Trackballs are not exactly a fancy PC accessory. Their heavy, clunky designs bring a dated vibe to an office setting. And despite being 73 years old, trackballs have been usurped by modern mice and trackpads as the preferred form of computing input. But despite their low popularity, trackball mice still hold a place in many people’s hearts.
And because trackball mice don’t have to be pushed across a table, they can be more comfortable in tight workspaces. Some trackball fanatics also commend the accuracy they can achieve by carefully turning the right trackball. But there is definitely a learning curve to using them, and they are not for everyone. And a good trackball mouse might not be as fast or accurate as your best traditionally designed computer mouse.
But the continued development of trackball mice keeps peripherals up to date. Promoting healthy ergonomics is becoming more popular among tech companies as people spend more time in front of screens. You can find many trackball mice online from smaller brands like Elecom and even the likes of Logitech, which currently sells two trackball mice.
On Tuesday, Kensington, one of the largest manufacturers of trackball mice (it also sells other PC peripherals and office solutions), released a new SlimBlade Pro Trackball mouse (K72080WW). It looks like any old trackball mouse, complete with a bulbous ball. But accompanying this 2.17-inch-wide (55mm) piercing red ball that can scroll up and down and turn is a modern consideration.
First, the mouse is wireless. You can connect to Windows PCs (Windows 7 and later) or Mac computers (macOS 10.13 and later) via Bluetooth, a 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, or even a USB-A cable. The mouse can also be recharged via a modern USB-C connector, and the manufacturer says the mouse will last up to four months before needing a charge.
Like its wired counterpart first introduced in 2009, the SlimBlade trackball, the new Kensington wireless trackball has programmable buttons. The wired version’s programmable buttons are limited to four, but the cable-free option lets you program “each of four individual buttons and four sets of combo buttons”if you download the Kensington software, the California-based company said in an announcement.
Unlike thumb-operated trackball mice, the SlimBlade Pro’s swivel ball is designed to be used with any finger and any hand. But if you’ve never used a trackball mouse before, you might find the SlimBlade Pro harder to work with than the Logitech MX Ergo, which is shaped more like a traditional mouse.
The SlimBlade Pro trackball currently sells for $120, just $10 more than the wired version’s MSRP. The price alone is enough to show that the trackball mouse, while not the king of the hill, is not entirely out of the question. For those who find these products less painful with prolonged use, long live trackball mice.