Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse

by Microsoft

Product Details

Product Manual [167kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 7.2 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005853X
• Item model number: D67-00005
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #18 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Computer Accessories > Keyboards, Mice & Input Devices > Trackballs
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 23, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Unlike the mechanical-trackball "mice of yore" that skip, stick, and need to be cleaned, the Microsoft TrackBall Optical introduces an entirely new trackball featuring optical sensor technology. Reading through dirt, dust, and fingerprints, the optical sensor tracks the movement of the ball 1,500 times per second, giving you smooth, precise control. The Trackball Optical comes with two additional buttons located on the side of the device--for a total of five buttons--to quickly move forward and back in your browser, or you can program them. It also features a wheel for efficient scrolling and zooming and is ergonomically designed to support the natural position of your hand as you use your thumb to control the trackball.

Product Description

A trackball mouse that uses revolutionary optical technology for high-precision mousing Other features include - programmable forward & back buttons Scroll wheel Comfortably designed shape that supports your right hand in a natural position Supports Windows and Macintosh systems with USB connections

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I just ordered my third one. (Shining endorsement), June 20, 2002

By 

hoagamaniac "hoagamaniac" (College Park, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (Personal Computers)

While I don't always think M$ is a computing Godsend when it comes to software, this trackball is the best input peripheral I've used yet.

I have what I think is a larger than normal hand, so I find most mice and trackballs are too small for me to use comfortably. This causes my hand to tire out rather quick. This trackball however is of a decent enough size for me to rest my hand on without much fatigue.

The USB PS/2 adapter is a nice touch. I love the narrow back/forward (By default) buttons on the outer edges of the primary and secondary buttons. Web and folder browsing is definately faster with those. The scroll wheel button as a double-click also is a nice option.

For those hardcore mousers out there, it will take a bit of time to get used to a thumb ball, but I think it pays off as I now feel that I have better control. It also requires less desk space because the unit doesn't have to move around a la mouse. Mouse pads need not apply as well. Some grit occasionally gets in the small bearing that the ball moves on, but they are easliy cleaned with a brush of the finger, and they never get as nasty as regular mice.

The software is nice and easy to set up with a graphic interface that shows the buttons you are setting. I know some people that can appreciate that.

I bought one a while back for home, and then asked work to '[give]it up' and help out my ergonomics. Now my other home PC is needing one.

My one gripe with this trackball is that it could have been improved upon by layering it with a thin coat of rubber to make it even more comfortable. This is a small gripe to be sure, as I can be at the computer much longer with this than a conventional mouse before my hand bothers me.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Ergonomics, Very Poor Ball Movement, September 5, 2002

By 

Marek (Groton, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (Personal Computers)

I have both this Microsoft Trackball Optical (at my office) and the alternative Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical (at home) and while the ergonomics are pretty much the same, the ball movement is much smoother on the Logitech. The Microsoft ball is manufactured using a translucid plastic that is not hard enough and causes it to "stick" to the rollers inside its casing.

Let me try to explain because I feel this is very important. Even though the trackball is optical (meaning there is a laser beam inside the casing that "reads" the ball movement), there are rollers in the form of tiny metal balls (the size of the head of a pin) over which the ball rolls. This "sticking" of the ball causes the movement of the cursor to be imprecise. When you try to roll the ball with your thumb just a pixel, it gets a bit hard (doesn't move) and then it releases it's stick and rolls too much.

On the Logitech however this does not happen. The construction is the same (plastic ball that rolls on tiny balls in the casing and a laser beam that reads the movement) but the ball is a little smaller and made of a much harder plastic. This harder plastic does not stick to the rollers inside the casing, so the ball is always free and the movement is smooth.

I definitely recommend you get the Logitech over the Microsoft model. Logitech has both a wired and wireless trackball models, both work the same way. Check them out.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best trackball I've owned, August 22, 2001

By 

Al Lopez (Culver City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (Personal Computers)

MS has produced a strong trackball superior to many others I have tried. The ergo's are great and your hand relaxes naturally around the design. In fact others in my office have used it with nothing but positive feedback. The 4 button design and wheel fit my hand perfectly. I do have a medium size hand but others with larger fingers haven't had a problem. I have noticed in the 5 months of daily use that the ball does on rare ocassion tend to stick moving vertically. Maybe twice for 30 seconds in a 5 day workweek. I just move the mouse horizontally to loosen it a little and continue to work. The source of the problem is always gunk attached to the 3 metal numbs on the inside of the depression. A quick cleaning by my finger instantly corrects the situation. I clean perhaps once a month at most. The plastic post inside is not the problem. This trackball is packed with features. They really increase the value of the product and produce less handstrain. The ClickLock feature is the best followed by the Autowheel. I recommend this trackball to everyone, but think it is especially necessary for those of you who spend a great deal of time using a mouse/trackball. Your hand will just feel better and the end of the day.