On May 3, 9:07*pm, rangerssuck wrote:
On May 3, 9:30*pm, Larry Jaques wrote:





On Mon, 3 May 2010 09:58:56 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote the following:

I have owned a track ball since a 2000 shoulder surgery. *I wouldn't own
anything else, and am amazed at how hard some people find them to use. *They
use no desk space. *Get the wireless.

If they weren't $100, I'd like to try a Logitech Trackman Live!
handheld presentation trackball.

Regular trackballs (marble on top) require your hand and/or arm to be
lifted and moved. The Logitech Trackman Portable/Optical
Trackman/Cordless Trackman Wheel and the Microsoft Ballpoint have the
left-hand ball to be used by the thumb, -preventing- the carpal and
shoulder problems most people experience with mouse use.

Yes, it's amazing that people can't use their thumb (or palm) to move
the ball. I fell right into it and was fully up to speed within the
hour.

--
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Raymond Lindquist

I posted above about this, but it bears repeating. I've been using
trackballs for longer than I can remember. My weapon of choice these
days is the Microsoft Trackball Explorer. You manipulate the ball with
your index & middle fingers, and the buttons & wheel with your thumb.
THere are two other buttons (which I don't use) that you operate with
your ring finger and pinky.This is a right-handed only device.

So, I thought I ought to buy a couple more of them. They're totally
out of production, and going for over $450 on ebay. So, I'm open to
suggestions. I don't really like using the thumb to operate the ball,
as it's way easier to be precise with the fingers. And the big
Kensigntons (of which I have a couple) are too, well, big, requiring
too much hand movement. Any ideas?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I like the Logitech Marble Mouse, not sure if it's still in
production, haven't seen one on the shelves for awhile. Used to be
about $20, probably tons more now. Ha, they've still got it as the
Trackman Marble. The ball itself is captive, snaps in and out, so
doesn't roll under the furniture if the unit gets tipped over. Ball
is at the front of an oval hand-sized lump with two buttons on either
side. Kensington also had a cheaper trackball, kind of had a manta
ray or batwing configuration. Looks like they still have it, the
Orbit. Both of these have golf-ball sized balls. For the main
machines, I use the larger(and expensive) Kensingtons. Not sure what
you mean by too much hand movement, just the fingertips of index and
middle fingers do the job for me, thumb and little finger on the
buttons. Hand hardly moves at all. I like the larger pool-ball sized
balls for more precise movement on my big machines. Good for
graphics. Except for finish wear, all of them are good for years of
service assuming the usual accumulation of dust bunnies is cleaned out
and the works are degreased once in awhile. The ball sockets are a
magnet for just about any trash, not to mention cat fuzz.

There is also a cordless mini-keyboard with a ball built in, I picked
one of those up for a media machine. Ball is in the right spot for
grabbing the unit with both hands and operating with the right thumb,
about the size of a marble. Not so great for heavy use, but OK for
picking selections off a list of files and the like. Mouse buttons
are split between right and left and are on the bottom and edges. A
relatively recent purchase, they've probably discontinued it, was too
well designed.

If you want something with absolutely no contact with anything except
your hand, look up a Gyromouse. Can be used as an optical mouse on a
flat surface, but mainly you hold it up and twist and turn it. It's
wireless and rechargeable. Has a three-axis accelerometer inside, a
trigger for the index finger, a scroll wheel and a couple of buttons
on the top. Not so hot with laptops unless the cursor travel rate is
turned way down, though.

Stan