3 ms·

I use Kensington's Slimblade Trackball which is excellently designed and works (for me) as a natural extension of my hand and fingers. I highly recommend it. (B

I use Kensington's Slimblade Trackball which is excellently designed and works (for me) as a natural extension of my hand and fingers. I highly recommend it. (Be advised, the software was excellent but is now in a period of transition post-Catalina.) I looked up Elecom's "trackball" offerings but only see trackball mice. Such designs reduce the trackball to something that can be manipulated only with a thumb rather than two fingers (index and middle). Such designs are unappealing and too restrictive to me.

numpad0 6y ago
They do have index finger models, probably not on Amazon US and not yet as perfect as Slimblade
vladvasiliu 6y ago
> Such designs reduce the trackball to something that can be manipulated only with a thumb rather than two fingers (index and middle). Such designs are unappealing and too restrictive to me. Interesting. Does that mean that with the kind of trackball you describe you'd have to move your whole wrist to move the ball left and right? I find I have very little lateral mobility in my index finger and practically none in my middle. Isn't that tiring after a while? I often use an MX Ergo (which is a "trackball mouse" — thumb operated — and is my only trackball experience) and what I like about it is that my wrist can have a fairly natural position and I don't have to move it around or hold it suspended.
- mistersquid 6y ago
  > Does that mean that with the kind of trackball you describe you'd have to move your whole wrist to move the ball left and right? The trackball is fairly large, about 5.5 centimeters in diameter. So I personally use mostly finger movements with slight flicks of the wrist. However, the ball is so large one could keep one’s wrist rigid and use both shoulder and elbow to move it. It really is a very comfortable device.

3 ms·

I use Kensington's Slimblade Trackball which is excellently designed and works (for me) as a natural extension of my hand and fingers. I highly recommend it. (B

by mistersquid 6y ago

numpad0 6y ago
They do have index finger models, probably not on Amazon US and not yet as perfect as Slimblade
vladvasiliu 6y ago
> Such designs reduce the trackball to something that can be manipulated only with a thumb rather than two fingers (index and middle). Such designs are unappealing and too restrictive to me. Interesting. Does that mean that with the kind of trackball you describe you'd have to move your whole wrist to move the ball left and right? I find I have very little lateral mobility in my index finger and practically none in my middle. Isn't that tiring after a while? I often use an MX Ergo (which is a "trackball mouse" — thumb operated — and is my only trackball experience) and what I like about it is that my wrist can have a fairly natural position and I don't have to move it around or hold it suspended.
- mistersquid 6y ago
  > Does that mean that with the kind of trackball you describe you'd have to move your whole wrist to move the ball left and right? The trackball is fairly large, about 5.5 centimeters in diameter. So I personally use mostly finger movements with slight flicks of the wrist. However, the ball is so large one could keep one’s wrist rigid and use both shoulder and elbow to move it. It really is a very comfortable device.