Of Mice and Trackballs

My mouse is dying. It has been for a while but I think the chemo is no longer working.

I actually opened it up a few weeks ago, to see if there was something loose or whatever. The problem is the left button won’t work unless it is tapped at just the right angle and when it is just the right mood. I thought maybe there was a spring not set right anymore.

The inside of a mouse, or in my case, trackball, is rather interesting. The platform where my fingers rest to make a button click simply rest onto little switches. They rest by way of a structure molded into the case. It looks like a capital H. The cross bar is what contacts the tiny little button on the switch.

The problem? The cross bar actually has a small groove in it from wear! Can ya believe it? You’d think I used my mouse a lot or something. It is such a small little groove, yet just enough. Unless the button is pressed at just the right angle, it doesn’t push the switch far enough down. There was really nothing to fix. It was far too small to add any plastic putty or glue to build it up. Since it is part of the case, I can’t even switch it with the less used right button.

So I put it back together and have tolerated it since then, making sure I have my finger in just the right place. But my patience has worn out and, after almost losing a chunk of text I was copy/paste-ing, I’ve had enough. So I begin my search for another mouse/trackball.

I have long been a fan of Logitech and think their trackballs are the only ones that make sense. As for mice, puh-leeze! Why are these archaic things still in use? They make them small, they even make them with retractable cords, but ya still gotta have a flat surface to move them on! And, instead of my arm laying perfectly still and content, the whole arm has to move just to make the damn cursor move! Makes no freakin’ sense to me. Then there is the Kensington Trackballs. Might work to move through a document but useless for even simple gaming.

Okay, where was I? Yes, trackballs and Logitech. I currently have the Trackman Wheel. Prior to that, I had a Marble Mouse, which is still in use on the desktop. The one before that was similar to the Trackman Wheel, although it had no wheel and was HUGE. Sigh, I loved that thing.

I am considering the cordless version of the Trackman Wheel, although I am afraid it will develop the same problem. And at 50 bucks, it damn well better not!

They also have a cordless Optical Trackman and I like it’s looks and lack of top buttons. I haven’t been able to see this one in person so I am hesitant to buy it online.

Infogrip, an awesome way cool company, has a trackball called the Evolution.

Office Organix, another awesome way cool company, has the Renaissance Mouse, which is actually more of a joystick. It is very similar to the 3M Ergonomic Mouse.

Enablemart, you guessed it, another awesome way cool company, has the Trackball Fingermouse. Different fer shur.

In all of those sites, they sell the cordless Trackman Wheel and in most they have the corded version. I agree it is ergonomic, but is it going to last a hard user like me?

(For more on keyboards, check out my article in Vision!)