Trackball Reviews

I found the Crayola trackball NEW in box on accident. A z-shop seller was selling it, after I had been looking for one for my 4 and 2 year old for three months. I was going to go with Microsoft Easyball, but they haven't made it for a while. It's a collector's type/hard to find thing now...The Crayola Trackball hasn't been made for a while either! I tried to find other "Kids" trackballs, but no one makes them like these anymore (BIG AND ROUND). They are out there, but they are very HARD TO GET A HOLD OF!

I first used it on Win 98. The trackball cursor was a little "skippy" or "jumpy", not just smooth like it should be. I called the company and left a message. They called me right back (TWICE!), and the support was great. The company stated you had to "uninstall" all previous mouse drivers first to fix this problem. However, I got a new system a couple weeks later with WINDOWS XP (home version). Even though the company didn't have drivers for the trackball, I plugged it up anyway to see if it would work. IT WORKED GREAT!!!! No installation, I can use my "normal" mouse, and when the kids want to play games, they just use the trackball. I leave BOTH hooked up all the time! I think it works BETTER with the XP system! My kids just love it! They get better hand eye controll with the large yellow ball and big red buttons. I can see where an elderly person or someone with a physical disability would also benefit from this device!

So, here is the report card....
Support = A+ Service = A+ Reliability = A Physical Apperance and styling (for kids) = A++++ EASE of use = A+

Hope you can find one and enjoy it as much as we do!

I got this trackball for my daughter when she was around 2. I hoped it would encourage her to become more interactive with the computer. She loved to sit on my lap and watch the computer but she did not want to interact w/ it. Initially after getting the trackball it did not help her to become more interactive and she still preferred to "watch" the childerens cd's we have.
I thought I had made a mistake getting it. However one day about 6 or 7 months later she just started using the trackball and never looked back. She has become quite an expert with it.

Some general comments on the trackball:
It's hit the floor a number of times so seems pretty durable. Also u can have a standard mouse plugged into the computer at the same time (I do). I'm happy w/ this purchase. The way my desk is set up and because my daughter is so little it would be difficult for her to use a standard mouse.

I bought this for my son in May. It is now July and he can do almost anything... Now that he can point and click all by himself, he is learning so much! I am so excited about this! I would highly recommend this for small children.

I used to use a mouse until one day at work my Mac took a nose-dive and I was forced to use a co-worker's Mac while my machine was being repaired. My co-worker was on vacation, so I was at his desk for 3 days. He had this trackball connected to his Mac and I felt like a new baby calf trying out new legs.

I was so used to my mouse, I felt like I had just gotten my hand for Christmas and didn't know how to use it. After just one day of using it, however, I was hooked. When my Mac was repaired, I stayed at my co-worker's desk until he came back from vacation, just so I could use his trackball and I asked my boss to order one for me as well.

No more mousepads, no more picking up and moving a mouse when you run out of cord and/or desk-space, and a trackball carefully designed to fit a normal adult human hand with ease.

The trackball is easy to clean and there is never any skipping on the rollers - the friction of the ball against the metal rollers is superb. The buttons are angled at such a way, they are almost a pleasure to click. I have never had wrist discomfort using this model.

The MouseWorks software that comes with the trackball allows you to program the 4 buttons to do different functions and you can even program "chords"... that is the action that happens when you click 2 buttons at once.

It is truly a shame that Kensington did not port this same exact model to USB for modern users and instead fell in love with the shiny colored plastic with poor traction on the rollers.

You can acquire an ADB to USB adapter that will allow you to use this on newer Macs or even PCs. The Kensington Mouseworks software is available for older Macs and newer Macs, as well as PCs.

If you have an old beige Mac you're using as a fax server or for another task, this model trackball is a joy to use.

For those using a newer Mac without an ADB port, you will have to buy a separate adapter to use this mouse with your computer.

I have had the original expert mouse for a long time and it is much eaiser to use than a normal mouse. I would not buy it though if you play a lot of games becuase it is hard to move very fast to certin but is great for regular use. Buy it!

