Customer Reviews

Logitech TrackMan Marble FX Trackball

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Once upon a time I got sick of the gunk build up on all the mice and trackballs I had used, it got to the point where they would bump and jump on the mouse pads. I was intrigued when I saw the technology used in the Trackman line, detecting position using the tiny dots on the ball. Now having used the FX Trackman at home and at work for over 3 years, I find that it is the still the best input device of its kind, including the new MSFT optical mice. Once one gets used to the button placement and develops the dexterity to utilise the trackball, constantly smooth and consistent movement will reward them. With no moving parts for the tracking assembly the user only rarely [once a year?] has to pop the ball out and clean the sensors. This trackball does very well in digital art work with Photoshop and is especially excellent when used to play classic trackball arcade games through Mame32 emulation, Missile Command, Tempest, Centipede, Arkanoid, etc. The tertiary buttons are recognized and used as scroll wheel counterparts in Win2k; it's a nice fluff feature. My only wish would be that Logitech eventually upgrade them to use USB so I can plug them into my MSFT keyboards. Otherwise, highly recommended.

I just started using my new Trackman Marble FX, and I gotta tell you GET ONE! This thing is so smooth, so precise I wish I had one months ago, I have never used any pointing device that works as well as this one, and believe me I have used about every version of a mouse there is, nothing comes close to this trackball! If you're in the market for a new mouse forget about it! Try a trackball you will not be disappointed.

I do digital image editing as a hobby, and I wanted to find an accurate input device to handle fine line editing. I tried two different Kensington trackballs, but both had problems whenever I used slow, flowing movements. Even with clean rollers, the ball would never roll smoothly enough for minute editing. Logitech's use of optical tracking make the motion nearly flawless, almost no straying, even with a pixel-wide brush. I agree that the setup of the ball and buttons requires a bit getting used to, but the new hand position is more comfortable once you adapt to it. Others who are complaining about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are probably trying to force their hand position to match the usual angle they've used with other trackballs. You need to look at the instructions to see how to rest the arm and wrist properly for this item. I only dropped a star off the rating because it's too dang expensive! It's worth it, but I wish they would give us a break.

I'll start off by saying the Marble FX isn't for everyone. That said, I will say it is one of the easiest input devices to use and maintain. The large trackball takes getting used to, but once you do, you'll never want to use a traditional mouse again. Using the trackball requires only the movement of your fingers, and not your wrist. I found myself resting my wrist and palm along the curved lower portion. You can use your thumb and forefinger to gain accurate control of the pointer on the screen. Maintenance is easy. I usually pop the marble out and clean it and wipe the socket clean with a cloth. There's never any worry about lint jamming it since there are no moving parts. The marble sits on several hard plastic contacts and is the only thing that moves. If you have limited deskspace or are suffering from a sore back or shoulder, I'd highly recommend this device.

I was aprehensive a first but now I'll never go back to a mouse. Four assignable buttons make this a dream to use, especially when surffing the web. And those of you addicted to the scroll wheel will love the ability to not only scroll up and down but left and right using the ball. Using this product has actually reduced the effects of carple tunnel syndrome for me. Because I can put my wrist at an angle (wrist straight but rotated about 20 degrees clockwise) it feels more natural and reduces twist at the elbow. Also, since you don't have to move it, it uses less desk space. I don't like using it when playing fast paced shooting games. The track ball motion isn't a natural movement when pointing in a hurry. I would also like to see a left handed model.

As a computer tech I am extremely picky about what input device I am going to use. I am extremely happy with the Marbleman FX trackball. I no longer have numbness in my wrist as a result of having my arm at an unnatural angle. The setup wizard also is very easy to use and lets you easily configure the marbleman to your specific needs. The real testament to the ease of use was when I bought one for my Mom to use. She was able to set it up without calling me - a definite plus in my book.

This is one great trackball. The product I bought is actually the Cordless version of the FX Trackball, but it's basically the same as this one except for the cordless/wireless feature. The ergonomics are a little different also but it's basically the same trackball device.

