The Orbit is great to use unless you have small hands
Written: Feb 09 '01 (Updated Feb 15 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Takes up less space than a mouse, nice design, relatively easy to use
Cons: A bit large for people like me with very small hands, leaning curve
The Bottom Line: Even with small hands it is far easier to use than any mouse, but really it is not designed for people with very small hands.
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| egab01's Full Review: |
About a year ago I was getting ready to buy a computer for home use (the first time I owned a home computer in over 10 years). A friend of mine was helping me to decide what and where to buy my computer.
Around the same time he was working at the local convention center and they were having a computer show. He walked up to the Kensington table while they were setting up and started talking to the people. He told them that he absolutely loved his Orbit trackball and that it had significantly impacted reducing his wrist pain that was in the beginning stages of carpal tunnel, and that he would love to get the newest model but he couldn't right then.
After about 15 minutes of talking to the lady she told him she really appreciated what he had to say and told him she was one of the engineers who designed the Orbit. At the end of the convention she came over to where he was working and gave him one of the show floor models of the most current version. He then gave me his old Orbit for my new computer.
Prior to using the Orbit I had used a square track ball and my boyfriend has a more natural design model (the brand on both of those I don't recall). The square one was extremely uncomfortable for me and my boyfriend's is larger than the Orbit which is uncomfortable for me. As a result I had little experience with track balls.
There was a definite learning curve to using the track ball, because as with the mouse the fingers do not move the wrist does. With the track ball the wrist does not move and the fingers do. I had to learn to keep my thumb on the button and pick up my fingers to continue the movement of the cursor.
I had hoped the track ball would be more helpful in reducing the stress on my wrist as I am at the beginning stages of Carpal Tunnel myself. Unfortunately, It has helped but not enough for me. Don't get me wrong, I really like my track ball much better than a mouse, however, my biggest problem is that I have very small hands and the Orbit is designed for the "average" size hand user.
At my current workplace there are two trackballs (both Logitech I think) that are much more comfortable for me to use. The lady I work with has even smaller hand than I do and so she bought trackballs that are narrower than the Orbit is.
Overall the basic design is much easier to use than a mouse or the square track balls. It is easier for a left-handed person (like my boyfriend) to use than a mouse. It is far easier to clean than a mouse and it takes up less space on the desk. It has a very nice visual design and it is great for an "average" size hand user.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
egab01
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Member: Gabriella
Location: San Francisco, Ca
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 7 members
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