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For Kensington Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball, 718 customer reviews collected from 1 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.3.

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4.3.2015

I've had this trackball a week now and have used it exclusively for that time for up to 8 hours a day and while I want to say I would never go back to a mouse, I don't think that would be true, rather I don't think this will completely replace my mouse YET!We have some issues to overcome which actually stop me from replacing my mouse completely;1. There is no 'Enhance pointer precision' setting like I have with my mouse, so even with careful setup it's just not got the fine control/accuracy of my mouse. I need this accuracy for my graphic design work and I just can't get it with the trackball.2. You are forced to use your thumb for left click and trying to double click with your thumb is not as easy as using your finger.Add to this the fact that you have to hold down your thumb to click drag and it's quite awkward and actually not useable for fine control requirements like graphic design or photo editing which is a large part of my daily workflow.3. Not really an issue but a gripe, it's about as "plastic(y)" and cheap as any other low to mid price mouse and the scroll ring particularly just feels like it's broken (but works great)SETUP:This is nothing like a mouse in terms of setup, the software is easy to use but don't try and set it up like you would your mouse, you'll just find yourself throwing the trackball out the window. The thing is; this trackball is very sensitive and setting fast pointer speeds just doesn't work like it does for a mouse where we have the 'Enhance pointer Precision' setting. The best setup turned out to be slower pointer speeds (around 35% or a little slower) and high acceleration settings (100%), I was then able to get better accuracy with the ability to easily move from top to bottom or between monitors thanks to the acceleration setting that basically multiplies the pointer distance/speed when you move the ball quickly.IN USE:For web browsing and general office and desktop application use it excels (once you get used to it) and it performs much better than a mouse. With a multi-monitor setup It's easier and quicker to move between screens with a quick spin of the ball and scrolling is super quick (you can adjust the speed of that too) and the level of accuracy is fine for desktop use (we need that 'enhance pointer precision' setting again to make it truly amazing). It doesn't take too long to get used to the trackball and you will find yourself flying across the screen and happily clicking away.For Graphic/Photo work:I tried and tried to use the trackball for my graphic design work (vector illustrations and print design), but even after a week of use and being able to use the trackball for everything else, It was absolutely not good enough for my needs when it came to the reason I bough it. The fact is the two issues it has stop it from working in the area where I feel this type of device is probably aimed at.With no pointer precision enhancement the pointer wobbles on screen because it's so sensitive, every little movement/wobble is seen on screen. And because we have no pointer precision selecting menus and shortcuts etc. you need to be a little more careful because you end up accidentally moving the ball when you thumb click. Menus and icons are notoriously small and deeply nested in this type of software and I found myself missing, miss-clicking and generally getting annoyed at the lack of precision.With a mouse with pointer precision turned on I have no such issues.In the end I earn my living from this type of work and it takes me much longer to do the work using the trackball and that costs me.HEALTH:A lot of people buy trackball devices to help ease carpal/wrist injuries or strains. I'm not a big sufferer of this, but do feel the strain after 8 hours like most of us, however this trackball did not help, it was just as bad as it normally is even with the slide on wrist rest which I do use. So in my experience this is no better for your health than a good quality mouse setup.SUMMARY:I would imagine this trackball is excellent for gaming and first person shooters and I know it's great for general desktop use and web browsing and if that's what you want to use it for, then I highly recommend it. But if you use photo, graphic or DAW software then I would try before you buy.ONE WEEK ON UPDATE:A week on from writing this review, have now gone back to using a mouse full time. There is just no getting away from the fact that with good setup a mouse is so much easier to work with than the trackball, at least for me anyway. The trackball is still a great device, but for me and the work I do, a mouse is much better and far more productive.
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5.11.2018

