The evolution of the trackball

So there's the history, on to the modern day question: why is it so hard to find a trackball that isn't wireless? I don't think Logitech makes one anymore. I can see the appeal of wireless mice, but a trackball doesn't need to move so the wire is much less of a burden - and it removes the need to change batteries.

I'm a trackball fan, but trackballs and mice have different properties that make them suitable for different tasks. Mice are better than trackballs at fine motion and precise movement. Trying to get pixel-perfect movement (say, in a drawing program) with a trackball can be frustrating.

But trackballs have the following advantages over mice: 1. You don't need as much desk space, since the trackball doesn't move about. 2. The trackball stays where you put it so you can find it quickly without having to look. 3. Because the trackball doesn't move about, the cable can be arranged so that it doesn't get in the way. 4. Clicking the buttons on a trackball never accidentally nudges the pointer. 5. Trackballs are faster for big pointer movements, as you can spin the ball in the right direction and then brake it when the pointer gets close to its destination. 6. When a mouse user comes over to your desk and tries to use the trackball they will find it trickier than they expect, and they will have to hand control back to you.

Very nice historical overview, but the abrupt closing with "Last month, in fact, Logitech released its first new trackball in seven years, ..." makes me wonder if this is just grey advertising of the new product.

I play video games with a trackball instead of a mouse when I can. Most games do not require mouse-specific movement. The main problem I've found is that the market allows thumb-based trackballs, which are extremely painful to use for more than a few seconds and very hard to precisely control. The ideal trackball lets users switch between index-finger-only and two-finger control, so that it's possible to rapidly click mouse buttons while improving precision in a cross-screen scroll.

Logitech Trackman FX was the best trackball of all time. I've had a half dozen of them. Sadly, I eventually gave in and moved on to the trackpad.

Did this article completely skip over the microsoft trackballs?

I'm far from an Msoft fanboy, but the wired trackball they had got more use from me and the various mice I had for many years.

I was on a quest to develop a system to use it more and suddenly they stopped making them! I think I got one still in stock somewhere for bit more, and now they are $380 on amazon.

Please come back with that design and shape - it was a little longer than the logitech (I think), which gave it a perfect feel for my hand, and made it very stable when on a desk, or cinder block, or pressed against the body.. in the lap or while standing up.

Any chance the old Msoft design on that is past any kind of patent stage?

I still like the logitech one I have that works, when not at my desk, just because I find trackballs better in general than a mouse or trackpad in mobile situations.

I bought two extras of those when I saw they were no longer being carried at the local office box just to be sure to have one if no longer being made. Wish I had bought an extra couple of the Msoft ergo keyboards they no longer make.

I still don't understand why the air controller needs the trackball. The article makes it sound like they select planes on screen, but it also says that before selecting the plane, they enter the code of that plane, which to me sounds like it is already selected.

Fascinating! This is the kind of article I come to Hckrnews for.

The ATC task sounds like it would have been a lot easier with a light pen, or a touch screen if those had existed at that time.

This is an advertisement for the Logitech MX Ergo.

Possibly also for Golden Tee. Not sure about that part.