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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: bigpook on Fri, 15 May 2009, 20:12:41

Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 15 May 2009, 20:12:41
Anyone have an opinion on this

ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/KENSINGTON-TURBOBALL-TRACKBALL-HUGE-BALL-MODEL-64227_W0QQitemZ220412882306QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3351a1ad82&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1199|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50)
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: nowsharing on Fri, 15 May 2009, 20:16:36
Quote
Anyone have an opinion on this
It looks like it's giving birth?
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 15 May 2009, 20:23:52
Quote from: nowsharing;91139
It looks like it's giving birth?


no doubt, it looks fricking huge. But I like when the ball is up and exposed like that. Its sort of the same for the expert and orbit. By having the ball up with a lot of surface area exposed allows the fingers to easily manipulate it.
I am asking as I have not seen one before. Doesn't look like they make them anymore either.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 15 May 2009, 20:36:50
Quote from: ripster;91142
LOL - that ball was all shiny and the pics so sharp.  Then he ruined it by leaving that gross looking hair on the base.   Sometimes those fuzzy Ebay pictures are better.

Anyway, glancing at this review (http://www.macobserver.com/newreviews/bc/00/000223turboball/turboball.html) it has rubber coated rollers.  I had rollers that deteriorated due to age or sweat or whatever.

Lots of Amazon reviews too, all over the map.

Boy, you are sure finding em.



: ) its a friday night and I have absolutely nothing better to do : )

I am reading the reviews too, but they go both ways. Some people love it and others complain of the rollers failing.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: rdjack21 on Fri, 15 May 2009, 21:46:07
The ball in the expert is actually bigger. This one only has a 2" ball the expert ball is 2.25" if I remember correctly.

bigpook

Quit posting these track balls I'm having enough trouble getting the keyboards I want. So please quit tempting me with all these cool track balls. I'm happy with the Logitech Trackman wheel. Please I don't need to take the trackball red pill as well. If I take the trackball red pill I will defiantly get "the look" from my wife. I already get it enough as it is.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: bigpook on Sat, 16 May 2009, 14:08:28
Think of me as a little devil sitting on your shoulder....you know you are not really happy with the Logitech Trackman Wheel. if you were you wouldn't be looking : )

I was debating going for this mouse but after looking at it I am thinking it probably wouldn't work for me. While the ball is up front and mostly exposed the back slopes down too quick. That was one of the issues I had with the CST trackball. My elbow still hasn't fully recovered yet.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: bigpook on Sat, 16 May 2009, 15:33:39
Quote from: ripster;91241
That's it, blame the trackball for your aches and pains. Probably your wife slugged you in bed while snoring.   In fact, she probably did it last night after your post!

I wish I could. I am back on the model m mini and have the kensington expert on the right hand side.  I think I need to give the left elbow a break, no pun intended.

This is the first time ever that I have had this problem. I thought it would just go away when I got off of the CST but it has persisted. I have started noticing it more often now when I go to grab or lift something. Not a good feeling at all.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: rdjack21 on Sat, 16 May 2009, 22:46:12
Quote from: bigpook;91236
Think of me as a little devil sitting on your shoulder....you know you are not really happy with the Logitech Trackman Wheel. if you were you wouldn't be looking : )

I was debating going for this mouse but after looking at it I am thinking it probably wouldn't work for me. While the ball is up front and mostly exposed the back slopes down too quick. That was one of the issues I had with the CST trackball. My elbow still hasn't fully recovered yet.

:peace:

Yea I am thinking of trying something else but I do love the Trackman been using them since they first came out. But considering how much every one raves about the expert for some reason I feel I should give it a try and see.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: watduzhkstand4 on Wed, 20 May 2009, 01:52:48
Quote from: nowsharing;91139
It looks like it's giving birth?


cosign :becky:
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: CreamyNutButter on Sun, 12 July 2009, 19:21:03
That trackball's got nothing on the Microsoft EasyBall! (http://autism-girl.com/easyball.jpg)  That ball's so big you could bowl strikes with it. (not counting the original trackball made from a bowling ball) :laugh:
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: Milquetoast on Tue, 14 July 2009, 14:23:22
I still have one of these, but I don't use it anymore. It's actually very comfortable. Your hand sort of drapes over the top, without causing you to bend your wrist at an angle like the Expert Mouse.

I've heard some people criticize the position of the scroll wheel, but I never had any problem with it, other than the fact that it's basically impossible to hold down the left mouse button while scrolling with your thumb.