I have to admit, this item takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you’re used to conventional laptop trackpads or computer mice.It’s very large in design, which surprised me a little as from the product image I had expected somethin a little smaller, but then due to the ball needing to be easy to use, it would need to be larger so the body of the mouse needs to accommodate that. It is comfortable, but it does take a few hours to start to get used to, and I think it would take days or weeks to really get it to feel second nature to where you don’t have to actually think to use it (to where I’d feel like it’s mroe an extension of my hand rather than a large trackball mouse.The buttons feel quite nice to press, doesn’t take a lot of finger strength to get it to click.I enjoy playing adventure games that are completely controlled by a mouse (the game I’m playing the moment is an old school game from the 90s and only needs mouse input) and having this means I can completely lean back comfortably and use the trackpad and keep my arm comfortable with this on my lap or at my side rather than having to lean forward at the laptop and be awkwardly leaning forward to keep moving the mouse on the laptop table.It was fairly easy to install, plugging it in and the laptop recognised it fairly fast. From there it was just a case of really trying to get used to working the thing. As I said if you’re used to using conventional track pad or mouse you might struggle at first and this may feel a bit slow or awkward, you’ll find your mouse pointer darting all over the place or awkwardly trying to pull it to where you want it to be and the trick is trying to learn how to use the two middle fingers to control the ball while using the index finger and pinkie (or if your hands are a bit bigger, the ring finger) to control the buttons. You might need to also adjust the mouse speed in either the mouse settings in your desktop settings or depending on what you’re using it for, igniting need to change the speed for certain games (I had to for a few of mine).It’s taking a bit of work but it’s been very useful. My disabled mother had a go with it while I was busy cleaning, and although she’s struggling with the use of getting the pointer where she wants it, she feels this would be a brilliant tool for herself (and for others with disabilities) as she sometimes has limited movement in her arm due to arthritis and back issues and being able to sit relatively still is far easier than moving her arm back and forth, left and right - being able to sit back on the couch with the laptop on the table and the mouse on her knee, she felt quite comfortable as she didn’t have to lean forward or have a book on her lap and try to awkwardly move the mouse around on that.It’d probably be a great mouse for someone with very limited mobility but with the use of a hand. I think of my aunt who has Multiple Sclerosis and who struggles to lift or push her arms (she says it feels like she’s dragging her limbs through tar when she tries to move sometimes) but finds a trackpad on a laptop easy to use - something like this would be easy for her to do her browsing and internet shopping without a lot of tiring movement. Tie this mouse in with the on screen keyboard you can bring up with accessibility settings on the computer, and it would be brilliant for a lot of people with various issues using a computer.I don’t suffer with RSI (repetitive strain injury) much but I could see this solving a lot of problems for people who find they get issues with their elbows when using the mouse or wrist pain, etc.
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28.5.2015

A great experience, migrating from a microsoft Explorer mouse the ratcheted scrolling takes a little getting used to but with adjustable speed - no problem. The trackballworks 1.2 sw is very comprehensive and will allow you to customise the device on a global or application basis. Which is useful. I use Sibelius and Finale where small precise movements put quite a strain on the hand after a full day of use but this device - although it takes a little getting used to after an orthodox mouse - starts to feel quite natural after playing a few games. The effort of holding down the left click while dragging items across the screen is greater than with the mouse and it is a co-ordination thing,training the hand to behave differently but already, after just 24 hours of use, the accuracy is starting to improve and there is no residual strain on the hand. A wrist rest may improve things even further but so far, this device is just sitting flat on the desk and no problems. Occasionally, I get the urge to pick it up and shuttle it as I would a mouse but with practice I expect this instinct will disappear. My partner thinks I am kicking her off the computer - the device isn't for everyone, but after you have struggled for years to find a comfortable working set-up anything that improves that is a blessing.Set up is a case of trial and error and the extra function of the two top buttons puts a range of possibilities at your fingertips. Trackball works 1.2 does allow chording and the scrolling click we get is quite unobtrusive. The keys are not heavy or much louder than ye olde Explorer mouse and while some users report they have a sweet spot, it's really quite large and these extra movements of hand and fingers help to keep things loose. The static hand position we adopt for the normal mouse is a primary source of the cramp we experience. In any case with the Slimblade the movements are not large and flinging the ball around in its mount enables us to cover a large amount of real estate of multiple monitors, quickly and relatively precisely. Loading the sw for the first time, I had an oh oh moment with the cursor only moving in the vertical axis, but maybe I was asking the Trackball works sw to do too much too quickly. In any case, it straightened itself out after a reboot and a few minutes of playing around. No problems since.The lack of horizontal scrolling is seen as a negative feature for many it seems, but if you hold down shift while scrolling in windows it converts the vertical to horizontal and is a bit quicker than fiddling around with the little corner buttons. The window needs to be active for this to work - if you can remember that you should have no problems.As a musician I am quite familiar with the idea of muscle memory so my relapses back into standard mouse mode are quite understandable but with practice comes perfect and though I am not there yet, I feel it won't be long before using this device comes as second nature. As a musician I appreciate anything that means I can avoid the visits to the doctor and keep my hands in top condition. This is not just a device for people with impairments though I can easily imagine how it might alleviate the problems they experience with a normal mouse. If you have used the normal mouse for years and don't like changing, save your money and buy a nice big fat normal mouse though if you are willing to try something a bit different and are prepared to put in a little practice, the results could impress you.
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25.2.2013

