# Are there any advantages to a trackball instead of a mouse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146 "2006-02-19T01:47:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Corporate\_Hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/21 "2006-02-20T05:21:24Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > for Fps Games its mouse all the way, other than that I know of no real drawbacks to a trackball. I second that, there’s no way a trackball can keep up with a mouse in any twitch-skill games. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/22 "2006-02-20T05:48:11Z")
Another vote for the Logitech trackball mouse. I use a mouse at work, but use the trackball at home. It is especially useful when flying, since I can put it next to the laptop on my tray table, and never have to worry about room. Maybe it takes practice, but I can drag and drop perfectly. I can’t stand the touchpad either - it gets turned off as soon as I get a new laptop. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/23 "2006-02-20T07:35:08Z")
Logitech TrackMan® Marble+ is my favorite. (Thumb on the 1.25" ball) Small optical mouse for the laptop. I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts also as it seems faster for things like C&P. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/24 "2006-02-20T07:45:01Z")
Up until about a year ago, I used to use this Logitech [Trackman](http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2150,CONTENTID=5001) thumb-ball. A buddy had the corded version and he introduced me to Diablo. It didn’t take long before I liked it more than a regular mouse, and while playing Diablo at his place, it got hours and hours of use. Unfortunately, my Trackman died after giving around 5 years of service. I liked it because it was nice and ergonomic, you didn’t have to move your wrist or arm, and after just a little practice it was very natural to use. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/25 "2006-02-20T08:56:24Z")
I use a trackball at home (MS Trackball explorer) for 95% of my computing, and I have a mouse for gaming (just can’t do shooters with a trackball). I switched to a trackball about 5 years ago due to pretty hard core tendonitis in my right wrist. After using the trackball for a month, all the pain was gone, and has never returned. I use a Logitech Marble Mouse at work. If I hadn’t switched to a trackball, I’d have full blown carpal-tunnel syndrome, and bad. Also, after using a trackball for a couple weeks, you get used to it, and the movements are very quick and intuitive, and much more comfortable…you don’t have to move your hand and reposition the mouse when you get to the edge of the mousepad or such. I don’t think I would do well with a thumb operated trackball, so both of mine are fingertip operated, and they’re very nice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AuntPam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@AuntPam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntPam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/26 "2006-02-20T17:37:45Z")
Using a mouse means you are using big muscles (arm and shoulder) to control small movements–unless you use a really big mousepad! This leads to over-control and repetitive stress injury. Using a trackball means you use small muscles–hand and finger muscles to control small movements. No RSI. I was being told that my only option was surgery to fix my RSI, when I bought a Logitech Trackman. Three hours later, almost no problems. Seven years later, no problems at all. I have one on the computer at work and one at home. The decision whether to use a thumb-operated trackball or a finger operated trackball is sort of individual preference. I like using the finger-operated trackball with buttons on either side (I use a thumb-operated button on the left, and I like it like that). You just need to pick an input device that matches the way your muscles operate NORMALLY. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/27 "2006-02-20T19:22:04Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Most trackballs now are too small. I used one of those old Kensington trackballs that was about the size of a billiard ball for a long time. I’ve tried more modern track balls, and didn’t like them. There’s something to be said for a massive track ball with really smooth action - remember old arcade video games with the bowling ball in them? I believe that palming a large track ball gives you better control over cursor placement than most other pointing devices. Unfortunately, integrating buttons and the scroll wheel with such an arrangement for use with PC applications is difficult. And mechanical rollers require too much maintenance / wear out eventually. I find the dinky little “track marbles” annoying and hard to use, and much prefer the mouse. Laptop pointing devices are worse. I use the touchpad, if I have to, because it’s marginally better than the little nubbin, but, IMO, the first accessory that goes in the bag with a laptop is a small optical mouse. A big second on all of the above. A friend introduced me many years ago to the Kensington billiard ball with the programmable keys on the side. Easy enough to set one up for right-click, another for double-click (incredibly useful over time) and one for click-and-drag. That latter I only used for a few times because it was so easy to hold down the single-click button and rotate the trackball. I work with a mouse at the office and a trackball at home, so I go back and forth every day. I’m not a gamer of any significance, though the gamers I know would consider neither a mouse nor a trackball to be adequate; they want joysticks and controllers similar to the game boxes. IMHO, a trackball is much easier and more accurate for use in, say, Photoshop, for its fine control. There is, however, a learning curve; it is not as quickly or easily mastered as a mouse right out of the box. Once the new set of reflexes are in place, it’s a lot more responsive. Once again, though, I feel as if I’m on the Betamax end of the curve, sticking with a superior product that has failed to garner anywhere near the popular appeal of its competition, ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/28 "2006-02-20T19:34:10Z")
I use the Kensington big ball, too, and it has all the advantages already mentioned. Plus, when you’re playing a shooting game, it has better stability when the mouse is being clicked, i.e. you won’t dislocate from where you’re aiming at while you are clicking the mouse. However, it doesn’t have as much long-range, quick, accurate repositioning as a mouse does, even though it has just as much if not more accurate minute positioning. Plus, my mouse hasn’t worn out in the 4 years I’ve had it, which is 4 times longer than any other mouse I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/29 "2006-02-20T20:52:28Z")
I use a cordless Logitech Trackman with the ball under my thumb, including a lot of online games. I’ve also got a cat that sheds lots. The trackman is wonderful, because it doesn’t pick up the cat fur. I also like the wireless version, because I can place it in front of my keyboard, and then it’s just a short move of the arm to switch back and forth between the trackman and the keyboard. Because it’s a trackman, and not a mouse, I can get away with having me+trackman+keyboard a lot closer together. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146/30 "2006-02-21T01:08:45Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > And engineering folks shell out big money for [trackball like devices](http://www.3dconnexion.com/) to use with programs like Solidworks. I was also quite pleased to discover, when watching a program on Rutan’s efforts to win the X-Prize that, _every_ desktop (almost all of which were Macs, BTW) had the same [trackball](http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=011) that I use. 🆒 Given that it doesn’t get much more cutting edge than Rutan’s place, I’d say that there’s **no** significant limitations to using a trackball. I’ve used Spaceballs before, and in fact I have two sitting in my parts cabinet at work. They’re, frankly, a big pain in the ass and can often be unreliable. However, I used thumb-type trackballs (Logitech Trackman Marble-type) both at work and at home. Those who claim them to be “too difficult to control” or “not capable of fine motor control” simply haven’t become acclaimated to them, IMHO. After a few days of use, it feels like the most natural thing in the world and doesn’t require picking up and repositioning the device when you reach the edge of its range. I set mine to a fairly high sensitivity and if I want to sent the cursor across the screen, give it a free spin; when I want find control, I move it with the pad of my thumb; I find it just as easy to control as a mouse and without the repeatitive stress than can come with a mouse. Click-drag isn’t a problem with this device; I click and hole while rolling the ball with the thumb, no problem. I can imagine this being a difficulty with the center-ball type trackballs, but not with the Trackman. Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-advantages-to-a-trackball-instead-of-a-mouse/345146.md?page=1)