The problem I have is with the movement of the ball, due to the rubber rollers. When the ball and rollers are clean, there's a lot of resistance, but it's easy to make precise movements. As you use it over the course of a few hours, the resistance lessens, but then it gets kind of jerky. Each roller catches, then releases suddenly, so you find that instead of being able to move in a straight diagonal line, you end up making a sort of stair step motion.

So you clean it all and start over again. I wouldn't be surprised if this behavior is why this trackball wasn't more popular. I know that's why I wouldn't recommend it.

In my fantasy world, though, in which I have the ability to dictate to electronics manufacturers what they produce, I'd have an updated version of this trackball that has a slightly bigger ball, and eschews opto-mechanical rollers for a high speed optical sensor, supporting the ball with bumps, like the current Expert Mouse or the MS Trackball Explorer.

Also, it would be black, because black never goes out of style. Awww, yeah.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: Rajagra on Tue, 14 July 2009, 16:34:25
Quote from: nowsharing;91139
It looks like it's giving birth?


One word...

     .............. Goatse!





There you go, trackball aquisition disorder cured! :eek:
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: huha on Tue, 14 July 2009, 22:08:04
The easyball has always been fascinating me for no particular reason at all. It just looks extremely interesting. Of course, they can't be found here at all.

-huha
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: huha on Tue, 14 July 2009, 22:34:16
Talking about nostalgia, does anyone know what this mouse was called exactly?

(http://www.winhistory.de/more/bilder/mouse2.jpg)

It was the first I used. Great for small hands.
That said, the only non-MS mouse I ever had was a logitech ball mouse and it sucked. I bought the MS Intellimouse Explorer as soon as I could afford it (it was freakishly expensive when it was released, at least for a teenager). No more cleaning every other week. I've never had anything besides MS mice since.

-huha
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: Milquetoast on Tue, 14 July 2009, 22:49:49
Quote from: ripster;102631
Trackballs have always been an object of fascination.

http://thriceholy.net/JPGs/orb.jpg


Yeah, they quit using enchanted ducks for position encoding back in the 16th century, as they were imprecise, noisy, and tended to poop all over the desk.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: CreamyNutButter on Mon, 20 July 2009, 23:36:55
Quote from: ripster;102591
My kid grew up with that (the Easyball, not goatse).

They're not too expensive on Ebay (http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=easyball&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=) but I'll wait until he grows up and pays $500 or something ridiculous in an order to relive his childhood.

The ball isn't that great - really light and the rubber rollers always got sticky.


The new, ergonomic Microsoft GoatseBall - stretches from a 1.5" ball to a 4" ball, plus it is great for trolling and making people vomit and/or laugh.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: lowpoly on Thu, 23 July 2009, 15:59:00
Quote from: ripster;102639
Show Image
(http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/137400-first_microsoft_mouse_188.jpg)
This is the green eyed mouse. There is also a red eyed one. Have to get these somewhen. Already have this one (not my pic):

(http://www.mcamafia.de/mycomp/images/mouse0.jpg)

Which was my first mouse. The buttons squeaked terribly back then and they squeak on my new acquisition as well.

Quote from: huha;102636
Talking about nostalgia, does anyone know what this mouse was called exactly?

Show Image
(http://www.winhistory.de/more/bilder/mouse2.jpg)
That was my second mouse. It is pictured in my Toshiba T5200 brochure. The one I bought was called the InPort Mouse. Not sure if it actually came with the inport adaptor. There was a small box that would translate inport to serial. I don't know if it contained any electronics at all. Have to get this mouse as well somewhen. And it might have had another name. Maybe I'll remember it later.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: Qwertyuiop on Wed, 29 July 2009, 03:22:12
Quote from: huha;102636
Talking about nostalgia, does anyone know what this mouse was called exactly?

Show Image
(http://www.winhistory.de/more/bilder/mouse2.jpg)


I always called it the "Dove Bar."  :laugh: I can't take credit for making that up though as I read it somewhere, probably PC Magazine.

I can't remember what it was actually called but I owned one; was the first mouse I had though I didn't really use it much as I was still using DOS at the time. I want to say in ads it was the "New Microsoft Mouse" or something like that but I probably just don't remember correctly.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: DreymaR on Wed, 29 July 2009, 04:06:16
They got big balls!  :rockon:

Makes me want to play Marble Madness again. The good frustration.
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: o2dazone on Wed, 29 July 2009, 10:25:15
Quote from: DreymaR;105201
They got big balls!  :rockon:

Makes me want to play Marble Madness again. The good frustration.


Love that game
Title: Thats one big ball
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 29 July 2009, 11:35:05
Quote
Just saw OEM Win7 is going to require previous install of Windows to load (no clean installs).


You mean the upgrade... The whole point of OEM copies is that you are installing onto a new computer.