Trackballs

Matt Whyndham

 

 

çHere is the Logitech Marble Mouse. Out of all the Logitech trackballs currently (July 2002) available, it’s the only one that doesn’t need the thumb for pointing. It’s also symetric so it can be used with the left hand.

 

It’s got a nice action, the readout being optical. That’s what those little dots on the ball are for.

 

When I wrote this, it retailed for about £25.

Here it is in my office. I’ve got a mouse connected as well, for a bit of variety. I got these a while ago so the beige look is now out of fashion. Do you think I care?è

çNow I’m pretending to use it, as I normally do. I try not to rest my hand on the desk.

 

I’ve chucked away my wrist rest to encourage my whole arm to float. My elbow is supported by my chair’s arm rest.

 

ëNote the mic for voice recognition, the Andrea MC100 switch box, and the water for keeping the voice working sweetly.

This è is a Kensington Orbit trackball, purchased from PC World for about £20. Although the action isn’t as sweet as the Logitech, the design of the buttons makes it easier to click using fingertips rather than thumbs. (click for hi-res image).