The Good: I had problems with my normal mouse, as I do a lot of photo editing in Lightroom, which entails prolonged periods of clicking on sliders, and the need to keep my finger pressed down while I move sliders for the best effect - this was not going to do my finger any good, and it was uncomfortable. The Kensington Expert Mouse has changed that, and to move the sliders I just need to press my thumb down lightly on the bottom left (left click) button, and move the large trackball with my finger or fingers (the bottom left button is right click). Even after a long session my hand feels relaxed, and I can therefore use the mouse with much more control - I mean,you would soon get writers cramp if you had to hold a pen tightly, and wouldn't be able to write very well - a relaxed hand makes so much difference. I read that the scroll wheel feels and sounds rough and scratchy, and this is true, although it's not that bad and worth putting up with. I also use the scroll wheel in Lightroom to re-size the brushes and spotting tool etc.,which is useful. It also seems to be pretty accurate when masking with the editing brush, and again a relaxed hand helps a lot - I don't know if I will need a tablet and pen for photo editing when I start using Photoshop, but this might possibly do the trick. The gel wrist pad has had mixed reviews, but I find it comfortable, and my wrist is in a straight position. To be honest I was surprised that there was almost no learning curve, and my Apple Magic Mouse was put away in cupboard within 5 minutes. The trackball is very smooth, and the cursor shoots around the screen very quickly and accurately.The Bad: I wasn't interested in the software that allows you to personalise the 4 buttons (left & right click + scroll wheel is all I need). But I read on the internet that the top 2 buttons have a default use, and just wanted to know if that was correct. I downloaded the manual from kensington.com, but strangely there was no information about the thing works. So I decided to email customer services (they need to rename that department!) and the website directs you to register first - but after that you go to a screen that just asks you to register for product updates, then takes you in a circle. I managed to get the email address of another Kensington department, but a series of emails just left me pulling my hair out, as they just told me to go to the site again, even though I told them there is no link, and then they gave me another link which did not work. I then managed to contact the UK customer services by telephone, and was advised to just try the top 2 buttons and see what happens! They did not know how I could contact customer services by email either, and didn't know much about the product - they did saw however, that the Kensington mouse I purchased from Amazon (after I gave the product number) was an old Kensington Expert product that came out in 2007, and that the product on their website is up to date (it seems to work ok though, but wonder if the newer product direct from them will work better with the software for those who want to re-assign the buttons?All being said though, I am very happy with the product. I complained to the UK office about the lack of very basic product information, and the problem in contacting customer services, and they sent my concerns to the USA by email, with a copy to me, so at least someone at Kensington has taken ownership of this problem
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23.3.2010

