Considering a trackball mouse?

T

the_slayer

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
134
Hi,

I am considering getting a trackball mouse as i currently get a bit of pain in the elbow and shoulder with my normal laser mouse.

Anyone use a trackball? what are your thoughts on them? pros and cons?

I was looking at the Kensington Expert Mouse or the Logitech Trackman Marble...

anyone use them?

cheers!
 
the_slayer said:
Hi,

I am considering getting a trackball mouse as i currently get a bit of pain in the elbow and shoulder with my normal laser mouse.

Anyone use a trackball? what are your thoughts on them? pros and cons?

I was looking at the Kensington Expert Mouse or the Logitech Trackman Marble...

anyone use them?

cheers!
Click to expand...

I've only used the Logitech Trackman marble, so I can't comment on the Kensington.

I LOVE The Trackman & have been using it (and the previous versions) for years.

They're not for everyone, but they work for me... ;)
 
I use them when I help with my dad's billing for his company. They increase workplace productivity probably by 2 fold. I wouldn't recommend them for gaming, but they are definitely a good option for everyday tasks.
 
Never understood the appeal of trackballs. They were such Ooo and Aaah when they first came out but using them was a PITA. They seem to require some serious control with your thumb (that's how you use them right... rofl, thing was bigger than my hand then) and doubtfully offer the precision of a regular mouse.
 
Trackballs are good if you're working with limited space, as you don't have to move the entire device around (as you would a mouse). Use of the trackball also reduces the strain on the wrist, since you are using the fingers (and/or the thumb) for control.
 
Must be some serious space limitations.. setting a higher DPI for mice with them requires just a twitch to move across the screen. Guess the finger workout can be a justifiable factor for the ladi.. your clicking skills. The trackballs from Logitech look like the ones from like 8 or whatever years ago.
 
i have been reading about the newer ones and they supposedly offer better precision as it is easier to make fine movements with the finger as apposed to the whole wrist... the kensington one apparently has better momentum then the logitech and will allow you to flick the ball and it will roll for a bit to take you across the screen...

newer ones come in optical too...
 
That's the catch: Because so few people are interested in them, there hasn't been much real "innovation" from either Logitech or Kensington (the two companies that I know of that still make trackballs).

Seriously, though, trackballs have been recommended to some people with carpal tunnel or RSI in order to minimize the use of the wrist.
 
I solved my aches and pains with an L-shaped desk, lol. Basically, all you need is proper ergonomic support for your arms and your elbow and wrist won't hurt, regardless which pointing device is used. I used the big ball type of trackballs when editing photos back in college, they gave me better precision than a mouse. Though, I could get more headshots with a mouse, lol.

Logitech Marble FX
MS Trackball Explorer (preferred, fit my hand better)
Logitech Cordless Optical Trackman

These three have all the same basic design, and they cause more motion from all your fingers instead of just the thumb. Sadly, the only one left in the market is the cordless from logitech.
 
I used a trackball (Logitech) for a few years but eventually went back to a mouse because I got serious pain in my hand. Now I use symmetrical mice and switch them between my left and right hand every so often. No issues.

And to think that I used to be a big supporter of trackballs :)
 
I have been using this one for a long long time:
http://images.vnunet.com/v7_images/hardware/large/bg_microsoft09.gif[/I

I like gaming with it because can a turn around a lot faster than with a mouse.
 
I use a Logitech Trackman Wheel, thumb operated. I've used it for a couple of years now and I am quit happy with it. I have it on a mouse pad with a padded wrist rest, one of those gel filled pads. I find it quit comfortable that way. I play FPS games with it all the time. I tried a Logitech Marble once, one with the ball in the center, but it didn't have a dedicated scroll wheel so I went back to my Trackman Wheel.
 
I considered one but ended up with a high DPI laser mouse set at max speed instead. Still hasnt solved the problem with the clicking finger hurting, if anything it has increased it because sometimes I miss what I'm trying to click on with this twitchy sucker. Wrist pain is reduced though. Would be nice to have a combination laser mouse / track ball to alternate between what hurts the least at any given moment.
 
alphanumeric said:
I use a Logitech Trackman Wheel, thumb operated. I've used it for a couple of years now and I am quit happy with it. I have it on a mouse pad with a padded wrist rest, one of those gel filled pads. I find it quit comfortable that way. I play FPS games with it all the time.
Click to expand...

+1

That's exactly how I have mine set up. :cool:

I know it wasn't the op's question, but I have ZERO issues playing FPS games (or any other genre for that matter) with my Logitech & wouldn't game with a mouse again... ;)

drew630 said:
I like gaming with it because can a turn around a lot faster than with a mouse.
Click to expand...

