toobfreak
Tungsten/Glass Member
Back in 2011 when I bought my MacPro computer, I did not like the Apple keypad. Too touchy and it seemed to skip/miss keystrokes so I took it back and bought a german-made DAS mechanical keyboard and have never looked back. When they went from PS2 to USB back 20 years ago or whenever, I also stayed with a trackball mouse as I keep my keyboard and mouse on a pullout shelf in my desk and have no room to move a mouse around. My first trackball was a Logitech Trackman Marble+ and I was disappointed when they went to USB and I could no longer use it so, when I bought the Mac, I also bought a new Kensington Trackball which I really liked.
It placed the trackball central and used a scroll ring which I really liked. Well, I've used the same DAS keyboard and Kensington trackball since but the past few years, the keyboard was starting to wear out sometimes missing keystrokes. Then recently, the trackball started fading out too with issues, so I bought a new DAS keyboard, this one with lighted keys, and a new Kensington trackball. I really like the lit keys as I often type in very low light, but the new Kensington sucked. All it did was stick when I was trying to make small, slow, precise, incremental moves! I tried cleaning and lubricating it several times but nothing seemed to help. I finally plugged my old Kensington back in! The old worn out one from 2011 worked better than the new one!
So I wondered, what do I do, replace the Kensington with another or try something else. I still had my Logitech Trackman Marble+ from way back, maybe 1999, I'm not sure and had kept the original plastic packaging cover on it so it was clean and looked like new. So I bought a PS/2 to USB adapter and just plugged it into my keyboard after cleaning it up inside and it works great!
It is taking a little getting used to again as the ball is back on the left, but it works good as new, so, tomorrow, I'm returning the Kensington. I'd buy another trackball but very few people make a wired trackball and I have no need for a wireless trackball when the thing sits in one spot next to the keyboard!
Meanwhile, there is a market for these old Logitechs, they don't make a wired Trackman Marble anymore and people actually pay a premium for these old ones!
Does anyone know of a wired trackball they would recommend? I'm open to design (lots of crazy designs out there) and price is no concern, just that every time I saw one I might try, it was WIRELESS again. And the few wired trackballs I see on Amazon, it seems people have something about them they don't like. Unless I can find a really good, really smooth trackball that is wired, I guess I'm back to using my old 25 year old Logitech. For the life of me, I don't understand what is so hard about making a good, basic, simple trackball.
It placed the trackball central and used a scroll ring which I really liked. Well, I've used the same DAS keyboard and Kensington trackball since but the past few years, the keyboard was starting to wear out sometimes missing keystrokes. Then recently, the trackball started fading out too with issues, so I bought a new DAS keyboard, this one with lighted keys, and a new Kensington trackball. I really like the lit keys as I often type in very low light, but the new Kensington sucked. All it did was stick when I was trying to make small, slow, precise, incremental moves! I tried cleaning and lubricating it several times but nothing seemed to help. I finally plugged my old Kensington back in! The old worn out one from 2011 worked better than the new one!
So I wondered, what do I do, replace the Kensington with another or try something else. I still had my Logitech Trackman Marble+ from way back, maybe 1999, I'm not sure and had kept the original plastic packaging cover on it so it was clean and looked like new. So I bought a PS/2 to USB adapter and just plugged it into my keyboard after cleaning it up inside and it works great!
It is taking a little getting used to again as the ball is back on the left, but it works good as new, so, tomorrow, I'm returning the Kensington. I'd buy another trackball but very few people make a wired trackball and I have no need for a wireless trackball when the thing sits in one spot next to the keyboard!
Meanwhile, there is a market for these old Logitechs, they don't make a wired Trackman Marble anymore and people actually pay a premium for these old ones!
Does anyone know of a wired trackball they would recommend? I'm open to design (lots of crazy designs out there) and price is no concern, just that every time I saw one I might try, it was WIRELESS again. And the few wired trackballs I see on Amazon, it seems people have something about them they don't like. Unless I can find a really good, really smooth trackball that is wired, I guess I'm back to using my old 25 year old Logitech. For the life of me, I don't understand what is so hard about making a good, basic, simple trackball.
Last edited:
