Anyone here use a trackball mouse?

[Cam42]

I'm taking back anything I previously said about trackballs, and am looking at buying one. What model would you recommend? I'm looking for one with a thumb operated ball, and a scroll wheel. I'd like to keep it under $30 if possible.

[gnomeuser]

I have used the Logitech Trackman Wheel for 8 years. In fact I have worn 2 down by now.

It is a terrific piece of technology. It's sturdy, easy to use, comfortable and I would never consider going back to a mouse.

I originally switched because I damaged my wrist from years of using a mouse, these days I very rarely have problems with pain.

Wholeheartedly recommended with the big opposable thumb up!

[schauerlich]

I hate trackball mouses.

[openfly]

I have used the same trackball for about a decade...

Logitech Trackball

http://www.aculei.net/~mjoyce/dump/DINNER.jpg

[Jesus_Valdez]

I have used the same trackball for about a decade...

Logitech Trackball

http://www.aculei.net/~mjoyce/dump/DINNER.jpg
Off-topic: Now I'm hungry.

[mobilediesel]

I used a Logitech Trackball until the buttons wore out. I have a Microsoft trackball on my wife's computer and a Belkin trackball on mine.

If I use a regular mouse my wrist locks up tight within about 10 minutes. The last time I used a mouse was at my last job until I found a trackball in a box. To get permission to connect it to my computer all I had to say was "carpal tunnel" and they couldn't say YES fast enough!

[P4man]

I recently bought this "finger mouse" (thumb trackball) :
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=210941503&listingid=41215179

Bought it on ebay for a few euro, but its utterly RUBBISH. Its beyond rubbish. Its unusable, so imprecise. you can sometimes roll the ball around 2 or 3 times without the pointer moving more than a pixel or 10. Or it might actually move in the wrong direction.

If anyone knows a different model of "off table" trackball, Im still interested, but by all means, avoid the above junk.

[LowSky]

just buy a high DPI mouse, you can move it less than an inch and it moves the pointer to the oter side of the screen.

[frrobert]

I use the Logitech marble mouse and love it. I am left handed and it works great for left handers

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/4680&cl=us,en

[RedSquirrel]

I use the Logitech marble mouse and love it. I am left handed and it works great for left handers

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/4680&cl=us,en
I've had a Marble Mouse trackball for three years. It's great.

I tried the thumb-operated one and it gave me an incredible amount of pain in my hand. Fortunately, I was able to get a refund.

[magmon]

I have used the same trackball for about a decade...

Logitech Trackball

http://www.aculei.net/~mjoyce/dump/DINNER.jpg

I use the exact same trackball. It doesn't have a scroll bar and I use my index, middle and ring finger to navigate. However, I don't miss the scroll bar and the mouse has worked for me for years.

[m0ntels]

http://www.trackballworld.com/

Trackball world lists just about every current trackball there is. It tells you the ball size, etc, so it makes it easy to shop around since most stores wont have one for you to try. Better prices can be had elsewhere though, so shop around.

I use a Marble Mouse at work for doing technical drawings and love it. Couldn't get myself to work with a thumb roller...I feel I get better precision with using my index finger. Next one I get will be one like the Qtronix Lynx with side scroll wheel or the Kensington Expert with scroll ring. A dedicated scroll with ambidextrous operation and a bigger ball for better precision should be hard to beat.

[oldsoundguy]

7 working computers
one single
3 pairs at work locations on KVM switches
4 trackballs in operation (2 wireless).
Been using them for about 12 years

[fjf]

I tried the marble mouse, but it lacks scroll wheel. The thumb one did not like. I have been looking for a good trackball with scroll with no success.

[openfly]

I tried the marble mouse, but it lacks scroll wheel. The thumb one did not like. I have been looking for a good trackball with scroll with no success.

Gaming related?

If that's the case I feel your pain. I personally just use a very complex set of binds.

[Maheriano]

just buy a high DPI mouse, you can move it less than an inch and it moves the pointer to the oter side of the screen.

I just turn the pointer speed to max and it does the same thing.

[donkyhotay]

I love trackballs, I never bother with mice whenever I have a choice. The *old* logitech thumb/trackballs are the best I've ever used. Unfortunately they modified the design slightly a year or so back and they're not quite as comfortable as they used to be.

[oldsoundguy]

Wireless .. most of mine are the Logitec Optical Cordless Trackman .. 7 buttons and a scroll wheel .. all function in Ubuntu

Or hard wired the Logitec Trackman Marble FX .. been using those for YEARS. It is the ONLY wired pointing device that is going UP in value every year.

[dragos240]

I have used the same trackball for about a decade...

