Easiest Trackball for Those Used to Mousing Around
Written: Sep 02 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, efficient; easiest trackball for those who are used to using a mouse.
Cons: No scroll wheel.
The Bottom Line: A great, no-frills, inexpensive and effective trackball. Perfect for those making the transition from mouse to trackball.
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| thessa's Full Review: Logitech Marble Mouse (904360-0215) Trackball |
Due to bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and my desire to avoid surgery, I've been very aware of actions that cause my hands to hurt or go numb. One of these actions was daily use of a mouse. I had tried a trackball mouse ages ago, and after a day of frustration, returned it to the store. I thought I'd give it another try.
Over the course of a couple weeks, I headed to both Best Buy and Office Max and sampled several trackballs. I also read several articles online about trackballs as well as their effect on reducing or eliminating RSI (repetitive stress injury).
Several articles indicated that a trackball that was controlled with your fingertips rather than your thumb was best, because the thumb-controlled balls could lead to repetitive injuries in the thumb. I did briefly use a thumb-controlled trackball and noted that my thumb did feel tired from overuse.
I needed two trackballs: one for work, and one for home. If you're used to using a mouse, the first thing you'll notice about trackballs isn't their nifty, creative design (that's second); it's the price tag. Trackballs tend to be more expensive than mice. I sampled several trackballs, purchased a few, and at the end of two weeks, the two I kept were the Microsoft Trackball Explorer for work (see my other review), and the Logitec Marble Mouse for home.
I selected the Logitec Marble Mouse for home because of a few reasons:
1. At about $26, it's lots cheaper than most of the trackballs out there. The Microsoft Trackball Explorer was about $65, so I couldn't rationalize spending that much for two.
2. It can be programmed for using either left- or right-handed. If I want to give my dominant right hand a break, I can do a little quick reconfiguring in the Control Panel and switch sides.
3. It uses fingertips rather than thumb for trackball control, so no worries about developing a thumb RSI.
A Trackball Made of Solid Marble?
No, the Marble Mouse trackball isn't made out of marble, though the title does bring to mind something heavy and well-made. It's actually an optical trackball, meaning it "reads" the design on the trackball, and judges position based on that. What does this mean for you? Well, the old trackballs were notorious for being an annoyance that you had to continually clean. Supposedly this little trackball can get pretty filthy and still read it's position on the screen. That's important when you consider that the natural oils from your hands are constantly on the trackball (not to mention greasy potato chip or popcorn fingers, if you like to eat at your computer like I do).
How Does the Ball Itself Feel?
Unlike several of the other trackballs I tried, the ball on this one glides smoothly as if cushioned by air. There is no scratchy rolling action.
Easiest Trackball for Mouse-Users
The design of the Logitech Marble Mouse is probably the easiest for those who are trying to make the transition from mouse to trackball. The trackball is in the middle. On either side of the hand rest is a large button, allowing you to left- and right-click in a way similar to what you did with a mouse.
Simple Ergonomic Design
The Logitech Marble Mouse itself is fits perfectly in my hand. My wrist is in a completely neutral position. The ball is not so large that it feels cumbersome and unwieldly in my fingertips. It's a very natural, simple, no nonsense design. Many of the trackballs out there have actual indentations for fingertips - and that's great IF your hand is the same size as the designer's hand. I've never been able to find one of those that actually fit my hand right. The Logitech Marble Mouse would seem to be adequate for a large or small hand.
Scrolling
My only complaint about the Logitech Marble Mouse is that there is no scroll wheel. That's a pretty important item for Internet and spreadsheet users. Logitech gives you the next best thing to a scrollwheel, however, and that's to simultaneously click the left and right buttons. The pointer then turns into something that you can "scroll" with by moving the trackball.
My Ergonomic Trackball Setup
One of the great things about trackballs is that, unlike mice, you don't have to move them. I bought a mouse bridge online, which is a trackball rest that sits over your unused numeric keypad on your keyboard (check out http://www.keyalt.com/pointdevices/mousebridge.htm). Now, instead of reaching up on my desk (and cutting off the circulation to my hand due to resting my wrist on the edge of the desk), I'm now resting my forearm on the arms of my chair, with my trackball right on my keyboard in a very natural position.
I've been very pleased with the Logitech Marble Mouse. It's a great, no-frills, inexpensive but effective trackball mouse. If you're looking for a good, basic trackball, you can't go wrong with the Logitech Marble Mouse.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 26
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Epinions.com ID:
thessa
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
Calling it quits on Epinions, for now, at least.
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