Logitech Optical Marble Mouse (USB/PS2) by Logitech
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Our Price: $109.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $28.95 (click here) Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Logitech Optical Marble Mouse (USB/PS2)
Digital camera Review: A Great Paperweight -- and So Much More...
Summary: 5 Stars
For versatility with a small footprint you simply cannot beat Logitech's Marble -- especially at the price.
In fairness to the reviewer who found this device clumsy, I'd like to point out that the buttons on this mouse are NOT INTENDED to be operated in the familiar "point & click" manner; they're set back for a reason: the second (and/or third) finger controls the trackball, while the THUMB operates the click/select button. Meanwhile, the fourth finger rests comfortably on the context button. The double-button-trackball scroll thingie takes some getting use to, but in a day or two you learn to love it.
I suppose I should also mention that I'm a southpaw with rather small hands, so the ability to use this device on the left side of my keyboard is a huge plus, but I'd recommend this mouse to anyone with limited desktop space.
Oh, and it makes a dandy paperweight (contrary to the aforementioned review).
8^Þ
Digital camera Review: A Really Good Mouse, But The Logitech Trackman Wheel Mouse Is Better
Summary: 4 Stars
I really like Logitech's trackball mice.....I own the excellent Logitech Trackman Wheel mouse.
I purchased the Marble mouse because I wanted something that's usable with one's left hand; theTrackman is for right hand use only.
The Marble mouse works quite well. The trackball is easily and effortlessly manipulated with any or all of one's three central fingers. Tracking is very smooth and accurate.
Scrolling is accomplished with either of two small buttons just above the two larger ones(used for clicking) on either side of the mouse. Press the one on the left side, and it scrolls down automatically, the right one scrolls up.
Scrolling is somewhat more jerky than with a manually operated scroll wheel, and the highest scrolling speed setting is still a bit too slow, especially for scrolling long pages. The manually operated scroll wheel on the Trackman Wheel mouse is superior; it' scrolls more smoothly and has far more scrolling settings, allowing for really fast scrolling, including an "accelerated" setting which the Marble mouse doesn't have.
I've found the Marble mouse's ergonomics to be just fine; I've experienced no thumb problems using the buttons, even after using the Marble mouse for 6-8 hours a day for weeks at a time.
The Logitech Trackman Wheel mouse is, overall, a superior mouse, though. True, it requires one to use one's thumb only, for tracking, and is for right hand use only, but it's just a slicker-feeling, more comfortable and more enjoyable mouse to use, in my opinion.
However, the Marble mouse is no slouch; it's still pretty good. I'm glad I purchased it.
Amazon's product description erroneously states that the Marble mouse uses two AA batteries. The Marble mouse uses no batteries whatsoever.
UPDATE: A reviewer, above, states that he has a compatibility problem using this mouse with Firefox browser; he can't scroll down.
I've got Firefox v 1.5.0.6 installed on my Mac and have no problems, whatsoever, scrolling with my Marble Mouse in Firefox or any other browser.
I've experienced absolutely no compatibility problems with this mouse.
Update #2: After spending the past several months with this mouse, I've found that the one area that needs improvement is the scrolling speed. Scrolling long documents takes too long, it can be a bit of a pain, and the fastest scrolling speed setting is still too slow. Otherwise, it's a really slick mouse.
The Marble Mouse has been around for at least four years, now, and my gut feeling tells me that it won't be too long before Logitech discontinues it.
If you want one, don't dally.
Digital camera Review: A great trackball to make the switch from a mouse
Summary: 5 Stars
Because of the way you drap your hand on this trackball, it feels very familier and natural for mice users. But, unlike mice, this requires no side-to-side movements of the wrist and therefore, is SO MUCH BETTER on your hands, wrists and arms.About five years ago, I was having all kinds of problems with my wrist. I looked up some info and picked up one of these. It was the best - and most inexpensive! - solution. Though it does have a slightl learning curve, it's really a lot less then you'd think. It's very comfortable and right away I noticed that my wrists never hurt anymore.
I used this trackball happily at both home and work for five years (it lasted that long as well before it finally started to wear out). This year, I decided to upgrade to the slightly more complex Cordless Optical Trackman, but the Marble Mouse is still a GREAT input device.
* It's small, doesn't take up desk space and doesn't require a mouse pad.
* It's optical, so the ball is lightweight and sails easily with the slightest touch of your fingers. (You can control with software the speed of the cursor if you don't want it to move quite as zippy as perhaps I like it to go).
* It's a very logical step up from a normal mouse and still gives the benefits of being ergonomic and comfortable.
* It's a great laptop addition since it can be used on a lap or other small surface without the problems of a mouse.
* It also has the benefit of being 100% right OR LEFT HAND usable. It's utterly neutral and can be used by either.
I've always liked Logitech's trackballs and find them to be far superior to other ones on the market. I prefer the finger-controlled ball rather then the thumb-controlled ball since the thumb one caused a LOT of fatigue and actual pain in my thumb. It wasn't nearly as natural as this one is. Try it, give it a few days and you'll wonder how you ever got by with a regular mouse.
Digital camera Review: A high quality ergonomic choice
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this product because I needed something more ergonomic - I was having pain in my mouse hand. This mouse changed all that. I work with computers, and I insist on using one of these at work. It has the following benefits:1. Because it's a trackball, you don't have to move your wrist as much as you would with a mouse.
2. The buttons are placed so that you can click with your thumb, which after all, is stronger (less likely to get injured) than your index finger.
3. It's symmetrical, so you can switch back and forth from using it with your right hand or left hand - that gives your mouse hand a rest.
I echo the comments of others that the optical trackball works great, and almost never needs cleaning. Also, I agree that it stays put nicely on the desk. Yes, this mouse was very different when I first started using it, but very very much worth getting used to it.
Digital camera Review: A little awkward but.. as described
Summary: 4 Stars
This mouse functions well, however I find it rather awkward to handle, and the lack of a scroll wheel is something I didn't realize I would miss until I started using this. The programmable scrolling buttons work well, but feel "wrong" to my hand and makes it less functional (for me!)
I originally purchased this for my laptop, as using the touchpad too much hurts my wrists.
However, I much prefer my desktop mouse (see below) and will probably return this mouse and get another like my desktop!
Trackman Wheel
However, this is still a quality mouse and it works great, it's just not right for my hand :)