Re: Suggestions for and comments on trackballs?
Lo, on Saturday, February 17, John Galt did write:
> On Sat, 17 Feb 2001, Richard Cobbe wrote:
>
> >Greetings, all.
> >
> >Over the last several months, I've been having increasing pain in my
> >right wrist. A co-worker suggested that this is due to problems with
> >standard mice and recommended that I try a trackball instead.
>
> Look at the Mouse Systems one--3" diameter ball... Logitech makes a good
> one as well, but I'd go with a larger ball with RSI injuries: some of
> the movement can be pushed back up the arm...
Well, I tried to look at that, but it would appear that Mouse Systems has
gone out of business. The mousesystems.com domain is up for sale, at
least.
> >* I'm using potato and kernel 2.2.18, so I'd need a PS/2 connector.
>
> ?! I've used various kernels/Debian distributions and NEVER got limited
> to just a ps/2 mouse. In fact, I was prevented FROM using a ps/2 mouse
> oftener than I should've, but never had issues with a good old fashioned
> serial.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wrote this just after I'd browsed through the
offerings at the local MicroCenter---I think you'd be hard-pressed to
*find* a new serial mouse or trackball, so I hadn't even considered that
possibility. I meant PS/2 as opposed to USB. Serial would be fine, but I
don't know that anybody actually sells those any more.
(My current mouse is a PS/2, and I've never had any difficulties with it,
at least under X.)
> >* the ball should be under my fingers, not my thumb, as it generates the
> > most pain.
>
> Again, go with a 3" or larger trackball. The larger the ball, the less
> often you're wrist is going to move. Remember the old Centipede
> trackballs that you used your palm to control because they were so big?
If I can find one, great. That may be difficult.
> Have you considered a touchpad? Cirque and Synaptics are well supported.
> You can actually use a touchpad without any wrist movement at all...
Touchpads are certainly worth consideration. However, getting one looks to
be a bit tricky. If www.synaptics.com is correct, they sell primarily to
OEMs, not end users---all their product descriptions have pictures of
PCBs. Cirque (www.cirque.com) seems to sell to end-users, but none of
theirs have 3 buttons. :-(
Thanks for your advice,
Richard
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