Logitech Wireless Optical TrackMan Trackball

After reading the other Amazon reviews, I thought I would respond to some of the issues other reviewers raise from a Mac user's perspective. I run a new PowerBook 15" with OS X 10.3.2. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't notice any directional/orientation problems--the cursor follows the ball movement very well, even before installing the included Logitech software. Perhaps the necessary drivers are now universally available, or perhaps the Mac version is just better. Also, the "finger layout" has not proven to be an issue for me--I can use any or all of my fingers to control the ball without any cursor-direction problems. The wireless function has proven flawless on my Mac. The reciever is a couple feet away and actually off the desk (no line of sight) and works fine. It was essentially plug-and-play on the Mac--I didn't even have to push the 'Connect' buttons to establish a signal, it just worked. The software is necessary, however, to re-assign new functions to the several buttons on this model. As a former PC user, I can't go without a right-click button (one of the reasons I bought an external device for my notebook at all). The Mac software is very easy to use, and one can re-program all of the buttons and the wheel if one so desires. You can set a button to automatically double- or triple-click, or select keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Command and W to close the current window). Very easy, and quite useful--I use buttons to close windows, quit programs, delete files, and still have a handy web-browsing 'Back' button. The only possible drawback to the Mac software is that one cannot "train" the ball's orientation (from what I can gather from other reviews, this option is not available on PC either). This really only matters if you know you hold trackballs at a different angle than most people do. Please note that the software I'm reviewing is for Mac OS X only; the program for those running OS 8.6-9.2 is a different piece of software, which is also included in the package. Those are all the Mac-specific comments I can think of at this point; if you're a Mac-user you're probably used to things "just working," and this device is no exception. I'll also comment on some of the more universal issues raised by other reviews: Ergonomically, there is a period of adjustment--anyone moving from a conventional mouse to any trackball or from one trackball to another should expect that. It's never a bad idea to try one out in-store to see how they feel, especially since trackball models vary from one to another much more than mice do. This is not, as some have termed it, a 'disadvantage'--all new things take some time to get used to. If you've never used a trackball, it's weird for a while; it's also ergonomically superior/healthier in the long term. Also, I use trackballs for computer drafting/design, and find superior control to mice--finger-control is just more precise than either thumb-controlled trackballs or wrist/arm-controlled mice. The optical ball-tracking technology requires almost no cleaning, and there are zero moving parts to clean. Just pop the ball out and blow any collected lint out of the socket if necessary--which very rarely is. For any pointing device that's wireless, optical, and has this many buttons, this price is pretty decent--lower, I think, than my previous trackball that was wired and lacked the wheel. As for Logitech's reputation/reliability, I have had good experiences. My first trackball had to be replaced during the warranty period, but its replacement has lasted the four years since--I only replaced it now because it wasn't Mac-compatible. Now Mac-users can rejoice with a high-performance trackball that works seamlessly in OS X.

I use Windows 7 Premium 64bit and I also run Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit in VMware workstation for work. All buttons and functions work properly in both the host an the guest machines. This trackball is solid Logitech. It feels substantial and the buttons and track back are well made. Cleaning the trackball is a snap. Just pop it out, give it a wipe, and done. The software is also very easy to use and to customize the buttons to your liking. I am not a huge fan of the external USB radio transmitter that is used and that alone might have stopped me from buying this). It does not use the Logitech USB receiver other mice use, so I wouldn't recommend trying to travel with it. The programmable buttons are great. I like the default assignments, but I programmed the scroll lock button to send "Enter" instead. I have set-up Windows to move the mouse to the default button when a dialog appears, so I can just hit that key rather then moving the mouse or moving my hand back to the keyboard. It's a little thing, but it's productive. A note about fit. I did not ding the score for fit since fit is very personal. What I like may not be what you like. But here is my $.02. If you can get to a store to try it out, do so. I have average sized hands for someone who is 5' 9" tall. The Trackman is a little bit big to easily get to all the buttons. I tend to rest the side of my hand on the desk which means I can easily get my index and ring fingers on the ball, my ring finger on the right mouse key, and thumb on the left mouse button and the forward/back buttons above the left click. The other buttons along the top ridge are out of reach. I have to shift my hand. Not a huge deal until you consider my hand is now out of place with respect to the trackball and buttons so I have to shift back and forth. It's an annoyance for me. I have tried moving my hand up to rest more on the ample real estate on the back of the body, but that is more uncomfortable. I also tried floating my hand over the unit. That hasn't stopped me from using the Trackman, but I am not likely to buy another one these models. However, if you find it fits your hand, then this I highly recommend this trackball.

