Which trackball, a thumb or finger, is ergonomically better?
February 18, 2010 11:42 AM Subscribe
Is there an ergonomically preferred choice between a thumb trackball and a finger trackball?
My wrist is in horrible shape due to my trackpad. The problem mostly stems from the laptop mouse button. I'll looking at either the Logitech Wheel or the Logitech Marble. Both have great reviews. But I can't find any assessment of whether the thumb trackball or the finger trackball is better for your hand. Anyone know, or can speak from personal experience.
My wrist is in horrible shape due to my trackpad. The problem mostly stems from the laptop mouse button. I'll looking at either the Logitech Wheel or the Logitech Marble. Both have great reviews. But I can't find any assessment of whether the thumb trackball or the finger trackball is better for your hand. Anyone know, or can speak from personal experience.
I'm happy to share my personal experience. If you want a more rigorous survey of the ergonomics of trackballs I'm afraid I can't oblige, however.
They make really pretty decent mice, and in fact I'm using one right now, but Logitech makes absolutely terrible trackballs. The thumballs are extremely uncomfortable to use and difficult to use accurately. The fingerballs are more accurate but because Logitech's tiny ball is so awful, it's not much better. I would not ever buy a Logitech trackball.
Kensington's "Expert" series of trackballs is good, and I've used mine for hours at a time without problems. The "Orbit" series is also very nice. I don't have the appropriate port to continue to use mine, but I miss it frequently.
posted by majick at 11:53 AM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
They make really pretty decent mice, and in fact I'm using one right now, but Logitech makes absolutely terrible trackballs. The thumballs are extremely uncomfortable to use and difficult to use accurately. The fingerballs are more accurate but because Logitech's tiny ball is so awful, it's not much better. I would not ever buy a Logitech trackball.
Kensington's "Expert" series of trackballs is good, and I've used mine for hours at a time without problems. The "Orbit" series is also very nice. I don't have the appropriate port to continue to use mine, but I miss it frequently.
posted by majick at 11:53 AM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
On my desk right now, I have all three (well, four if you count the touchpad). I keep them plugged in all the time and switch around based on some combination of how much my hand hurts and how pissed off i am at the freaking thumb trackball.
i think if you had to use one all the time, the big finger trackball hurts the least. But I would be completely unsurprised if that was idiosyncratic.
However, over time, some other part of your wrist/arm/hand will start to hurt from the finger trackball. Also, trackballs are infuriating for like, photoshop.
I have never used the big logitech one though that everyone loves, I have a Kensington Expert, which looks like its a pretty different hand position from the Logitech. My thumb trackball is a microsoft number that's pretty similar to the logitech one, though. I hate it, but...it makes my hand hurt less.
posted by jeb at 11:56 AM on February 18, 2010
i think if you had to use one all the time, the big finger trackball hurts the least. But I would be completely unsurprised if that was idiosyncratic.
However, over time, some other part of your wrist/arm/hand will start to hurt from the finger trackball. Also, trackballs are infuriating for like, photoshop.
I have never used the big logitech one though that everyone loves, I have a Kensington Expert, which looks like its a pretty different hand position from the Logitech. My thumb trackball is a microsoft number that's pretty similar to the logitech one, though. I hate it, but...it makes my hand hurt less.
posted by jeb at 11:56 AM on February 18, 2010
I think RSI will get to you either way - any repetitive motion will cause it. However, I lean towards the finger operated trackball (Logitech Marble), but with caveats.
If you operate the finger trackball with your whole arm, not your wrist, you can transfer some of that repetitive motion to the bigger muscles of your shoulder and arm, not the smaller muscles of your hand/wrist/fingers. Pretend you're wearing a wrist brace and your fingers and wrist are fixed into place.
You can do the same with a thumb trackball, but the natural motion is to use the thumb only. This will just lead to thumb issues.
Also, the Marble is ambidextrous. I have two, one on both sides of my keyboard, so I can reach for the closest one, not always the right hand one. This distributes some of the strain to both arms. Marbles are also cheap enough that this is reasonable, unlike the bigger and larger Kensington Expert Mouse (despite its name, also a finger-operated trackball).
However, it's really hard to click and drag with the Marble (unless you use two hands, which I find surprisingly complicated). I avoid this problem by using keyboard shortcuts for everything.
posted by meowzilla at 11:58 AM on February 18, 2010
If you operate the finger trackball with your whole arm, not your wrist, you can transfer some of that repetitive motion to the bigger muscles of your shoulder and arm, not the smaller muscles of your hand/wrist/fingers. Pretend you're wearing a wrist brace and your fingers and wrist are fixed into place.
You can do the same with a thumb trackball, but the natural motion is to use the thumb only. This will just lead to thumb issues.
Also, the Marble is ambidextrous. I have two, one on both sides of my keyboard, so I can reach for the closest one, not always the right hand one. This distributes some of the strain to both arms. Marbles are also cheap enough that this is reasonable, unlike the bigger and larger Kensington Expert Mouse (despite its name, also a finger-operated trackball).
