Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Harold Harvey: Trackball vs. Mouse vs. Touchpad

  1. #1
    Harold Harvey
    Guest

    Harold Harvey: Trackball vs. Mouse vs. Touchpad

    A couple of months ago, in another forum, you advised the purchase of a trackball to use in place of a touchy touchpad on a laptop. How do you see a trackball being superior to a regular Microsoft Intellimouse, or a similar product? I agree that almost any external device is better than a touchpad in a desktop environment. BTW, what brand/model of trackball was it again?

  2. #2
    Norm Wattenberger
    Guest

    Norm Wattenberger: Of mice and computer men

    If you are a heavy PC user, the feel and accuracy of the mouse is of great importance. Not just in speed, but in avoiding the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome cuff. Like a keyboard, it is a personal choice. I buy a few a year and have experimented quite a bit. My current favorite is the Logitech MouseMan Wheel. It fits my hand well and has a thumb button. Setting the thumb button to double-click is a surprising time-saver. You must also clean the ball and rollers with cleaning fluid regularly and replace the mouse pad often. I tried the Microsoft ball-less mouse to avoid the cleaning; but, it has a heavy drag. I also tried infrared mice to avoid the drag of the wire. Didn't work for me.

  3. #3
    Parker
    Guest

    Parker: Talkin' trackballs


    > A couple of months ago, in another forum,
    > you advised the purchase of a trackball to
    > use in place of a touchy touchpad on a
    > laptop. How do you see a trackball being
    > superior to a regular Microsoft
    > Intellimouse, or a similar product? I agree
    > that almost any external device is better
    > than a touchpad in a desktop environment.
    > BTW, what brand/model of trackball was it
    > again?

    I prefer a trackball over a mouse - strictly a personal thing. I guess it comes from usually having a cluttered desk - not enough open space to use a conventional mouse efficiently. :-)

    I like the Logitech Marble Mouse, and use one both at home and in my office. This is an optical trackball with a very light action. The Kensington Orbit is also good, but not any better than the Logitech, and it costs twice as much.

    However, the gadget that you are alluding to is called a finger trackball mouse, and is what I use with my laptop.

    This has several advantages over a conventional mouse. In a hotel room environment space is often at a premium and there is not enough room to use a conventional mouse. Also, you may end up using a table rather than a desk, and it may not be at the ideal height.

    The finger trackball is handheld, so it does not require any desk space at all. It is held in the hand somewhat like a small pistol. The trackball is controlled with the thumb, arguably the most dexterious finger. The left mouse button is actuated with the index finger in a motion similar to pulling a trigger on a pistol.

    The right button and middle button are actuated with the thumb. The fact that it is a 3 button mouse is useful to someone running Linux (like me), but of less use in the Windows environment.

    Since it is handheld, you do not need to be hunched over the laptop - you can lean back and relax.

    I have included a link with a good picture to show what I am talking about.




  4. #4
    Harold Harvey
    Guest

    Harold Harvey: Thanks, guys. Very good information.

    Many thanks, Norm and Parker.

    I have the Logitech MouseMan Wheel mouse on one of my desktops. It is my favorite mouse too. But it is too cumbersome to lug around with a laptop, use on planes or in cars and mess with while lying in bed.

    I think I will try one of those trackballs. For $20 or so I can hardly go too wrong.

    Thanks, guys.

    --Harold--

  5. #5
    Parker
    Guest

    Parker: My pleasure

    > Many thanks, Norm and Parker.

    > I have the Logitech MouseMan Wheel mouse on
    > one of my desktops. It is my favorite mouse
    > too. But it is too cumbersome to lug around
    > with a laptop, use on planes or in cars and
    > mess with while lying in bed.

    > I think I will try one of those trackballs.
    > For $20 or so I can hardly go too wrong.

    > Thanks, guys.

    > --Harold--

    Exactly. The finger trackball is ideal anywhere there is not room for a conventional mouse. In addition, it is smaller than a typical mouse, and packs easily in a laptop case. I find that it works well in airports, where lately I seem to be spending a lot of time.

    Indeed, they are not expensive. Unlike the Logitech trackballs, they are not optical, so it is necessary to occasionally remove the little ball and clean it with alcohol or something similar.

    Also, using it while eating pizza is not recommended. :-)

    It's great to see you posting here. Please take a moment to create a profile (click on "Create Profile" at the top of any message index page), so I won't have to "moderate" your posts.

  6. #6
    Harold Harvey
    Guest

    Harold Harvey: Got my trackball

    I got my finger trackball, the black one. It works very well. It it just the ticket for a road warrior set-up, particularly if the user will be surfing the net, playing VP or BJ, and not using the keyboard too frequently.

    I have had to clean the ball a couple of times already. I think it is a good idea for a user to wash hands prior to using. Even light oil from fingers seems to cause a loss of traction fairly quickly.

    Thanks!

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

About Blackjack: The Forum

BJTF is an advantage player site based on the principles of comity. That is, civil and considerate behavior for the mutual benefit of all involved. The goal of advantage play is the legal extraction of funds from gaming establishments by gaining a mathematic advantage and developing the skills required to use that advantage. To maximize our success, it is important to understand that we are all on the same side. Personal conflicts simply get in the way of our goals.