UPDATE 24 FEB 2011Here is an update to my original review. I just as keen on this excellent input device as I was a year ago when I bought it. It has been in constant use and it really is imho the best input device I have ever used.I use it for graphics, mostly in Adobe Illustrator for example and there is so much control and it is precise. Equally it can go very quickly across screens so I can get across my two screens easily.I also use it for editing video in Final Cut Pro and here, it is really superb. It's great big trackball makes it very easy to just creep forward and back a frame at a time.I really do think that people may overlook this terrific input device because it is not slick and cool,but it is very much the best possible thing for the job.My only comment that could be negative, but isn't, is that using it exclusively may risk RSI problems with you shoulder. I think this is true of any mouse of this sort. That is why I also use the Contour RollerMouse Free. This I use for scrolling around word processing documents and that kind of thing.ORIGINAL REVIEW MARCH 2010I bought mine on 30 January so I've had it for six weeks now. I absolutely love it!I do not use it exclusively, I use it in conjunction with a Contour RollerMouse Free. However I use the Kensington Expert Mouse for graphics. I recently just finished doing a lot of editing of a video with Final Cut Express and the Expert Mouse is superb for this kind of thing.Many years ago I used a Kensington trackball, I think in about 1995, and I really like that one, but this is so much better because it has such a large trackball.The negative things about this trackball are that it feels a bit cheap in construction compared with say, a Logitech or Microsoft mouse at this price, however I think it is well constructed nevertheless.It looks rather 70s to me but I don't mind this. In actual use the feel is very good. The scroll wheel bearing surface is noisy in a plasticy way but there is no problem with this in use.From time to time it is a good idea to remove a build up of gunge on the three little ball bearings. I keep an old toothbrush nearby for this purpose. It's also quite good to take the ball out and polish it, perhaps with your shirt :)Any of these small negatives are hugely outweighed by the fact that the level of control over the cursor is superb. That is what an input device like this is for and that is what it does so well.Before I got this I tried the most expensive Logitech mouse, however the software for that on my Mac was a disaster so I had to send it back. IMHO the Kensington Expert Mouse is a far better buy than that more expensive Logitech mouse. The level of control over the cursor is much better.The software for the Kensington Expert Mouse works very well indeed on my Mac. I use it with the default settings and it is fine. The scroll direction can be switched with a menu in the menu bar at the top of the Mac OS screen and this is very handy.If you buy this you will be initially disappointed when you take it out of the packaging. You will think it is a prop from the Star Wars movie.When you first use it you will think it is a bit weird if you have not used a trackball before. You will still be having doubts.After a week of using it you will never want to use a "normal" mouse again!
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6.11.2018

This is a review of the Orbit Optical Trackball - 64327EU. It's an ambidextrous wired trackball.First things first - don't think about using this as a portable device with your laptop - the first thing that happened when I opened the box was the ball dropped out and rolled across my desk - it's held in place purely by gravity so if you turn the device upside down the ball drops into the hand you need to hold out to catch it.The other notable thing is that - having researched this - looked in the very brief user manual, there is no scroll function on this mouse. I don't know about you but I've become totally accustomed to scrolling down web pages by turning the scroll wheel in the middle of every mouse I've used for the last 20 years.Finding that I have to left click in the scroll bar, hold the button down while spinning the trackball has been a petty irritation that hasn't worn off yet. If you buy this mouse presumably it's because a standard mouse isn't appropriate for you - a wrist injury maybe - you need to be aware that the concession you're making is that scrolling is going to be a bit more tedious with this device. Because it's second nature you don't tend to realise that using a scroll wheel on a mouse is an unconscious process - you don't have to aim it, you just need to know that the window you're trying to scroll in has focus, and often this is simply by hovering your mouse over the window. With this trackball you have to aim your first click for the correct place on the scrollbar which is definitely not an unconscious process - certainly to start with when you're learning how to use this trackball.My other comments are probably far more common for all trackballs:You need to get good at aiming when you spin the ball. Over time your accuracy improves, but I doubt whether I'll ever achieve the same accuracy I enjoy with a standard mouse.The Kensington software was fairly easy to locate on their website, but adds little to the way the trackball works - you can adjust speed of cursor movement, acceleration - which made little difference, and in theory you can assign a joint left and right click to a series of different commands, one of which is scroll, but this had the effect of just moving my screen a few pixels for each click which was completely useless.The quality of ball on this trackball is very good - it is flawless - something you can't take for granted. I had an expensive Logitech trackball that had a tiny scratch on its trackball which drove me insane every time it caught on the rollers inside the device - it caused the cursor to jump a tiny bit, just enough to mean I kept clicking in the wrong place. So it's nice that this metallic grey trackball is both nice to look at and to use.In summary - if the Kensington's TrackballWorks software allowed you to combine left and right clicks with a spin of the trackball and give you a working scroll function then I'd recommend this mouse. But in the absence of this I'll just say it's reasonably priced, and if you're stuck having to use a trackball for whatever reason - a case of RSI for example - then this device will work, but I'd recommend opting for one with a scroll wheel if you can afford it.
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13.4.2019