This is the best pointing device I've ever used, hands-down. This is the second one I've purchased since I've managed to run out the last one in 4-5 years of very heavy usage. Here's what I like about it. The real centerpiece of this trackball is the off-center ball. Now, this does make this definitely a right-handed trackball and lefties will probably feel left out, but putting the ball off-center matches the general distribution of your fingers over your hand. It's been to be maneuvered with your index through ring finger, and it is perfectly positioned to roll to any of those fingers as you need to use the scroll wheel or the right mouse button. Compared to a more omni-handed Kensington and the comfort difference is astounding. Likewise, for me, this is infinitely more comfortable than using my thumb for the trackball. The trackball pointing devices that use the thumb inevitably make my hand and thumb joint feel jammed up. Also compared to Kensington, having a proper vertical scroll wheel is infinitely better than their "orbit ring" in my mind. The index finger quite naturally lines up with the wheel. The overall shape fits my hand comfortably and makes for easy long hours working or gaming. Construction is solid and it's durable with good maintenance. As noted I used the previous one for at least 4 years, and used it quite heavily for general computer tasking, through EDA tools (Modelsim), through heavy gaming (including FPS and MMORPGs). If you are a button hog, then you might run out, but there's more than enough for me to use and i'm quite pleased with what I've been able to make it do. Defictis: There are few. As noted, if you are a left handed computer pointer... you'll have to go with a mouse or a Kensington. If you've trained your right hand to point this may work for you. The wireless aspect of the device is not it's strongest feature and there have been a few rare moments when it seems to lose its connection with the base station. And wireless range is probably a little limited, though I've used it successfully several feet away from the base. It does have a few dropouts in motion further away though, so don't use this for a large presentation room or TV gaming. But that's pretty much it. The sad thing is that Logitech doesn't seem to push this product into stores, so it's a bit hard to find on the shelf where you can do a touch fit. They've used this form factor for awhile though, so hopefully it'll continue to be useful in Amazon sales and make a comeback in a new product again soon. I"m tempted to buy another though to have in reserve in 4-5 years though!

I never bother leaving reviews, but this one gave me an opinion that was strong enough that I had to say something. Much like many other reviews out there, a lot of people complain about the placement of the buttons. Actually I think for the most part everything is fine except for the scroll wheel and the default left click. My problem with those two is, if you're using your index finger to use either feature, you have to really stretch your finger outwards to access it. If you tilt the whole device so that it reaches more easily, then the thumb buttons are now at an odd position. I do have to say though, I originally thought that a non vertical hand position would kill my wrist but surprisingly it didn't. It didn't save my wrist either. But creating finger pains isn't exactly a good alternative due to the uncomfortable positioning. Yes I know you can remap the buttons to different functions but that's settling for less as that means you're opting out on using the uncomfortable buttons. A quick little history on my previous devices. I've used regular mice like everyone else before all these problems creeped up on my hands. The most comfortable regular mouse for me is the logitech mx revolution. But eventually using that started to cause pain. I then moved onto the evoluent vertical mouse 3. That mouse is great and I still use it depending on what I need it for. However I recently ordered the zero tension mouse and I find that for overall usage, that one is the most comfortable since your wrist is at its most relaxed state. No twisting of any kind. Not only that, the fingers curl naturally along the device to reach the buttons. Some people palm their mice leaving their fingers straight, but for others with longer fingers it's a bit difficult to use a mouse without curling your fingers backwards a bit to accommodate positioning. What is the whole point of that long paragraph? This trackman doesn't allow your hand to be in a resting state and *may* cause more strain, or a different type of strain in addition to whatever problem you may already experience. While it sounds like I'm claiming that this is the worst pointing device ever, I'm just stressing on the bad points. It's definitely a solid piece of technology. Doesn't feel cheap, the ball is super easy to clean along with the insides where some dust may collect. All the buttons feel solid. Overall it's got heft so that the whole thing doesn't slide around during use. But build quality and maintenance takes a backseat if comfort isn't there.

