6 ms·

I wish they'd bring back the Microsoft Trackball Explorer - the button switches on mine eventually wore out. This had five buttons - left, right, scroll-click,

I wish they'd bring back the Microsoft Trackball Explorer - the button switches on mine eventually wore out. This had five buttons - left, right, scroll-click, forward, back (all programmable). https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=microsoft%20trackball%20explorer https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=microsoft%20trackball%2... Question for the lefties: what kind of pointing device do you prefer? Mouse? Touchpad? Do you prefer to swap L&R clicks when you use other people's computers?

deleted 8y ago
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anthonybsd 8y ago
My Trackball Explorer thankfully is still chugging along. When it expires (could be a few years away at least), I'm planning on trying Logitech Trackman Marble. It looks similar enough...
- jboggan 8y ago
  I tried to replace my Explorer with the Trackman Marble. Not even close.
  - anthonybsd 8y ago
    Sorry, just saw this. What was the biggest difference? You are getting me worried :(
hkmurakami 8y ago
FYI you can take it apart and replace the switches
noelwelsh 8y ago
I use a trackball in my right hand. I use a trackball as it's more ergonomic, and I've had wrist pain in the past from using a mouse. I use my right hand because the oppressive burden of living in a rightie dominated world has made me somewhat ambidextrous. I switch to a mouse in my left-hand for the occasional times I'm gaming. My last two trackballs have been imports from Japan. Apparently somebody claims a patent on the trackball, and sued Logitech, who have since ceased production of them.
- coreymaass 8y ago
  Any tips on Japanese models, and where to buy them?
  - xkfm 8y ago
    I have an Elecom Deft, there's also the Deft Pro which I may upgrade too. It's essentially the closest thing to a MTE. Ebay and Amazon have them.
  - noelwelsh 8y ago
    What xkfm said: Amazon, and Elecom or Sanwa Supply. I had a Sanwa Supply and it broke after a couple of years (switches died). Not really a big deal but I'm now using an Elecom and it's been fine for the year or so I've had it. I wanted thumb operated and wired, for which there is no other option AFAIK.
  - funkymike 8y ago
    I use an Elecom HT1DR and like it quite a bit. It is their "huge" trackball and I have found it to be pretty comfortable in daily use. The only issue I have is that some of the extra buttons don't work on Linux with the current driver.
- vollmond 8y ago
  > Apparently somebody claims a patent on the trackball, and sued Logitech, who have since ceased production of them. Huh? I'm confused. Thumb: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m570?crid=7 https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m5... Finger: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/trackman-marble?crid=7 https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/trackman-marble?crid=...
  - noelwelsh 8y ago
    I don't remember the details but I think it related to the wired models.
- mark-r 8y ago
coreymaass 8y ago
I'm a leftie but started on mice in the 90s with my right hand, so I never had to relearn. I used the Microsoft Trackball Explorer for a decade. I'm many years into the Logitech Cordless TrackMan Optical, but mine is starting to have problems. Every couple of months I look for the "next thing" but didn't know there's a patent on trackballs preventing production. Heartbreaking.
- Analemma_ 8y ago
  Same here: lefty but mouses with my right hand (which is pretty much the only thing I use my right hand for). Are there actually any lefties who use their left hand to use the mouse? Using the right hand is so much more convenient because then I can simultaneously type with my dominant hand. I'm surprised more righties don't mouse with their left hand, tbh.
  - regularfry 8y ago
    I do this. It's much quicker to switch my left hand to the mouse than my right because I don't have to get past the number pad.
  - Marsymars 8y ago
    Righty and use left hand at my office and right hand at home. CST trackball in both locations. Keeps the wear and exercise even across my left/right hands. Probably can't effectively play fast-twitch games with my left hand, but only took a couple weeks to get up to speed for normal PC work when I started using my left hand. Amusingly, I switched to trackball with my right hand from mouse after I'd already been using trackball with my left hand for a while - the muscle memory didn't transfer over, so I was more adept with my left hand for a few weeks until my right caught up.
tonyg 8y ago
Symmetric Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse, configured for right-handed use but on the other side of the keyboard. I left-click with my left middle finger, and scroll and right-click with my left index finger. It's great having the mouse to the left of the keyboard - so much less distance to move my hand when I switch from the keyboard to the mouse! (I used to just use a mouse right-handed, but then RSI/OOS kicked in and I switched over. I wish I'd done it sooner!)
mwexler 8y ago
I can't use thumb balls, I want a large ball. I've bought these continuously since they were first released (now in a wireless version and cheaper buttons, but same basic form factor): https://www.kensington.com/us/us/4493/trackballs https://www.kensington.com/us/us/4493/trackballs And for those who loved the old Microspeed trackballs: http://www.trackballworld.com/ http://www.trackballworld.com/
evincarofautumn 8y ago
As an ambidextrous-enough person (lefty for a lot of things but write right-handed), for a while my preferred computer setup was a mouse on the left—buttons not swapped, so primary click was on the (stronger) middle finger and right-click/scroll was on the (literally more dexterous) index finger—and a drawing tablet on the right, since I was doing a lot of digital design/painting. Having two pointing devices, one relative and one absolute, felt really useful, as if I could really get in there and manipulate the computer more directly & precisely. Dunno if that was just my perception or if it actually made me any defter. Nowadays I just use the touchpad on my MBP.
Wildgoose 8y ago
I love my Trackball Explorer. I was getting wrist pains (RSI) using a normal mouse and so I switched to the Trackball Explorer because when using it the hand is in a natural position and the ball is controlled by your thumb - which has 40% of your hand's neural wiring. When they were discontinued I bought 2 spares to ensure I could continue to use one. They all still work.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

anthonybsd 8y ago

My Trackball Explorer thankfully is still chugging along. When it expires (could be a few years away at least), I'm planning on trying Logitech Trackman Marble. It looks similar enough...

