Trackball

ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
edited January 2, 2006 in Digital Darkroom
Have any of you had any experience with the Kingston Expert Optical TB? Need to do something since hand/arm cramping. Looked at the Wacom and I just don't think me and it would work well together.

Thanks

Comments

  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,248 moderator
    edited December 30, 2005
    Thusie wrote:
    Have any of you had any experience with the Kingston Expert Optical TB? Need to do something since hand/arm cramping. Looked at the Wacom and I just don't think me and it would work well together.
    Thanks

    No experience with the brand and model you mention, but I feel your pain - been there; am there.

    I have for many years worked with either two mice or a mouse and a trackball. The mouse for intricate or quick navigation on the right, and when wrist and arm pain begins I then switch over to the left hand.

    Originally I just moved the mouse over to the other position, but since we had about eight mice or trackballs about the house, I plugged them both into a PS2 style Y adaptor for fast hand switching. Both mice/trackballs can't work concurrently; whichever device is currently moving becomes the master.

    These days, you could just plug in a couple USB devices and configure them to both be working. No need for the Y thingie. That, or a wireless device and just move it over to the other side.
    My Smugmug
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  • cabbeycabbey Registered Users Posts: 1,053 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2005
    I've used one on a friend's machine, would never buy that model myself. If I were to go help him with his machine again, I'd bring along my own usb mouse. He seems to like it however, so I suspect it's all about personal taste. There are two things about it that really irritated me:
    1. The buttons are out of reach, you have to move your hand too far to click most of them, which for me at least meant lifting my entire hand off the ball, lest I move it accidentally while trying to click.
    2. The wrist wrest that comes with it has a "lump" in the middle, right where the soft fleshy part of my wrist landed... I really hated that.
    Personally, I like the Logictech track man marbel series... they're more of a 'thumb ball', so you get a fairly standard mouse button set for your fingers, and a thumb scrolled marble to control location. It may sound a bit odd at first, but that opposible digit has a LOT of agility that can be put to moving the marble. Look for the ones labeled "thumb-operated" here. (That list is basically only the "current" versions... if you look around at stores you'll find a variety of other older versions/styles.
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  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2005
    Thanks David and Crabbey!

    Guess I'll keep looking and experimenting.
  • StefStef Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2005
    I have this one:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005T406/qid=1136076694/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-1918018-9909429?n=507846&s=electronics&v=glance
    It took me forever to get use to it. Now when I use my old crappy mouse at work it makes me think I should buy another one for there. I am left handed and this one can be used either way. I bought it for PS work, but I decided it was still too hard to control. I ended up getting the graphire 4x5 tablet to try... and well... it's still sitting here unused. Go figure! :D
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2005
    Stef wrote:
    I ended up getting the graphire 4x5 tablet to try... and well... it's still sitting here unused. Go figure! :D

    Stef

    That is exactly what I'd probably end up doing, I do understand:D What is it with PP that turns your hand/arm into (feels like anyway) a claw, wicked witch of the west dealheadscratch.gif
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 1, 2006
    I have a trackman wheel...great track ball...also have a MS trackball..don't like it....now for the wacom tablet....I have an older one and I like it for the inticate work on photos....I have never been able to draw with a mouse of any sort (used to catch'em with sticky pads and dip'em in ink to draw...never work well couldn't get straight lines), even track balls don't work well for me..however TB's are better than mice....but for inticate work I like my old Wacom (4X6)......
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2006
    ART SCOTT wrote:
    I.I have never been able to draw with a mouse of any sort (used to catch'em with sticky pads and dip'em in ink to draw...never work well couldn't get straight lines), .

    Akkk! That is bad Art, about spit coffee all over the monitorrolleyes1.gif
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