Logitech Trackball

http://www.aculei.net/~mjoyce/dump/DINNER.jpg (http://www.aculei.net/%7Emjoyce/dump/DINNER.jpg)

My monitor is now sad.

[dart1007]

I hate to say it but I use a M$ trackball!!! ;-)

[doas777]

I just can't do it. my fingers just don't move that way.

[madhi19]

I have used the Logitech Trackman Wheel for 8 years. In fact I have worn 2 down by now.

It is a terrific piece of technology. It's sturdy, easy to use, comfortable and I would never consider going back to a mouse.

I originally switched because I damaged my wrist from years of using a mouse, these days I very rarely have problems with pain.

Wholeheartedly recommended with the big opposable thumb up!

Am using the same model for a while I even made a point of buying the wireless version to replace my old one. I did note that the Trackman require a good size hand to use but if you do it the most comfortable around!

http://lowendmac.com/misc/07/art0416/tmfrtq.jpg

[Cam42]

Well, I made the jump and bought the Logitech Trackman Wheel.

It should get here from Amzaon on the 15th.

[ploum]

Does it work for you ? My coworker cannot get the scroll wheel to work under Ubuntu.

See https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/237318

[KeLa]

Does it work for you ? My coworker cannot get the scroll wheel to work under Ubuntu.

See https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/237318

Weird since i have had trackman for ages and there have not been any problems with the wheel in any linux distro. (It have worked out of box every time)
Only problem i had was with old Bekin KVM switch between mouse and computer. (ps/2 connectors) and same problem was in windows machine also. When i changed to USB Belkin box all those problems was over)

[ploum]

Could you check the lsusb output of your trackman ?

The buggy one is lsusb : Bus 004 Device 003: ID 046d:c404 Logitech, Inc. TrackMan Wheel

Just to check if this there are different models.

Thanks in advance.

[KeLa]

use infrared lol.. or wireless...
That's no help at all if you have to control two or more computers with only one mouse.
And you still have to connect that receiver to the KVM box and if you use ps/2 style old box it won't work either in linux or in windows. That have been tested more than enough times.
Only solution is to use KVM box where mouse is connected to usb port.

[KeLa]

Could you check the lsusb output of your trackman ?

The buggy one is lsusb : Bus 004 Device 003: ID 046d:c404 Logitech, Inc. TrackMan Wheel

Just to check if this there are different models.

Thanks in advance.
This is my

Bus 003 Device 009: ID 046d:c404 Logitech, Inc. TrackMan Wheel
And it have worked excellent all the time.

[=not4prophet=]

I use a logitech marble mouse. It doesn't have a scroll wheel, but since scrolling is so easy with a trackball I don't really miss it.

[ploum]

Thanks for the confirmation :*it seems that his trackman is broken then. We managed to find a computer with Windows to have confirmation : it's indeed broken.

Funny stuff : it broke the day he migrated to Ubuntu, leading us to think that it was an Ubuntu bug.

[Cam42]

hah, weird. This is a bit of an old thread, haha.

[aaaantoine]

I used to have a Logitech mouse with thumb trackball, back in the old pre-optical days. It was a neat little input device with 3 buttons (this was also before scroll wheels became a standard thing). Very comfortable.

Anyone that came over and wanted to use the computer, however, found it to be too jarring for their tastes. Their loss, I suppose.

I forget why we replaced it. Probably for that one reason. Or probably because I was so enamored by the concept of an optical mouse that I bought one such model from Microsoft.

[Groucho Marxist]

I'm taking back anything I previously said about trackballs, and am looking at buying one. What model would you recommend? I'm looking for one with a thumb operated ball, and a scroll wheel. I'd like to keep it under $30 if possible.

I've been using the same Logitech TrackMan Wheel (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/166&cl=us,en) for roughly five years and I couldn't be happier. The price will be roughly $30 (sans shipping), but I feel that it is worth it if you are in the market for a trackball mouse.

[Cam42]

Yep. bought it already.

Got it for $23 from amazon, also bought a CD so I could get the price over the $25 for free shipping.

[Anthony C]

I've been using the same Logitech TrackMan Wheel (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/166&cl=us,en) for roughly five years and I couldn't be happier. The price will be roughly $30 (sans shipping), but I feel that it is worth it if you are in the market for a trackball mouse.

Have a stockpile of them :) Been using this model for ~10 years. The tech really needs an overhaul, but still my mouse of choice.

[pgp_protector]

I love the Trackman Wheel.
I've gone through a few of them :D over the years.

I had a lovely wireless one that MS put out, but after it died, I had a hard time replacing it as no local stores carried wireless trackballs (They acted like they never existed :D )

They're wonderful for cramped desktops, or anything where you need fine control and want to be able to click without having the mouse itself move a bit.

