RollerMouse (TM) 1.0
CH Products
$119.95
619-598-2518
RollerMouse is a fairly average trackball. It features automatic acceleration, as do most mice and trackballs, meaning that the faster you move the ball, the farther the arrow moves across the screen. RollerMouse covers a five-by-five inch area of your desk, and its outer case is sloped to compliment the shape of a Macintosh keyboard.
RollerMouse's most prominent features are its 2 1/4-inch central roller-ball and its four buttons -- two large and two small. The heavy, oversized ball can be manipulated with just one finger and has a surprisingly smooth action. One of the large buttons is always the normal "click" button and one is always a "click-lock" button, but the orientation may be set using little "dip switches" on the bottom of the case. These "dip switches" can also be used to assign a function to each of the two small buttons. These functions include: Eject, Undo, Quit, Print, Save, Close, Open and New.
The ball action is reasonably smooth and comfortable, but I was most impressed with the placement and feel of the buttons. They did not rattle, and only a slight amount of pressure was required to depress them. I also found RollerMouse's extra ADB acceptor, which allows another mouse to be connected to it, to be useful. All in all, I was quite pleased with RollerMouse.
MacTRAC 2.0
MicroSpeed, Inc.
$119
510-490-1403
MacTRAC is an ergonomic trackball with a steeply sloped case designed to comfortably fit the natural curve of your hand. It offers automatic acceleration and features a heavy 2 1/4-inch ball which is completely surrounded by three buttons. With the MicroSpeed Control Panel installed, the central button will function as a "click-lock," and the other larger side buttons will function as "click" and "shift-click" buttons. The included software will also allow MacTRAC to perform many other tasks by assigning command key strings (such as Command-"s" for Save) to trackball "key events" (such as holding down the right button while double-clicking the left). These definitions may be edited by the user so you can enter in your favorite command key strings and assign them to the various possible key events.
While MacTRAC's ball motion was very smooth, I found its buttons to be rather disappointing. When my hand was comfortably placed on the front slope, I couldn't reach the "click-lock" button, and I thought the side buttons felt cheap. They were difficult to depress with my thumb, and they rattled. I could get used to the button problems, but MacTRAC wouldn't be my first choice.
MicroTRAC
MicroSpeed, Inc.
$89.95
510-490-1403
MicroTRAC is a miniature trackball which is smaller than your normal Apple Desktop Bus (TM) Mouse. MicroTRAC offers automatic acceleration and features three buttons and a tiny 3/4-inch diameter ball. MicroTRAC's other features are identical to those of MacTRAC, so with the MicroSpeed Control Panel installed, the central button will function as a "click-lock," and the other side buttons will function as "click" and "shift-click" buttons. The Control Panel also allows you to set the double click speed and increases your productivity by allowing you to send command key "strings," as with MacTRAC. MicroTRAC is designed to be portable, so it comes with its own protective sack and brackets to attach it to the side of a PowerBook.
I really liked the idea of a miniature trackball. I found that you could actually hold it in your hand and operate it just using your thumb! The buttons operate very smoothly, but they are so close to the ball that dragging is difficult if you don't use the "click-lock" button. The ball operated very nicely but its "light" feel takes a little getting used to. While I prefer larger trackballs, I will say that MicroTRAC is a functional, if eccentric, mouse alternative.
Stingray Trackball 2.0
CoStar Corporation
$129
800-426-7827
The Stingray is an ultra slim trackball which is designed to fit under the contour of your hand. While its ball is much smaller than that of most other trackballs, its two buttons are much larger. The ball is designed to be manipulated with just one finger, so the buttons may be depressed using any finger. A switch underneath the Stingray allows you to set either one of the buttons to be a "click-lock" button, or to set both to just be "click" buttons. Like most other trackballs and replacement input devices, the Stingray is an ADB device which will work on all Macintosh computers except the Macintosh 128, 512 and Plus.
The included Stingray Control Panel not only allows the user to set the acceleration and double click speed, it also allows you to create customized acceleration graphs and double click speeds for different applications. For example, you can set the acceleration and double click speed to best reflect how you use your trackball in Microsoft Word, and then whenever you use Word you can choose those settings in the Stingray Control Panel.
I found the Stingray's low profile to be very comfortable. While the ball's motion is very smooth, its small size and lack of inertia made it difficult to move quickly across large screens. While the large buttons were easy to depress, they were so large that pressing on the outside edge would not always activate the button. In addition, the Control Panel was basically useless.
Though customized acceleration graphs for different accelerations is a nice idea, it would be annoying to go to the Control Panel to switch settings every time you changed to a new application. Also, the Stingray's lack of a "send-string" feature is annoying. Many other trackballs allow you to send command key "strings" using a button combination, which vastly increases the trackball's usefulness. The Stingray is a functional and comfortable mouse replacement, but other trackballs would increase your productivity even more.
Turbo Mouse 4.0
Kensington Microware Limited
$169.95
800-535-4242
Turbo Mouse is the trackball industry standard. It features a large, heavy ball which enables fine control and ultra-smooth movement. This heavy ball allows you to "throw" the ball (strike it in a particular direction and have it roll freely). Turbo Mouse also features two mid-size buttons comfortably placed for thumb or finger use and two ADB ports to allow "chaining" -- using Turbo Mouse and the standard Apple Mouse at the same time.
Turbo Mouse also includes its own specialized control software. This software features Custom Acceleration, which allows you to customize the acceleration of the trackball beyond the 10 standard settings. The functions of the buttons may also be set here from among seven possibilities: Normal Mouse Button, Lock Button Down, Send Double-Click, Send String, Axis-Only, Brilliant Cursor and Slow Cursor. Turbo Mouse also allows button functions to be assigned to "chords," in which both buttons are pressed at once.
The included Turbo Mouse software also allows you to create Application Sets: different groups of Turbo Mouse settings which will be automatically used when a particular application is opened.
Turbo Mouse had the smoothest movement of any of the trackballs I tested, and it was definitely the easiest to clean. The button placement was extremely comfortable, and I found the buttons themselves to be very easy to press. They were not sticky, and they emitted a pleasant click when depressed. The Turbo Mouse software was by far the most powerful of any of the trackballs I tested, and its "chording" ability and Send String feature allowed me to significantly decrease the time it took me to do routine tasks. If you are considering buying a trackball, Turbo Mouse deserves first consideration.
Kraft Trackball
Kraft Systems Inc.
$119.95
619-724-7146
Kraft Trackball is an easy to install mouse replacement. The trackball case is larger than most, but its buttons are actually smaller. Kraft Trackball features a medium-sized ball and, like most trackballs, is designed for left- or right-hand use. The trackball has no software, but the acceleration of the cursor may be set using a switch on the side of the trackball. Kraft Trackball has four buttons: two normal click buttons (for right- and left-hand use), one double click button, and one click lock button. These functions may not be changed.
I found Kraft Trackball to be very disappointing. While the ball's movement is actually quite smooth, the click and double click buttons are small and have a cheap feel.