I work intensively with computers. In radiology, the number of data points to process quickly is multifarious: dictation software, PACS, and workstations, 4 screens, etc. Volume is also inherently high. I've used this product for two-years and am very satisfied. At times, I was finding wrist fatigue a bit of an issue with the classic two-button mouse with a center roller. My symptoms were nothing serious, just irritation at the end of each day from "clicking". I purchased this roller as a trial, to see if I get any relief. It worked just as I had hoped. I have no symptoms during or at the end of the day. I not will not go back to just a mouse. Build is very comfortable and solid. Ease of use. For me, it is a 5*, but you should know that it does have quite of bit of complexity. As you can see, it has any number of buttons--which I was specifically looking for. I find that these myriad buttons are very functional and easy to use in practice. You just have to map out what are high volume or repetitive motions/keystroke actions. Now I love Macs and their simplicity (and this trackball also works nicely with them), but their mouse is too stripped down for my needs. I am someone who uses keyboard shortcuts whenever possible to speed things up. And again, in my business, speed and accuracy are critical. I already was already maxed-out with mere two-button mouse. This trackball allows me to custom assign functions and keyboard assignments. For instance, page-up and down are assigned to arrow buttons on the trackball. Now when I'm on a website or scrolling through ultrasound exams, I just click rather than moving to the keyboard. To initiate a case dictation is typically alt-8: now this function is tasked to a button on the trackball. Clicking the middle mouse scroll wheel is now assigned to mini-scroll wheel on the trackball. And so on. I worried that the trackball would have trouble interfacing with the programs I used. It essentially had no problem. It was recognized across the board. There has been only one function that still requires a mouse: a shortcut I use for zooming on the PACS is to hold down the option key and spin the center wheel. For some reason I am unable to replicate this function. Because the zooming shortcut is something I use all the time, the mouse stays on my desktop next to the trackball Which brings up another nice feature of this product: it can co-exist with a mouse. I plug the wireless transmitter into the front USB port and leave the mouse connected in back. I can use either device whenever I like. If a colleague comes over to review a case, they never know what to do with the trackball so I just move it out of the way and they use the mouse. If I move to a different workstation, I just unplug the transmitter and move and plug it into the next computer. The trackball will need to be configured as a first-time each time you start on a new computer, but done the profile will remain. There is logitech software that needs to be installed, but all of the mice are logitech, so the software for adjusting the trackball is for me already in place. My productivity is higher and I have less frustration thanks to this device. For not only does the device allowing me to short-circuit and subsume common tasks, but it it simply much faster than a mouse. You can adjust the speed of cursor tracking and you can also embellish cursor movement with an accelerator. With multiple large, high-resolution monitors, this is very rewarding. Everything is faster. When I have to review a case on a colleague's workstation with a mere mouse, I am given a glimpse of how I used to work: the mouse is sluggish and I have to do a lot of wrist movement. Sure, the conventional mouse can itself be accelerated, but you still have the basic fact that you have to keep moving your wrist to cover four screens and to scroll through hundreds of images. I appreciate afresh that I am using a trackball and not a mouse. Lastly, I do have to give high credit to logitech itself. 6-12 months into purchase, the buttons I had assigned to serve as "page-up" and "page-down" were not responding 100% of the time. Sometimes that signals that the AA batteries are wearing out, but even with new batteries the issue persisted. I called logitech and they switched out the device without any questions. Really top-flight service. The replacement is going on strong after 1 year. So in short, if you are considering a trackball, get one. This one is I think the top of the line. If you don't need to extreme functionality, consider the Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse which has fewer buttons but works on the same principle (I actually use the marble mouse at home, because my at-home use is much lighter). I have read about "review mills" that churn out praise or scorn. I find Amazon's reviews to be a great source for separating wheat from chaff. It has a critical mass of users and reviewers. That said, when I was looking for a trackball, however, I did not see a review that was on-point for my niche needs. Hopefully this review will fill that lacuna.