I bought this Kensington Orbit Mouse trackball with scroll ring in 2015 for about GBP25. There are generally two big categories of trackballs: thumb-operated and finger-operated. This Kensington trackball is finger-operated and symmetrical (ambidextrous), which turned out to be very important advantage in my case. I often experience pain in my right arm, working long time with computer mouse and keyboard, so I wanted to experiment with something different than the usual computer mice. And this trackball helped me a lot, since I learned to use it with my left hand and that brought great relief to my right arm. That pain relief alone is priceless!Pros (and my personal bias):(+)It is a finger-operated symmetrical (ambidextrous) trackball. I am right handed, but it took me just about a week to learn to operate this trackball with my left hand. Of course, my left-hand pointing device performance is not as high as when I am using a mouse with my right hand, but as the typical interaction with computers includes a lot of other activities, like thinking and typing, my overall performance does not really degrade. If I have to quantify, I would say the total performance loss is under 1%.(+) It is a USB wired device, meaning there are no batteries. I don't mind the cable. The USB cable is 1.5 metres long.(+) It does not require any drivers for GNU/Linux or Windows OS. It manifests like a regular mouse to the computer and to its user.(+) It has a detachable wrist rest, made of something like stiff rubber. I am personally not using it, but I find it a useful option. It is also thoughtfully made, as the wrist rest has a small connecting rib, which nicely fits into a groove on the underside of the trackball (see close up on my picture 4). This way the rest and the ball can not be unintentionally separated by normal hand movements.(+) It has sufficiently good optical resolution. It feels like a 1000+ dpi mouse. As a comparison I can say that a 800 dpi mouse is not enough for me. I prefer mice of 1000 dpi, at least, and with 1200 to 1600 dpi I feel most comfortable. In my case, it is not enough to change the mouse settings of a 800 dpi mouse, e.g. to "speed up" the mouse pointer.(+) The ball glides smoothly. The big ball sits on 3 tiny balls (see my picture 5). Grease and dirt may collect there, so you might need to clean these areas and the ball from time to time.(+) It has a scroll ring with smooth operation. Unless you are a gamer, this is exactly what you need for scrolling through webpages and documents. Not that I have heard of any contemporary gamer using a trackball, anyway.Cons:(-) This particular model has only 2 buttons, whilst I sometimes need more.Tip:If you are a software engineer you might find some extra joy and satisfaction by programming the trackball to do something different than a mouse (pointer). Last year I played around a bit and I created a small demo application for X on GNU/Linux, where the trackball is used to pan an endless drawing board, while the primary mouse (pointer) is used to draw lines. So I was able to use both my hands in a fashion, similar to the way mechanical engineers use 3Dconnexion spacemouse in their CAD programs.
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10.11.2018

Despite the name the Kensington expert mouse wired optical trackball is a trackball and cant be used as a mouse. It is HUGE and takes up as sizeable amount of desk space - especially if you use the included wrist pad - which I have done as the photos can show. For size purposes the mouse is the already large Logitech MX Master 2.Using a trackball was partly going against 20 years of ingrained mouse usage; and I was really happy how quickly I adjusted. Though I haven't mastered using this as a one hand trackball - the ball is just too big to operate and keep fingers free for the buttons - this makes simple move and click and click and drag actions a two handed job.Out of the box the trackball didn't work well on my dual 5k screened desktop; taking a lot of scrolling to cross both screens..Downloading the software using the supplied link didn't work on the day I tried; but I found the drivers from the product web page; and the Kensington Expert software is excellent; the mouse is every bit as configurable as the Logitech software for my mouse. If you are setting things up; bear in mind you need to click update to test the changes which confused me for a few attempts and setting it up. I remain struggling with fine control; and find myself grabbing my mouse when I need it. The Kensington configuration app allows you to mark a go slow key when you need precision but the options always overlapped with shortcuts in my day to day use.The build quality of the mouse is a mixed bag; the ball has a nice weight and the four buttons all work with a movement and click - the plastic doesn't bow as you press it its nice and rigid. That said the plastics feel a bit basic alongside the Logitech mouse the materials aren't as well thought through and don't delight to the touch - its functional first on the whole. The wrist pad was a very tight fit when I was installing it but it didn't break. My Favourite operational feature is my least favourite build feature; around the ball is a rotatable plastic dial. Operationally this is genius; the original apple iPod's spinning wheel is a spectacular design and rotating a dial to scroll pages up and down and as a design choice its simply outstanding; just like the wheel on a mouse its exactly where you hands are only the size gives you more precision. Sadly Kensington didn't put a bearing to support the dial so it grinds plastic on plastic as you spin it; you can hear it so they didn't put any lubrication in either. The the spin wheel didn't have the same buttery smoothness as rotating the trackball cost the review a star.There is a lot to like about the trackball; once you get past the size and that looks a bit like a refugee from the 80's. The size pushes it into two handed operation I'm still tinkering with the speed and acceleration speeds to make crossing screens to find the right setting for me that delivers the best speed/ acceleration.
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22.9.2016

