Trackball vs. Mouse
Anybody out there prefer a trackball over a mouse?
And if so, why?
I've always steered clear of trackballs - considering them to be some sort of weird off-shoot - but I recently fondled one at my local computer store and was quite taken by it!
I've also heard that a lot of advanced users swear by them.
How do they deal with dragging and dropping etc.?
Cheers,
Cam.
And if so, why?
I've always steered clear of trackballs - considering them to be some sort of weird off-shoot - but I recently fondled one at my local computer store and was quite taken by it!
I've also heard that a lot of advanced users swear by them.
How do they deal with dragging and dropping etc.?
Cheers,
Cam.
Comments
Originally posted by Messiah
What about things like drawing paths in Illustrator/Photoshop?
Then you should get a Wacom tablet. Mice/trackballs suck for that kind of stuff.
I guess it started about 12 years ago when I started editing audio using Pro Tools. Every workstation had a Kensington Turbo Mouse back in the day.
I hate using a mouse. Very impractical IMO.
Hell, I even game with a trackball - my friends think I'm nuts, but I have 11 buttons on my Kensington Expert Mouse Pro.
That allows me many ways to deal out death in UT, UT2004 and now Doom 3.
Trackballs forever!
About $100 and well worth it.
Originally posted by Cake
Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro
About $100 and well worth it.
My question is: which part of your hand to you use that with? I hate thumb trackballs (no control at all).
I personally like this Logitech design:
You get extremely precise control. You can even play UT pretty nicely with them.
cheap, simple, reliable!
This
That's what I've got
Originally posted by Placebo
My question is: which part of your hand to you use that with? I hate thumb trackballs (no control at all).
I personally like this Logitech design:
You get extremely precise control. You can even play UT pretty nicely with them.
Thing I don't like about that one is that sometimes -- just often enough to be annoying -- I'll try to flick the cursor across the screen and instead end up flicking the ball across the room. But I've only used one of them, so it might just be that that one's messed up.
Originally posted by Placebo
My question is: which part of your hand to you use that with? I hate thumb trackballs (no control at all).
I personally like this Logitech design:
You get extremely precise control. You can even play UT pretty nicely with them.
My thumb always rests on the bottom left button. My index, middle and ring fingers rest across the arc of the trackball itself.
I've used Logitech's and the smaller (than what I use) Kensington Orbit and they just don't have the same feel or control for me.
The Expert Mouse Pro's trackball itself is very heavy, quite big and is very solid feeling. This "heft" make percision and control a breeze.
Originally posted by Cake
My thumb always rests on the bottom left button. My index, middle and ring fingers rest across the arc of the trackball itself.
Yeah, same here. It takes a little getting used to, clicking with your thumb instead of your index.
Definetely go for a middle/index finger track ball, not a thumb one, will be better for your hand. The logitechs look good, but I don't like their button scheme (no scroll wheel, lack of big buttons). I personally use a microsoft trackball explorer, which has 5 buttons with scroll wheel, but the buttons aren't really hinged/made that well, but I've definetely settled on this trackball and have had no wrist issues that I used to have with mice. Though you still have to clean this trackball, even if it is optical.
Originally posted by nguyenhm16
Then you should get a Wacom tablet. Mice/trackballs suck for that kind of stuff.
Mice are fine for drawing paths. In fact, I prefer a mouse over a tablet for making beziers or nurbs curves. For raster drawing or digital airbrushing, though, the tablets are nice.
Bottom line: if you have good finger control, the trackballs are OK. personally, I have prematurely arthritic fingers that were never particularly dextrous to begin with. I can't use a trackball. But my wrists are quite dextrous, so mice and pens are fine.