I’ve recently been trying out the ProtoArc EM01 thumb-trackball, a direct competitor to the Logitech M575. The EM01 is positioned to match the Logitech M575 on price, while offering several new features:
The entire body of the device is hinged to pivot on its base, which allows you to use the trackball in either a more flat-to-the-desk position or an up-tilted one. In the flat position, the bottom edge of one’s hand is flat on the desk; in the up-tilted position, the right edge of the hand, including the entire outer edge of one’s pinky finger, is on the desk surface. You can see the gap between the body of the device and its flat base-plate in this photo:
(When tilted flat, that gap disappears.)
I’m left-handed, but I use mice and trackpads with my right hand. That’s fortunate in this case, because the EM01 doesn’t come in a shape for left hands.
There’s a button below the scroll wheel for fast-switching between different computers or tablets. Another button near the ball changes the speed of the pulsating light ring that encircles the ball: there is a “streamer mode”, a “breathing mode,” a “mixed color breathing mode,” and a “neon mode.” It is a nice ornamental touch, and will coordinate well with the various keyboards and monitor light-bars that also offer rainbow light. For me, this is not an attraction, so I tend to just turn the light off.
There are small buttons for the index finger that, at least on Windows machines, will navigate forward and back when browsing the web. These buttons don’t work on Mac OS without the help of some third party mouse remapping software like SteerMouse.
The sculpted shape is quite nice. It fits my hand well, and care has been taken to distinguish the smooth area of the clicking buttons from the ridged body around them. The ball appears to be a glass marble with tiny metallic flecks in it. It’s a classy-looking device. It’s also available in white, to coordinate with other white input devices.
Thumb-trackballs are an acquired taste. Some people love them. Others don’t. Among the drawbacks are the fact of human anatomy that our fingers are capable of more precise motions than our thumbs. The reliance on the thumb for all cursor movement, along with the tensing required for fine control of the trackball, can lead to repetitive stress injuries of the carpometacarpal joint. For this reason, most people will find a thumb-trackball to be a less satisfactory input device than, say, a regular mouse, a trackpad, or a finger-trackball with a larger ball.
The entire body of the device is hinged to pivot on its base, which allows you to use the trackball in either a more flat-to-the-desk position or an up-tilted one. In the flat position, the bottom edge of one’s hand is flat on the desk; in the up-tilted position, the right edge of the hand, including the entire outer edge of one’s pinky finger, is on the desk surface. You can see the gap between the body of the device and its flat base-plate in this photo:
(When tilted flat, that gap disappears.)
I’m left-handed, but I use mice and trackpads with my right hand. That’s fortunate in this case, because the EM01 doesn’t come in a shape for left hands.
There’s a button below the scroll wheel for fast-switching between different computers or tablets. Another button near the ball changes the speed of the pulsating light ring that encircles the ball: there is a “streamer mode”, a “breathing mode,” a “mixed color breathing mode,” and a “neon mode.” It is a nice ornamental touch, and will coordinate well with the various keyboards and monitor light-bars that also offer rainbow light. For me, this is not an attraction, so I tend to just turn the light off.
There are small buttons for the index finger that, at least on Windows machines, will navigate forward and back when browsing the web. These buttons don’t work on Mac OS without the help of some third party mouse remapping software like SteerMouse.
The sculpted shape is quite nice. It fits my hand well, and care has been taken to distinguish the smooth area of the clicking buttons from the ridged body around them. The ball appears to be a glass marble with tiny metallic flecks in it. It’s a classy-looking device. It’s also available in white, to coordinate with other white input devices.
Thumb-trackballs are an acquired taste. Some people love them. Others don’t. Among the drawbacks are the fact of human anatomy that our fingers are capable of more precise motions than our thumbs. The reliance on the thumb for all cursor movement, along with the tensing required for fine control of the trackball, can lead to repetitive stress injuries of the carpometacarpal joint. For this reason, most people will find a thumb-trackball to be a less satisfactory input device than, say, a regular mouse, a trackpad, or a finger-trackball with a larger ball.
