help with assistive settings in vista for a trackball

[albert]

I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where to
try next.

I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine.

I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual part
of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems in
controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the
cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or
inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when moving
the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the
operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated results].

I think a trackball would be much better for her.

This my first choice
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826125019
and this is my second
http://www.staples.com/Logitech-TrackMan-Marble-Mouse/product_795818?cmArea=SEARCH


The first one is preferred because it has the fewest buttons, and has a
nice, large size. But there is a problem I foresee, which I hope you can
help me solve. When web-browsing and/or doing email or word processing,
she is most comfortable using the scroll bars in windows [while she
understands the function of the scroll wheel on her mouse, her dexterity
limitations make using it subject to the problems and results noted above].
With the first mouse, the Kensington with a ball and one left and one right
key --- she will have a problem with grabbing and holding a scrollbar
[keeping the left mousekey depressed] and then using the trackball to move
the scrollbar.

Therefore, I need to have a software way of being able to *temporarily* lock
the left mouse key in the depressed [on] state --- so that, having used the
trackball to place the cursor on a scrollbar, she could then press the left
key once to lock it "on", then use the trackball to move the scrollbar, then
press the left key to *release* it from the always on state. The left key
would have to be able to function normally at other times, as she would need
to select from drop-down menus in the normal way.

I am somewhat familiar with sticky keys [in XP] -- but that's a keyboard
feature. I am familiar with mousekeys, too -- but that brings one back to
the keyboard. I'd really like to set her up with a trackball.........

So is what I have explained I'd like to do with the trackball do-able with
software? Hopefully MS built in software? I have looked over some of
MS's Vista Accessibility information, and cannot find my answer [it didn't
look hopeful to me in what I did find]. I have been to Kensington's site
for the model trackball I linked to above
http://us.kensington.com/html/4771.html
but it appears that there is no dedicated software that comes with it -- it
simply uses Vista's built-in application. I also cannot find the manual
[if any] online at Kensington. [I've also been to Logitech's site for
their model I linked to above --
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/devices/4680&cl=us,en
--- and while I can find some support materials, nothing I could find told
me that I could accomplish my "temporarily locked-on left mouse key" goal]

One last condition in my problem --- I cannot buy her a wireless
trackball --- so any such models are a no-no. Why you might ask -- because
batteries wear out, and I don't want to set her up to have the unit's
batteries die, and have her panic ["the computer is broken"] and calling me
["the computer is broken"] so that I have to troubleshoot over the phone,
and struggle through getting an accurate picture of what is going on, and
then deal with there being no extra batteries in the house, or etc., etc.,
etc.....


OK -- apologies if this is too wordy, or not as clear as I imagine.

Any help you can offer will be much appreciated.

albert

 

[Badger]

You might look around for the older Trackman Marble with the ball an the
left side.
My wife and I still use the same ones we bought 20 years ago.

I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where to
try next.

I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine.

I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual part
of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems in
controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the
cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or
inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when
moving
the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the
operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated
results].

I think a trackball would be much better for her.

<Snip>

 

[albert]

Badger,

Thanks for your suggestion. As this goes along -- we are going to try out
an older trackball from a friend, to see if my student likes the idea. If
yes, then we will go hunting for the "right" trackball. Another possibility
I am now considering is a trackpad -- e.g., one of the ones made by Adesso.

Thanks again for the input.

albert

You might look around for the older Trackman Marble with the ball an the
left side.
My wife and I still use the same ones we bought 20 years ago.

I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where
to try next.

I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine.

I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual
part
of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems
in
controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the
cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or
inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when
moving
the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the
operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated
results].

I think a trackball would be much better for her.

<Snip>

 

[Badger]

You're welcome,
Hope it works out for you.

Badger