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Logitech Cordless Optical Trackman (USB/PS/2)

Logitech Cordless Optical Trackman (USB/PS/2)

List Price: $59.99
Your Price: $47.89
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It's Okay.
Review: I'm the lucky one, I get to try them all because I deal with everyone's computer for teaching across the U.S. I bought this trackball because of reputation and past experience. I got use to it pretty quick but I still like the Trackman FX by Logitech. The ball on this one is too small, as it is in most of the current trackballs. Add a scroll-wheel to the Trackman FX and it would be perfect. The buttons on this one are usable; neutral thoughts on that, and the scroll-wheel works fine. The ball does tend to skip and get dirty quickly, but it's easy to clean. I can't remember the last time I cleaned the Trackman FX that I've had for three years. Otherwise, I've used worse. Still want a Trackman FX. I actually hope that logitech is reading all of the entries.

One last thing is, I've never had an email response when writing to Logitech, if the product didn't work so good I'd definitely never buy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply the best input device I've ever used
Review: I've been a long time fan of trackballs - most especially and specifically those made by Logitech. About five years ago I started having pain in my wrists from the constant side-to-side motion of using a mouse. I picked up a Logitech Marble Mouse and loved it for years. It instantly helped by wrist issues and I didn't get so strained and hardly ever got soreness.

The only thing I didn't like was that there weren't enough buttons. I envied things like a scroll wheel found on regular mice. The thumb trackball was horrid in my thought (all that stress where your thumb meets the wrist; Ouch!) but had the extra buttons I longed for.

Then this one came along. Wow. I saw it in the store and I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated at first. Did I need a cordless? Could I get used to moving it with my hand in a slightly different position? And I know I wanted buttons, but woah, there's a LOT of buttons on it!

I played with it and daydreamed about it. I finally ended up getting it for my birthday in May 2003. It honestly did take me a few days to adjust to the change (even from one Logitech trackball to another), but now I can't imagine ever going back. The sheer convenience of being able to not only left-click/right-click, but scroll AND easily go Forward and Backward through webpages with a click of a button amazes me everytime. Trackballs already cut down the amount of round-about pointing you need to do by making it much smoother and easier because of less motion required, but this cuts it down way more then that.

Some thoughts from other reviews:
*Lefties -- I'm sorry, but it really is designed for a right-hander. Like most mice/trackballs on the market today, they aim for the majority. It's usable on short term for lefties (my boyfriend's a southpaw and he can maneuver it, but couldn't really use it every day, day-in/day-out). HOWEVER, a nice option is the Logitech Marble Mouse since it is neither left nor right hand specific.

* Cordless issues -- I've had ZERO interference with it and I have a USB Wacom tablet as well as digital camera hookups and other usb items in my usb hub. NEVER a problem. The manual recommends that if you have problems, move the receiver away from the monitor. Mine sits two or so feet away and works perfectly.

* Battery life -- WONDERFUL. Mine went for about five months or so on the original batteries it came with. And I am a hard-core user, driving my trackball way over ten hours a day. The program even warns you on-screen that your batteries are getting low. How cool is that? You don't have to wait until things die leaving you without a mouse, wondering what went wrong - it tells you!

* Weight of ball -- I have to say that one of the best aspects of the Logitech trackballs is that the ball spins VERY smoothly and easily. It's also not heavy. This sounds weird until you try one of the HORRID Kensington ones which has such a heavy ball that you literally get fatigued fingers from trying to push the darned thing around the screen. It's such a battle with inferior ones whereas, with the Logitech ones, it's easy. I can zoom around the screen as fast as I wish with the slightest touch of my fingertips (*note: the speed and such can also be edited if you like a slower cursor, but it still will have the lightweight Logitech is known for)

* Range of Use -- I agree with another user here - this thing has a range that's far more then you'd need. I sometimes use it on my lap and can stand up and control it from several feet away.

* Cleaning -- IMPORATANT. Every now and then, pop the ball out (by pushing from underneath) and clean the gunk which gets on the points the ball rests on. It will help keep your ball rolling smoothly.