This is the biggest mouse ever! At least the biggest I have ever seen or held. It is more like a large rat than a mouse. It was a bit too large for my petite/medium sized hand (I should have read the dimensions more carefully). I did not like the long cord it came with, and the device at the end of it for wireless capability - not very portable. The lock button malfunctioned and just quit working. The scoll buttons are too close together for me and too small. The ball was nice and smooth, but it did not ease the pain in my hand as I had expected. But I have inflamation issues. If a smaller one were available, it might have worked better for me, but the design/layout of some buttons didn't work for me. I surmise that this mouse works superb for men or women with large hands. But it was just not a good fit for me or my work area, and it malfunctioned. I ended up buying and loving... Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse My husband, who is utterly finickly about his mice, actually found this one comfortable and easy to use. The biggest reasons for a trac ball mouse are 1) it works nicely by my side when laptopping on my bed-top - no need to move the mouse around, only the trac ball. 2) The ball and buttons do not cause inflammation in my hands.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2013 I recently started using this mouse with a Mac and some of the forward/back keys on the trackpad aren't working how they normally do on a PC. When I click the "page back" button...if I have the mouse over an active link, it opens that link in a new tab. I tried messing with the Mac mouse settings but that was of no help. Kinda bummed that I can't get it to work but it could just be me forgetting a critical step or maybe just time to get a new mouse. Still loving this trackman! My thumb gets stuck when using a regular mouse so I thought I'd try my luck with a trackman mouse. I now own two of these. The first one I purchased about 5 years ago, the second around 2 years ago (to use at work). Not good for gaming (I am told) but I like that I am able to go back/forward a page with one click, do click lock scroll and rapid mouse movement. I find it allows me to navigate on a computer faster. It's also great that it's wireless and I don't need to replace the batteries often. UPDATE: FEBRUARY 17, 2015 I still own and use both of these trackman MICE and have had absolutely no complaints. Logitech did a good job with this one in my opinion, based on my obviously awesome experience so far. UPDATE: NOVEMBER 22, 2019 It has been over nine years now. I still both have both of these mice. They still work. The rubbery parts have gotten somewhat sticky in a not so pleasant way And trying to clean it with some kind of wipe seems to make it worse. However, it’s not enough of an issue to justify me paying over five times what I paid for these originally. When I bought my first one, it was for home use. The second one I bought for use at work. After leaving that job, I’ve kept both at home. I have a new job now, And I was delighted to find that they had one in the box there, so I’m using that at work. I have three of them total that I use. My thumb problems no longer exist for the most part. And eventually, I will probably cave in and buy a brand new one at the ridiculous price that is 5x what I paid for it because of how hard they are to find nowadays. My only complaint is that the features on the phone to click to go forward or backward a page don’t seem to work with chrome on my windows PC. The driver installed is from the website and I don’t know for sure, but it seems as though the software is not fully supported by the new computer systems. I am not a computer or technical expert so I have no idea whether or not that is accurate. All I do know is that I love this trackball mouse.

I love this mouse. I greet it every morning and give it warm caresses as I drink my morning coffee. I catch myself staring longingly at it daydreaming of using it sitting on a beach sipping a drink with an umbrella. I call her Bridgette. Is she perfect? Probably not - otherwise they'd still be a lot more popular. Is she perfect for me? Yeah. She is. So first the bad and then the good: This mouse is big. For folks with normal to big sized hands, that's a win in a world of tiny mice built for Hobbits. If you have the hand size of a large doll could you still manage it? Yes. It's not THAT big. The surface finish is...temporary. Dynamic. Fluid. I think of it more as patina at this point. Most of the painted surfaces (except for the left click button) on mine are still the same color they were when I bought it. I seem to remember a "soft touch" satin coating on the black parts but that has worn off mine years ago. She still turns heads though. Some people say that these mice have reliability issues. We've been together for a good 17 years and she's still going strong. There was a scare recently where her buttons stopped working but a careful dose of electrical contact cleaner in the switches and a few hours rest and she was right as rain. She's not bullet-proof but hopefully will be around another score or so before parting for good. What I love about this mouse is the feel. It's just right. Trackball people are a finicky group and rarely do we find something that suits us to little complaint. The size of this mouse fits me perfectly. All the buttons are where they should be, I don't have to strain and move and fight to make stuff happen. There's enough flexibility in programming the buttons you can set it to do most tasks easily with one click. It's not so complex that it introduces unwanted drama in your life trying to figure out the minutiae of endless setup options. The trackball is perfectly placed. It's far enough forward my fingertips don't have to hunt for it and just enough to the side that I don't have to twist my wrist to reach it. I can swipe easily from one side of the screen (or across screens) without a thought but still have enough control to be precise when needed. All without straining my wrist. I like the action of mouse clicking left/forward/back with my thumb as it's more natural than the thumb-driven trackballs. I either suffer from twitchy thumb or it's just a bad design for precise movement. The right click button is naturally placed just to the underside of the trackball and feels effortless to click with my ring finger. The scroll wheel is small but cushy and comfortable. There are soft indents to the scrolling so it doesn't get away from you. If you prefer the smooth scrolling feel the "cruise" buttons above and below get that done easily. The drag lock button can come in handy if you're constantly copying multiple files back and forth. I generally don't so it's easily remapped in the software. Battery life is really good. I usually go several months on a set of cheap AA's. It has an auto sleep function instead of a power switch which is handy. The nice thing about AA batteries is that you can easily find them anywhere. I think that's one of the main reasons mine has lasted so long. Dear Logitech or any other company that may stumble across this - please bring this model back with a reboot. People obviously loved it and they sell like hotcakes. I've seen used ones go for upwards of $400 now. Surely there's some profit in doing another run of these beauties!