deskthority

Hello

As i was looking to improve my workspace i wanted to get a trackball, but i want one with fingers and not thumb. So i began reading some articles, and decided to buy a CST l-Track.

Do you think it's a good choice (quite expensive), and if it is possible to buy one in France or at least in €uro countries (VAT and all that stuff).

Thanks for your help.

Personally, I like the Kensington Expert. My main gripe so far is the friction on the scroll ring - feels cheap. The ball is nice though, and the switch actions are easily customised. The clip-on rest is also comfortable enough. I also use a Kensington Slimblade, but as it's not my system I'm not able to install the software that allows switch action customisation - so it's pretty much a normal setup there - and it's a nice trackball, but this time my gripe is that scrolling using the ball itself is less comfortable than the outer ring used on the Expert.

The only CST I've used is a few years old and uses rollers rather than optics; it's OK, but not great. It gets occasional use under DOS.

Slimblade rocks my world.

nathanscribe wrote:Personally, I like the Kensington Expert. My main gripe so far is the friction on the scroll ring - feels cheap. The ball is nice though, and the switch actions are easily customised. The clip-on rest is also comfortable enough. I also use a Kensington Slimblade, but as it's not my system I'm not able to install the software that allows switch action customisation - so it's pretty much a normal setup there - and it's a nice trackball, but this time my gripe is that scrolling using the ball itself is less comfortable than the outer ring used on the Expert.

The only CST I've used is a few years old and uses rollers rather than optics; it's OK, but not great. It gets occasional use under DOS.

I've posted a mod for the Expert. Googling " Kensington scratchy scroll ring" should bring it up.

I love my Logitech Trackman!
If i had more money i guess i would try something more robust but its been filling my needs quite nicely!

The scroll wheel on the Expert is excellent. In all other regards, the CST is much better. In particular, it's nowhere near as maintenance intensive as trackballs that use those plastic bearings for the ball.

there's a sale at http://www.computerware.co.uk/trackball_products.html 10% off trackballs. 160 euro/173 euro all incl. for the 1600/3200cpi one to germany. still expensive but cheaper then getting one from the u.s.

don't know whether i should go for one.. i suppose there is no problem selling it in case i don't like it. there're still some days left to think about it.

odd. one of the pages on computerware.co.uk says the ltrac x has been discontinued, another says it's a new product.

kalrykh wrote:odd. one of the pages on computerware.co.uk says the ltrac x has been discontinued, another says it's a new product.

L-TracX 3200 cpi Laser Trackball is discontinued.
L-Trac 1600 cpi Laser Trackball is a new product.

Yeah, but on one of the pages it shows it as a new product. And the regular l-trac, at least the one I ordered, is 1600 dpi as well. The only dif I see between mine and the 1600 is the jacks to add more buttons...then again, I can do the same with mine if I drill through the case, as in ripsters mod.

Aight, will have to have to add my approval of this trackball. Quick learning curve when switching from a regular mouse. The large ball makes it easy to make those small accurate movements that pissed me off with other trackballs. The scroll wheel is superb, even though it requires a small reach for me. The orange of a #5 billiard ball matched the orange from my round 3 gamer kit nicely :p Ball felt a tad sticky in some places, but that went away after spinning it a few times. Overall, very pleased.

Leaves the question where to get one in Europe. I want one to.

Icarium wrote:Leaves the question where to get one in Europe. I want one to.

I got mine from here in the UK http://www.computerware.co.uk/laser_trackballs.html Picked up the 3200dpi model but unless you have a very very large screen you don't need it.

Damn, that's expensive. :/

Also, why do people who sell a trackball not add something like a "scroll switch" to toggle from mouse motion to scrolling instead of adding an extra wheel? (That way horizontal scrolling would be included.)

Fossala: I take it you think it's worth the money?

Yeah, I sometimes think "is the HHKB really the best keyboard" (which it is ). I never think that about the l-track, it IS the best trackball.

Also compared to keyboards, it is quite cheap.

fossala wrote:Also compared to keyboards, it is quite cheap.

Only if you compare it to an hhkb .

I have a CST and like it a lot. But I Don't have any other trackball to compare it to , So I can't tell if it's the best.

It's very hackable at least.

