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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Half-Saint on Thu, 04 March 2010, 08:07:07

Title: Spaceball 4000 FLX - what is it?
Post by: Half-Saint on Thu, 04 March 2010, 08:07:07

I've come across this on eBay and I've been wondering what it actually does? Anyone actually own one? How does it compare to a mouse?

cheers
SainT

EDIT: Found an old thread about a diff. model.. seems like it's not a very good mouse replacement?

Title: Spaceball 4000 FLX - what is it?
Post by: talis on Thu, 04 March 2010, 14:55:22

They are usually designed to be used along side a mouse in 3D packages (Soldiworks, Inventor, etc) and allow you to manipulate objects (rotate, translate, zoom) etc.

They aren't designed to be used instead of a mouse.

I have a old serial 4000 FLX, and I haven't used it in a year or two, as most of the time its much faster to just use the mouse (plus they don't support any of the newer versions of cad packages without klugey  work arounds).

Title: Spaceball 4000 FLX - what is it?
Post by: kishy on Thu, 04 March 2010, 16:57:55

Hmmm.

The place I've mentioned (my source for assorted vintage hardware) had a bin of similar devices...basically balls on sticks coming out of something that would otherwise look like a trackball. Ball movements and rotations were reminiscent of a gigantic trackpoint in how they felt.

Title: Spaceball 4000 FLX - what is it?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 07 March 2010, 02:30:48

They were also bundled with many workstations (such as mine which has two serial ports). If you have a spare serial port; you may as well get one and fill it up.