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Microsoft Trackball Explorer

Microsoft Trackball Explorer

List Price: $54.95
Your Price: $37.89
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you want a Trackball, this is the one to buy.
Review: I was first using the IntelliMouse Trackball non-optical version after my mouse went crazy on me but I still had to cope with cleaning it often. I wanted a trackball that would fit your hand for the most part and have the trackball for your fingers to use not your thumb. I was a little skeptical but after using it now for a couple of weeks, love it. This is much better than using any of those other trackballs that require you to use your thumb. The fit and feel is a little different since this is a bit larger than the other trackball unit but this is still great.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ergonomically awful for my smallish hand
Review: This trackball looks very cool, and the big red ball moves incredibly smoothly and accurately. The software provides a nice range of options. HOWEVER.... For my hand, the placement of the buttons is all wrong. I have to reach too much with my thumb to use the lower thumb button (the left clicker)comfortably.The angle of pressure caused tendon stress. The scroll wheel is very much in the way of using the upper thumb button (right click). And the upper thumb button seems too thin to me. Basically, the two thumb buttons and the scroll wheel were irritating to use and caused pain, especially in thumb joints and tendons. The 2 flat buttons on the right side felt too shallow; i could barely feel where they were without looking. Of course, some of this may have been due to the way i had to angle my hand to use the thumb buttons. PROS: the shape worked well under my wrist, which felt much more supported than on other mice. Movement is very smooth and the red ball feels satisfying to use. Not having to clean it/under it is a plus. CONS: The ball FALLS OUT if you turn the mouse to its side; not great if it is on your lap or, as with me, on pillows. I had many freeze-ups after booting up where the cursor wouldn't move. None with earlier or next mouse; don't know why. And, if you have smaller hands, or, as i do, tendon pain/fibromyalgia/arthritis, you may find the button placement puts too much stress on your hand/fingers/thumbs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Durable responsive and easy on the hand
Review: The ultimate way to test any trackball or mouse is with a 4-hour Diablo II marathon session. I've played countless hours of intense play on Hell level with this trackball and had no soreness in my wrist or hand. Response time is the best and the buttons are in just the right place so you don't feel like you are stretching. If precision is important to you (Photoshop, Framemaker, etc) you can't go wrong with this one either. You can get very precise movements with much greater control than with the optical mice on the market. Bottom line: buy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Love it!
Review: This is pretty much the perfect trackball I had been looking for. It feels comfortable whether your hand is small or big (I have medium-sized hands myself). The only minor downside is it's for right-handed folks only, but most southpaws should find it easy to use, too.

The best thing about the optical trackball is you never have to clean the inside. I've been using it for a couple months now and the movement is always precise. The buttons are responsive. Even though it's pricy, I think the Trackball Explorer is worth every penny.

(For $20 cheaper, you can get the Microsoft Trackball Optical, but I don't like rolling the ball with my thumb.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Product
Review: A little pricey, but a quality product nonetheless. If you are tired of cleaning your balls, this product is for you. Smooth action, cleverly placed buttons. I am 100% satisfied with this product.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I really like it.
Review: I never used a track ball before so this is my first. My wrist was getting sore using a regular mouse so I decide to try a track ball. It took a couple of days to get used to it but my wrist isn't sore at the end of the day. I works perfectly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: best investment for my workspace
Review: I LOVE this mouse! I've had it for a few months now and I don't regret it. The programmable buttons are excellent. I have the far right one as right-click button, the second to the right button as the forward navigation button, the far left button as the left-click button and the second to the left button as the back navigation button. This has helped me spread out my hand and allows my pointer finger to be the one I use for the back navigation button (although I can also use my thumb).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ideal trackball
Review: I use this trackball because I have limited desk space.

First off, many of the problems people are writing in this space are PICNIC- 'problem in chair not in computer', or in this case, the trackball.

1-Clean your mouse. Oil from your hands and dust in the air will collect inside. After a month, running your finger inside the rollerballs can be done as an afterthought and takes two seconds.
2-Inproperly assigned keys? Give me a break. You can change them yourself, or, even better, get used to them. They make a ton of sense. I switch between this trackball and a Microsoft optical mouse at work without thinking about it. The back-forward buttons on the right side of the unit are perfect for web browsing.
3-Not ergonomic? I am 6'4 with huge hands, and it is no problem for me. On the other hand, my wife has petite hands and uses this trackball without complaint. If this mouse doesn't fit your hand, then I question your own sitting position/desktop arrangement.

This trackball is ideal for limited desktop space. The trackball is large and gives you plenty of control over motion. I use it all the time for business applications, web browsing, adobe photoshop, and also for gaming purposes. As with ANY pointing device, whether it be stationary or not, there is a little adjustment period, for me it was a few web pages. But if you're looking for a full-featured trackball, this is the way to go. 5 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Much Easier to Clean than Microsoft's Previous Trackball
Review: The best improvement over this trackball and Microsoft's previous trackball is that it's much easier to clean. Microsoft's old trackball was not optical so the wheels get clogged with dust and dirt easily. To clean it you had to take apart the mouse by unscrewing several tiny screws. This trackball is optical so you only have to clean it once in a long while. It takes about 10 seconds to clean. You simply pop the ball out and rub away the dirt with your finger. I have been using this trackball for over 2 years now with no problems.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Awkward for small hands
Review: I tried this trackball for a few days and, while it might have been acceptable for general use, I found it unusable for graphics work. I have small hands which may be why I frequently hit the left click button at the wrong angle so that it wouldn't register. Dragging with this device felt very uncomfortable, and it wasn't as precise as my ancient Logitech FX. I would have purchased another Logitech, but they seem to have discontinued all models with a large enough ball for precision graphics work. Despite my small hand size, I finally decided on the even bulkier Kensington Expert Mouse Optical as the most comfortable replacement for my graphics work.


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