Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball Review
Before
I went and purchased the Kensington
Orbit Optical I tried to find a review.. ANY type of review and couldnt
find anything. So now that I have the trackball I decided to write up a
review of my own.Is it better then a normal mouse?
If all you are doing is browsing the web, sending emails and just normal everyday use... then yes, its definetly better. I spend around 14 hours a day on the computer.. I am a graphic designer and heavy web user and so you could imagine how much my wrist is always in pain. The trackball has taken away most of the discomfort and pain.
So is it really better then a normal mouse?
No, not if you are a hardcore mouse user. By that I mean if you have been using the mouse for nearly 20 years like I have, then the trackball will actually slow you down. Its not the fault of the Orbit, the Orbit is actually great, but the mouse if better. I can control the mouse better. The trackball is very easy to use and get into but when it comes to highlighting and selecting text the mouse seems to do it better. I find it more difficult to move the trackball accuretly when the text or item i want is really close. I never had that problem with the mouse before.
What about as a Graphic Designer?
Well I am a graphic designer and when I need something fast I unplug the trackball and work with my mouse. I just havent been able to control the trackball as accurately as the mouse. Again it comes back down to the fact that its hard to move the trackball small distances...
You dont care about what I think of a trackball but how is the Orbit Optical?
Its great, if you want a trackball this is the one to get. Amazon have it for only $27. Thats really cheap. Unlike normal trackballs this has an optical sensor which means its ultra accurate and is dust and dirt proof. The trackball is very smooth, the form is ultra comfortable. The size is nearly twice the size of a normal mouse. The dark grey area you see in the pictures is actually a rubbery material. The trackball comes with a USB to PS2 adapter for those of you who dont have a free USB port. I am using it with my Apple Power Mac and Mac OS X. The only problem I have is with the actual ball. If you sweat a bit then it becomes very slippery. Control becomes difficult then since your fingers start slipping on the actual ball. I would have preferred the ball to be made of rubber but I dont think that works with the laser.
The software?
Suprisingly it didn't come with any software. I had to go to the official website and download a software called Mouse Works which gives me total control of the mouse. You don't NEED to get the extra software but after I installed it I noticed a lot of improvement in the handling. It was a lot smoother with the software...
Conclusion
Its a bit difficult to conclude my experience with the trackball. It could go both ways. Trackballs are great, this Orbit Optical is one of the best trackballs you can get for a really good price. If I had the choice of buying it all over again I would. I use it now at home 90% of the time. The other 10% I use the regular apple mouse that came with my mac. Its usually when I need something ultra fast. At work where I do most of my designing, I am sticking to the mouse until I can get more used to the trackball. Then I might get the Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro. Below are some pictures I took of the Orbit Optical.
