A few years back, I was looking for a better mouse. My employer provided a Mac Pro for me at that time, but the aluminum keyboard and Mighty Mouse included with it were terrible. It was difficult to use the laptop's low-profile keyboard and scrolling ball.
They were my first trade-ins. I then bought a Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard set that I continued to use for a long time. It was a standard rubber dome keyboard with a standard wireless optical mouse. They worked well. They worked. They worked, but I wanted better.
My boss was always trying out new mice but would eventually return to his old trackball. He said that the trackball was more ergonomic and easier to use. The model he was using had been discontinued long ago and is regularly listed for more than $300 on eBay. Too much for me. But, I knew there had to be modern alternatives.
I began a search. My initial requirements were very simple. It had to cost less than $50, and I wasn't willing to give up my scrollwheel, which was a common missing feature in trackball mice.
Logitech M570
The Logitech M570 trackball mouse was my first stop. It's a thumb-style trackball that has 3 buttons, a scrollwheel and a pair back/forward buttons. It worked exactly like other Logitech mice. The ball was the only thing that I needed to get used too.
This mouse's ball is small and doesn't weigh much. This made it difficult to move the pointer any distance using the spinning ball. I also had a lot of trouble with accuracy. The pointer seemed a little jumbled. To be fair, it seems like I have a thumb problem. It never worked as I expected. This is not the fault of the mouse. It was a mouse that I had used for more than a month. I didn't feel comfortable with it.
Pros
- Additional navigation buttons
- Scroll wheel standard
- The mouse buttons can be operated using the normal fingers
Cons
- A small, lightweight ball tends to lift a little from its place.
- My thumb was the only thing that made me feel awkward when I moved my thumb.
Kensington Orbit Scroll Wheel
The Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring was another mouse I tried. I was able find it on sale. It is quite a mouthful. The Orbit is an older version that didn't have a scroll ring. It's not clear why they didn’t simply rename it after adding a scroll band. It's a center-ball with two buttons and scroll ring. I found it very interesting. It is slightly larger than the Logitech M570, and the buttons are firmer.
After a few days, I was able to use the trackball with both my index and middle finger. The scroll ring felt completely natural. It took me a while to get used to left-clicking my thumb. This can cause finger confusion if I have to use a regular mouse.
It was simple to turn the ball to move the pointer between the two monitors. It was easy to place the pointer exactly where I wanted it, and I liked the firmness of its buttons. After only a few days, this mouse became my favorite.
Pros
- Smoother, larger ball with smoother movement
- Instead of using your thumb, center ball can be moved with your fingers or whole hand.
- Smooth scroll ring
Cons
- If you use your thumb to click left, it can cause finger confusion when you switch to regular mice.
- These are the only buttons. It could also use some navigation buttons or a third button.
Conclusion
I would pick the Kensington Orbit with Scroll ring if I had $50 to spend on a trackball mice. The scroll ring is very nice and I prefer the middle button. Although having only two buttons might be an issue for some, it didn't make any difference to me.
