Computer Mice and Trackball Information

Trackballs are not as popular as they once were, and they don't get many professional reviews. A trackball is essentially an upside-down old-fashioned mouse. The mechanical ball is on top, and you use your thumb, palm or fingers to move the ball, rather than moving the mouse around on a mouse pad or desk. A small percentage of users prefer trackballs to mice. However, most reviewers and users now consider them ergonomic alternatives to mice.

Trackballs have a major catch: multiple reviewers say that adjusting to one takes weeks, and even then, some people still are compelled to return to mice. Logitech and Kensington are the main manufacturers of trackballs, but neither has recently introduced a new one. The majority of reviews we found are old and oriented to Macintosh users, though ComputerPowerUser has a fresh review that includes three trackballs; reviewer Warren Ernst likes the Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball for PC or Mac 64325 (*est. $85).

The best sources for information about new mice are computer hardware enthusiast sites. If you're interested in the technology that makes specific mice work, SharkyExtreme.com usually provides excellent explanations in mouse reviews. Computer magazines have drastically curtailed coverage of mice in recent years.

Manufacturers' websites have detailed specifications and other information:

Apple

Belkin

Evoluent

Kensington

Logitech

Microsoft

OCZ Technology

Razer

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