Unsure of whether to award this 3 stars or 4, I've decided to go for 4 as 3 could be a bit unfair to it. I've opted for a trackball as a result of a desk assessment at work where I mentioned sore wrists and I was advised a trackball would significantly reduce movement of my arm and wrist and result in alleviating some of the soreness experienced. It had got me thinking and I then had a look around, investigated the various options and got hold of the Kensington Expert Mouse Optical Wired USB device once I noticed a price drop on Amazon. Firstly, this is doing a great job for me when working in constricted spaces (such as my desk at home that's loaded with various bits and pieces of clutter).I no longer have to fight for space to move a mouse around. My wrist can sit on the chunky wrist wrest and away we go! The ball is of a good size and weight (at first I had thought it would be too heavy to roll around), which really helps with accuracy. With four buttons you can program these to do whatever you need (from double-clicking to functioning as Page-Up and Page-Down keys). The scroll-wheel is something that would have been hard to live without, even though this one is really annoying (especially if you are a perfectionist or have OCD). It has a "grinding" feel to it, occasionally (or regularly, depending on your use) and does not offer a smooth, consistent resistance all the way around. This is apparently caused by the magnet on the inside that is used to provide it with it's "natural resistance". If you search online you will find further evidence of this and even some steps on how make modifications to improve this (which I have not yet resorted to). The wrist wrest is a really nice thing to have. While it's not perfect (it doesn't perfectly fit or attach onto the main unit and can seem a bit too elevated) working without it can cause more strain / pain in your hand, so I'm glad it's there. The material it's made of and it's "feet" mean it doesn't move, even if it isn't perfectly flush with the main unit, nor does it cause any skin irritation or make you perspire around the wrist. i.e. it's 100% functional. In fact, functionality is probably what's most important here and is perhaps the best way to sum the entire unit up. It's a good investment that is very functional and can save your wrists, provide better accuracy and control over your arrow pointing and clicking and no longer requires you to worry about having the space to move a mouse around. In fact, I have comfortably used this in "lazy mode" while sat in bed and the trackball by my side - which is an impossibility with a mouse.
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1.11.2018

Kensington Expert Mouse - Wired Optical Ergonomic Trackball Mouse with Scroll Ring, Compatible with Windows & macOS - Space Grey (64325)In the box.The mouse with attached USB cable and instructions.Compatibility.It will work with Windows 10 and Mac OS. It plugs and plays so no driver software is needed although there is an app you can download from Kensinton to enhance usability if you need to.Set up.It’s plugs and plays. It draws power from the computer so you don’t need batteries.Build quality.As the price suggests it is a top-quality item, made of excellent materials and backed up by a 5-year manufacturers guarantee.Using.It does take a bit of getting used to.It is basically an upside-down mouse where you move the mouse ball to track rather than the mouse itself. It, means you don’t have to move the mouse just the tracker ball to move the cursor on the screen. It has a built-in wrist rest which I felt was a bit too small for someone like me with big hands. I ended up putting another one in front of it and that made it much more comfortable to use long-term – I have had several mice using this type of design due to a long-term hand problem. I do find them more comfortable to use for longer computing sessions but they are much slower than a traditional design. These are really for office and net use rather than gaming or any application that needs precision and speed.The app.This allows you to customise the speed and button to your needs. The app can be downloaded from (software.kensington.com)Overall.This is an interesting alternative to a traditional mouse. It is very well made and designed but you do pay for that. I do find it much more comfortable to use than a traditional mouse due to my hand problem for office use and net surfing. I still need to use a traditional mouse for photo editing, CAD and games but this type of mouse is my main day to day mouse. The other advantage is that you don’t have to move the mouse around like a traditional mouse so if space is tight this might be the answer. It takes a while to learn how to use it but practice makes perfect. This is a quality mouse that fits a specialist niche in my opinion. I like it but am used to the concept. My wife can’t get on with the design and my kids say they are no use to them for gaming so if you embrace the limitations and use the advantages it may be the best mouse you have ever used or an expensive mistake.
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26.10.2009

