Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anyone own the Kensington Expert Trackball?

C

chiefroastbeef

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 26, 2008
909
0
Dallas, Texas/ Hong Kong
Hello folks,

I am currently using the Logitech Cordless Trackman(or something like that), which I love. But I've been eyeing the Kensington Expert and wondering if it is worth all the hype.

I've read some reviews on Amazon, and some Intel based Mac users say the included software does not work well with their computers. Is this true for you guys? I don't want to pay $90 and not have the full functionality of the mouse.

Thanks!
 
I had it, the software worked fine.

I don't have the mouse anymore, I just didn't like it.
 
Thanks for the input, that is what I'm worried about: not liking the feel of the Expert. I haven't found a shop in Hong Kong that carries the Expert either...

My current trackball works great, but I'm always itching for an upgrade... :D
 
chiefroastbeef said:
Thanks for the input, that is what I'm worried about: not liking the feel of the Expert. I haven't found a shop in Hong Kong that carries the Expert either...

My current trackball works great, but I'm always itching for an upgrade... :D
Click to expand...

I've had mine for a year and a half now and I can't use a dual monitor setup without it. Not to mention the four buttons. I like the layout compared to some other logitech offerings. Worth the money, although in windows it was a bitch to get working properly, works like a charm in osx.
 
chiefroastbeef said:
Hello folks,

I am currently using the Logitech Cordless Trackman(or something like that), which I love. But I've been eyeing the Kensington Expert and wondering if it is worth all the hype.

I've read some reviews on Amazon, and some Intel based Mac users say the included software does not work well with their computers. Is this true for you guys? I don't want to pay $90 and not have the full functionality of the mouse.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have been using Kensington Trackballs for many years along with typical mouse and mighty mouse.

Presently I used two computers at home and BOTH* have now the trackball and no mouse.

I have found only one issue to date - I can use the trackballs without any of the software provided. It works with a right and left click as a typical mighty mouse might work. If I install the software, for some reason I am unable to use the combination of scroll and key to enlarge the screen. I use this often when not wearing my glasses for any fine print matter.

Just two points of interest perhaps -

1) the scrolling is a ring around the ball on the latest models. This works VERY well in terms of ease. However, it does fell a bit "rough" when sliding the wheel/ring. I am used to it so it doesn't bother me but others may not like it.

2) Kensington is supposed to be coming out with a new trackball that is more low profile and very "sexy." It says it works with Mac so ...you may want to try to read up on it before buying the present model.

I'll continue to use trackballs as long as they are available. It is far easier to use once you master it and, your hand isn't going all over the place.

- Phrehdd

Mac Pro quad 2.66
iMac 20" 2ghrz
Wacom Tablet 21"
QNAP Pro409 NAS 4x1tb
Airport Extreme (2)
XP via Fusion and Parallels
 
I had a Logitech MX revolution which I loved but dropped it way too many times and it finally broke. I decided to try the Expert Tackball after reading all the positive revues at Amazon. People really love this thing....

Well not everyone. I really like the control, would seem to work well at the pixel level if editing in Photoshop. The ability to create contextual menus to do ANYTHING and apparently any number of them, makes up for having only four buttons. The scroll ring was very nice.

The problem I have is how long is it going to take to retrain my fingers for doing completely different movements and tasks. It feels like starting all over again, like when I first tried to get the cursor to go where I wanted it to go on the screen and it was a very shaky line.

I'm in a bit of a hurry to do what I want to do and not spend time retraining my fingers to use four buttons and work around what is essentially a heavy billiards cue ball in the middle of my palm while trying to learn new button finger combinations. Perhaps I'm missing something and am just impatient before body memory can take root, it's only been 2 days, but I don't find right click, left click mouse actions as having any relationship to trying to get access those four buttons with a very large ball in the middle of the field.

I picked up an MX 1100 cordless Laser Mouse (Logitech) and this thing is sweet. It's as if someone updated the top of the line MX Revolution and got rid of all the annoying things and unused buttons and added some very useful features. Very well thought out. A little larger, but just the spin wheel is such a huge improvement, i fell in love instantly. Very precise and I set the sensitivity very high so I only have to move the mouse a small amount, so it's action is a bit like a trackball, or at least one doesn't have to move their hand all over the place.
I thought of keeping the Expert track ball for precise editing but I doubt I will use it. I really dislike having to relearn to use a pointing device efficiently instead of doing what I want to do!
 
Greenjeens said:
I had a Logitech MX revolution which I loved but dropped it way too many times and it finally broke. I decided to try the Expert Tackball after reading all the positive revues at Amazon. People really love this thing....

Well not everyone. I really like the control, would seem to work well at the pixel level if editing in Photoshop. The ability to create contextual menus to do ANYTHING and apparently any number of them, makes up for having only four buttons. The scroll ring was very nice.

The problem I have is how long is it going to take to retrain my fingers for doing completely different movements and tasks. It feels like starting all over again, like when I first tried to get the cursor to go where I wanted it to go on the screen and it was a very shaky line.

I'm in a bit of a hurry to do what I want to do and not spend time retraining my fingers to use four buttons and work around what is essentially a heavy billiards cue ball in the middle of my palm while trying to learn new button finger combinations. Perhaps I'm missing something and am just impatient before body memory can take root, it's only been 2 days, but I don't find right click, left click mouse actions as having any relationship to trying to get access those four buttons with a very large ball in the middle of the field.

I picked up an MX 1100 cordless Laser Mouse (Logitech) and this thing is sweet. It's as if someone updated the top of the line MX Revolution and got rid of all the annoying things and unused buttons and added some very useful features. Very well thought out. A little larger, but just the spin wheel is such a huge improvement, i fell in love instantly. Very precise and I set the sensitivity very high so I only have to move the mouse a small amount, so it's action is a bit like a trackball, or at least one doesn't have to move their hand all over the place.
I thought of keeping the Expert track ball for precise editing but I doubt I will use it. I really dislike having to relearn to use a pointing device efficiently instead of doing what I want to do!
Click to expand...

I fell your pain

I use regularly - mouse right handed, trackball right handed, Wacom Tablet with stylus LEFT handed. I am left handed and use any mouse and trackball with my right hand. This turned out great when I got my Wacom Cinteq Tablet so I could use the stylus with my favoured hand.

What I might suggest, is having BOTH a wireless mouse and a trackball. If you cannot navigate for finer articulation the trackball, then the mouse can take over. I believe one can go longer times on a trackball without strain than on a mouse. Btw, the Logitech wireless mouse(s) are sweet.

- Phrehdd
 
Personally, I really like my Kensington Expert Mouse, although control scroll doesn't zoom in and out in Leopard anymore. (Not much of a concern to me since I zoom in and out with F13 and F15, but it's the only software problem that I noticed)

Apparently, they have a newer, similar mouse that looks kind of slick: http://i.gizmodo.com/5125543/kensington-slimblade-trackball-built-to-handle-digital-content

That being said, there should be a way to test these out; most people who use the Expert Mouse seem to either love it or hate it.
 
I've used the Kensington expert for a while. My only issue lately has been that it keeps waking up my screen. If you look very closely you can see my cursor is consistently "drifting down" my 30" display even when no one is touching the trackball.

Not sure why this is happening, but until I find something better I just switch the monitor off when I'm done.
 
I played with the Slimblade a bit at Macworld. Kensington told me a March release, I'm definitely in for one.
 
*gasp* You've touched one? Was is as amazing as it looks? How does it actually work? The description sort confuses me. It uses the ball for scrolling in different programs, but how do you switch between the programs?

March? Darn, one of the articles said a late January release.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back