Between Thumb & Finger Control, I recommend thumb control for it's comfort.

[jejones3141]

I use a trackball--I only use a mouse when there's no choice.

Some folks love the Logitech Trackman Wheel; the thumb ball drives me crazy. In a perfect world Logitech would still be making the Marble Man FX; it fit the hand perfectly and had a large, easy to move ball. Used ones start at $100, it's so good.

So now I use the Trackman Marble; the ball falls comfortably beneath my index and middle fingers, and the buttons beneath thumb and ring finger. I have the newer version with two tiny buttons, one above each of the original ones, but have yet to really use them. They don't seem very convenient, but I should give them a chance.

The only thing I really miss is a scroll wheel, so I may try the Kensington Orbit that has one. (I had one of the very early Orbits and wasn't happy with it, but the current model looks much improved.)

[NMFTM]

I used a Marble Mouse for awhile and really liked it. But I couldn't get past the fact that trackballs in generally aren't good for gaming. Especially when you considering that picking up and moving a mouse during a frantic fight is easy wheras taking your fingers off the ball and repositioning it is much harder. A person might be able to learn how to game just as well with a trackball as with a mouse. But, I'm sure a person could also learn to drive with his feet if both of his hands were cut off. In both cases, unless you have a real reason it's probably not worth it.

[RandomJoe]

I used a Marble Mouse for awhile and really liked it. But I couldn't get past the fact that trackballs in generally aren't good for gaming. Especially when you considering that picking up and moving a mouse during a frantic fight is easy wheras taking your fingers off the ball and repositioning it is much harder.

I suppose it just depends on what you're used to, or personal preference. I use the Marble Mouse trackball and I find it much easier to use for gaming. If I need to spin around and face the other way in a hurry (or just want to pan 360 degrees to see what's going on around me) I just flip the ball with a finger, then tap it again to stop. Rather than having to pick up the mouse over and over.

At one point I was playing a LOT of Unreal Tournament, and got to the point I could very precisely spin, stop and fire without having to "tweak" my aim after stopping. Been a while since then, now on the odd occasions I play I feel I sometimes can't hit the broad side of a barn...! :)

More generally, I've used trackballs for a very long time now. Had a variety of models, and the Marble Mouse is my far and away preference. Worn out several, even bought one to take to work, and have a spare NIB sitting in a drawer in case one of the in-use ones dies! :P

[jeffathehutt]

The only thing I really miss is a scroll wheel, so I may try the Kensington Orbit that has one. (I had one of the very early Orbits and wasn't happy with it, but the current model looks much improved.)

You can configure the mouse to use the ball as a scroll wheel if you want. Once you configure it, all you have to do is press one of the buttons (I use the small left one) and move the ball around in the direction you want to scroll.

These instructions (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Logitech_Marble_Mouse) are for Arch, but they are probably adaptable to Ubuntu. :)

[jejones3141]

These instructions (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Logitech_Marble_Mouse) are for Arch, but they are probably adaptable to Ubuntu. :)

Thanks! I'll give them a try.

[BlueDon]

Looks like the Logitech Marble is the one to go for, I'm thinking of investing in one in the near future. I'm not too keen on the lack of a scroll wheel though. I'm not a huge gamer, and very often use the two finger touchpad on my girlfriends laptop and love that (she's been forced on to Linux due to me :)).

Can somebody please enlighten me as to how scrolling is done on the marble? I'm very keen on one, but to scroll (as lazy as it sounds) I don't want to have to be grabbing the bar and pulling it down.

Also, with Natty going Unity (which I've just upgraded to) and it having some middle click button functions. Anybody enlighten me on their thoughts on the marble with Natty?

Thanks in advance

[m_duck]

I was concerned about that before buying one as well, but Linux handles this mouse rather well. Using the setups from the Arch Wiki / Ubuntu Docs, you can set it up so the left/right big buttons do as you expect, and the left/right small buttons are 'back' and 'forwards'. Additionally though, if you click and hold the left small button, you can then use the trackball to scroll. The above can easily be adjusted for clicking and holding the right small button or whatever.

Note I've not tried this on Natty but I can't foresee why this would be a problem.

[BlueDon]

I was concerned about that before buying one as well, but Linux handles this mouse rather well. Using the setups from the Arch Wiki / Ubuntu Docs, you can set it up so the left/right big buttons do as you expect, and the left/right small buttons are 'back' and 'forwards'. Additionally though, if you click and hold the left small button, you can then use the trackball to scroll. The above can easily be adjusted for clicking and holding the right small button or whatever.

Note I've not tried this on Natty but I can't foresee why this would be a problem.

excellent, thanks for the info.

Think I'll order one come payday