However, it's really hard to click and drag with the Marble (unless you use two hands, which I find surprisingly complicated). I avoid this problem by using keyboard shortcuts for everything.
posted by meowzilla at 11:58 AM on February 18, 2010
It depends on what your particular RSI is caused by. In my case, the repetitive strain is caused by clicking on the left mouse button with my index finger, so I have a trackball that let's me click with my thumb. It makes intuitive sense to me that repetitive strain would come form clicking, which is always the same motion, rather than moving a mouse, which has a lot of variation.
As I understand it, the location of the pain doesn't indicate where the strained part is.
posted by AlsoMike at 12:26 PM on February 18, 2010
As I understand it, the location of the pain doesn't indicate where the strained part is.
posted by AlsoMike at 12:26 PM on February 18, 2010
Definitely thumb over finger. But, try both and see what works for you.
For the record, I've heard of at least one rheumatologist telling an arthritis patient to use a thumb trackball.
posted by Citrus at 12:42 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
For the record, I've heard of at least one rheumatologist telling an arthritis patient to use a thumb trackball.
posted by Citrus at 12:42 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I use a regular MS "Optical Wheel Mouse" and a Kingston "Expert Mouse" Trackball together, switching hands and device frequently. Each device has its advantages, and switching between them alleviates the RSI.
posted by anadem at 12:56 PM on February 18, 2010
posted by anadem at 12:56 PM on February 18, 2010
I use a thumb trackball (with MS Office and Adobe CS programs) and it really helped with my wrist pain, but using it intensely for an entire working day will still cause some soreness.
I've never met anyone else who likes them though.
posted by JoanArkham at 1:01 PM on February 18, 2010
I've never met anyone else who likes them though.
posted by JoanArkham at 1:01 PM on February 18, 2010
nthing the Kensington Expert, which is big enough and positioned so you can use your palm for large movements, not just a single digit.
posted by timepiece at 2:42 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by timepiece at 2:42 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's strictly a personal preference. I preferred the thumb one, as thumbs move easily laterally but fingers do not. It is not particularly precise though. The only other person I know who used a trackball used the giant palm sized one.
I eventually gave up and trained myself to mouse left handed at work and right handed at home.
posted by chairface at 3:42 PM on February 18, 2010
I eventually gave up and trained myself to mouse left handed at work and right handed at home.
posted by chairface at 3:42 PM on February 18, 2010
I use a wireless mouse for regular work and a Wacom tablet for drawing or annotating.
Sometimes when my "mouse fingers" hurt, I switch to my other hand, or use the tablet for regular computer activities for a day or two. I think the change is what matters, more than the actual devices in question. RSI requires R.
(Learning to mouse with either hand really makes life better. It takes a week or so.)
posted by rokusan at 4:55 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sometimes when my "mouse fingers" hurt, I switch to my other hand, or use the tablet for regular computer activities for a day or two. I think the change is what matters, more than the actual devices in question. RSI requires R.
(Learning to mouse with either hand really makes life better. It takes a week or so.)
posted by rokusan at 4:55 PM on February 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another vote for finger-operated trackballs - but specifically, those with a large trackball.
I am a dedicated, diehard trackball user - I wholeheartedly recommend the Cordless Optical Trackman, assuming you are right-handed. Very precise, requiring little motion, and I have no problems clicking/dragging/etc... I use mine 8 hours a day, easily.
(completely unrelated bonus fact: every desk of every computer in the tv show NCIS has one of these - I have no clue why.)
The Trackman Marble FX was even better, ergonomics-wise, but lacks a scroll wheel and in any case is no longer manufactured.
I have a friend who swears by the (no-longer-manufactured, but easily located on ebay) Kensington Turboball.
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:43 AM on February 19, 2010
I am a dedicated, diehard trackball user - I wholeheartedly recommend the Cordless Optical Trackman, assuming you are right-handed. Very precise, requiring little motion, and I have no problems clicking/dragging/etc... I use mine 8 hours a day, easily.
(completely unrelated bonus fact: every desk of every computer in the tv show NCIS has one of these - I have no clue why.)
The Trackman Marble FX was even better, ergonomics-wise, but lacks a scroll wheel and in any case is no longer manufactured.
I have a friend who swears by the (no-longer-manufactured, but easily located on ebay) Kensington Turboball.
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:43 AM on February 19, 2010
My favorite mouse of all time was a thumb trackball. My best friend hated it, though - it was too big for her hand. I found thumb trackballs much easier and more comfortable to use than finger ones.
Go to one of those stores that has all the mice out on a shelf and see what fits your own hand best.
posted by oblique red at 8:26 AM on February 19, 2010
Go to one of those stores that has all the mice out on a shelf and see what fits your own hand best.
posted by oblique red at 8:26 AM on February 19, 2010
I love my MS Thumb trackball - I've been using it for about four years and love it. I could never quite get the hang of a finger trackball.
posted by Dr. Zira at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2010
posted by Dr. Zira at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by paulg at 11:49 AM on February 18, 2010