Same here...
 
Jakalwarrior said:
I considered one but ended up with a high DPI laser mouse set at max speed instead. Still hasnt solved the problem with the clicking finger hurting, if anything it has increased it because sometimes I miss what I'm trying to click on with this twitchy sucker. Wrist pain is reduced though. Would be nice to have a combination laser mouse / track ball to alternate between what hurts the least at any given moment.
Click to expand...

You can have more than one pointing device connected at a time if you wish. At one time I shared this PC with my wife who doesn't like using the trackball. I just connected an optical mouse for her to use. Had them both connected at the same time and you could switch from one to the other on the fly. Windows didn't complain and neither did my wife.;)
 
alphanumeric said:
I use a Logitech Trackman Wheel, thumb operated. I've used it for a couple of years now and I am quit happy with it. I have it on a mouse pad with a padded wrist rest, one of those gel filled pads. I find it quit comfortable that way. I play FPS games with it all the time. I tried a Logitech Marble once, one with the ball in the center, but it didn't have a dedicated scroll wheel so I went back to my Trackman Wheel.
Click to expand...

aside from the L Marble not having a scroll wheel, how did you find the thumb ball compared to the finger ball?

My buddy uses these arm rests called ErgoRest: Ergorest 350-116 with Attached MousePad . They work great if you can't have an L-shaped desk.
Click to expand...

those things look great... im still interested in the trackball but either way i rekon i will look into these... my desk is pretty compact and my bed is too close to my desk so with arms on my chair i wouldnt be able to turn it...

Would be nice to have a combination laser mouse / track ball to alternate between what hurts the least at any given moment.
Click to expand...

logitech have one like that but the trackball is very small...
 
I didn't find the Marble all that comfortable to use. I only played with it for a couple of hours. With the trackman wheel your fingers just fall on the buttons, if your right handed that is. The marble would be good if you were a lefty.
 
I have been using a Microsoft Trackball Explorer for 5 years now. Unfortunately they are not in production and from what I have seen seem to regularly sell (used in most cases) on Ebay for $150-$200 LOL!

Still using it every day and I love it for general computer usage and MMORPGs. It doesn't suit FPS gaming (for me any way).

Precision is not an issue with this trackball. It is basolutely like it was molded for my hand as my hand slips over it like a glove. I find the index/pointer finger ball placement very comfortable to use with the scroll wheel on the side.

The only thing similar I have seen is the Logitech Wireless Track Man optical but I haven't used this one.
 
my main dilemma at the moment is whether to go for a finger trackball or a thumb trackball???

i am in australia and no where here stocks trackballs so it is difficult to test one... and trackball mouse arent cheap either!
 
I suppose everyone has their opinion but I LOVE the finger style and I couldn't stand the thumb controlled track balls.
 
I have been using the Kensington Expert for several years, since they discontinued previous models (which I had used for some years prior).

I have carpal tunnel, tendinitis and arthritis. The Kensington allows me to easily glide the ball around with my 3 middle fingers and click with my thumb, which has proven to be less stressful on the hand than using the index finger for clicking. You are not gripping the mouse or moving the hand around with it.

When I have to use a "regular" mouse on a PC, my hand starts to feel the strain in short order. IMO, the Kensington is great. :)

That said, I'm really not that crazy about the scroll wheel on the Expert. I basically don't even use it. The optical is nice, it's smooth as butter. But, be aware that all trackballs seem to have a built-in magnet that attracts lint and cat hair. Any such particles will affect the tracking. I just lift the ball out a couple times a week and blow on it. The ball is large, like the size of a billiard ball, and it's not attached in any way, so it's very easy to remove.

My husband has an older, non-optical Kensington that has a bunch of hot buttons across the top. He games with it all the time, says he wouldn't want to game with a regular mouse.
 
tiraides said:
Trackballs are good if you're working with limited space, as you don't have to move the entire device around (as you would a mouse). Use of the trackball also reduces the strain on the wrist, since you are using the fingers (and/or the thumb) for control.
Click to expand...

Due to those points right there is why I choose to use a trackball.
Arthritis in the knuckles and more often than not, my office is the cab of my pickup. Space is a hot commodity when loaded up with work supplies.
I even game with it too.

