http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
call it the iTrackballs]]>Jan 15th 2009 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 4:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
...Read the comment again and think about it. Think long and hard.]]>Jan 15th 2009 6:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Ya, I got the joke.]]>Jan 15th 2009 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 9:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 4:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
I will probably be first in line for this thing, the video has sold me!]]>Jan 15th 2009 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/This one is so huge, I wonder how ppl could use it !
]]>Jan 15th 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBXXrUBHsOY]]>Jan 15th 2009 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
-jp
]]>Jan 15th 2009 11:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 2:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
Well worth the $100 it cost.]]>Jan 15th 2009 5:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/It is expensive, but totally worth it.

I actually preferred the discontinued microsoft trackball. I like to scroll with fingers and click with thumb.

http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&type=ovr&pcid=a9fdd4c0-41da-4045-9d6f-f087c17ffd30
]]>Jan 15th 2009 6:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 9:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
That's how I got my TrackballExplorer in the first place; I bought a Logitech trackball something (the black one with the huge ball and many buttons)...but the wireless just didn't update smoothly enough for, no matter what settings I used...so the next day I exchanged it for the MS trackball.

Now I think I'll have to hit up ebay to stock up on some Trackball Explorers in case this one wears out...]]>Jan 16th 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
With no proper replacement ever emerging, and the fact that they sell for FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS USED on amazon, I don't know what I'd do if it ever gave up the ghost. The Kensington is intriguing, but trackballs are so much harder than mice to judge without actually giving them a test drive.


]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 5:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 6:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 6:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 7:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
I'd probably still be using it, except it happened to be my Dad's, not mine. So when I went to school and got my own system, I used a succession of cheap optical mice instead of hunting for an out-of-production trackball like I should have.


But Kensington does make some decently-sized ones, so I'm not sure why you think they don't?]]>Jan 15th 2009 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
But in fairness, "they" used to make those too, also big, also beige-gray, but not really industrial. In this case, "They" = Cirque, now owned by Alps. My Mom had a Glidepoint, and she really liked the thing. Me, not so much. Give me the (aforementioned) CH trackball or a Summasketch any day; the Glidepoint was neither better nor worse than a generic mouse, IMHO.

To atone for my misreading, I even hunted up a link (with picture) this time:

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Cirque_Glidepoint_Touchpad__6200876]]>Jan 15th 2009 8:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/https://www.insight.com/search/minippp.web?materialId=31P8950

The trackpad isn't very large but it also includes the TrackPoint from the ThinkPad line... if they keyboard has the same feel as the ThinkPad keyboards then it's second only to the Apple aluminium keyboards, imo.]]>Jan 16th 2009 8:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 15th 2009 7:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
hope Logitech or Razer make one with more buttons.

]]>Jan 16th 2009 12:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
whats a trackball?]]>Jan 16th 2009 1:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 1:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 1:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 1:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
> Looks great, but if Kensington wants me to change from my Macally
> QBall they'll need to come up with a Bluetooth version.

Okay, I can understand the desire to not be dragging a cord around the desk as you move a mouse, but a trackball is stationary. Why would you want to use batteries and get a slower update rate with Bluetooth? I'm perfectly happy with my two Kensington Expert Mouse trackballs (real men always have two), cords and all.]]>Jan 16th 2009 7:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/
Once you get away from the Joe-Hobbyist-AOL-user world, you'll see that trackballs are used extensively by pros who edit video, audio, and images/photos.
]]>Jan 16th 2009 7:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/kensington-slimblade-trackball-for-the-smooth-operator/Jan 16th 2009 4:32AM