"Graham" said in news:
[email protected]:
I've got a thumb operated Logitech marble with scroll wheel which I
think is fine. Easy to operate, you soon get use to using the thumb
and its just as accurate as using the fingers.
I tried a thumb trackball for awhile. For lateral movement, out and
back (i.e., up and down), for the outward diagonals, it was okay. The
direction that sucks is when pulling the thumb diagonally back towards
the crotch or web of the hand. That squeezing or curling action is
clumsy. In games, I found it easier to flick the ball with fingers than
to flick it with the thumb, and I could better guage the flick with
fingers than the thumb. You have to figure out what works best for you.
It also depends on how constant you use a pointing device. I got a
cordless mouse because I couldn't stand the resistance from its tail
(i.e., its cord). But I'm getting really tired of the fatigue for my
pinkie having to squeeze the mouse for all the repeated pickup of the
mouse when having to lift and move it.
For me, a thumb operated trackball immediately disqualifies the unit for
two reasons: cannot use it on the leftside of the keyboard (no lefty
trackballs) and I personally don't like using my thumb. If you're using
yours on the farther rightside of the keyboard (my arm gets tired
suspending it farther out on that side) and you are just adept (or just
as clumsy) using your thumb as your fingers, then a thumb-operated
righty trackball fits your needs.
I usually find that
if the ball is sticking its time to clean it.
When I used the Logitech trackball (forget which model) and even with
the Kensington Turbo (which doesn't have the same large stainless steel
ball bearing rollers of its Expert sibling), yeah, you have to clean
them a lot. The Expert didn't require nearly as much cleaning.
However, the Expert is pretty pricey. I'll give you an example of
quality (based on my real experience). Take an Expert and Turbo
trackball from Kensington and a trackball from Logitech and with each
take your curled up fist and slam the trackball with the bottomside
fleshy part of your fist as hard as you can. The Kensignton Expert
survives quite nicely. The others? Well, I suppose you could give them
to the kids if they're still mostly functional. That only remarks about
the quality of the ball and the stainless steel rollers. As far as the
buttons go, those on the Expert trackball aren't any better than the
others and the Logitechs actually seem to survive better.
Quite obviously not many people find using a trackball a problem
otherwise the design would change.
You see a lot of right-handed equipment that also produces the same
quantity of those products in a left-handed version? Why? Because
there are far fewer lefties than righties. I'm right-handed. After 20+
years in the computer industry as a programmer, alpha tester, sysadmin,
and the like, and at some point I decided it was less strain on my
muscles and joints to have the pointing device more forward of my torso
than out to the side. It depends on your level of use. I'm on the
computer nearly all day long and then come home to do contract work or
study and I'm on the computer even more. So I learned how to be adept
left-handed with the mouse although I'm right-handed. As a result, it
has become quite apparent that lefties are rarely considered by
manufacturers. Like you said, not enough money in it. Yeah, I didn't
make my choice. Mine was to switch away from my right-hand and go to my
more forward used and less strained left-hand. As a result, I have to
find asymmetrical devices (which also helps when righty others want to
use my computers).
You pays your money and take
your choice.
Sorry, that's quite an illogical statement typical of the "ins" telling
the "outs" that they should be happy being "outs". You aren't so stupid
as to not to understand that anyone in business has to develop and
market where they can generate the most revenue. Your attitude is that
all lefties should always be ignored and, in fact, they are (as far as
pointing devices go). Those that have choices claiming those who don't
should still have choices really don't give a damn. I'm right-handed in
a right-handed biased world finding it less strainful to be left-handed
(for a mouse or trackball). There ARE no choices except for a far fewer
numbered of selections in symmetrical devices. My CHOICE was to go
left-handed knowing that there would less to choose from.
So, assuming you do NOT use Microsoft's "Natural" keyboard and have
spent decades becoming extremely proficient and super fast on a standard
keyboard, how would you feel if all the standard keyboards nearly
disappeared and the "standard" became the Natural keyboard? Oh, you'd
still have a choice. You have the choice not to use deodorant, not to
bathe, and not brush your teeth, too, with the resultant "choice" of
significantly reducing the number of people that want to be around you.
"take your choice" is invalid because it means there WAS a choice.
