 Logitech Does It Again! |
| Review Date: April 3, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| I've used Logitech mice before and this one tops all of the ones made by Logitech. I've read many reviews before purchasing this and read some of the drawbacks to this mouse and some advantages to this mouse. Logitech outperformed itself once again, with amazing features, support, and performance. Disadvantages:
1. The styling of the mouse could have been better designed. It takes a little getting used to using the trackball with fingers other than your thumb.
2. Logitech erred in the device drivers. I repeat, please do not install the drivers shipped with the package. Go to Logitech.com/support and download the 9.75.0 verson and install it, not the 9.60.0 version as it will damage your compatibility with other mice already installed.
3. The price of this mouse will set you back and have you looking elsewhere. But, the advantages of this mouse far outweigh the little-bit-above-customer-expectation price ...
4. This mouse requires a learning curve, as its design and the use of a trackball may not be familiarized with everyone's use. For those of you who have never used a trackball or is used to using a trackball with your thumb, this mouse does take a day or two to get totally used to.
5. Use the initial orientation/setup process seriously. Because of the nature of the styling of this mouse, the way you position the mouse on your desk while orienting/setting up the mouse will have an impact on usage. Advantages:
1. RF frequency is used to the best capabilities in this mouse. I've used mice from other manufacturers and this one tops all of them. Using digital radio technology, this mouse allows you to place the RF receiver pretty much anywhere you'd like up to 20 feet away from the computer.
2. The many buttons on the mouse help you to minimize use of keyboard. It has Back/Forward, scroll, Drag Lock, Fast Scroll, and conventional buttons.
3. The compact receiver helps to minize clutter on your desktop and helps when you want to carry it and the mouse around (if you're blessed like me to have a laptop).
4. Customer support is one of the best in the industry, with lifetime phone support and a 5-year warranty.
5. Installation was a breeze. a) Download Logitech Drivers version 9.75.0 or above b) Install drivers c) Connect hardware d) Press Connect button on the hardware for 20seconds - 1minute e) You're Done! Enjoy!
6. This mouse comes shipped with a serial port adapter, giving you total flexibility to connect via USB or serial - I strongly recommend using the USB ports due to the advanced nature of the hardware and the reliability of USB ports.
7. The name of Logitech speaks for itself. All in all, I recommend this product wholeheartedly to you.
If you do purchase one, buy from Amazon.com as they did an excellent job of fulfilling my order the same day.
Bang for your Buck: 10
User Friendly: 9
Service and Customer Support: 10
Installation: 10
Design: 8
Battery Life: 10
Performance: 10 |
Finally, A Great Trackball for Macs
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| Review Date: February 11, 2004 |
| Reviewer: bauhaus78, Beason, IL United States |
| After reading the other Amazon reviews, I thought I would respond to some of the issues other reviewers raise from a Mac user's perspective. I run a new PowerBook 15" with OS X 10.3.2. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't notice any directional/orientation problems--the cursor follows the ball movement very well, even before installing the included Logitech software. Perhaps the necessary drivers are now universally available, or perhaps the Mac version is just better. Also, the "finger layout" has not proven to be an issue for me--I can use any or all of my fingers to control the ball without any cursor-direction problems. The wireless function has proven flawless on my Mac. The reciever is a couple feet away and actually off the desk (no line of sight) and works fine. It was essentially plug-and-play on the Mac--I didn't even have to push the 'Connect' buttons to establish a signal, it just worked. The software is necessary, however, to re-assign new functions to the several buttons on this model. As a former PC user, I can't go without a right-click button (one of the reasons I bought an external device for my notebook at all). The Mac software is very easy to use, and one can re-program all of the buttons and the wheel if one so desires. You can set a button to automatically double- or triple-click, or select keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Command and W to close the current window). Very easy, and quite useful--I use buttons to close windows, quit programs, delete files, and still have a handy web-browsing 'Back' button. The only possible drawback to the Mac software is that one cannot "train" the ball's orientation (from what I can gather from other reviews, this option is not available on PC either). This really only matters if you know you hold trackballs at a different angle than most people do. Please note that the software I'm reviewing is for Mac OS X only; the program for those running OS 8.6-9.2 is a different piece of software, which is also included in the package. Those are all the Mac-specific comments I can think of at this point; if you're a Mac-user you're probably used to things "just working," and this device is no exception. I'll also comment on some of the more universal issues raised by other reviews: Ergonomically, there is a period of adjustment--anyone moving from a conventional mouse to any trackball or from one trackball to another should expect that. It's never a bad idea to try one out in-store to see how they feel, especially since trackball models vary from one to another much more than mice do.
