Trackball for Laptop My husband uses a trackball mouse and loves it. The only big problem is that if he drops the mouse (in the car especially) the ball pops out. (Only while I'm driving of course! :O) I would love to get him a new trackball mouse for Christmas that not only is comfortable, but one that the ball will stay in better. On a desk it isn't an issue, but traveling around with it can be a problem. Are there any? All suggestions are greatly appreciated!~Elizabeth Trackball for Laptop My husband uses a trackball mouse and loves it. The only big problem is that if he drops the mouse (in the car especially) the ball pops out. (Only while I'm driving of... » Read More Trackball for Laptop My husband uses a trackball mouse and loves it. The only big problem is that if he drops the mouse (in the car especially) the ball pops out. (Only while I'm driving of course! :O) I would love to get him a new trackball mouse for Christmas that not only is comfortable, but one that the ball will stay in better. On a desk it isn't an issue, but traveling around with it can be a problem. Are there any? All suggestions are greatly appreciated!~Elizabeth « Show Less
847757
I won't recommend this one, only because it has that stupid tethered transmitter. The Kensington one looks like it would be much more portable and uses a small USB transmitter, so there are no wires whatsoever. I like the smoothness of this one and the wired version is great, but has a wire, making it a pain for using with laptops.
847758
I'm a bit late but, The Logitech M570 is wireless and designed so the ball won't pop out, as are the Kensington Orbit w/ Scroll Ring and Wireless Orbit.
1763877
Logitech no longer makes this product due to patent infringement case that they lost, and this product has achieved a 'cult' status with trackball users. I have received 2 or 3 unbelievable offers for my extra used ones when I mentioned on a different forum that I still had them in working condition. Just for comparison, I purchased mine from Amazon back in 2005 for $23.00, lol
808092
Mine stopped working cuz the light on the roller ball wasn't working. I could click and right click so the mouse was being recognized but I couldn't use the ball to move the cursor. Unfortunately I gave up. They're just low quality imports. I had one Fellowes manufactured for 10 years but can't find "non-generic" anymore. Good luck, mine lasted about 2 months.
682836
A bit off subject for do-it-yourselfers: the switches Kensington uses inn their trackballs are standard off-the shelf items. After a very long time (years), the spring in the switch may lose some of its "snap" action. If this happens, you can (if you are familiar with electronics. soldering, etc.) take the trackball apart and replace the switches easily. Or get a friend to do it for you. The switches should be available from Digi-Key, etc.
853643
Thanks DSY! My plan is to use an external mouse. I've never been able to get use to any notebook pointer device except ThinkPad's little red pointer. Appreciate the response.Anyone else want to comment?
898000
Since I only occasionally use the web browser I use a Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard N5901 (USB), which has a built-in trackball. Works great for my purposes, but the tiny keyboard wouldn't be very good for more than occasional use. I imagine you could use just about any wireless (USB) keyboard/mouse combo sucessfully, though.
1763879
I have had my Trackman for over ten years, on three different computers. No batteries, no problems. The silver color has worn off, and the rubber pads on the bottom are gone, but it still functions flawlessly. How can they sell you a new one when the old one works just fine? A wireless mouse makes sense. A wireless trackball does not.If it ever does go bad, I will not be looking at Logitech for a replacement.
1847260
It has a standard keyboard with full size, full motion keys, as well as a separate numeric keypad and several special function keys. You should be able to use both the trackball and the mouse simultaneously. Both can move the cursor. If you simply don't put batteries in the mouse, the trackball should still work by itself.
1841691
Yes, there is a scroll wheel that surrounds the trackball itself and works just like the scroll wheel of a mouse. It takes a little getting used to it, but I love it.
1662826
I had an HP bluetooth mouse that worked quite well. Did try a Targus for awhile but it seemed to disconnect when left idle for any amount of time, but would reconnect when you move it but if your playing a game that get frustrating. The HP mouse just didn't live through the 8 foot drop I put it through by accident. OOPS.
525680
I was tempted to answer "I don't know." There's not that much comparison. The base on Marble Mouse is larger, but the marble doesn't call for movement as the trackball does. My vote is in favor of Marble.
515186
I use trackball mouse for my development laptop. I am used to lock long browser pages for up-down keys with mouse middle key click. This helps me to scroll up or down quickly. This same feature is available in this mouse. Only trick is that you have to tap once in middle and you will be all set. If this is what you are looking for, then yes, It does provide middle key click.
1807134
I don't think that technology is ready for mice. There are a lot of problems. Just google for BT problems with mouse. I have a Bluetooth Samsung laptop. I already used 2 BT mouse. It worked for a few months. The laptop stopped recognizing the mouse. I can see the mouse from my phone but not the laptop. I will not buy BT mouse anymore... Perhaps that is the reason why they don't manufacture BT mice. NANO USB works much better...
923678
I have a similar Logitech trackball (# 810-000767) and it works just fine on my Win 8.1 laptop. Also, Microsoft released a patch a few weeks ago that suppose to make a regular mouse and keyboard work better on Win 8. My Logitech worked just fine before and after the patch.
2124597
This mouse can be somewhat temperamental. I have found that it is best to turn the mouse on and press the bluetooth button prior to turning the computer on; this usually prevents you from having to reconnect the mouse. I notice you will have to reconnect more frequently as the batteries go. As with any bluetooth, the connections are inconsistent.
2254785
The mouse is rather large for everyday use in an office. I use it all the time but I have a very large desk and have a lot of room for the mouse. I would recommend finding a smaller mouse if space is an issue. Since the mouse is rather large it's full functionality might be harder to use with small hands. Other than that I really do like the mouse and would recommend it.
1998991
I'd get it sometimes. What I did was buy some Pledge, put a tiny amount on an old cloth, and spread/polish the trackball with it. You have to repeat this every few months. Alternatively, just roll it around in your hand and let the oils from your skin act like a lubricant.