VOGONS


First post, by RogueTrip2012

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I've always been a regular wired mouse person, Currently own a Microsoft Blue opitcal mouse and a Logitech G5.

Recently I started wondering how well trackball mice are for games, especially older FPS games? Ebay seems to be pretty expensive but I stumbled across 2.4GHz wireless handheld trackball mouse w/receiver. http://cgi.ebay.com/2-4-GHz-Wireless-2-1-Trac … =item5adea20f0c

Reviews don't seem too bad but no one pits the one I listed in games. Found a wired one of the same type for about $20.xx shipped but wonder if that would be better than wireless?!

Should I pull the trigger on one of these?

Reply 2 of 12, by megatron-uk

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I use them exclusively at both work and home - although I don't do a lot of fps gaming. I find that my wrist doesn't get aches and pains from the constant shuffling around that you do when using a mouse in a gui environment.

Gaming wise, I couldn't say if they're better or worse. Possibly more accurate, but I would imagine slower.

My collection database and technical wiki:
https://www.target-earth.net

Reply 3 of 12, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

I am immensely fond of my Logitech Marble Mouse, despite its odd name.

It seems to me wirelessness would be quite superfluous, though, since unlike a mouse you're not moving a cord around every time you move the cursor.

Reply 4 of 12, by Svenne

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Jorpho wrote:

I am immensely fond of my Logitech Marble Mouse, despite its odd name.

It seems to me wirelessness would be quite superfluous, though, since unlike a mouse you're not moving a cord around every time you move the cursor.

Wireless mice has worse response time than wired ones. I don't know how big the difference is, but wire is always faster than wireless.

Intel C2D 2.8 GHz @ 3.0 GHz | ASUS P5KPL | ASUS GTS250 1 GB | 4GB DDR2-800 | 500 GB SATA | Win 7 Pro/Ubuntu 9.10

Reply 5 of 12, by swaaye

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

The biggest problem with wireless mice is the weight of the batteries. But it's not that big of a deal. I use a wireless mouse for a lot of gaming on my TVPC.

Trackballs give you very precise pointer control. They used to be what almost all notebooks used, before touchpads took off. Whether they are better depends on personal preference in most cases though.

One problem with trackballs is that they get dirty like ball mice. I don't really miss having to scrape sludge off of mouse rollers.

Reply 6 of 12, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Yes, cleanliness was also a huge problem with those old notebook trackballs. But Logitech's trackballs are all optical now (and have been for quite some time), so cleanliness isn't really an issue. There are some bearings that can accumulate grime, but it takes a really long time before it makes a noticeable impact on the ball's movement since the bearings have nothing to do with the optical tracking. Since they're metal spheres, it's also completely trivial to scratch the stuff off (very much unlike mouse rollers).

Reply 7 of 12, by Malik

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Good discussion. I always wondered how the trackball will function when compared to the mouse. (My friends and I used to call these "cat" when they were abundant those days, especially those keyboard built-ins.)

I didn't get one till now, since I don't know how these will function in everyday use and didn' want to spoil my experience by getting a bad one.

The trackpad is another reason I have delayed (or even bypassed) buying one. But I still prefer an ordinary mouse over the trackpad.

Perhaps I'll get one of those Logitech "marble" trackman?

5476332566_7480a12517_t.jpgSB Dos Drivers

Reply 8 of 12, by Tetrium

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

My favorite ball mouse of ALL TIME 😁 was the Razer Boomslang 1000 DPI. USB, long mouse cord and I actually preferred it over optical mice until my boomslang started getting problems I couldn't fix anymore due to old age.
I used it until it was basically used up and even then I still got that boomslang laying around somewhere 🤣

Whats missing in your collections?
My retro rigs (old topic)
Interesting Vogons threads (links to Vogonswiki)
Report spammers here!

Reply 9 of 12, by Yushatak

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

If it's a thumb trackball it will basically suck for anything but standard UI stuff. If it's a finger trackball it will be better than any ball mouse and most optical mice. I used to use a Logitech Trackman Marble for everything, and once I got used to it it was like having a Razer mouse before they even existed. Nobody stood a chance back in 1998-2000 or so.. xD

Reply 10 of 12, by Malik

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Aaaaargh....why do you guys keep tempting me to get another hardware? 😁

*Malik religiously went back to ebay hunting for a Trackman Marble! Malik also sees bunch of cash with flapping wings flying away from him!) 🤣

5476332566_7480a12517_t.jpgSB Dos Drivers

Reply 11 of 12, by Yushatak

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Last I checked they still sold the Trackman Marble on the Logitech site and others, because it's so good. They have added some unnecessary buttons, however, since I got mine.

Reply 12 of 12, by Pippy P. Poopypants

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I used a trackball for a bit back in the 486/early Pentium days, and for the most part I liked it. My old Toshiba 486SX laptop also came with one too (although not quite as flexible in usage as with a desktop version). Never seemed to give me as much hand cramps as my normal mouse today (although age could have something to do with that). Definitely prefer one over my current laptop's touchpad though. 😀

GUIs and reviews of other random stuff

Вфхуи ZoPиЕ m
СФИР Et. SEPOHЖ
Chebzon фt Ymeztoix © 1959 zem