I've used a Kensington TurboMouse for a solid decade, and I use my computer 4-5 hours per day, so I can recommend it with confidence.

The first one I bought lasted nine years. The fat ball and easy-to-click, naturally positioned buttons were a welcome relief from the Macintosh mice of the early 90's. User definable functions such as right button and chord (clicking both buttons at once) made the TurboMouse even more functional than a mouse. Heavily weighted with non-skid pads, it sits in about 1/2 the space of a mousepad. It gives a feeling of sturdiness and absolute precise control over your cursoring. And it's easy to clean; the ball falls out when you turn it over.

When mine started to go on the blink after 9 years, I ordered another - the 4-button model you see here, compatible with Kensington's latest software. Then I got up the courage to peel the sticker off the bottom. Lo and behold, the rollers were visible! And you would not believe the brown gunge that was accumulated in there. After I cleaned that out, the 9-year-old trackball was again functioning perfectly. What a service record!

I do recommend a foam wrist support with this, although it is much easier on the old carpal tunnel than a standard mouse. Gamers beware: you may discover trouble with using the button definitions with such games as Myth and Starcraft; to be quite precise, these used to work on my old PowerMac 7300, but no longer work on the ADB port of my Yikes! B&W G3. But I don't care about that very much; it's a great product and I'd buy a third in a heartbeat.

I had been under chiropractic treatment for well over 4 months with minimal to no improvement. I decided to get rid of my wireless keyboard and mouse in favor of this keyboard with an integrated trackball. That was a heaven sent. The integrated trackball all but eliminated the constant movement of reaching for the mouse and back to the keyboard. Also I was able to put the keyboard in may lap and with the trackball right there I could keep my arms right by my side which is the recommended postion to avoid injury from prolonged use. I am very happy to report that the pain in my arm and my shoulder and the accompanying numbness is all gone now, and it happened only after I started using this keyboard.

I just purchased the Kensington 4-Button Expert Mouse USB/PS2 Trackball. I have to admit that I have used this same mouse at work for several years and have found it very easy to use. I was having some discomfort when using my previous mouse, but the Expert Mouse is very comfortable to use. The programable buttons allow me to set up the buttons to fit my small hands.

The Mouseworks Software is simple to install and use. I plan on trying some features other than basic click and double click.

The Expert Mouse that I had at work was extremely reliable, and I anticipate that this one will be too. Thanks to receiving a cash gift for my retirement, I am able to finally have a mouse at home that I can use for an extended period of computer use without a lot of discomfort.

This was my first order from Amazon.com and I am completely satisfied. The package came more quickly that I had anticipated. It was great to be able to use my new Expert Mouse to access the Internet and to write this review. Thanks you,

I've tried out many mice and trackballs, and this is the best, both in terms of quality and price. Perfectly contoured, you need only wiggle your fingers to operate it, so your hand always remains in a natural, relaxed position. And it's a real speed demon: the incredibly smooth rolling optical track ball just makes the cursor glide effortlessly across the screen. The tracking and scrolling speed and five mouse buttons are programable globally or per application in both OS 9 and OS X, allowing precise control in every task.
If you are a right handed Mac person, you really owe it both to yourself and your computer to get this wonderful device from a company dedicated to the Mac platform.

I have had (the wheel-less version of) this trackball for what seems like forever. It's outlasted two computers, three moves, and must have been with me over 5 years at this point. (It was the brand-new, cutting-edge model when I got it!)

It fits *so* comfortably in the hand, especially for someone with long fingers like me. (Putting my fingers on a top-ball model means my thumb is too short to reach the buttons!)

It's simple to clean, has never given me a moment's grief, and is still going strong today. Considering it's been disconnected (*why?!?!?), I'm thinking about getting another now just as protection against the day it finally dies, I don't want to ever use anything else!

This mouse is one of the best I have ever used. With or without the scroll wheel, it is the only mouse our household (of 5 computers) has used for years. Two nights ago one of ours gave out, and I went to Staples to replace it only to discover that they discontinued them. The replacement model has serious issues - it's more compacted and has a sharp ridge down the middle, as well as having the trackball moved further up, making use painful.

