Re: [tlug] Trackball [Re: Happy hacking keyboard]

["Daniel A. Ramaley" <daniel.ramaley@example.com>]

Years ago (1990s) i had a Kensington Expert Mouse. Best pointing device 
i've ever used. If i needed to make the pointer travel a long distance 
on the screen i could just give the ball a little push and let it go--
inertia would do the rest. I got rid of it when the connection between 
the device and its cable started behaving erratically. I didn't buy a 
new one because my finances as a student were rather limited, and since 
then haven't bought one because i've gotten used to a certain model of 
Logitech optical mice (which ceased production years ago, but the things 
are reliable enough that i've not needed to throw any away).

On 2014-08-06 at 14:45:57 Nicolas Limare wrote:
> Since we're talking keyboards[1], it's probably the good moment for
> questions about other input devices too.
> 
> I've been using a trackball (Logitech Cordless Optical) for 5 years
> now. It took me a few days at the beginning to adapt, get a good
> feeling of where the vertical/horizontal are, and grow some muscles on
> the back of the hand, but now I really prefer that than a mouse
> because:
> * I can operate it with my wrist resting on the desk and only moving
>   the fingers; this puts less stress on my wrist and hand than a
>   mouse
> * always at the exact same place on my desk, my hand finds it
>   instantly, and it needs no free space around
> * very precise for small pointer movements, and it can do large and
>   fast movements as well by pushing the ball in one direction, letting
> it roll, and stopping it at the destination.
> 
> But my trackball is damaged and I want to buy a new one, so here are
> my questions. Do you TLUGers have some experience or advice with these
> devices? Which position do you prefer, ball under the thumb or
> forefinger? Did you try a scroll ring? Which brand is crap, which is
> not?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> [1] Mine is a Typematrix and I like it so much I bring it with me when
> I go abroad for work. No I can't help feeling that any other
> keyboard, without a straight typematrix-like layout, is very, very
> uncomfortable.
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