You can't beat the smoothness of this trackball. I've seen lots of them over the years but none ever impressed me enough to buy one until now. Now that I've tried one I'm a convert. The action is extremely smooth once you adapt a little to the finger movements to move the ball. Also, getting used to the placement of the four different buttons takes a little time. But once this is accomplished the ability to move smoothly and quickly around your computer screen is vastly improved over a typical mouse.

The buttons are all configurable as to function, but I've found sticking with the default settings during the software setup is the best way to go. There is one thing I am trying to see how it works out. I reconfigured button 4 as the delete key. This is sort of convenient because it allows you to browse and delete files just with the trackball instead of having to use the other hand to hit the delete key on the keyboard after highlighting a file with the trackball. Pretty convenient for those occasional cleanup tasks on your hard disk.

Another thing I have found useful is to use medium instead of low acceleration, which allows you to shoot all the way across the screen by moving the trackball maybe an inch and a half or so, but then to drop the overall sensitivity down a bit. The default setting for trackball sensitivity is right in the middle of the range on the slider adjustment bar. I drop it down one more tack on the slider bar. This assists in hitting all those small buttons when using high resolution on your monitor. The medium acceleration gets you there faster but then you have more control once you're there to zero in on the button. Try it and see if you like this better than the default settings. You will find these settings by opening up the Trackball program menu, clicking on "mouse properties," and then on the "motion" tab.

One last thing I do to customize the operation of the trackball is you can check a box that causes the cursor to jump to the highlighted button of a new dialog box. I find this useful also.

I noted a very interesting new feature. One of the buttons when clicked pops up the "Webwheel." This is a wheel with 10 different pie-shaped pieces which are configurable as web addresses or for other web-related functions, such as go back, reload, go to favorites/bookmarks, and so on. When you hit this button, the wheel comes up, and you basically have a second menu to choose selection from. Pretty cool.

I should mention the software install is a little non-intuitive. The instructions say to disconnect your mouse and plug in the new trackball (with the power off). However, when you boot the machine, Windows 98 sees the now missing mouse and wants to autodetect your hardware again and recreate the entire driver database. Not knowing what would happen I just cancelled out of this screen and let the computer boot up normally but without any mouse function. I then loaded the software, using the tab key to navigate around to configure everything, which wasn't too hard, and after you are finished it asks do you want to reboot, and after that the trackball works normally.

Although not cheap, all in all a fine product that is worth the money.

Logitech has done it again. I have been a trackball junkie for as long as I've been using computers (which is 15+ years, I'm sorry to say) and the Trackman Marble FX is the ultimate luxury in mouse technology!

There are many people who really dislike trackballs in leiu of standard mice, and for me, this is a plus! People tend to find another computer with a regular mouse rather than "borrowing" mine when they need to "just check my e-mail real quick."

All my other trackballs would have to be taken apart on a regular basis to clean the little foam guides inside, but I have had my Marble F/X for over a year now and it is basically maintenance free. The red scrolling button is a fabulous feature and the mouse itself is very comfortable.

Unfortunately, Logitech has not put this mouse out in a left-handed version, but for the majority of us who are right-handed, and especially for trackball aficionados, this one is the greatest! You will be very impressed!

As a grad student, I use the computer 40+ hours a week sometimes. I was getting terrible hand cramps and arm and shoulder pain from using the traditional mouse that came with my system. I tried the Trackman FX on a hunch, because it looked the most different from the ordinary mouse, and seemed to offer much more flexibility in the repetitive hand movements. After I got used to moving my fingers instead of clutching and moving my whole wrist, I found that I loved the trackball, because NO PAIN! Now I can get my work done without having to take numerous breaks.

I bought this mouse for my mother. She is 80 years old and it was almost impossible for her to manage a mouse. She could not hold the mouse still while clicking.

This track ball provides a resting place for her hand so she can move the ball, get her fingers off it and then click. Setting up one of the middle buttons for double clicking is also important. Since she has difficulty managing the double click sequence and double clicking with one button is 100% reliable.

Without this device she would random drag the mouse while trying to click and double click and wind up doing very strange and frustrating things. This mouse isolates the movement of the cursor from the clicking actions which is essential for her.

Everyone else who uses her system adapts very quickly. It is not a problem for mouse users.