If you can get your hands on one of these, do it. Logitech no longer makes a comfortable trackball with the ball on the left side.

From a person who earns his living with a mouse. I work with CAD/CAM software daily. In the old days a mouse might last 6 months - this one lasted over three years. My boss bought a TrackMan Marble one day and soon we all had them due to the comfort. No hand cramping! In CAD you constantly use your mouse pointer and this was the best of the best. Too bad they discontinued it. The replacement design was not made for the pro - it's simply a consumer mouse. Once a person becomes used to this mouse, he or she wants no other. If you considering this mouse for a try I say buy it!

This is my second Logitech TrackMan, the other being the "TrackMan Marble +". I decided to test this unit by hooking it up to a laptop via USB and to use the native Windows 98 drivers. The "plug and play" worked without incident. Although I don't have the degree of function control I would have with the Logitech software, the TrackMan works; and I believe the computer is less prone to lockups and crashes without the "Mouseware" installed. I found the thumb marble easy to adapt to. The only thing I could wish for is the more precise cursor control offered by the TrackMan F/X (which Logitech says is not forthcoming in a USB version). If you're like me and prefer the feel of a trackball to a mouse or have limited desktop real estate, give the "TrackMan Marble Wheel" a try. You should be pleased.

I have been using the Logitech TrackMan Marble Wheel (formerly known as the TrackMan Marble Plus) since 1999. Prior to my use of this trackball I was a mouse user. Some people will always be mouse users while others will move beyond that. ;-) The advantages of this trackball are evident to me while I struggle to find negatives. The only negative that comes to mind is that it is a corded device.

This design has two buttons, an wheel, and an optical (yes, I said optical) trackball. The wheel serves as the third button and I have found it very useful as such, binding it to hook/grapple in Quake 2 and later to my secondary fire mode in Unreal Tournament. This design is a derivative of Logitech's older design from before the middle button became a wheel (Logitech TrackMan Marble), and it is given equal space as the middle button was given before it, which allows you to place your first three fingers on the buttons, allowing for quicker response times in games and such.

I've read several of the reviews on this site for this pointing device and there are several points I wish to make clear. This *is* an optical trackball, as all the Logitech TrackMan Marble series are (TrackMan Marble, TrackMan Marble Wheel, TrackMan Marble F/X, TrackMan MarbleMouse). Taken directly from the packaging (I have a spare still in the packaging):

"Patented Marble optical technology delivers superior precision, reduced wear, and smooth tracking, even if the trackball gets dirty. Because it records motion optically, instead of using mechanical parts, there's no need for regular cleaning."

Yes, it is optical, this is true. Yes, it still works smoothly when full of dirt. Yes, it works better if you clean the bearings on which the ball rolls every six months or so.

This trackball (which I may accidently slip and call a 'mouse' if I'm not careful) is a very good thumb-operated design that neatly, comfortably, and functionally fits an adult hand, and it has been discontinued by Logitech for their newer model, the Logitech TrackMan Wheel. (They dropped 'marble' from the title of the new version? Yep.) The new version lacks the additional space around the wheel button, which makes pressing the wheel-button cumbersome. This was not an issue with the version seen here, and it is one of the reasons why I can't easily move to another wheel device. (Nor do I want to, but when I must it is a nuisance.)

As I stated previously, I have been using this device for two years. My wheel still clicks with every roll as it did the day it was bought but after a little use all stiffness was worked out of it and those little clicks just become an extension of measuring how far I've travelled down a page.

Previous reviewers have complained that this mouse doesn't allow for precision movement while others have said it is an excellent device, and I obviously agree with the latter. Two actions to take upon installing any mouse are to run the software and define the speed and the orientation (which way is up). Every user moves his or her pointer in a slightly different fashion. Defining the orientation of the mouse immediately insures it will behave how you like it. Your 'up' is its 'up', your 'left' is its left, and so on. As for speed, I have my trackball adjusted so that with a single roll or my thumb from the left edge of the ball to the other my cursor moves exactly from the left edge of the screen to the right. With games this sensitivity can be increased in-game for a quick 180 degree spin at the flick of the thumb. I'm playing through Serious Sam now and all is right with the world of pointing devices. Speed sensitivity adjustment makes the difference between a barely tolerable device and one mean gaming/productivity pointing device.