I recently went from using a laptop to using a desktop set up next to my computer, and as my old wireless mouse kept falling off the bed and a book didn't make a good mouse mat I decided to get a trackball mouse. This is something ive pondered for years anyway. I looked at this one and the similarly priced one from Logitech Logitech Marble Mouse, but decided on this as the activation of the scroll function (pressing both buttons simulateously) seemed easier.The product itself is good quality, there is a disadvantage that the ball just sits in its hole, meaning if you are going to be moving it about alot it could get lost. The buttons are quite large and register a click wherever you press on them,which is very good as this makes it easy to position your hand on the mouse in different places and accommodates different hand sizes easily. The ball is quite sensitive, and takes a bit of getting used to compared to a normal mouse, but i expect this applies to all trackballs. You can adjust the sensitivity of the ball and lots of other things using Kensington mouseworks. This is where this product failed most, because Kensington didn't include this software with the product or put it on their website on this products page! It can be downloaded free at popular software download sites, i think they're on about version 6. Once you have mouseworks you can set up the scroll function, which is activated by pressing both buttons together (although you can adjust the lapse between the two buttons to make it easier to activate), then the ball is a big scroll ball until you click again. However i have not been able to scroll horizontally, which can be annoying, and the default speed is quite slow, but this can be sped up, but on some applications (particularly ones like google earth where you use the scroll to zoom in and out the scroll is far to sensitive and before you know it you're on street level!One other minor irritation is that when your hand sits very far forward on the mouse and your fingers are on the front side of the ball it often lifts up slightly, which is annoying. Also, rather strangely (and quite possibly my computers fault) i initially started using the mouse in the PS/2 slot, but one day it just didn't recognise it, but it worked fine in a USB slot.Overall a good price, and a good mouse with a fair amount of functions, just make sure you get MouseWorks to go with it.
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7.8.2012

I am a programmer, and spend a lot of time in front of computers: I generally use a computer for 7 hours each day at work, and also use one a lot in the evenings at home too. For the past few years I have been experiencing muscle twitches and spasms in my arms and hands, especially in periods where I have spent extra time on the computer.A while back I decided to buy a trackball, and bought a Logitech thumb trackball. I really liked it, but after a while some of the buttons stopped working properly, and I also found it difficult to move the ball forwards and backwards with the same speed and accuracy as I could move it side to side.A few months ago, I bought one of these trackballs to use at work,and I absolutely love it! I find it so much easier to use than the thumb trackball, and I find it easy to use with my left and right hand, which means that I can switch hands when I get twitches or pains.A week after buying this I bought another one to use at home so now I own 2!A lot of people have complained about the scroll wheel feeling cheap and scratchy, and I even read somewhere that it feels like it has sand inside it! This is definitely true when you first buy the unit, and it still does feel like that to some extent, but the action of the scroll wheel gets better and better as you use it and feels much more fluid.I have used this trackball with both Linux (Ubuntu) and Max OSX and it works fine with both of them. The (unofficial) Ubuntu driver is brilliant, as I can set one of the buttons to be a scroll button. If I tap it, I have set it to navigate backwards, but if I hold it down then the main ball works like a scroll wheel which is really smooth. Unfortunately you can't do this with the Mac driver and I don't know if this is possible on Windows.Overall this is the best 'mouse' I have ever owned for general usage (I have a regular mouse for gaming still), and takes up a lot less space on my desk than a regular mouse as I don't have to move it around. I don't think this has cured my RSI on its own, but it definitely helps as I can switch back and forth between this, my thumb trackball and a normal mouse depending on the state of my hands. I 100% prefer this to a thumb trackball.Edit: 5 Years later this thing is still going perfectly. The mouse wheel is smooth, I get less weird muscle twitches in my thumb and it's a joy to use. I definitely recommend this.
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16.5.2011

