Logitech Trackballs

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I am a trackball fan. After having used my trusty and faithful trackball for iirc at least six years, an eternity by computer standards, the strain has caused the mouse buttons to work unreliably -- alas, that was to be expected sooner or later. It did sterling sevice.

I dislike wireless mice, as I dislike mice in general. I dislike in particular the 'space for maneuvering' they require on the desk, and I loathe the cable-pulling on wired mice. Compare that to a stationary trackball - no cable-pulling by design, no maneuvering - which allows for very relaxed working, and gaming, for extended periods if neccessary. And I like the precision and speed of a trackball.

So clear to me is that I want as a replacement another trackball. The two models of choice for me:

Logitech Marble Mouse
vs.
Logitech TrackMan Wheel

Point is, I can't decide. Any experience among the SP crowd with either of them?

 

Heh, the ony that eventually broke down was the Trackman Marble FX. I would buy another one, if they were still available. Fabulous thing. Because it was late yesterday night, I was only able to look on Amazon.

Limiting my choice to the two was somewhat premature; I'll go and check shops today.

 

While I hate trackballs in general, I've used both the modles listed above, as my work uses both kinds, and if I *have* to use the trackball, I prefer the TrackMan Wheel over the Marble Mouse. It just feels better than the Marble Mouse, but I'll take my wireless "normal" mouse any day.

 

I swear by Logitech for control, and hanker for the efficiency of a trackball ever since an ol' Micro$oft plugin controller that was on my dad's Toshiba laptop...

I'm currently using your latter choice - the TrackMan Wheel. I bought it to replace an older, slightly wider TrackMan that got similarly 'erratic' in button response - mine's still behind the monitor and is about nine years old...


I had to adapt from the older to the newer 'slimmer' model because of one almost trivial difference: with the old, the mouse wheel was set in a stationary piece of casing, with the left and right buttons on either side of it, permitting one to cradle the case with the ball of the hand on the left side, middle finger over the wheel, and pinkie finger along the right edge of the case; it seemed more 'secure' to me, and I could even pick up and relocate the trackball if needed without pausing play.

With the newer controller, I find I have to 'float' my middle finger over the wheel, since it's now just sticking up between the two buttons, with no 'flat space', and index and ring fingers on the left and right buttons, respectively. It's not better or worse, just different.

But unless you prefer to use your left hand for 'mousing' duties, I'd go with the TrackMan over the Marble; it's just molded more ergonomically for what you're talking about.

 

I had them both in my hands at the shop today. With my old Marble FX I moved the ball with my index and middle fingers, and clicked with by thimb and the other fingers, but then, the shape of the thing lent itself to that.

The Marble would also be controlled with index and middle finger and clicking would be done with thumb and the other fingers - but I find the shape is not so ergonomic.

The TrackMan has a better ergonomic shape in general, but I would have to get used to tracking with my thumb. But I would get a real scrollwheel. It's more expensive, too.

I got to sleep that over. In the meanwhile, I'll hate my mouse.

 

OH! If you're a finger-wheeler, you'll probably wanna go with the Marble - when you said 'Logitech trackball' I assumed you were used to the thumb-wheeling!

The decision is yours, but in that case, I might go with the Marble - it's a bit of a change to 'wheel' with completely different fingers...

 

I decided in favour of the TrackMan Wheel, figuring out that thumbsteering is ok, and that wheel is convenient.
A Logitech laser mouse looked nice, but I have to admit I am a reserved person in computer matters, so I insisted on a trackball

I will still have an eye out and see if I can get a Trackman Marble FX. Maybe I'm lucky.

 

Huh, that thing is really fabulous, but that's just sick....

 

Who in the right mind would pay $411 for a trackball?!?!?

This is all you really need.

 

Finall, my trackman wheel arived, and I am trying to get used to it. A little bit silly, I always try to click with my thumb when I ought to use it to move the ball. Using the other fingers is just like with a mouse.

I will undergo an extensive text today, playing NWN-2. To get myself used to it

 

I am getting used to it. Compared to my previous this one has a wheel which is a real advantage. Got used to the thumbsteering real quick, too.

 

My original trackball was a Trackman, pre-wheel. One of its mouse buttons totally failed, and I tried using a similar Microsoft trackball device, but I'd already started having occasional swelling of some tendons for my thumb, when I did a lot of mousing, and that one's shape made the symptom worse.

The Trackball Marble shape is excellent, and moving the ball with an index finger is nowhere near as likely to give me any carpal syndrome effects (and a new desk with a wider keyboard slider that has room for the trackball helps in that regard).

 

Inspired by this thread (and by my incipient CTS), I'll be getting a Marble Mouse today.

I find the Trackman more ergonomic, but I've tried similar trackballs before, and my thumb gets too sore too quick to be of any good.

 

Even with the Marble, when I get involved in anything requiring a great deal of left button clicking, or dragging, that (sometimes sore) spot at the base of my thumb close to my wrist can become somewhat irritated, but any trackball beats any mouse I've tried for keeping this sensistivity under better control.