Logitech Optical Marble Mouse (USB/PS2)
by Logitech
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Our Price: $109.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Optical Marble Mouse (USB/PS2)
Customer Review: Good trackball, but needs a scrollwheel
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this trackball for about a week now, and I've only found 2 flaws. The biggest flaw is that it doesn't have a scrollwheel. I almost didn't buy it because of this, but the only other trackballs available were all positioned to be used with the thumb, which I don't like. The "scroll buttons" are just not as good as a real scrollwheel. It is supposed to have "universal scroll" where pressing both buttons together cause it to scroll when you move the ball, but that doesn't seem to work.
The other flaw is that because it is designed to be ambidexterous, it doesn't fit either hand as well as it could. However, this is going to be an issue for any ambidexterous trackball, and it does fit well enough with a little adjustment.
The main buttons are well placed and easy to use. The scroll buttons are a little small and harder to use, but are still not bad. The right "scroll up" button is the hardest to use, but also the one used the least often.
All in all, this seems to be one of the better trackballs that is both affordable and easy to find.
Pros:
Accurate
Easy to use
Decent ergonomics
Good main button placement
Cons:
No scroll wheel
Ambidexterous, so ergonomics could be better
Scroll buttons are not well placed, and are too small
NO SCROLL WHEEL
Customer Review: Logitech trackball type mice are great!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the 3rd time I have purchased a Logitech trackball type mouse.
The others are still in working order and are still getting a lot of use.
The first Logitech mouse I bought was the Trackman Marble, which I have now used for about 10 years (??), or so, probably more. That mouse requires you to move the cursor with a trackball located on the left side of the mouse, meaning you move the ball with your thumb.
This style, I think is designed better, as the ball is in the middle and you can use various fingers to move the ball, meaning that your thumb is not doing all of the 'work'.
Note, however, that it does take a bit of getting used to: you move the mouse cursor by rolling the ball around with your fingers.
The software is simple to install and lets you adjust the sensitivity of the trackball. Using the software, you can also program (various preset options available)the two little light gray buttons at the top of each of the right and the left (dark gray) mouse buttons.
As the mouse itself stays put, I find that it cuts down on the stress on my hands. As I am not constantly shoving a mouse here and there, my hands cramp less and using this type of mouse is less stress on my arms/shoulders.
All in all, a great mouse for a reasonable price!
Customer Review: Great Mouse, errr... trackball
Summary: 4 Stars
I own three of these mice for over a year now, each for differnt computers in our household. My wife has had one at work for over four years. I was turned onto this when I started having wrist pain from clicking with my fingers and the same for the wife. I couldn't turn a door knob or grip a drinking glass any more. This mouse/trackball has all but eliminated the pain. When I'm using someone elses computer with a triditional mouse I can feel the strain on the back of my hand/wrist within 15 minutes.
The ball pops out for easy cleaning but be careful as somehow one of the balls got a super small nick in it and periodically it acts as though it drops into a "detent". The nick was my fault and not a manufacturing defect.
The reason this is a 4 star instead of 5 is for the software. The software that came with my first one allowed me to simultaneously click buttons 1 & 2 to act as a 5th button to perform an additional function which I used all of the time. The software as of Jan '07 eliminated that.
However, I just checked the Logitech site and in the forums someone stated the exact same concern. Someone replied and recommended uninstalling SetPoint and using MouseWare 9.80 software and it has the 5 button click back. I'll be trying that in the next few days as I'm out of my home state now.
Customer Review: The best Trackball out there
Summary: 5 Stars
I have long been a fan of Logitech products, and once again they have raised the bar! I don't know why anyone still uses a mouse. I prefer using a trackball because it fits in a small space on the desktop and it does not cause the fatigue that you get using a traditional mouse. I use this device extensively for fine graphics work, as well as major surf time.I used to use a Kensington Trackball, because at the time, it was the only one designed to be manipulated with your fingers, instead of your thumb. The optical marble mouse does the Kensington one better. The "optical" part of the title says it all. There are no rollers or little crevices for hair and gunk to get caught up in under the ball. I spent more time cleaning my previous mice and trackballs than anything else! Whenever that cursor starting jumping around the screen and skipping over the places I wanted it to go--I knew it was time to ditch the mouse and get a new one. This optical marble mouse has no rollers. It is very easy to keep clean--and so far (8months) I have had none of the problems of my previous mice. The accompanying software for this trackball also has some nice shortcut features. I have one button programmed to instantly "minimize all open windows." A really nifty trick if you have to blank your monitor quickly.....like when the boss is coming around :)
Customer Review: Solid low-cost finger trackball
Summary: 4 Stars
Logitech has a strong tradition with trackballs. This one is a nice culmination of years of know-how, with only a few higher-end drawbacks.
First, the good stuff. As you'd expect, the optical sensor is smooth and reliable, with little cleaning required. You might not expect, however, that the openness of the ball really lets you vary your hand positions nicely. The two main side buttons are large and easy to hit, and the two additional side buttons are textured to assist usage. Shape is very comfortable to the hand. And the price is tough to beat.
On the downside, those small buttons actually are a bit tough to hit instinctively. I wouldn't rely upon them for twitch gaming. Similarly, the optical resolution of the trackball is lower than many current gaming mice, leading to less fine movements. Again, that's only applicable to games, as for general use the resolution is fine. And finally, on the gripe list, there is no scroll wheel.
In the grand scheme of things, if you have more money to plunk down on a trackball, I'd recommend the much, much more expensive Kensington Expert Mouse. For anyone watching their budget a bit more, this trackball is solid for finger trackball users (as opposed to thumb), and the additional buttons help speed up common tasks. Well done.