Logitech Trackman Marble FX
Imho the best trackball, I like to move the ball with my index and middle finger and use the thumb and ring finger to press the buttons. (I even played Quake3 regularly with it)
With another button for the little finger it would be perfect... and if that happens a scrollwheel for the ringfinger instead of the right mousebutton (which would be unter the little finger then).

CST Lasertrac. Before I came along it was only for people with spaz attacks.

Oh wait.......

ripster wrote:CST Lasertrac. Before I came along it was only for people with spaz attacks.

I'm now going to get the L-Track, simply because I fit into Ripster's recommended category.

I'm also getting sick of using the traditional rodent, because my arm always hurts when using it. I think it's old age that effects me but the younger years have left me far behind.

Looking forward to getting a Marble-Rodent.........at least it stays in one place.

What is the difference between the PC-TRAC and the LaserTRAC? Does the PC-Trac not allow you to control the DPI?

I considered this trackball for a while but, for me, only having two buttons on the top just isn't enough (yes... I know you can add extra buttons but that looks messy). I've been using a kensington expert for a couple of months now, and while it isn't the nicest feeling trackball, I remap the 3rd and 4th buttons to forward and back on my web browser. I couldn't live without this feature.

Yes. I appreciate your inventiveness Ripster, but let's be honest; it looks crap.

fossala wrote:

Icarium wrote:Leaves the question where to get one in Europe. I want one to.

I got mine from here in the UK http://www.computerware.co.uk/laser_trackballs.html Picked up the 3200dpi model but unless you have a very very large screen you don't need it.

The same applies to any other mode higher than 800dpi. I am on a 20" UXGA (1600x1200) screen, and everything higher than that makes the whole trackball waaaay to sensitive.

Well, I am happy that I have the 3200dpi one (really don't know why, but I am glad I got it before it now apparently got discontinued), but to be honest - I am never going to use that. Ever.

mSSM wrote:

fossala wrote:

Icarium wrote:Leaves the question where to get one in Europe. I want one to.

I got mine from here in the UK http://www.computerware.co.uk/laser_trackballs.html Picked up the 3200dpi model but unless you have a very very large screen you don't need it.

The same applies to any other mode higher than 800dpi. I am on a 20" UXGA (1600x1200) screen, and everything higher than that makes the whole trackball waaaay to sensitive.

Well, I am happy that I have the 3200dpi one (really don't know why, but I am glad I got it before it now apparently got discontinued), but to be honest - I am never going to use that. Ever.

I turn on 1600/2400 dpi on a screen resolution lower than yours, so if I ever get a double 24", I'll probably use 2400 or even 3200 dpi.

Djuzuh wrote:

mSSM wrote:
The same applies to any other mode higher than 800dpi. I am on a 20" UXGA (1600x1200) screen, and everything higher than that makes the whole trackball waaaay to sensitive.

Well, I am happy that I have the 3200dpi one (really don't know why, but I am glad I got it before it now apparently got discontinued), but to be honest - I am never going to use that. Ever.

I turn on 1600/2400 dpi on a screen resolution lower than yours, so if I ever get a double 24", I'll probably use 2400 or even 3200 dpi.

Wow man! I really really wonder how you guys work with that; I already fix the ball between my thumb and my pinky just a bit so that I can control it better...

What is the difference between the L-Trac 1600 cpi Laser Trackball , the LaserTrac, and the Maxtrack? I don't care about modability and dpi etc, but is there any differences that would make me pay that much more for the L-Trac?

Can someone with one of these measure the actual usable DPI?

If you run Enotus Mouse Test, and rather than "dragging the mouse 10cm" as it says, slowly go from the left of the exposed surface to the right (assuming acceleration is off) what DPI does it report?

Note: it rounds to the nearest 200 DPI, so you may need to make a note of the DPI before you release the mouse button.

When I measure my Kensington Slimblade this way, I end up around 400 DPI, even though there's a lot more exposed surface compared to the L-Trac, which isn't enough for me. (I would need at least 800 DPI)

I have my concerns about precision with a higher resolution sensor though. I sometimes have difficulty hitting targets properly with this at 400 DPI.

I'd run it, but being a windows app...

Slimblade has dynamic resolution, so you can hunt pixels at slow speeds and be able to cross the screen in a flick.