jboggan 8y ago
I tried to replace my Explorer with the Trackman Marble. Not even close.
- anthonybsd 8y ago
  Sorry, just saw this. What was the biggest difference? You are getting me worried :(

hkmurakami 8y ago

FYI you can take it apart and replace the switches

noelwelsh 8y ago

I use a trackball in my right hand. I use a trackball as it's more ergonomic, and I've had wrist pain in the past from using a mouse. I use my right hand because the oppressive burden of living in a rightie dominated world has made me somewhat ambidextrous. I switch to a mouse in my left-hand for the occasional times I'm gaming. My last two trackballs have been imports from Japan. Apparently somebody claims a patent on the trackball, and sued Logitech, who have since ceased production of them.

coreymaass 8y ago
Any tips on Japanese models, and where to buy them?
- xkfm 8y ago
  I have an Elecom Deft, there's also the Deft Pro which I may upgrade too. It's essentially the closest thing to a MTE. Ebay and Amazon have them.
- noelwelsh 8y ago
  What xkfm said: Amazon, and Elecom or Sanwa Supply. I had a Sanwa Supply and it broke after a couple of years (switches died). Not really a big deal but I'm now using an Elecom and it's been fine for the year or so I've had it. I wanted thumb operated and wired, for which there is no other option AFAIK.
- funkymike 8y ago
  I use an Elecom HT1DR and like it quite a bit. It is their "huge" trackball and I have found it to be pretty comfortable in daily use. The only issue I have is that some of the extra buttons don't work on Linux with the current driver.
vollmond 8y ago
> Apparently somebody claims a patent on the trackball, and sued Logitech, who have since ceased production of them. Huh? I'm confused. Thumb: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m570?crid=7 https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m5... Finger: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/trackman-marble?crid=7 https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/trackman-marble?crid=...
- noelwelsh 8y ago
  I don't remember the details but I think it related to the wired models.
mark-r 8y ago

coreymaass 8y ago

I'm a leftie but started on mice in the 90s with my right hand, so I never had to relearn. I used the Microsoft Trackball Explorer for a decade. I'm many years into the Logitech Cordless TrackMan Optical, but mine is starting to have problems. Every couple of months I look for the "next thing" but didn't know there's a patent on trackballs preventing production. Heartbreaking.

Analemma_ 8y ago
Same here: lefty but mouses with my right hand (which is pretty much the only thing I use my right hand for). Are there actually any lefties who use their left hand to use the mouse? Using the right hand is so much more convenient because then I can simultaneously type with my dominant hand. I'm surprised more righties don't mouse with their left hand, tbh.
- regularfry 8y ago
  I do this. It's much quicker to switch my left hand to the mouse than my right because I don't have to get past the number pad.
- Marsymars 8y ago
  Righty and use left hand at my office and right hand at home. CST trackball in both locations. Keeps the wear and exercise even across my left/right hands. Probably can't effectively play fast-twitch games with my left hand, but only took a couple weeks to get up to speed for normal PC work when I started using my left hand. Amusingly, I switched to trackball with my right hand from mouse after I'd already been using trackball with my left hand for a while - the muscle memory didn't transfer over, so I was more adept with my left hand for a few weeks until my right caught up.

tonyg 8y ago

Symmetric Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse, configured for right-handed use but on the other side of the keyboard. I left-click with my left middle finger, and scroll and right-click with my left index finger. It's great having the mouse to the left of the keyboard - so much less distance to move my hand when I switch from the keyboard to the mouse! (I used to just use a mouse right-handed, but then RSI/OOS kicked in and I switched over. I wish I'd done it sooner!)

mwexler 8y ago

I can't use thumb balls, I want a large ball. I've bought these continuously since they were first released (now in a wireless version and cheaper buttons, but same basic form factor): https://www.kensington.com/us/us/4493/trackballs https://www.kensington.com/us/us/4493/trackballs And for those who loved the old Microspeed trackballs: http://www.trackballworld.com/ http://www.trackballworld.com/

evincarofautumn 8y ago

As an ambidextrous-enough person (lefty for a lot of things but write right-handed), for a while my preferred computer setup was a mouse on the left—buttons not swapped, so primary click was on the (stronger) middle finger and right-click/scroll was on the (literally more dexterous) index finger—and a drawing tablet on the right, since I was doing a lot of digital design/painting. Having two pointing devices, one relative and one absolute, felt really useful, as if I could really get in there and manipulate the computer more directly & precisely. Dunno if that was just my perception or if it actually made me any defter. Nowadays I just use the touchpad on my MBP.

Wildgoose 8y ago

I love my Trackball Explorer. I was getting wrist pains (RSI) using a normal mouse and so I switched to the Trackball Explorer because when using it the hand is in a natural position and the ball is controlled by your thumb - which has 40% of your hand's neural wiring. When they were discontinued I bought 2 spares to ensure I could continue to use one. They all still work.