Unfortunately, as I said earlier, Logitech has discontinued this trackball design, so as a safety precaution I ordered myself a spare. Nothing is wrong with mine but I got a spare so I'll have it if they become hard to find.

My closing thoughts? If you buy any trackball buy this one. Plain and simple. If you like a mouse? If you're happy with your mouse? Why are you looking at trackballs anyway? When you're ready for a trackball come back to Logitech TrackMan Marble Wheel.

I was in tears when I first started using this mouse as it felt
so right! I immediately went out and bought six of them (1 each
for my laptops and desktops) and this is 5 years ago. My wife who
had incipient carpal tunnel syndrome on her right wrist started
using it at work causing an immediate improvement in her condition.
I will say this about Logitech - they did something right with this
terrific product.

About 6 years ago I was blessed with my first Kensington trackball, the TurboMouse, after reading rave reviews. I had never used such a perfect input device! When I got a new computer with USB, I couldn't use the TurboMouse so I tried several other Kensington products and also a Logitech trackball. All were very good but when I heard about the new Expert Mouse 7.0 (check out the Kensington website for a photo--it is gorgeous!), I was very excited. All I can say is that the experience is back! And it is better! Solid, responsive, precise and now with optical tracking and the ingenious scroll wheel, this is the finest input device ever made. Try it out and you will not be disappointed!

My old Kensington Expert Mouse Pro 6.0 (wireless) felt great, and solved all the health problems that my old Logitech thumb-trackball caused me. But it was a real dog -- Kensington sent me a new unit twice, but each one was as bad or worse than the last -- huge power drains; jumpy cursor; constant cleaning required; etc.

BUT -- the new Kensington Expert Mouse 7.0 is a dream. Its ball is as smooth as silk and gives absolute total control over cursor movement, even in CAD and mapping applications. There is simply no comparison with the previous version. Maybe it's the optical pickup, or giving up on cordless, or maybe just better quality control at the studio and factory, but 7.0 is a trackball to get excited about!

Nobody makes a better trackball than Kensington -- absolutely no one! It took them a while to get on the optical bandwagon so I had to get by with Microsoft & Logitech products until the wired optical trackball came out. The wired version is perfect except that I keep running out of cord or I'm always tipping something over. The wireless model goes through batteries every couple of days and it's response time is slower and jerkier than the wired one. Hopefully, with time they'll make a wireless one that responds like a Microsoft or Logitech while keeping that sweet Kensington "feel". When that happens I'll be the first in line to purchase one

I have been using this product for about two years and finally got one for my home computer as well. If you are like me, and find yourself chasing the regular mouse all over your desk, give this a try. After two years of very busy use in a very dusty library (where I work), it has never needed a single cleaning and works like the first day I got it. The buttons are set up beautifully so that it feels very natural in the hand. It is extremely responsive, and the scroll feature works great. The cursor movement is smooth as glass. No more mouse pad taking up a nice chunk of my desk! No more bouncing, jerky cursor due to a slight bit of gunk. No more popping off the bottom the mouse and cleaning the wheels with a pen knife! I highly recommend this product. --Mykal Banta

The Logitech Marble Mouse Trackball is possibly THE most intelligently designed pointing device for PCs and Macintosh personal computers. First of all, in spite of its name, it's a trackball, the superior successor to the computer mouse. Unlike a mouse, it sits in one place and your fingers guide the pointer. You click on menu selections, icons and such with your thumb. It takes mere minutes to get used to this method of moving around the screen but after you do, using a mouse will seem cumbersome and quaint (which it is).