I have tried out many trackball devices recently and they all seem to be flawed in some way - either they force your hand into a particular position (which often is uncomfortable for my large hands) or they don't include features that I've come to rely on (e.g. the scroll wheel or a middle button).With the Kensington the two buttons are further 'forward' than other devices such as the marble mouse and I find this more comfortable. Also because the device is symmetrical there's no issue with using it either right or left handed. There's no middle button but once you've installed the Kensington software you can set it up so that both buttons clicked together simulate a middle click which workswell for me and is useful in Windows 7.The scroll ring doesn't have any resistance so I had to play with the scroll speed settings until I found a speed I was comfortable with. However it does mean that with a little practice you can 'flick' it to scroll a larger distance which can be handy sometimes.Some people say the supplied wrist rest doesn't fit very well but it seems secure enough to me as long as you attach it in the correct manor, plus as you're not moving it around on the desk it seems to stay in place ok. However, although it IS made of a rubber like material, it is quite hard and doesn't really offer much in the way of comfort. Some softer gel based material would be much better I think.The trackball itself is exactly the same size as the one in the Logitech marble mouse, and trying them side by side there's not much difference in the action of the mechanism. The Kensington feels almost as smooth as the Logitech, but the marble mouse feels a little more 'weighty'. It's really very subjective and the difference is tiny.It works out of the box without any software installation on both Windows 7 and Linux (Ubuntu). But if you want the middle click functionality in Windows you'll need to download and install the software from Kensington.Overall the device feels cheaper and more "plasticky" than the Logitech products, but given the price, the unique scroll ring, and the improved ergonomics (for larger hands ;-) then I recommend it.Summary:I Like:- Scroll ring- Smooth action- Button position.I wish it had:- Web forward/back buttons - surprisingly useful- A soft wrist rest- Higher quality 'feel'.
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23.10.2018

Trackballs have been around for a long time now. Initially they were often used by draughtsmen or graphic designers, who often found them easier to handle. When RSI became an issue with the repetitive strain introduced by mouse use, they also had a resurgence as a serious alternative. Whereas the ideal situation for someone with RSI is probably a windows touch screen monitor or laptop, these days they are still popular for those who are either disabled or those who simply cannot cope with the amount of movement necessary for a typically mouse.This is the first trackball that I have used recently and I am very pleased to see that design has moved on and that this product offers a genuine variation in choice for computer users.This works with a PC or a Mac,and offers a comfortably large stationary pointing device with a large moving ball on the top, with which you duplicate the type of motion that a mouse would produce but in reverse.. This comes with a 2.4Gh dongle and operates completely wirelessly, with 2 AA batteries provided. Simply insert the dongle into a free USB port and you will have a fully working trackball in a little over 30 seconds.Around the base of the track ball is the equivalent of a scroll wheel on a mouse that operates simply by touch, and left and right large buttons on either side of the device. This product then offers all the functions of a typical mouse without having to be physically moved around.After using it all day, there remain just a couple of things to say. You have to practice with a trackball to get as quick as you may be with a mouse, but after an hour or so you will find that it is already second nature to use this. If you are prone to wrist pain, then this can also cause similar symptoms in some cases but generally it will give relief because it simply stresses the wrist in a different way! I find it a lot easier then a typical mouse.Lastly, this is a superb product! Until you try it, you will not fully experience the benefits, but let me assure you that it is a good choice to make and this in particular is an excellent trackball that may set the standard for the current generation. I like it!
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12.10.2018

For my work I have to go to a lot of peoples’ desks, including several people who use a variety of trackballs instead of mice, so I need to be competent enough at pointing and clicking with a trackball- but to be honest I wouldn’t pick one out of choice, because I’m just so accustomed to a regular mouse. This trackball is a reasonably good example of the type, definitely, but it’s not going to sway me to the trackball side.Some plusses first- it feels very nice in the hand and the clicking it intuitive. The ball is nicely tactile and rolls well. Setting it up was simple plug-and-play on both a Mac and a PC.A few gripes- the glossy black is too shiny,making it look cheap and showing fingerprints too much.I’m reviewing the 2-button mobile version, and my biggest gripe, possibly specific to this one type, would have to be- AA batteries?! What decade is this? OK so this is a mobile trackball but the deliberate weighting of it could easily have housed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that would have allowed it to serve as a wired input when possible and a wireless input when necessary. Instead, this thing will- admittedly rather slowly- eat through AA batteries like it’s 1987.Compared to a forty quid mouse, there are a couple of other things I miss- for example the variable speed controls, which on a gaming mouse are buttons on the mouse itself that can be very intuitively adjusted for bigger or smaller strokes when doing graphics work. I had to check the instructions on this to find how the touch scroll works- I’d posit that it’s not obvious. (The instructions also fail to mention that you have to remove some packaging that shipped around the ball itself otherwise it won’t work, but that’s another story.)Other people will probably differ but in my experience, trackballs are things people need rather than want- either for ergonomic reasons because they’ve got accessibility issues, or just because they have extremely small desks with limited room on them. And if that’s the case, this is a reasonably good, functional, business-like example that’s well made. But is another AA-battery-eater really the way forward?
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