General
BrandMicrosoft
Hard Drive
Hard Drive InterfaceUSB
Product Specifications
Technical Details
- Supporting Your Hand Naturally
- Superior Precision and Accuracy
- It won't wear out
- Ease of Operation
Product details
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Product Description
Manufacturer's Description
Trackball Explorer combines a finger-operated trackball with IntelliEye optical technology for superior precision and accuracy. The ball is large and conveniently located for easy control. Trackball Explorer has an ergonomic design that supports your entire hand and fingers. With no rollers or gears to clean Trackball Explorer will stay precise, as if it were "brand new." Trackball features smooth feel and programmable forward and back buttons for easier Internet navigation. The IntelliEye sensor scans 1, 500 times per second, resulting in smooth, controlled movement. The wheel makes scrolling simple without using scroll bars and helps you work 25% more efficiently.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
I've used MS Intellimouse Trackballs since they were first released. The main reason I chose them is because you manipulate the ball with your index finger and middle finger, which makes it that much more accurate than thumb-trackballs. The addition of a USB interface and optical technology means that the ball no longer gets "gunked" up with dirt, and that the ball is even more accurate, albeit a tad over-sensitive on first use.
The left/right buttons are in pretty much the same place, which is great. I found the wheel being between these two buttons a bit dubious, but it's a good position for working, but not for games (Yes, I play FPS games with my trackball as well).
The Explorer buttons are a welcome addition, as I have used regular Intellimouse Explorer's before and found that the Back/Forward buttons extremely useful. However, a slight annoying occurrence that happens, is that if my ring finger twitches ever so slightly, then my browser will go back one page.
However, all the buttons are in great places and it is shaped to fit your hand brilliantly. A must buy for all those tired of their Intellimouse Trackballs getting unresponsive with dirt.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Years of mouse-time had rendered my wrists painful and weak (first the left one - resulting in surgery - and increasingly the other) but then a chance comment from a chum bought the TRACKBALL EXPLORER to my attention. SO ergonomic. SO easy to setup. SO cheap! (compared to other 'ergonomic' alternatives) And it looks pretty cool too. BEWARE left-handed users - this item can ONLY be used with the right hand - so if, like me - you're a lefty and you've learnt to type one handed and right-mouse with the other - good for you - if not - look elsewhere. STILL - 5 out of 5 for a great sturdy product that does exactly what it sets out to - makes computing (and specifically surfing) a comfortable and pleasurable expeience. Recommended (as if you hadn't alreadsy guessed!!)
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
When I started work as a CAD technician I began with a basic mouse (like most stubborn people, I could see no reason to change as the PC package came with one supplied) and this mouse remained on my desk for two years. However, during one of our monthly CAD meetings, it was revealed that several colleagues had wrist fatigue and aching fingers. In response we trialed five different ointing devices, I was the guinea pig for the Microsoft Trackball Explorer.
On first appearance, it's a bit easy to be put off by the sudden increase in buttons. Like many people I think less buttons must make it easier (after all, who really understands what every button means on their VCR?) and the Trackball was an ugly beast of a mouse in comparison to the sleek traditional lines of the basic mouse.
Although I was never victim to Wrist fatigue, there was a significant difference in the way I held the mouse. My thumb was more involved in the process, and my fingers had to learn to be more agile. There is also a distict art to handling the on-screen cursor as it seems to shoot from left to right with the smallest of touches.
Initial concerns were also evident as I installed the mouse (Install a mouse? Not in my day sonny) which seemed a labourious task that somehow took 30MB on the hard-drive. This was however, as i later discovered, the second lowest installation size out of the five.
Having to use icons all day also makes you aware of how hard you have to click the mouse buttons (which curiously enough were placed very naturally, and seemed to fit my hand extremely well). In comparison, the mouse buttons needed a good old fasioned "click-up-the-wotsit" before it started to get comfortable. After the second week however it seemed to press and de-press with a something resembling ease.
The trackball itself was a task to comprehend. It works in harmony with the mouse movement and this can sometimes mean that you travel twice as far as you want. On the plus side though, it did mean that when my desk was piled high with plans and papers I could leave the mouse in one place and work without fear of falling off the edge of my mousemat (one of my biggest annoyances).
In conclusion, it pains to me to say that I gave it my approval to the company. As a result our entire CAD team was staring at their Trackball wondering why there was a gobstopper stuck to their mouse. It's going to take a while to get used to, but after the first week it has already proved popular with the more mature (arthritic!) members of our team.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
After all these years...
This is my first Amazon review and I'm writing it for anyone who wants to see how a trackball explorer has fared after years of use... Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by Georgey Boy
ms trackball
i have used many types of trackball and mice over the years, i have had this 3½ years now, using it 10 hours a day, it is by far the best i have used to date !
Published on 20 Jun 2007 by Mr. P. Fortune
Second rate
I'm not sure why my experience differs so much from the other reviewers here, but I was sorely dissapointed with this trackball. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2007 by Freddie Exall
Fantastic
Brilliant trackball! I'm a CAD user and this is far, far better than any mouse or competitors' trackball. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2007 by Malfurian
The most ergonomic trackball
Having suffered Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from using a mouse for years I tried Logitech's Trackman FX. It is good but the main button has to be hit with the side of your thumb which... Read more
Published on 20 May 2005
Nice replacement for my old Logitech...
I'm a right-handed finger-trackball user. That basically means the actual trackball needs to be offset to the right of the device (unlike thumb trackball's that are strangely... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2004 by J. Crawford
Cannot find a better trackball
I have another trackball not from microsoft, and it cannot compare to the microsoft trackball. I would never consider not having one. I use all the button regularly. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2003 by Albert St Clair
4 years and still going strong
I have been using this device for 4 years now and have never looked back. I have never had the sore shoulder that other people here have mentioned and find this device great to... Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2003 by "mav_nz"
Never looked back after this!
I've been using this for the best part of a year now, and I have to say .. fantastic. I hate using a mouse now on other people's computers & I'm always trying to 'convert' people... Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2003 by Steve
Excellent pointing device, but not truly ergonomic.
MS Trackball Explorer claims to be an ergonomic pointing device, but a desktop trackball will always be a pain in the shoulder if you use it for too long. Read more
Published on 11 April 2003 by Steve
Listmania!
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