Genius Traveler 350 Portable Trackball for You People
I know some of you freakazoid trackball people are still out there. (Don't email me to complain. You're the one with the problem!) But because I am not the type of judgmental person to point out what heinous, horrible human beings you are for choosing to use an alternative input method, I will do the Christian thing and mention that someone has made a product to address your disability, while also asking that you please leave the public internet to those of us who know the majesty of God's own peripheral, the laser mouse.
Oh. The product. It's called the Genius Traveler 350 and it's a portable USB trackball. I don't actually know how much it costs, but I'm sure the state will pay for it with doctor's approval.
Tiny trackball mouse gives travelers a new choice for mousing [Coolest-Gadgets.com]
the latest
latest episodes
I'm favoriting this, not because I'm a trackballer, but because I thought it was so damn funny.
Hey hold on just an moment my young whatever you are, if you ever used Wireless optical trackball mouse you would be singing halleujah, I have Wireless trackball multi-media presenter with Laser pointer from Tragus, its sweet, "I found it, i did, ours it is, we will not part from it" Coughing (Gollum) "we will not speak bad about it" .... unintelligible grumbling, .....uuhhm where was I, ah yes its sweet my friend, its better than holding a dead varmin and trying to use like dragging it on you pant leg to see you can get some life out of the dead thing.
;)
There's one particular app that track balls are perfectly suited for: controlling your media computer while you're in a recliner, in bed, or otherwise in a location without a mousing surface.
I've yet to find an alternative that works as well as a trackball in such a situation, and I still need to buy a bluetooth trackball (yes, there is one out there...Not available at your local Radio Shack, but still.)
Sure, if everything you watch/listen to is in iTunes or some other monolithic media player that can be controlled with a simple up/down/left/right, a Wiimote or IR remote would work...But selecting files in the filesystem for playback or otherwise manipulating complex menus makes these devices difficult to use.
#2, they make wireless mice that don't need a surface for things like that. Like this bad boy: http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/gyration-wireless-air-mouse
What! Trackballs rule!
...says the guy who has a geocities site.
a. Try working in the field where no flat surfaces are present.
b. I switched to trackballs when my rotator cuff felt like it was about to fall off after a day of drafting or drawing.
c. People don't mess w/ my computer because they don't know how my "mouse" works
@ Monopole
You're point c. is right on! No one touches my PC at work because they can't figure out the "mouse".
I blame Atari Centipede (Coin Op Video Game of the mid 80's) for doing this to me.
hey trackballers! THE SICKNESS IS INSIDE OF YOU! YOU CAN'T RUN! ;)
I still proclaim love for one trackball only - the old Kensington Expert Mouse, which had a huge trackball that could be replaced with a billiard/pool ball if you wanted. They have a modern version which is slightly smaller I think, and $100. Expert Mouse + Quake 2 = Fond memories of making my brother mad.
I also agree that it's really useful for times when you don't really have a good mousing surface - I don't consider my leg to be a proper mousing surface either, and trackballs are WAY nicer to use than gyro mice.