Microsoft Trackball Explorer

by Microsoft

• Index-finger-controlled precision trackball design
• IntelliEye optical technology
• 5 buttons--including 2 programmable buttons
• Wheel for scrolling and zooming
• Designed for use with the right hand

Product Details

Product Manual [167kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 7.2 x 9.6 inches ; 1.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005853Z
• Item model number: D68-00007
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #32 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Computer Accessories > Input Devices > Trackballs
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 22, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com

Unlike the mechanical-trackball "mice of yore" that skip, stick, and need to be cleaned, the Microsoft D68-00007 TrackBall Explorer 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 Explorer comes with two additional buttons located on the side of the device--for a total of five buttons--for moving forward and back quickly 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 index finger to control the trackball.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Warp 5, Mr. Sulu November 15, 2001

By Tracy Rowan TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

Sleek, silver and glowing - I have this space-age thing on my desk that delights me. It's improved the position of my hand so that my CTS has ebbed, though I still need a wrist rest and frequent breaks. All the buttons, including the wheel button, are programmable, bringing the total of moving gizmos to 5 buttons a trackball and a wheel. This alone is reason to fiddle endlessly with it, trying to come up with the best combination of programming to suit the natural play of your hand. If anything, there are too many possible combinations of function, and you may spend a week or more playing with this puppy before you find a workable group of settings.

The functions are smooth, and reasonably reliable, depending on the position your hand takes. I find the left-hand buttons difficult to hit correctly with my thumb, thanks to some nerve damage so I reprogrammed them until I found a way that was comfortable for me to work. I strongly suggest you do the same.

If you're running Win XP, you'll have to d/l the newest Intellipoint drivers, but that's not a big deal. Installation is a snap with Plug 'n' Play.

I never thought I'd find anything that pleased me as much as my old Logitech trackball, but I have to say that I think this one might do it. Time will tell. But right from the start, I found it worth the investment.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Won't use anything else! August 20, 2002

By Snerticus

I bought this a few years ago...being used to the average two button mouse it took a little while getting used to. However, now I won't use anything else! I wish they came out with a cordless version. It fits my hand so well and the buttons that were a little awkward to use at first are now so easy to use and well placed. I scroll and click with my thumb and move the wheel with my forefinger. The other two programmable buttons to the right of the wheel are clicked with your middle and ring fingers, and the whole device fits my hand like a glove. You barely have to move your fingers to use the buttons, once you get used to the layout and you can even place the trackball horizontally or diaganolly in front of you (which I do) - which is why I don't ever feel "awkward" the way one of the reviewers does. If you place the trackball vertically with the cord facing north, you will ulitmately have a fatigued hand. But after getting used to the layout of this trackball, you don't have to keep it vertical anymore and can place it any way you like. Once placed in a position that is comfortable, it is so natural to operate that using a mouse again is so uncomfortable. If you have the patience to try this out, I highly recommend it. I haven't been able to find a cordless trackball that even comes close to this...pity!

EDIT FROM ORIGINAL POST: It is now September of 2009 and I still have - and love - my Trackball Explorer! I wish I could find another, but currently Amazon has a new one from a seller for $699. That's about $650 over my price range. My Trackball has been dropped a million times and although it's starting to fizz out on me every now and again, it's been with me for 10 years. I don't want to part with it but I think it's been dropped one too many times. All the buttons work and the ball still rolls as smooth as the day I bought it, but the circuits/wires inside the base short out if I bump them in a certain way, so I try to keep it as still as possible now. This little old man still has spunk in him though. I'm considering a Logitech Cordless Optical TrackMan next. It's the closest I can find to my Trackball Explorer. I contacted Microsoft and asked them to reconsider manufacturing these again. They told me (paraphrased here) "Sorry, but no." Well, Logitech, the (track)ball is in your court now, please make one almost exactly like this!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There is simply no better trackball available October 22, 2004

By Harry Littell

I have been using a MS Trackball Explorer for several years. It has saved me as I have carpel tunnel and cervical damage and if I use a mouse for any length of time my hand pain increases. (I also use a Natural Pro Keyboard).

I can't believe that some people are upset and condemn it because the device has a short cord!

The trackball connects by USB and the movements are seamless. Any trackball is going to get dirty but this one is so easy to clean. All I do is pop out the ball, remove the dust or whatever from the three points the ball rotates on, wipe the ball with a tissue and it is as good as new. I would say that the contours are not ideal (nor could they be) as it seems the contours are better fit for me if the device were mounted about 8 inches higher than my keyboard tray. As it is, it causes my wrist to drop and it is uncomfortable in that respect, but using the two right buttons to navigate online (back and forward) is a total breeze and makes going through pages very fast and comfortable.

Intellipoint software allows you to control almost every aspect of its movement, which makes it even better.

Personally I like where the scroll button is as well as the buttons for right and left clicks. I think I am going to try to devise some sort of mount so it will elevate the rear by about 15 degrees or so. This way my hand will go forward and there will be even less strain.

I used Logictech trackballs in the past and I did not like them. With all its faults, and there are some, this trackball is for me by far the best, the easiest to navigate online with, and extremely precise in terms of cursor movement. It does slide around a bit and to solve this I put a small piece of that foamy rubbery shelf liner stuff under it--and where my wrist rests on the keyboard tray--and it works perfectly.

It is simply a matter of using your own ingenuity to make something that is already superb even better!