Trackball?

Omega_Death

Well I work at office depot and when there's no customers around I like to play with the trackball mice. Does anyone here use a trackball when they game? I like the idea but am still unsure of how well it will actually work out. Considering it would be great to never run out of mouse pad space or crash into the keyboard when making clutch movements ever again I think the ball would have some advantages, I just don't know the disadvantages yet. I'm thinking about the <a href='http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2150,CONTENTID=5003' target='_blank'>Logitech Marble Mouse</a> since it's only $20. And on top of that it'd be cool to tell people I owned them with a trackball and they're using a regular mouse <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> .

DragonMech

The disadvantage of a trackball is that it's hard as hell to aim with. It's almost as bad as a laptop touchpad. Which is not good. >_>

Thansal

<!--QuoteBegin-DragonMech+Jul 24 2005, 10:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DragonMech @ Jul 24 2005, 10:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The disadvantage of a trackball is that it's hard as hell to aim with. It's almost as bad as a laptop touchpad. Which is not good. >_> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
or not <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->


basicaly it wil ltake you a while to get used to....

then your twitch will get nasty <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

remember, what takes you 1/2 a foot to do now, will only take like 1/2 and inch


oh. and just b/c I suck dosn't mean that trackballs suck. I just suck at gaming now (I used to be realy sick, and most of that actualy came AFTER I go my trackball)

Rellix

I used to have one, great thigns i tell ya, but my brother is dirty, thus the ball needed constant cleaning - bless optical mice.

Omega_Death

Thansal sounds like you know what I'm thinking. Why move the whole damn mouse an inch when you can slightly move the ball forward? Never having any kind of space restrictions too, I was reading tips on how to improve your fps game, one of them was to get a big mouse pad and turn your sensitivity down. Wouldn't a trackball be the biggest mousepad you could possibly imagine. One of my CS clanmates plays with rockbottom sensitivity and he has to pump his mouse a few times to turn 180. I could just flick the ball and be around with out having to pump the mouse. Make sense to me, but more comments please! Actual users if possible.

Crono5

I used to use trackballs, but I reverted back to the standard push mouse. Although trackballs never run out of room and you can become very skilled with them, in the end push mouses just seem to offer better, more intuitive control. At least to me. I made the switch after optical became popular, though. Trackballs are definentley better than ball mice =X

I say mess around with one in-game if you can and try and see if you'd really like it. Make sure if you get one, you get one that glides smoothly. Some of the lower-end Logitechs and etc. are a bit too rough to get to spin the way you want and usually end up over-spinning a little, which costs some accuracy.

Omega_Death

<!--QuoteBegin-Rellix+Jul 24 2005, 11:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Rellix @ Jul 24 2005, 11:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I used to have one, great thigns i tell ya, but my brother is dirty, thus the ball needed constant cleaning - bless optical mice. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah the trackball I'm looking at is optical. I wouldn't want to go back to the roller days. (Does his best Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) Alright, no thank you.

OttoDestruct

I've actually been considering a trackball lately. My biggest problem is giving up the 8 or so buttons on my MX500.

Thansal

hehe

yes, you STILL have to clean your trackball....

it takes like 2 secs....

yah, I use the standard TrackMan (3 buttons, scrollwheel, no wireless, no nada)

the glide is great.

once you learn it you can do a perfect 360 (or 180 or what ever you want) with just a flick of the thumb (you can actualy just let it spin <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->)

OttoDestruct

Do any of you actually own the 20 dollar marble one? Is it actually comfortable? It seems odd to use your index finger to roll the ball, and thumb to click... and the ball seems situated too high up... I am looking at <a href='http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826104156' target='_blank'>this</a> one right now.... as its shaped more like the MX500 I use now with the thumb on the side, and your index and middle finger over buttons.... BUT HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT FORWARD / BACK? Oh well I suppose theres mouse gestures.

Aesyrqwe

Otto thats the one i use right now, minus the mousewheel. It has lasted a pretty long time, and has been quite reliable. Ive gotten so used to trackball it amazes me when people wonder how i can aim with it (even though i suck).

-Aes

sheena_yanai

i never ever got a regular mouse for my pcs.... and i have to say the microsoft trackball explorer is the finest trackball i got so far. i hate thumb trackballs, so only use the ones with centered ball..so i can use it with my 3 middle fingers... i use the thumb for the 2 left buttons and mousewheel, and the pinky for the 2 right buttons.

5 buttons, optical, nice big trackball, sweetness

<img src='http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00004YV5X.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><img src='http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/hardware/TrackballExplrMouse.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

i owned this logitech one before, was a really good one too
<img src='http://www.edcon.se/shop/images/boston/131292.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

uhm.yeah..thumb trackballs suck ...the one i got once made my hand hurt, and the ball was rather tiny..like on the trackman thingers...and thats not a good sign for a input device

Drfuzzy

I like the idea of them, I had a neighbor who was paralyised from the neck down and got some movement back in his hand, so he used one. We would play on his computer every now and then, their not too bad depending what your playing. I like them for browsing, but for new-era gaming I dont like them too much. Their hella fun to play doom with though ^_^

Spetsnaz

<!--QuoteBegin-Omega Death+Jul 25 2005, 03:06 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Omega Death @ Jul 25 2005, 03:06 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Well I work at office depot and when there's no customers around I like to play with my balls. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
YOU DIRTY DIRTY MAN!

Ratonetwothreetwoone

my dad used to use a track ball to play dod... he would put his right hand on the arrow keys and left hand on the track ball.. i think he used a joystick with it sometimes too... i liked to pop the ball out and play with it.. so smooth and blue...

now he plays with mouse + arrow keys... i dont know how he can stand all the buttons being so far away... i cant seem to convert him to wasd.. no matter how much i own him..

Thansal

<!--QuoteBegin-OttoDestruct+Jul 25 2005, 01:13 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OttoDestruct @ Jul 25 2005, 01:13 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Do any of you actually own the 20 dollar marble one? Is it actually comfortable? It seems odd to use your index finger to roll the ball, and thumb to click... and the ball seems situated too high up... I am looking at <a href='http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826104156' target='_blank'>this</a> one right now.... as its shaped more like the MX500 I use now with the thumb on the side, and your index and middle finger over buttons.... BUT HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT FORWARD / BACK? Oh well I suppose theres mouse gestures. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yes, that is what I use.

yes, I tihnk sheena is crazy.

Those trackballs that she likes are great if you are doing graphical design or sometihng, but suck for gaming (using my pinky = my ring finger twitches = ball moves)

oh, and who do you live with out foward/back?

use firefox <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> and download mouse gestures <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Roberto

One of my clanmates used to use trackball, he was tied with pr for best shot on the team. Now he uses the mouse and is just as good, he just can't pistol as fast because he isn't using his thumb to fire.

And arrow keys own you. Twice.