This is not, as some have termed it, a 'disadvantage'--all new things take some time to get used to. If you've never used a trackball, it's weird for a while; it's also ergonomically superior/healthier in the long term.
Also, I use trackballs for computer drafting/design, and find superior control to mice--finger-control is just more precise than either thumb-controlled trackballs or wrist/arm-controlled mice. The optical ball-tracking technology requires almost no cleaning, and there are zero moving parts to clean. Just pop the ball out and blow any collected lint out of the socket if necessary--which very rarely is. For any pointing device that's wireless, optical, and has this many buttons, this price is pretty decent--lower, I think, than my previous trackball that was wired and lacked the wheel. As for Logitech's reputation/reliability, I have had good experiences. My first trackball had to be replaced during the warranty period, but its replacement has lasted the four years since--I only replaced it now because it wasn't Mac-compatible. Now Mac-users can rejoice with a high-performance trackball that works seamlessly in OS X. |
Simply the best input device I've ever used
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| Review Date: November 6, 2003 |
| Reviewer: M. Turner, Sunshine State - FL, USA |
| I've been a long time fan of trackballs - most especially and specifically those made by Logitech. About five years ago I started having pain in my wrists from the constant side-to-side motion of using a mouse. I picked up a Logitech Marble Mouse and loved it for years. It instantly helped by wrist issues and I didn't get so strained and hardly ever got soreness. The only thing I didn't like was that there weren't enough buttons. I envied things like a scroll wheel found on regular mice. The thumb trackball was horrid in my thought (all that stress where your thumb meets the wrist; Ouch!) but had the extra buttons I longed for. Then this one came along. Wow. I saw it in the store and I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated at first. Did I need a cordless? Could I get used to moving it with my hand in a slightly different position? And I know I wanted buttons, but woah, there's a LOT of buttons on it! I played with it and daydreamed about it. I finally ended up getting it for my birthday in May 2003. It honestly did take me a few days to adjust to the change (even from one Logitech trackball to another), but now I can't imagine ever going back. The sheer convenience of being able to not only left-click/right-click, but scroll AND easily go Forward and Backward through webpages with a click of a button amazes me everytime. Trackballs already cut down the amount of round-about pointing you need to do by making it much smoother and easier because of less motion required, but this cuts it down way more then that. Some thoughts from other reviews:
*Lefties -- I'm sorry, but it really is designed for a right-hander. Like most mice/trackballs on the market today, they aim for the majority. It's usable on short term for lefties (my boyfriend's a southpaw and he can maneuver it, but couldn't really use it every day, day-in/day-out). HOWEVER, a nice option is the Logitech Marble Mouse since it is neither left nor right hand specific. * Cordless issues -- I've had ZERO interference with it and I have a USB Wacom tablet as well as digital camera hookups and other usb items in my usb hub. NEVER a problem. The manual recommends that if you have problems, move the receiver away from the monitor. Mine sits two or so feet away and works perfectly. * Battery life -- WONDERFUL. Mine went for about five months or so on the original batteries it came with. And I am a hard-core user, driving my trackball way over ten hours a day. The program even warns you on-screen that your batteries are getting low. How cool is that? You don't have to wait until things die leaving you without a mouse, wondering what went wrong - it tells you! * Weight of ball -- I have to say that one of the best aspects of the Logitech trackballs is that the ball spins VERY smoothly and easily. It's also not heavy. This sounds weird until you try one of the HORRID Kensington ones which has such a heavy ball that you literally get fatigued fingers from trying to push the darned thing around the screen. It's such a battle with inferior ones whereas, with the Logitech ones, it's easy. I can zoom around the screen as fast as I wish with the slightest touch of my fingertips (*note: the speed and such can also be edited if you like a slower cursor, but it still will have the lightweight Logitech is known for) * Range of Use -- I agree with another user here - this thing has a range that's far more then you'd need. I sometimes use it on my lap and can stand up and control it from several feet away. * Cleaning -- IMPORATANT. Every now and then, pop the ball out (by pushing from underneath) and clean the gunk which gets on the points the ball rests on. It will help keep your ball rolling smoothly. In sum: ergonomic, comfortable, works great and a real Logitech winner. Well worth the cost. |
