Logitech Cordless TRACKBALL for gaming?

M

Michael Younger

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 17, 2004
Messages
77
Believe it or not, but my new PC is going to be kept in my kitchen - yes my kitchen. Space is very, very limited in my... um, 'home' and I simply haven't got any room for a desk. The monitor will be placed up high, inside a cupboard, and the computer underneath in a lower one.

There will be no flat surface in front of me, and I'll be sitting up on a high stool when I'm looking at the monitor. When typing, the keyboard will be positioned on my lap, which will make it extremely difficult indeed to type anything comprehensible.

Gaming with a mouse will be virtually impossibe, since there will be no flat surface in front of me.

I was thinking that, in theory, I could hold the trackball in my hand, and then rest my hand on my lap for long sessions of gaming.

Has anybody else used a trackball in this manner? Chiefly, I'll be using this computer for gaming.
 
Michael Younger said:
Believe it or not, but my new PC is going to be kept in my kitchen - yes my kitchen. Space is very, very limited in my... um, 'home' and I simply haven't got any room for a desk. The monitor will be placed up high, inside a cupboard, and the computer underneath in a lower one.

There will be no flat surface in front of me, and I'll be sitting up on a high stool when I'm looking at the monitor. When typing, the keyboard will be positioned on my lap, which will make it extremely difficult indeed to type anything comprehensible.

Gaming with a mouse will be virtually impossibe, since there will be no flat surface in front of me.

I was thinking that, in theory, I could hold the trackball in my hand, and then rest my hand on my lap for long sessions of gaming.

Has anybody else used a trackball in this manner? Chiefly, I'll be using this computer for gaming.
Click to expand...
so you are gonna make the kitchen the game room...hm...will make snacks between rounds easier
tongue.gif
 
i had a MS optical trackball for a while and i used it once or twice during a lan party to play quake 3 with (actually ended up coming up first place for the round). So its doable it just not the best choice, also it takes a while to get used to.
 
I use trackballs exclusively. At work I have an old Logitech Marble Mouse (the really old white one).

I brought it from home when I upgraded to the Trackman Cordless, which is what I assume you're talking about (the black and silver one with the finger ball). Thumb balls are no good for gaming, and at best convenient for other tasks. But finger balls are perfect! Particularly cool in games like Freelancer or X2 where you're really thinking in 3 dimensions, since you can shift your hand a little more forward and you're really rolling UP and DOWN, not back and forth like a mouse (which I actually find a little disorienting).

Though I do recommend a tabletop; the bottom of that trackball is not at all hand-friendly; it'll cut into you.
 
My first mouse was a Marble Trackman Thumb ball. I loved it. I was able to game with out any problem. There is deffinately a learning curve involved though compared to a normal mouse. Too bad the Phantom (well we should all know that story, and lets not go any further) will never see light, that Lapboard would be ideal in your case.
 
I'm a trackball gamer as well. I have 2 of the corded logitech trackman marble's (1 I use and 1 for a backup if it ever breaks). No problems at all with my FPS games. Its to the point where I cannot use a mouse for gaming....

It does take some getting used to, but if thats all you ever gamed with (my friend's mouse was a trackman and thats all I ever knew 7 years ago) you get used to it.
 
Michael Younger said:
Believe it or not, but my new PC is going to be kept in my kitchen - yes my kitchen. Space is very, very limited in my... um, 'home' and I simply haven't got any room for a desk. The monitor will be placed up high, inside a cupboard, and the computer underneath in a lower one.
Click to expand...

I almost feel inclined to start a food drive for you. :eek:
 
Michael Younger said:
I was thinking that, in theory, I could hold the trackball in my hand, and then rest my hand on my lap for long sessions of gaming.

Has anybody else used a trackball in this manner? Chiefly, I'll be using this computer for gaming.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! My preferred method for gaming/browsing. (I rest it on my leg) For some reason it feels more natural. I'm also using the corded Trackman Marble FX that everyone is talking about.

Shame Logitech never made a cordless version of it. They replaced it with the Cordless Trackman Wheel. It has two problems: 1. It is optical so may not be as smooth 2. They moved the ball so that it is oriented sideways, which although it takes some stress off your thumb joint, it reduces the ease that you can turn left or right, since the motion is different and half the ball is covered by the top of the casing. This makes it difficult to spin around, which is the major advantage of the trackball.

Gaming with a trackball is a tradeoff. I used a mouse for a long time, before switching to a trackball. It takes about a week to get fully accustomed to it and about two to adapt to it in gaming. In FPSs, you can move alot quicker and react to people near you faster, because of the ability to spin it. With a mouse, your sensitivity level would have to be jacked up to the point that you are skipping pixels to be as agile, otherwise you run out of mousepad. However, no matter how practiced you are with it, precision movements like sniping are going to be difficult. After years of practice with a trackball, I have played a few games with some elite snipers and been able to hone my skills to be average among them. But even now when I switch to a mouse, I can still feel it being alot easier to snipe on.

Overall, if you do a lot of drawing or play FPSs and the primary thing you enjoy doing is sniping, I would go with a mouse. But in every other aspect, trackballs rule. :cool:
 
I have the Logitech Optical trackball (thumb) at home and ti is all I use for gaming.
I am a lot more precise with my thumb than my hand. (Although I have a strong hand :D )
Before that I had the older white version that used rollers. I had to clean it every day so I
decided to get rid of it. I have no problem holding my own in bf1942/DCX. Even when I am
snip4ring. Besides when you snap your thumb and spin the ball it sounds cool. :cool:
 
No mine was the optical Marble trackman, hence the reason for the dots or "marbelized" "finish. But you still had to clean the bearings they rolled on constantly.
 
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