|
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old standard, new improvements, May 25, 2003
This is Kensington's old Turbomouse, updated for the Web era. I use it on my OS X Mac, and I'm pleased to report it works just as well as the three other Kensington trackballs I've used over the last 12 years. They never break - they just go obsolete when Apple changes their connector.This one is fully USB for modern computers, and shares the same easy configuration and good software as its predecessors. The heavy ball with progressive speed control is so good and so easy to use, you'll wonder why the mouse was ever invented. And with a proper wristrest, this thing is the carpal tunnel savior - it's so kind on the wrists; you have barely to flick your fingers to do all your mousing. And if you're a gamer, especially Quake or Unreal, you'll love how this improves your aiming accuracy! What's new? Well, this trackball has 4 easy-clicky buttons, and you can set what each does - all the same (single-click), or different. I have mine set to singleclick (lower left), control-click (lower-right), double-click (top left), and I don't use the top right one, because my fingers don't naturally fall there. There's also a rubberized scroll wheel, which is cool mostly for reading text. It's positioned right to roll it with your middle finger. There are 6 'web buttons' across the top - you can set 'em to load various URLs, open apps, or pretty much do whatever you like - but I don't use 'em. Don't need 'em. The unit is fully ambidextrous and has great ergonomics. It is heavy and sits on non-skid feet, but it does need a flat surface to rest on. There is also a wireless version available - but why?? I don't see the point - it's not like you ever move your trackball anyway. It sits there, so you might as well plug it in and save on the RF transceiver, which I hear is prone to interference from microwave ovens anyway. Replacement balls are available; I've seen red, blue, silver, grey, and transparent ones full of glitter or plastic fish. The unit is fairly easy to clean, but it was easier when you could take off the backplate screws and get inside. Junk just tends to build up on the ball's contact wheels and they need to be scraped every so often. And you won't want to use this trackball while you're eating pizza with your mouse hand - it'll become slippery and start skipping. In short, this is the only mousing equipment I'd ever consider using - the Cadillac of trackballs - and I highly recommend you buy it right now!
|
