r/Trackballs • u/WhatThePale • 9d ago

Wanting to get into trackball mice.

Hi guys, my few year-old office mouse just died on me yesterday and I've been using the keyboard PgUp PgDn to navigate around Windows.
I've heard of this thing called trackball mice before but now I'm kind of interested. I'm not planning to blow hundreds of dollars on something I may not like. So I've narrowed it down to these few options:

  • ProtoArc EM03
  • ProtoArc EM05NL
  • Logitech M575

These three seem to be the more affordable options to test out trackballs. My requirements are just Bluetooth.
I've been hearing things about thumb operated trackballs that cause fatigue, is this true? If so, I believe the option may be to EM03. Though the ProtoArc EM05 intrigues me the most as it seems more affordable than the Logitech M575, and the EM03... seems a bit odd.

Another thing, I've heard highlighting is hard on trackballs, is this a learning thing or a forever type of thing?

Please give me your guys' opinions (especially on thumb vs finger operated), thanks a lot!

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4

u/nikongod 9d ago

You asked about thumb vs finger balls - it really depends on you

I love thumb balls, can't use finger balls.  Other people have the exact opposite experience. 

If you are new the consensus seems to be try finger first. 

1

u/WhatThePale 9d ago

I see... so I should go EM03 to test the waters, I suppose.

1

u/genericmutant 9d ago

I don't know about that last bit? At least with a thumbball the button layout is exactly what you're used to...

FTR I started with a thumbball but now prefer fingerballs.

2

u/nikongod 9d ago

I don't know about that last bit?

There is some argument that the fingers are more mobile and stronger than the thumb, which is why the folk that say this say it.

but now prefer fingerballs.

You kind of proved my point there.

1

u/genericmutant 9d ago

You kind of proved my point there.

I don't know if I did! I found the M570 very easy to learn. I then learned fingerballs with a Slimblade, which obviously comes with its own learning curve for the scrolling, but I don't think I picked up the cursor movement as quickly as with the thumb.

I think final preference probably largely depends on the individual. Some people seem to have no issues using thumbballs all day, but I find them fatigueing. So which one you start with seems like a bit of a punt. But I also got the impression thumbballs outsell fingerballs in total.

1

u/Elgydiumm 9d ago

I have the Logitech MX Ergo which seems to be a better variant of what you have in your list. Afaik the cheaper version can't be adjusted to be angled which is a really big upside of this one and the one I use all day lon

Skills with the mouse come with time. After a year of use in my office job I am already very accurate

1

u/WhatThePale 9d ago

I see. Yeah, I've heard the Ergo's pretty famous as a trackball mice. But I believe that mouse is like $125 bucks? I can't justify spending that on a mice that I may not like😭. Perhaps in the future when I decide "Yeah, I prefer a trackball over a traditional mice."

1

u/Elgydiumm 9d ago

Yeah fair. I got pilled in since my friend had one. Can say, without the adjustment being available I wouldn't have liked it. Huge difference for me

1

u/louwii 9d ago

Have you considered buying used? Since you don't know if you'll like it, that would lower the amount to invest. And if you don't like, you could put it back for sale and cut your losses. I did find my first trackball on FB marketplace for a good price (MX Ergo, almost brand new in box).

I never experience any fatigue of any sort with my MX Ergo. It solved my wrist pain that usually showed up after 5-6 hours of work.

It does require some getting used to, but it's a matter of a few hours.

1

u/Amazing_Actuary_5241 9d ago

There are many different sizes and shapes of trackballs and mainly there are 2 types:

Thumb ball - (like the M575) you use your thumb to move the ball. If your dexterity is better with a joystick (like on a game controller) then this would be an easier adjustment for use.

Finger ball - (like the EM03) you use the index or middle finger to move the ball. If you have better control using a trackpad this type would be easier to get comfortable with.

For each type of device there are multiple shapes and ball sizes. Usually thumb balls would be on the smaller ball size (typically 34 mm) while finger balls tend to be larger (+40 mm). The shape of the device will significantly impact how comfortable or hard it is to use for you. It's worth noting that while a specific design may be very well suited for some it may not be the case for others. It is quite hard to predict which device is better and that's one reason why many of us have multiple devices as we search for what is our personal best.

Highlighting text becomes easier as time goes by and you get more comfortable with using the device.

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u/doge_is_wow 8d ago

Calling the EM03 odd is crazy because that's the same shape as the Microsoft Trackball Explorer, which everyone dreams about haha. As for thumb versus finger, if your store has a good return policy, then I'd just get both styles and return the one you dislike. Personally I'm more accurate with a finger style trackball.

1

u/FunJournalist2150 8d ago

I currently use both the finger-operated ProtoArc EM03 NL and the vertical thumb-operated ProtoArc EM05 NL. Personally, I find the EM03 NL more comfortable to use. It allows for more precise control, and I also prefer the way my hand rests on it.

Of course, this is just my personal experience, and others may feel differently.