Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball for PC or Mac 64325 by Kensington
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Digital camera reviews of Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball for PC or Mac 64325
Digital camera Review: Best Trackball Ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always been a fan of Kensington trackball products, and I thought they had cornered the market with their previous gray and blue model. I was skeptical about replacing that one; but after four years of use, the moving parts were no longer in prestine condition. Fortunately, I had the opportunity of using the new model at work, and I was convinced that this optical K Mouse was well worth owning. Its smooth movement made computer use more enjoyable, and its contour design reduces my wrist stress factor to zero. This input device is awesome!Digital camera Review: Best Trackball I have found
Summary: 5 Stars
A couple years ago, I bought the Wireless version of this, but it had trouble working. I left Kensington, and used other mice. I had a need for a trackball once again (to use on the arm of my easy chair) and this fits perfectly (wired). Would buy again.Digital camera Review: Best Trackball I've Owned. But It Took Some Work!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the best trackball I've owned; of probably 5 or 6. But it took some work! The major problem was the lack of graduated speed, making the pointer way too difficult to control for fine placement. In the end, this was completely solved. (However, please note, this happy ending relied upon having a PS/2 port because I couldn't get it to work well with USB.)
The ball will be disappointingly stiff at first, but it frees up, and lube helps. The scroll ring sticks and grinds. This can be improved (see notes below).
Here is the chronology:
Mar-24-2011
Software: Kensington TrackballWorks v.1.0.4 - DOESN'T WORK AT ALL (PS/2 or USB PORT)
* Crashes instantly after install.
* Kensington customer service helpful. Said it was conflicts. Directed me to UK website to download older version v.1.0.1... which the rep correctly said "always works".
Mar-25-2011
Software: Kensington TrackballWorks v.1.0.1 - THIS SETUP WORKS OKAYISH (PS/2 or USB PORT)
* Kensington TrackballWorks:
- Pointer Speed: 2
- Pointer Acceleration: 8 or 9
* Microsoft XP Mouse Control Panel:
- Pointer Speed: 4 (inconsistent, large increments at low end of scale)
- Enhance Pntr Precision: Checked
- Click Speed: 5
Monitor Refresh Rate:
Increased Monitor Refresh Rate to 75mHz. One article I read said that XP illogically sets mouse resolution to monitor refresh rate. Higher refresh rate higher resolution. This does seem to make movement smoother.
Hardware Fixes:
* Disassembled and removed magnet. (See helpful Amazon review by Eric G, posted July 15, 2005, "I don't like taking apart brand new purchases...but")
* Lubricated scroll ring and ball-support bearings (red plastic balls) with "Gun Oil" silicone (this is a thin silicone found useful by hobbyists).
Mar-27-2011
Software: Using Kensington MouseWorks 6.2.2 - THIS IS MUCH BETTER (PS/2 PORT)
Can download software from Kensington's site. Need to use a PS/2 port for full utility.
(Please see the excellent Amazon review by: Nathan A. Sweet, posted April 5, 2006, "it had a lot of potential")
* Allows much better adjustment of acceleration, etc.
* Look in Application Data\Kensington\MouseWorks. You will find a KMW_Preferences.xml file.
* Edit this file.
* Acceleration multipliers are just below text that says:
<Device>Trackball</Device>
<Level>4</Level>
- Simplest thing is to modify multipliers at 'Level 1' (you'll see in the .xml file that there are 9 levels).
- At the moment I'm using: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 (working well)
* "When Moving the Mouse Slowly" multipliers are just below text that says:
<Device>Trackball_400</Device>
<Level>1</Level>
- Default setting is: 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Currently trying: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 (working well)
* After editing and saving the file, run the kmw_prb_xml.exe file (simply double click on it; it will look like nothing happened). KMW_prb_xml.exe in the "program folder" (usually on C) for MouseWorks, and changes to the XML file will be applied. Then if you go to the acceleration page in the driver, you will see your custom acceleration curve on their little graph!
Overall, too much work/issues to give it 5 stars. If Kensington could get MouseWorks 6 to work nicely with USB, and the scroll ring was smooth, and the wrist pad (that comes with it) had an add-on to increase its height by 1/2 an inch, then this would easily merit the whole 5 stars... maybe 6 or 7!
Digital camera Review: Best Trackball mouse I've used!
Summary: 5 Stars
After developing some pain in my wrist and forearm, I began to re-explore using a trackball. I was an avid trackball fan, but when my last trackball (an old MS trackball, since discontinued) gave up the ghost I went back to standard mice, using primarily MS Explorer Mouse.
I checked out the MS Intellipoint trackball, but did not like the layout or the cheap look to it. I did end up purchasing the Logitech Trackman wheel mouse, but after a few days just couldn't get comfortable using a thumb based trackball. So I took the plunge and purchased the Kensington Expert Optical Trackball. It was love at first use!
The trackball is a very decent size, just about the size of a billiard ball. The action of the ball is smooth as silk and easy to control with just the finger tips. Four buttons are on the unit and the right and left click buttons are conveniently assigned to the lower 2 buttons, making a mouse click a thumb press away (although the Kensington software will let you re-assign the buttons to your own preference).
The scroll wheell around the trackball is just brilliant. The wheel seems to have slight detents when scrolled, it think leading the "scratchy" comments that have been made. However, the slight resistance of the scroll wheel isn't that bad and I've found has led to slightly more precise scrolling - instead of encountering a free spinning wheel that's difficult to be accurate with. Concerning some of the comments that you can't turn the scroll wheel without moving the mouse, I've yet to encounter that. I tend to use the scroll wheel from the side so I've not experienced moving the mouse while scrolling.
As for the comments that the unit appears "cheaply" made, well all I can say is my unit has a very solid and satifying appearance, with all buttons working perfectly.
All said, this is probably one of the finest trackball mice I've used and well worth the money.
Digital camera Review: Best Trackball on the Market
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had Kensington Trackballs before but this one is the best. Being optical eliminates any mechanical problems that used to occasionally happen due to dirt and dust getting into the rollers on the old units. The big ball and mouse buttons are comfortable and easily accessable. If you're a gamer, this unit is far superior to any conventionally designed mouse, mechanical or optical. As a trackball, the comfortable design outmatches any other trackball as well.
My only complaint is with the scroller. It's an excellent design; perfect-easy-to-access location, right where your fingers fall naturally anyway, but... being mechanical itself, its a little "grindy" and not as smooth as I would have hoped. It's too bad they let this detail go when they went to production because, lets face it, the unit is expensive and it would have rated five stars if only the scroller were better engineered.
Having said that however, I still would highly recommend this trackball over any other mouse or other trackball on the market. I love it.