Mouse Vs. Trackball

[Sinistar]

I was just wondering how many of you guys use a trackball? Are trackballs supposed to be better for you ergonomically? Sometimes at work my mouse wrist starts hurting, so I wonder if getting a trackball would be better?
Any trackballs anyone recommends?

My ex-roommate used to use a Kensington trackball and he even used to play TFC with it and was fairly good. Haha the only games I would attempt to try playing with are the old school games like Marble Madness, Missile Command and Centipede. :)

[Hydro2Oxide]

I used to be a trackball fan but after a few months with laser I don't think I could go back. I don't know why it would be better for your wrist, that doesn't sound logical.

[MorPhiend]

The best trackball ever is the Microsoft Intellimouse Trackball. But for some reason they stopped manufacturing it about a decade ago. Everyone I know who has ever owned one swears by it, even if it has long since died and they have moved on to a gaming mouse. I had one for over a decade. Then I dropped it on a tile floor and something came loose inside. I tried to fix it, but it wasn't the same. I bought a new laptop last fall, but went without a pointing device aside from the touchpad because no mouse would suffice. I spent about eight months waiting and looking for a replacement and finally found a NIB trackball for a semi-reasonable amount. But now my laptop that can actually play worthwhile games is not currently functioning... :(

Everyone has a hard time with a trackball when they start. But you quickly get used to it and cannot go back.

Sidestory: I remember playing CS on a friend's extra comp for the first time. A bunch of guys in the dorms my freshman year in college wanted me to play so there would be an extra guy to get kills off of. So I brought my trackball along and hooked it up. They were all laughing at me. The thing they didn't know is that while it was my first experience with CS, a few years earlier I had quickly become a skilled veteran in the Quake games and Half-Life 1. I chose the bullpup rifle. I was obviously unfamiliar with the maps but quickly learned where to place myself to get kills. Obviously the other team all soon started whining about my "camping" (it's pretty pathetic if you have to complain about a noob camping - shouldn't one be able to outfox a noob based solely upon familiarity with the game/map?). So I decided to shut them up and I took to roaming the hallways. I was able to kill 4 or 5 guys for every time I was killed just by shooting from the hip with the bullpup. The point is, people didn't laugh at my trackball anymore.

I wish I still had those skills. I really need to get my good laptop running again...

[VioletArrows]

I don't use one anymore since my last one broke and a replacement's somewhere between $50-120. I loved mine to death since it was easy to clean, didn't tear up my desk, and I felt it made games a little easier.

[Sir_Fragalot]

A trackball would not be better for your wrist, unless your wrist gets tired of constant movements. Trackballs are good for when you don't have a lot of space for a laser or you want to your your mouse on about any surface you can think of.

My dad has a trackball and I think of it as another mouse. I would not buy one for gaming because I like the feel of lasers for gaming and also my G5 has the setpoint software where I can program the buttons.

[burritoman]

Trackball 100% I bought one and it rocks. Best for most applications. Especially good if you have limited space.

I use mine mostly on my CAD station, that's where I got used to it.

[erehwon]

I really like my Microsoft trackball. I use it for everything, but gaming. I've tried playing games with my trackball, but I could never get use to it.

[m6oo]

I had to switch to a trackball after my right hand went numb after years of mousing. It was some game (probably Diablo 2) that pushed my mouse hand over the edge.

You get carpal tunnel via a combination of moving your hand around, keeping your wrist flexed (like you're spiderman shooting a web) and putting pressure on your wrist (where you would take your pulse). These are all things I used to do when using a mouse. I think the biggest thing for me was pushing my wrist against the mousepad while mousing furiously in games.

I use a Logitech TrackMan Wheel, which is a very basic, thumb pointing, trackball. I like it because you use your thumb to point, and you use the same fingers to work the buttons/scrollwheel as you would with a conventional mouse. I put mine right on the edge of the desk so that my wrist hangs off the desk into empty air. Wrist in mid air = no pressure on wrist = no carpal tunnel.

I use it for gaming and don't feel like I am losing much control, but I'm mostly an RPG kind of guy, so twitch isn't that critical for me.

[Krymner]

I love my trackball. I watch people push a mouse around their desk and giggle every time they have to pick it up and reposition it.

[DrFoo]

Anybody know if any pro gamers use trackballs? I had a friend that used a trackball a long time ago. He was pretty good with it, but when I tried it I could barley do anything. I'm just wondering if trackballs can compete with mice when you get good with them.

[advanced]

I had a trackball when I still had a desktop. I didn't do any gaming, but it saved my wrist from chronic pain which was super important as I'm a musician. Wrist pain was a problem for me right before my dad bought one for the house computer, and we've used one ever since. Since the switch, I've only had wrist pain when typing incorrectly, so I'd say its a safe bet if you want to save your wrist.

We usually buy Logitech ones for $20 that are USB. They're nice, I'm a big fan, but I can see how some people don't like them.

[deszaras]

The best trackball ever is the Microsoft Intellimouse Trackball. But for some reason they stopped manufacturing it about a decade ago. Everyone I know who has ever owned one swears by it, even if it has long since died and they have moved on to a gaming mouse.

I totally agree. I was introduced to that trackball when I first got married. It took a bit of time but once I was converted I knew I could never go back. I actually have two of them(one for backup). It drives me crazy every time I've had to use a mouse on another person's computer. Not only do I dislike the change in how they function, but my wrist quickly hurts when I'm not using a my trackball.

[erehwon]

This (http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-D67-00001-Trackball-Optical-Mouse/dp/B00005853X/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_1) is the trackball that I use. It works quite well for me. I do have an extra one I found at a garage sale, but I really haven't tested it.

I'm curious, what do you guys do to clean your trackballs?

[Sinistar]

Thanks for the input guys, I'm still leaning on getting a trackball, I just think I will get a low-price one to see if i can get used to it and if I will like it.