Buy Microsoft Trackball Optical - Mouse, trackball - optical - 5 button(s) - wired - PS/2, USB - retailMicrosoft Trackball Optical - Mouse, trackball - optical - 5 button(s) - wired - PS/2, USB - retail Product Description:
- Thumb-controlled precision trackball design
- IntelliEye optical technology
- 5 buttons--including 2 programmable buttons
- Wheel for scrolling and zooming
- Designed for use with the right hand
Product Description
Unlike the mechanical-trackball "mice of yore" that skip, stick, and need to be cleaned, the Microsoft TrackBall Optical introduces an entirely new trackball featuring optical sensor technology. Reading through dirt, dust, and fingerprints, the optical sensor tracks the movement of the ball 1,500 times per second, giving you smooth, precise control. The Trackball Optical comes with two additional buttons located on the side of the device--for a total of five buttons--to quickly move forward and back in your browser, or you can program them. It also features a wheel for efficient scrolling and zooming and is ergonomically designed to support the natural position of your hand as you use your thumb to control the trackball.
Product Description
A trackball mouse that uses revolutionary optical technology for high-precision mousing Other features include - programmable forward & back buttons Scroll wheel Comfortably designed shape that supports your right hand in a natural position Supports Windows and Macintosh systems with USB connections
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
This is the Best!
By Barry W. Willis
I've owned this mouse over five years now and swear by it. My kids looked at me funny when I bought it and started using it but at least they've left me alone with it! This many years later I'm amazed at its durability and ease of maintenance. There is none! The 'Trackball' pops right out so you can 'shine' it to remove the inevitable skin oil from your hands, and any other junk that collects on it. The recess that holds the ball has three steel ball bearings that actually hold the ball and they collect various bits and pieces of dead skin and whatnot from time to time, but a fingernail or pencil eraser is all that is needed to restore the ball's movement to 'spaceship' precision. The 'wired' configuration has never bothered me because being an optical it never has to physically 'move' like a regular mouse that must move around. This was my main concern when I bought it because I'd just had shoulder surgery on my Right arm and found it painful to even horse around a regular mouse. And, since it is also a Five-Button there is absolutely no need to ever move the mouse. Why anyone would consider a regular mouse over this one is beyond me. I might add that though this is advertised as a Premium 'Gaming' mouse I've never used it for that purpose because I'm not a gamer, per se.Would I highly recommend this mouse? A thousand times 'Yes', though it seems a little expensive. I didn't pay nearly this much for mine when I bought it, but that's the 'Market', I guess!Oh, yes. I also bought a 'Logitech' knock-off some time later to use on another PC but it just wasn't the same. The quality was on a par with this one, but it required the use of one's index finger to 'work' the trackball instead of the Thumb. I couldn't make the transition from Thumb to Index finger so I gave it to my grown son who loves it. I've since learned that Logitech also makes a 'Thumb operated' trackball similar to this one but I've never actually used one; some reviewers seemed to like it. That Logitech item is wireless, however, and there seemed to be some issues with the size of the receiving unit on the computer body.Both these units seem to be made for 'Right Hand' use only. I haven't seen any reference to Left Hand versions though they could possibly exist. A Left Handed person would have to adjust to these Right Hand units unless I've missed something. These Mice would be extremely difficult to operate with anyone's Left Hand, in my opinion.Written by Barry Willis, dutiful husband of Ruth S. Willis.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
One of the best trackballs ever made
By Silicon Surfer
I hesitated at first all those years ago when I first saw this design in a shop.Still, I bought it for an off-site job who had pitiful mice on their PCs and I had to have something decent.Ten years later I am still using one ! It's that good, not just for everyday workbut also for gaming (the loss in precision as compared to the best optical mouse is tiny).Truly an amazing design, incredibly useful (five buttons, I have the third/fourth on copy/paste, it speeds my up my productivity like nothing else can) and comfortable. You will never get RSI wrist injury using this.Why Microsoft took it out of production is a mystery, but if they had common sense I think we would have noticed by now.The current price is a reflection of it's very real worth.The first generation of this item is actually even better quality-wise as it almost never needed to be cleaned. The second one I bought because one of the bearings had popped out during cleaning had lower quality manufacture (always haggling for cheaper components is not a good idea...). Nevertheless an awesome trackball that remains one the best ever made IMO with the other optical trackball Microsoft made with a larger forward inclined ball.Logitech have made variations on these designs so all is not lost for those witha tight budget. I do not know if the quality is as good as these however.Let's hope someone at MS notices the big mistake in stopping production of thesegreat tools.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.Old, yes. But an antique? nope.
By James HS
After using a trackball at work, I was inspired to buy one of these well over a decade ago.The trackball continued reliable and, most importantly, easy to use, through several incarnations of Windows without any compatibility issues (after all, it is a Microsoft product).The programmable buttons were a cinch to set up for different applications, and I had no problem at all using it for web browsing, office applications, or audio editing. For graphics, though, I would have chosen a tablet with pen... but couldn't justify the expense of the one I wanted (over $500.00).So I stayed with the trackball.The only nag I had was that the ball would lose its free rotation and eventually stick. The cause was the build-up of assorted detritus on the small bearings. A stiff toothbrush did the trick, followed by aerosol to clear out the dust. The ball occasionally needed cleaning, but a wipe with a non-stick silicone wipe restored it to perfection.Over the years I must have put in tens of thousands of hours of use but I never experienced RSI or physio problems from it. Once, I considered buying a standby... left it too late, for Microsoft had taken it off their catalog. Now, I wish I had, for recently it finally gave up the ghost. The fault lay with the cable; it had flexed one time too many and either one of the conductors inside it, or the connection to the circuit board inside the trackball, was shorting intermittently. At the time, I could find no repair or replacement parts worth considering. So now, I'm making do tolerably well.Would I buy another one? Yes, if the price was right.Sadly its reputation has forced up the price to ridiculous levels. Likewise all Microsoft Trackballs, apparently.One of these ** Brand New ** might be worth up to $100 (going on 5 times the original price) at a pinch, but certainly no higher than that. It's not a fine example of folk art or early 20th century American impressionist. Its value is in practicality, not in rarity.I have no idea why Microsoft took it off the product list ... but the company has not been noted for an abundance of common sense.There are other trackballs on the market that are good substitutes for this model and probably don't have the same sticky problem.Logitech has several excellent alternatives and the price is still, umm, right at between $21 and $50. Go for one of those unless you are like Microsoft (more dollars than cents....)Four stars because of the stickiness. Value for money = 1, because the system does not allow Zero.
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