In sum: ergonomic, comfortable, works great and a real Logitech winner. Well worth the cost.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A nice change of pace...
Review: I've been sold on Logitech products for a long time after I tried their products (I got tired of Microsoft's poor performance after 2 of their optical mice died in a span of days) and was impressed with their performance and value. I've been using mice from when they first started shipping with computers. But after shopping for a new one and seeing every button configuration under the sun, I decided to "walk on the wild side" and check out alternative controlers. After looking over what Logitech had to offer, this one definitely caught my attention. After trying out it's feel on a office display, I took the plunge and purchased it. It does take a bit of getting used to but after a day or so, it's feels natural and performs like a dream. The button placement is logical and comfortable while the trackball is ultra precise. I'd have liked the scroll wheel and the forward/back and lock buttons to have been a bit bigger but that's just a minor quibble.
The controller works just fine no matter where I placed receiver and I've had no trouble with drop outs. It simply does what it's supposed to.
As to what one reviewer mentioned about Norton causing problems with the mouseware, I've had no such problem. I run both Norton Anti-virus and Personal Firewall and neither seem to hamper controler performance.
In my humble opinion, this is one of the best Logitech has to offer. It's comfortable and you can almost forget you're using it. It's just that intuitive and transparent once you get used to it. Not a great alternative to a mouse, but a great controller, period.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Logitech Does It Again!
Review: I've used Logitech mice before and this one tops all of the ones made by Logitech. I've read many reviews before purchasing this and read some of the drawbacks to this mouse and some advantages to this mouse. Logitech outperformed itself once again, with amazing features, support, and performance.

Disadvantages:
1. The styling of the mouse could have been better designed. It takes a little getting used to using the trackball with fingers other than your thumb.
2. Logitech erred in the device drivers. I repeat, please do not install the drivers shipped with the package. Go to Logitech.com/support and download the 9.75.0 verson and install it, not the 9.60.0 version as it will damage your compatibility with other mice already installed.
3. The price of this mouse will set you back and have you looking elsewhere. But, the advantages of this mouse far outweigh the little-bit-above-customer-expectation price ...
4. This mouse requires a learning curve, as its design and the use of a trackball may not be familiarized with everyone's use. For those of you who have never used a trackball or is used to using a trackball with your thumb, this mouse does take a day or two to get totally used to.
5. Use the initial orientation/setup process seriously. Because of the nature of the styling of this mouse, the way you position the mouse on your desk while orienting/setting up the mouse will have an impact on usage.

Advantages:
1. RF frequency is used to the best capabilities in this mouse. I've used mice from other manufacturers and this one tops all of them. Using digital radio technology, this mouse allows you to place the RF receiver pretty much anywhere you'd like up to 20 feet away from the computer.
2. The many buttons on the mouse help you to minimize use of keyboard. It has Back/Forward, scroll, Drag Lock, Fast Scroll, and conventional buttons.
3. The compact receiver helps to minize clutter on your desktop and helps when you want to carry it and the mouse around (if you're blessed like me to have a laptop).
4. Customer support is one of the best in the industry, with lifetime phone support and a 5-year warranty.
5. Installation was a breeze. a) Download Logitech Drivers version 9.75.0 or above b) Install drivers c) Connect hardware d) Press Connect button on the hardware for 20seconds - 1minute e) You're Done! Enjoy!
6. This mouse comes shipped with a serial port adapter, giving you total flexibility to connect via USB or serial - I strongly recommend using the USB ports due to the advanced nature of the hardware and the reliability of USB ports.
7. The name of Logitech speaks for itself.

