4 ms·

I personally like trackballs with a large central ball where I can use all my fingers. I am aware Ploopy offers one. This style however has fallen out of popula

by donatj 2y ago

I personally like trackballs with a large central ball where I can use all my fingers. I am aware Ploopy offers one. This style however has fallen out of popularity, but I've been using them since the mid-90s. Just using your thumb for all navigation seems like an RSI waiting to happen. Also I don't know who in the last couple years decided it's a "Trackball Mouse" it's just a Trackball in the same way it's just a "Trackpad" and not a "Trackpad Mouse"

cassianoleal 2y ago
> Just using your thumb for all navigation seems like an RSI waiting to happen. I have a thumb trackball. It's been a blessing to my RSI. I can fully rest my hand and fingers on it. With a central ball, I need to keep tension on my fingers otherwise they roll on the ball and move the cursor. That seems like an RSI waiting to happen.
ginko 2y ago
I'm working on an open source one for myself: https://github.com/ginkgo/trackball https://github.com/ginkgo/trackball Next step is adding QMK support.
- donatj 2y ago
  Oh super cool! Pico powered and everything
DecentShoes 2y ago
I agree. I actually almost bought a trackball, thinking it was a mouse that also had a trackball in it, because of this misleading naming.
i_am_proteus 2y ago
L-Trac is still in production, made by P.I. Engineering, "The No Slogan Company"
- RajT88 2y ago
  I wanted to try one of those, but I was put off by the scroll bar being above the ball. It seems unnatural to have to reach over to scroll. What as your experience been, if you (or anyone else) has one?
  - i_am_proteus 2y ago
    It takes about a week to get used to it. Many years later, I am so completely comfortable with the ergonomics that I don't even think about the interface: pointing is natural, and my wrist pain is long gone in the past :)
boothby 2y ago
I'm prone to RSI, and I started using a logitech trackman in '99 or '00. I've occasionally had periods of using mice or trackpads, and extended use of either causes flareups. I've never had flareups with a thumb ball, even with pointer-intensive use like CAD, FPS and graphics. So I keep returning to them -- I've been using them more or less continually for around 25 years. So for my body, it's a clear win on ergonomics; ymmv.
- boomskats 2y ago
  I can second this. Same story, been thumbing it for 25 years or so. I've also used it through some fairly painful ligament injury ('gamekeeper's thumb'), and if anything I think it helped with the recovery. I remember someone telling me 20ish years ago that, as opposable thumbers, we have more nerves/muscles dedicated to each thumb than we do for the other 4 fingers combined. Not sure how true that is, but it stuck with me.
eddie_catflap 2y ago
I bought a Logitech MX Ergo a couple of years back and genuinely love it for many of the reasons other trackballs users cite in this thread - but I have noticed in the last few months that my thumb joint will get 'stuck' and makes a click when I unstick it. Definitely related to the MX Ergo and the thumb navigation like you say. I'm an older gentleman which likely contributes. So might be tempted by an all finger alternative - at the moment I'm attempting to up my use of a terminal window manager to minimise pointer use
kps 2y ago
This is the only “Trackball Mouse” I know of: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Mighty_Mouse_Wireless_in_perspective.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Mighty_Mouse_W... It's a pretty small trackball.
dgrabla 2y ago
Indeed I have a ploopy 1 on the drawer because it gives me strong RSI on the thumb.
RajT88 2y ago
I have purchased a bunch of trackballs, trying to find the best one for me. The Kensington Expert is as you describe, but maybe not quite to my liking. If I did graphic design work, it'd be the one I want for sure - the level of granularity is great. For my money (clicking with thumb/pinky, using ball and scroll wheel with index and middle fingers) the Kensington Orbit is my daily driver. I even use it for shooter games, since I'm much more accustomed to trackballs these days than mice. As an added bonus, it seems a lot easier on my tendons than a mouse.

by donatj 2y ago

cassianoleal 2y ago

> Just using your thumb for all navigation seems like an RSI waiting to happen. I have a thumb trackball. It's been a blessing to my RSI. I can fully rest my hand and fingers on it. With a central ball, I need to keep tension on my fingers otherwise they roll on the ball and move the cursor. That seems like an RSI waiting to happen.

ginko 2y ago

I'm working on an open source one for myself: https://github.com/ginkgo/trackball https://github.com/ginkgo/trackball Next step is adding QMK support.

donatj 2y ago
Oh super cool! Pico powered and everything

DecentShoes 2y ago

I agree. I actually almost bought a trackball, thinking it was a mouse that also had a trackball in it, because of this misleading naming.

i_am_proteus 2y ago

L-Trac is still in production, made by P.I. Engineering, "The No Slogan Company"

RajT88 2y ago
I wanted to try one of those, but I was put off by the scroll bar being above the ball. It seems unnatural to have to reach over to scroll. What as your experience been, if you (or anyone else) has one?
- i_am_proteus 2y ago
  It takes about a week to get used to it. Many years later, I am so completely comfortable with the ergonomics that I don't even think about the interface: pointing is natural, and my wrist pain is long gone in the past :)

boothby 2y ago

I'm prone to RSI, and I started using a logitech trackman in '99 or '00. I've occasionally had periods of using mice or trackpads, and extended use of either causes flareups. I've never had flareups with a thumb ball, even with pointer-intensive use like CAD, FPS and graphics. So I keep returning to them -- I've been using them more or less continually for around 25 years. So for my body, it's a clear win on ergonomics; ymmv.

boomskats 2y ago
I can second this. Same story, been thumbing it for 25 years or so. I've also used it through some fairly painful ligament injury ('gamekeeper's thumb'), and if anything I think it helped with the recovery. I remember someone telling me 20ish years ago that, as opposable thumbers, we have more nerves/muscles dedicated to each thumb than we do for the other 4 fingers combined. Not sure how true that is, but it stuck with me.

eddie_catflap 2y ago

I bought a Logitech MX Ergo a couple of years back and genuinely love it for many of the reasons other trackballs users cite in this thread - but I have noticed in the last few months that my thumb joint will get 'stuck' and makes a click when I unstick it. Definitely related to the MX Ergo and the thumb navigation like you say. I'm an older gentleman which likely contributes. So might be tempted by an all finger alternative - at the moment I'm attempting to up my use of a terminal window manager to minimise pointer use

kps 2y ago

This is the only “Trackball Mouse” I know of: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Mighty_Mouse_Wireless_in_perspective.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Mighty_Mouse_W... It's a pretty small trackball.

dgrabla 2y ago

Indeed I have a ploopy 1 on the drawer because it gives me strong RSI on the thumb.

RajT88 2y ago

I have purchased a bunch of trackballs, trying to find the best one for me. The Kensington Expert is as you describe, but maybe not quite to my liking. If I did graphic design work, it'd be the one I want for sure - the level of granularity is great. For my money (clicking with thumb/pinky, using ball and scroll wheel with index and middle fingers) the Kensington Orbit is my daily driver. I even use it for shooter games, since I'm much more accustomed to trackballs these days than mice. As an added bonus, it seems a lot easier on my tendons than a mouse.