Beneath that black-dotted burgundy ball lies the secret of the Marble Mouse's responsiveness, longevity and reliability. An infrared emitter and optical pickup track the movement of the ball, not mechanical rollers which quickly become gunked up with skin oils and dust. You'd have to let a really thick layer of crud accumulate on the ball before you'll see an impact on the Marble Mouse's performance. Small enough to tuck into your notebook, laptop or PowerBook's carrying case, the Marble Mouse is pure computing bliss compared to jittery trackpads, wobbly finger sticks and erratic rollerballs.

PC users running Windows XP and earlier can simply install the PS/2 adapter and plug the Marble Mouse into the PS/2 mouse port without installing any software. With Windows 98 and later, you can pop off the PS/2 adapter and plug the Marble Mouse into a USB port. Macintosh owners running Mac OS 8.6 or higher will need to install MouseWare from the included CD-ROM and disable the Macintosh Mouse control panel in the Mac OS Extension Manager.

Unlike its more expensive TrackMan siblings, the Marble Mouse is fully ambidextrous, with equal-sized buttons on both sides. The included Logitech MouseWare (also downloadable at www.logitech.com) makes the Marble Mouse behave like a 3-button mouse on PCs (you press BOTH buttons together to access the functions of a third button) while giving Macintosh users one-finger, one-click access to content menus (shades of Windows, eh? :) ). Windows users also benefit from the new page up/page down buttons located just above the main buttons.

Finally, though the price might seem steep compared to a $5 mouse you could pick up at Best Buy or CompUSA, recall how many of those cheap little rodents you've owned and thrown away in the course of a single year.

I loved my Marble Mouse by Logitech. I bought the older version with only the two large buttons. I think a standard mouse is better for playing games but for everything else on the computer it is the only way to go. I have recently upgraded to the Logitech cordless mouse....it too is nice. But if the Optical Marble Mouse came cordless I would plunk my money down and buy it again in a second. I now use my Marble mouse at work and have the cordless at home.

I do digital image editing as a hobby, and I wanted to find an accurate input device to handle fine line editing. I tried two different Kensington trackballs, but both had problems whenever I used slow, flowing movements. Even with clean rollers, the ball would never roll smoothly enough for minute editing. Logitech's use of optical tracking make the motion nearly flawless, almost no straying, even with a pixel-wide brush. I agree that the setup of the ball and buttons requires a bit getting used to, but the new hand position is more comfortable once you adapt to it. Others who are complaining about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are probably trying to force their hand position to match the usual angle they've used with other trackballs. You need to look at the instructions to see how to rest the arm and wrist properly for this item. I only dropped a star off the rating because it's too dang expensive! It's worth it, but I wish they would give us a break.

Once upon a time I got sick of the gunk build up on all the mice and trackballs I had used, it got to the point where they would bump and jump on the mouse pads. I was intrigued when I saw the technology used in the Trackman line, detecting position using the tiny dots on the ball. Now having used the FX Trackman at home and at work for over 3 years, I find that it is the still the best input device of its kind, including the new MSFT optical mice. Once one gets used to the button placement and develops the dexterity to utilise the trackball, constantly smooth and consistent movement will reward them. With no moving parts for the tracking assembly the user only rarely [once a year?] has to pop the ball out and clean the sensors. This trackball does very well in digital art work with Photoshop and is especially excellent when used to play classic trackball arcade games through Mame32 emulation, Missile Command, Tempest, Centipede, Arkanoid, etc. The tertiary buttons are recognized and used as scroll wheel counterparts in Win2k; it's a nice fluff feature. My only wish would be that Logitech eventually upgrade them to use USB so I can plug them into my MSFT keyboards. Otherwise, highly recommended.

I wish Logitech would produce a USB version of this trackball. This trackball is the best pointing device I've ever found. I have to clean it maybe once a year and it only takes about ten seconds. It is extremely ergonomic. The ball moves very smoothly with your index and pointing finger. I prefer a less-sensitive motion so the ability to use two fingers vice one thumb allows for fast controlled movement when desired. You don't have to "climb" the case to get at the ball and you don't have to break your wrist angle either.
After seeing the new trackballs out there I wonder if the new trackball designers have ever used one.