All in all, I recommend this product wholeheartedly to you.
If you do purchase one, buy from Amazon.com as they did an excellent job of fulfilling my order the same day.
Bang for your Buck: 10
User Friendly: 9
Service and Customer Support: 10
Installation: 10
Design: 8
Battery Life: 10
Performance: 10

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: comfy!
Review: Just received the Logitech Trackman yesterday. This may not be the ultimate ergonomic mouse, but it comes pretty darn close. My SO has the Microsoft Trackball Explorer. Both are very similar in terms of comfort, performance, and ease of use. I would say the Logitech trackball has a slight edge in terms of comfort (I find the contour fits my hand more naturally), while the Microsoft trackball has better button layout. Again, the differences are incremental at best. If cost is your main concern, go with Microsoft (about $10 less). If you prefer comfort and supporting the little guy, go with Logitech.

A final note: my trackball would not work initially after installation, until my cat (no mouse jokes, please) knocked it to the floor. Then, all of a sudden, it started working. Guess she must have jiggled some connection in place. It does make me wonder whether the fix will last.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I've used a lot of trackballs
Review: No questions asked, Logitech has nearly outdone themselves with this mouse. I've used an extensive number of trackballs, and this is by far the most versatile, logical--the buttons, even though there are many of them, make absolute sense and are all customizable!--and comfortable of all. It is much more sturdy and smooth than the Microsoft, Kensington, or IBM ones, and MUCH more accurate! Granted, this particular one is only an option for right-handed (or ambidextrous) individuals, but for lefties I would still recommend their marble mouse, which I used faithfully for 3 years with no problems.

I can also speak remarkably high about Logitech's customer service. I had the predecessor to this, called the Trackman FX I believe, which had a somewhat odd sliding wrist support at the bottom (this model corrects the ergonomic necessity for that), and (although I think it was my computer's fault, another story altogether) I had to get it replaced. I called, they made sure it was indeed dead, and 3 days later this (which I lusted after!) arrived--it had just been released and they upgraded me which was wonderful.

Like others, I had to adjust the orientation a bit, but not an awful lot actually. The buttons include a browser back and forward, a scroll lock where you push it in and move the wheel wherever you want the page to go, up and down scroll buttons, scroll wheel for those used to traditional scrolling mice, and a lock button. It works well for my small and my husband's large hands, and it is used for hours and hours with no pain (which is saying something, as I have early-onset arthritis symptoms that are present in most every manual task). As for gaming, I just set the motion speed and acceleration higher and it works great--I've done games like Neverwinter Nights without a hitch.

Best feature IS the cordless part... I set mine in my lap much of the time and just sit back and enjoy its versatility.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Normally I've had very good luck with Logitech products. I've owned this one less than 90 days and it just stopped working.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Mouse
Review: Obviously the reviewer at the bottom didn't either install the software or didn't use it. There is an orientation option in the mouse setup that makes that review irrelevant.

The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is I think the buttons could have had a better configuration on the mouse. And the left mouse button could have been a tad wider. Otherwise it's great!

Recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Exquisite and powerful
Review: The best wireless trackball you can buy, period. This mouse comes fully equipped with all of the bells and whistles that you'd expect from a modern mouse. The layout of the buttons is extremely comfortable and easy to use.

The only thing that could cause concern is the size. If you have small hands, you may want to reconsider.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Almost there!
Review: The engineering of this product is currently a comedy of errors, however, I believe that once the driver and manufacturing issues are resolved, this will be one of the best trackballs on the market.

The three primary flaws are as follows:

If you have a metal table, you will need to sit the receiver upside down on your desk, as the antenna was apparently placed on the bottom of the device. With the reciever propped up, I can use the trackball from across the room, so this flaw is a minor inconvenience.

There are four feet on the bottom of the trackball, and the trackball is warped enough to rock on two of them. Minor annoyance that can be fixed easily fixed.

This trackball won't work well without a driver that can re-align the axes of the trackball; as mentioned in other posts. I have verified that this is a problem in mac os x.

I have hope for this trackball, however, since the button layout is the most intelligent I've seen, and so far, all of the flaws are problems that can be solved with a little tinkering and a little more software from Logitech.

I have tried Microsoft's Trackball Explorer, and Microsoft's thumb operated trackball as well, and their ergonomics and construction were awful compared to what this will be once they work out the manufacturing and software bugs.


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