Trackball users community

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A community for people using or interested in using trackballs, the arguably superior input device.

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I've been using the Elecom Deft Pro and Huge for a few years now. Huge I haven't used anymore for months. I guess I'll start there.

Cons of the Huge is, well, it's huge. The wrist rest area is awkwardly angled for my wrist, especially if I'm using ~~my stupidly purchased weeb mousepads, IYKYK~~ a separate wrist rest. It makes me put my whole arm way to extended. Otherwise I like the huge ball size. Speaking of angles, I never really tried to get wedges to bring the Huge more vertical. I did put a small wrist rest on the left side to bring it up a bit and do find it more comfortable.

On to the Deft Pro, cons would be I'd like it to be a bit bigger I think? Especially the ball, but it's functionally solid. Works much better with a separate wrist rest. Since it's small it's my office mouse that I lug around in my bag.

Both have started to get unintended double clicks. I never really have that much stiction problems with mine, but maybe my standard is low as these are the only two trackball mice I use.

Should I go with the ploopy classic? but I'll miss the extra buttons the elecoms have. not that I use it for anything important, mind you. I just assigned shortcuts to go left/right of tabs in my browser.

Maybe the adept? I never has a symmetrical trackball since the PS/2 kensington Orbit I knicked from my dad's stash that started my on my trackball journey.

Should I go with the gameball? Like I do game, but not in anything PVP or competitive.

Or should I just buy a new Deft Pro? I really don't have that much to complain. Even the ball size is a nitpick I could live with. The Huge really has to fix it's hugeness. So I wouldn't really buy it again.

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cross-posted from: https://piefed.zip/post/159752

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It's a looong read, but very interesting if you are into input device choices.

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Babe, wake up! Kensington has shown a new trackball design concept.

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ELECOM EX-G Wired Trackball, my first diversion from Logitech in the trackball world. While Logitech was busy removing a wire from a stationary object, Elecom was out here adding buttons.

I also have a wireless version for travel.

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Results were favorable. The trackball provided a 60.1% increase in throughput over the standard controller for novice participants. More impressively, it was shown to provide a 58.7% increase in throughput for participants already adept with the use of a standard controller.

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I've been rocking the Kensington Orbit wired for years now and I've yet to find a better trackball.

Reasons:

  • works for both hands
  • scroll ring
  • big ball
  • wired
  • works reliably

I use the trackball with my left hand and a mouse with my right.

It seems like such a cheaply made product, but it just works so very, very well.

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GameBall (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by QuentinCallaghan@sopuli.xyz to c/trackballs@discuss.tchncs.de
 
 

In my previous job I tested Logitech's Marble Trackball mouse and fell in love with it in no time. I decided to buy a similar trackball for home use with more buttons and ordered the GameBall.

My PC is already an "RGB hell" so GameBall's changing light color works as a natural extension aesthetically. The trackball requires no additional software to be installed, and any button settings can be adjusted for one's liking. There's a dedicated button for changing the DPI. The DPI button is really useful for tasks where I need to be more accurate, such as music editing and mixing.

Well, it's a gaming mouse, how it works for gaming? I don't really play FPS games and I mostly use a gamepad, but I'd say that GameBall could be a fitting option. Someone who plays FPS games actively with trackballs could have a more thorough opinion regarding this.

Around the ball are two touchpads that function as scroll wheels. That allows for horizontal and vertical scrolling when zooming large images for example, so that's what I find useful.

During the first weeks of use I had to get my hand to accommodate to the mouse, which made daily use somewhat awkward. After that however things go really smoothly, there's no turning back from trackballs for me!

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