Kensington Orbit Trackball Mouse with Scroll Ring (K72337US), 4 1/2X5 1/2X2"

I've had the trackball for about a month now. I bought it to replace the wireless Mighty Mouse that came with my Mac 'cause it ate batteries like no tomorrow. VERY, VERY pleased with the trackball. It took me about a week to figure out how to comfortably use it as I had exclusively using a Wacom tablet in place of the mouse, before deciding to get some sort of mouse. The software: To start off, for those reading reviews of those complaining about the program, you CAN plug and play it. You don't actually need the program for the trackball to work. The mouse adjustments that you can make in the System Preferences will still work for the trackball. However, in order to access the additional features, you will need to download the software. It's a very easy process, just go to the website, download and install it (the instructions come in the packet). The icon will show up in your System Preferences window under the Other header. I don't know where it appears for Windows as I've only transferred the trackball between our Macs. In the trackball program, you can adjust the usual features (scroll speed, click speed, etc) and also the left/right combo click which you can set to do stuff like go back or forward. The program also allows you to choose which direction to have the scroll ring turn to go up or down. The default is set to clockwise for scrolling down. The buttons: overall, they're pretty standard in function. However, I do find that sometimes in certain programs like a Flash game, it won't always want to click on the first try, so I wouldn't recommend this for gaming purposes for games where you do need an immediate response. All other uses, I haven't really noticed any problems. I love the option of being able to set the dual click to do something :) As a first time trackball user, something else I also had to remember to do was take my fingers off the ball before clicking as I often catch myself nudging the ball when I click and then missing the spot I wanted to click. Same goes for the scroll wheel. I seem to subconsciously fiddle with that too. Trackball: No issues with it at all. It took some getting used to with adjusting from a mouse or my tablet and I found myself trying to click on the ball itself a number of times. *lol* But no fault of the device. The scroll ring: So far, I haven't experienced any of the major problems that have been complained about so far. Up till about a week ago, I hadn't gotten around to looking into the trackball's software and once I did, it made a huge world of difference with how smoothly the ring scrolled. It felt a little slow, previously to the point where it sort of staggered sometimes. I love how I can now just give the ring a quick flick with a finger and I'll be back at the top of a web page. I've actually caught myself trying to do that with a scroll wheel on a mouse at work and wondering why it just inched up instead of flying up where I wanted it! Keeping in mind of the complaints though, I have been careful with the wheel and trying not to use it when I don't feel I really need to, as not to potentially abuse it to death as I really like it. So if I'm scrolling to skim an article or search it for something, I'll use the scroll bar on the browser, which with the trackball is pretty effortless. Extras: It includes a wrist rest that you can attach to the end of the base. I didn't bother with it as my desk has a built in one. Size of whole unit: it's a decent size for me. My hand length is about 7 inches and the size of the unit allows me to perch my fingertips on the ball and comfortably roll forward to the middle joint of my fingers if I want to do one long continuous drag. I've play tested some older trackballs in stores many years ago when the majority seemed to be a lot larger, so this works fairly well. Advice: if you find yourself needing to clean your trackball, don't use Clorox wipes. It leaves a sticky residues that slows down the ball's spin. I just pulled out the ball and washed it with hand soap and water, wiped out the dust in the holder, dried off everything and stuck it back in. User troubleshooting: If you find that your hand is more tired using the trackball than a regular mouse, try adjusting your chair height. This can make a very big difference. If you have an arm rest on your chair, take advantage of it and adjust your chair height to make the rest level with your trackball.

I've been an avid trackball user since the 1990s and have used quite a few of them. I've been trying to replace my favorite discontinued model for years, and of the many I've tried I would say this is the best. Pros: Overall feel is very nice in my hand. It was broken-in within minutes (by this I mean the ease of rolling the ball in it's socket; there is typically a bit of drag or stiffness with most of the trackballs I've tried. This usually gets better over a few days' use). The scroll ring also feels nice. I would call the build quality mid-grade. It doesn't feel high end, but it also doesn't feel like junk. The wrist-rest is just a tiny bit lesser quality plastic, and I didn't expect to use it, but after trying it out it really does improve overall comfort of use. The software is simple, although there is room for improvement. Another pro for me is the ball being in the index-finger position. I really dislike models with the ball in the thumb position, but that is really a matter of personal preference. Cons: Not enough cons to impact overall rating. I would like more buttons, although that is probably a limitation of being a low-cost model, as the more expensive Kensingtons do have more. The ability to chord (press both buttons simultaneously to function as a third button) would be nice. I don't know if that is a limitation of the software, hardware, or both. The scroll ring is a tiny bit too sensitive for my liking. In summary, this is an excellent trackball for the price, and is significantly better than more expensive trackballs I have tried (I got this one for $17 during a Black Friday sale). I wish I bought a few of these at that price, because it seems like once a model becomes discontinued, the after market prices get crazy. For example, my all-time favorite is the Microsoft Trackball Explorer, which was perfect in every way. Long discontinued, they can still be found on Ebay for several hundred dollars. I may give one of the higher end Kensington models a try. I briefly tested one in a store years ago and didn't like the ergonomics, so the only reason I tried this one was because it was insanely cheap. I'm very glad I did.