I've used a lot of trackballs
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| Review Date: January 9, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| No questions asked, Logitech has nearly outdone themselves with this mouse. I've used an extensive number of trackballs, and this is by far the most versatile, logical--the buttons, even though there are many of them, make absolute sense and are all customizable!--and comfortable of all. It is much more sturdy and smooth than the Microsoft, Kensington, or IBM ones, and MUCH more accurate! Granted, this particular one is only an option for right-handed (or ambidextrous) individuals, but for lefties I would still recommend their marble mouse, which I used faithfully for 3 years with no problems. I can also speak remarkably high about Logitech's customer service. I had the predecessor to this, called the Trackman FX I believe, which had a somewhat odd sliding wrist support at the bottom (this model corrects the ergonomic necessity for that), and (although I think it was my computer's fault, another story altogether) I had to get it replaced. I called, they made sure it was indeed dead, and 3 days later this (which I lusted after!) arrived--it had just been released and they upgraded me which was wonderful. Like others, I had to adjust the orientation a bit, but not an awful lot actually. The buttons include a browser back and forward, a scroll lock where you push it in and move the wheel wherever you want the page to go, up and down scroll buttons, scroll wheel for those used to traditional scrolling mice, and a lock button. It works well for my small and my husband's large hands, and it is used for hours and hours with no pain (which is saying something, as I have early-onset arthritis symptoms that are present in most every manual task). As for gaming, I just set the motion speed and acceleration higher and it works great--I've done games like Neverwinter Nights without a hitch. Best feature IS the cordless part... I set mine in my lap much of the time and just sit back and enjoy its versatility. |
A nice change of pace...
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| Review Date: May 7, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
I've been sold on Logitech products for a long time after I tried their products (I got tired of Microsoft's poor performance after 2 of their optical mice died in a span of days) and was impressed with their performance and value. I've been using mice from when they first started shipping with computers. But after shopping for a new one and seeing every button configuration under the sun, I decided to "walk on the wild side" and check out alternative controlers. After looking over what Logitech had to offer, this one definitely caught my attention. After trying out it's feel on a office display, I took the plunge and purchased it. It does take a bit of getting used to but after a day or so, it's feels natural and performs like a dream. The button placement is logical and comfortable while the trackball is ultra precise. I'd have liked the scroll wheel and the forward/back and lock buttons to have been a bit bigger but that's just a minor quibble.
The controller works just fine no matter where I placed receiver and I've had no trouble with drop outs. It simply does what it's supposed to.
As to what one reviewer mentioned about Norton causing problems with the mouseware, I've had no such problem. I run both Norton Anti-virus and Personal Firewall and neither seem to hamper controler performance.
In my humble opinion, this is one of the best Logitech has to offer. It's comfortable and you can almost forget you're using it. It's just that intuitive and transparent once you get used to it. Not a great alternative to a mouse, but a great controller, period. |
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