - probably because of the weight - so hopefully the heavier cue ball will be an even more improvement.
Title: Re: For the trackball users, what type of trackball user are you?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 11 March 2014, 09:35:44: Thumb on a Logitech Trackman Wheel, index/middle fingers for my Kensington Expert and IBM Track Point L40.