2.5 Months into ownership review Things I love about this mouse: - The trackball makes maneuvering 3 screens incredibly easy - Switching from mouse to keyboard is so much easier to transition to for some reason. Not sure why but it feels faster and easier - The hand's resting position is comfortable even for all day use. As a cubicle worker, this was a must. - The resting position also makes it very easy to reach each button, and use the track ball at the same time Things I don't love about this mouse: - The trackball needs to be cleaned regularly. More specifically the little nodules that hold the trackball in place do. They get clogged with oils and dust from your hands, which can impact the trackball's smoothness. I have to clean those off every few days or the trackball loses all fluidity - Sometimes "disconnects" so you have to unplug it and plug it back in. Not super annoying, but annoying nonetheless All-in-all I do really like this mouse, but there were some things I hadn't thought of before I bought it. Wouldn't stop me from buying it again though. Likely has better applications than what I'm using it for, but if nothing else, no one else in the office has one, which is fun.

I have Kensington trackballs for over 20 years and own several Orbits. They work well the fit and scroll ring are perfect for my applications. and best yet along with my ergo split keyboard it keeps people from using my computer. These are easy trackball units to use and they are durable and easy to clean.

I have a Logitech M570, Logitech Trackman Marble, Adesso Trackball, Kensington Expert, and the Kensington Orbit with scroll ring. Trackball experiences are very subjective because our hands are all different shapes and sizes, and we use different techniques. In my experience the Kensington Orbit with scroll ring is the overall winner. With regard to performance, the Kensington Expert is the best. It is also two to three times the price of all the other trackballs listed. Additionally, the Expert is tilted at a steep angle toward the user. This can put your wrist in an awkward and painful position. The Logitech Trackman Marble and the Orbit are both tilted slighty away from the user, and this is very comfortable. The scroll ring on the Orbit is also much smoother than the scratchtastic Expert. The Logitech Trackman Marble is the most like the Orbit. The trackballs are the same size and have a similar form. The shape of the Marble is more comfortable overall and has two additional programmable buttons. The Orbit has somewhat less comfortable button placement, and lacks the extra buttons. The Orbit can be programmed to emulate a middle click by pressing both buttons. However, the Logitech does not have any scroll wheel or scroll ring. That's an automatic disqualification in my book. The Orbit wins by default. The Adesso Trackball gets a number of negative reviews, and rightfully so. It has the most useless button placement I have ever seen. However, it does have a much larger ball than the Orbit and Marble, has a higher resolution (800dpi), has a scroll wheel, and is in the same price range. With a couple of modifications and the use of arm rest (I use a thick text book), it is a truly fantastic trackball. However, out of the box the Orbit and the Marble leave the Adesso in the dust. The M570 is a thumb controlled trackball. Many people love them, while others abhor them. (I happen to have no preference, and use both) If you have a predilection for a fingertip controlled ball, the Orbit and other trackballs win this round. Otherwise, the M570 is a top notch device. While the other trackballs may best the Orbit in one way or the other, it scores well in all areas. It gets my recommendation as the best overall affordable trackball. The rundown Pros: -affordable -comfortable shape -smooth rolling ball -the best scrolling apparatus -a good size Cons: -no extra buttons -no dedicated middle click button -slightly awkward button placement

------- Pros: ------- 1. Has a scroll wheel for scrolling (vs the Logitech Trackman - its an easy win) 2. The track ball works with your OS standard settings so theres no need to install software on your Mac or PC. ------- Cons: (lets take these step by step) ------- 1. The buttons size is small. No matter which hand you use, when you cup your hand like when you rest it on a mouse, your thumb finger will be lower than your other fingers. That means that your fingers on either side of the track ball will be at one of edge of the top and bottom of the button. The problem with this is that it does not provide your hand with a flexible amount of space to use the buttons, in other words, you have to keep your hand at almost the exact location each time you place your hand on it, otherwise your finger will be off the button on either side if you rest it up high or if you rest it down low. 2. Also with the buttons. The buttons are flat on the device which brings another discomfort. Since the buttons do not protrude out, you are are basically pressing into the device. Overtime, you're finger is actually working double. The Logitech Trackman got it right, and the button bubble out of that device, so that when clicking on it, it feels very natural to click. Not only does it not feel as natural as it should but because its flat on the surface but when pressing the buttons, you will tend to move the device because again, you are pressing into the device, instead of having a button that kind of sits elevated beyond the frame of the device. This might seem like it might not happen to most users but its very noticeable when scrolling the mouse down because at this point, your index finger is curled over the trackball (the downward motion) and so when clicking at this point, the weight of your hand is at its lightest therefore making the clicking very uncomfortable. 3. The scrolling wheel is very handy however its louder than it should be when moving it, feels like you're moving a piece of plastic too big to be on a mouse, on any mouse. It's somewhat annoying and they should have done a better job at using a surface that lowered the noise of moving it. Overall, its an OK device, I returned both Trackman and Orbit because they simply do not meet the expectations I had.

This is the BEST Trackball around, and it is my TOP GUN Weapon in military video games. It aims right on the dot and very quickly. Otherwise, I need a mouse with a middle button for Solidworks Premium.

I was a long time Logitech Marble scroll user and with my old friend dying out, I needed to find a suitable alternative. First off, all buttons work natively on my mac. No Kensington bloatware needed. I actually had to have 3rd party software do what i wanted with my Marble scroll - they stopped making drivers for it. This was an excellent plus. Now on to the drawbacks. The buttons and their click feel cheap and noisy! The scroll wheel is smooth, but it could be much smoother in operation. Thats it... so far. If i can get another 15 years out of this one I'll be really pleased.