Trackballs are not for everyone though. My personal preference is this one.
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/156&cl=US,EN
 
Basic stuff trackpads are ok... Bearable for people who are notebook orientated, hell for people who've been stuck playing with their mice; they take a toll on the wrist. I think I managed to kill some people in CS with a trackpad, but they were bots w/ no weapons while I wielded a MG.
 
alphanumeric said:
I use a Logitech Trackman Wheel, thumb operated. I've used it for a couple of years now and I am quit happy with it. I have it on a mouse pad with a padded wrist rest, one of those gel filled pads. I find it quit comfortable that way. I play FPS games with it all the time. I tried a Logitech Marble once, one with the ball in the center, but it didn't have a dedicated scroll wheel so I went back to my Trackman Wheel.
Click to expand...

That's the same trackball I used, I didn't use it with a mouse pad, though. Not sure how much of a difference that would have made.
 
i found a store here that had a logitech thumb trackball... gave it a go (not on pc though)... feels like if you had to make moves from one side of the screen to the other it would where your thumb out!
 
I have never used a Logitech trackball. I have no problem moving the cursor from one side to the other in one fell swoop with the Kensington.

Also, just in case you haven't thought about these things, use keyboard shortcuts and arrow/page up/down keys more instead of relying on the mouse.
 
Angus66 said:
+1

That's exactly how I have mine set up. :cool:

I know it wasn't the op's question, but I have ZERO issues playing FPS games (or any other genre for that matter) with my Logitech & wouldn't game with a mouse again... ;)



Same here...
Click to expand...

I game all the time with my logitech trackball. I would like to get a kensington similar to Lethals if money allows at some point.

I've been a trackball user since 2002 and would never go back to a mouse.

You should also check out http://www.trackballworld.com
 
wow i havent used a trackball in a long time. i used to love mine guess ill have to check them out again.
 
the_slayer said:
i found a store here that had a logitech thumb trackball... gave it a go (not on pc though)... feels like if you had to make moves from one side of the screen to the other it would where your thumb out!
Click to expand...

If the mouse acceleration is set correctly you should be able to go from side to side with one fast movement. I have dual 19 inch monitors and I can go from extreme left on one to extreme right on the other with one fast thumb roll. It's the same deal with a mouse, if you move it slow you get precision, if you move it fast you get distance.
 
I have been a trackball user for some thirteen years now. Ohh, and there is no such thing as a trackball "mouse". For those of you that say they can't be used for games, you are crazy! I have been competitively using a trackball in games since the beginning of me using them. I have won money in games such as Quake2 and Counter-strike. My thumb is pretty quick and accurate ;). I cannot stand using mice. Having to move your whole hand and arm just to make small pointer movements? Seems pointless. My trusty trackball down through the years has been the Logitech Trackman Wheel. It is highly precise, cheap, easy to clean and very comfortable.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/166&cl=us,en
 
Why? I play FPS games constantly using a trackball. Most people are shocked to learn I'm using one after playing against me.

A trackball is far more accurate than any mouse will ever be.
 
That's personal preference. If you're been using one your entire computing career then sure, and if you're like us regular people.. same logic.
 
lowteckh said:
^-- I can't decide if that's a serious post or a joke...
Click to expand...

It's serious. I wish I still had some of my Counter-Strike demos. A lot of times I will join servers and destroy people and they think I am cheating because I can turn and aim so fast with a trackball. Being quite a good player and being able to turn so fast then stop and shoot a nat off someones ass gets me banned a lot. I do the same thing during LAN tournaments and obviously you can't cheat there so I have to send people LAN demo's to get myself unbanned =\.
 
Vega said:
I have been a trackball user for some thirteen years now. Ohh, and there is no such thing as a trackball "mouse". For those of you that say they can't be used for games, you are crazy! I have been competitively using a trackball in games since the beginning of me using them. I have won money in games such as Quake2 and Counter-strike. My thumb is pretty quick and accurate ;). I cannot stand using mice. Having to move your whole hand and arm just to make small pointer movements? Seems pointless. My trusty trackball down through the years has been the Logitech Trackman Wheel. It is highly precise, cheap, easy to clean and very comfortable.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/166&cl=us,en
Click to expand...

Snotrocket said:
Why? I play FPS games constantly using a trackball. Most people are shocked to learn I'm using one after playing against me.

A trackball is far more accurate than any mouse will ever be.
Click to expand...

VERY good posts. :cool:

I was laughed at when I attended my 1st LAN party & other gamers saw me using a trackball for Quake II & Unreal Tournament...

... the laughing stopped when I started playing. ;)

FTW, the LAN parties I went to weren't small events - we typically had 100+ gamers in attendance. :)

Once you're used to it, you can definitely game VERY competitively with a trackball - I have the trophies to prove it. :D
 
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