So as the reviews all seem to be tied into each other, this review is for the Kensington Wireless Trackball Expert Mouse (Red ball + 4 buttons)
Crap.
I have several of the Kensington Orbit Optical Wired USB Trackball Mouse with Scroll Ring (blue ball) and they are absolutely superb so I thought I would take a punt on the much more expensive wireless version to help me move about with my laptop (I hate the trackpad on my work laptop).
1st problem - I wanted to be mobile with this. Made an incorrect assumption that the ball was the same sort of size as the blue one in the orbit. BZZZZZT. It's massive. This thing has a direct influence on the earth's tides.
2nd problem - The planet-sized orb falls out if turned upside down which, if you want to be mobile like me then this is a constant annoyance (the blue orbit version holds the sphere in place)
3rd problem - the scroll wheel is appalling. I read reviews saying that it was crap and thought maybe people weren't used to it or something, how bad could it be compared to the smooth and accurate one on the Orbit version (you can flick that one and it will spin and keep going, for me also useful). This one will move and that's the best I can say about it. It feels crap and uncomfortable to use. The size of the ball also makes it an issue if you want to twist the wheel more than 1 cm. I know there are ways to improve this and was going to do so but after the next problem I decided not to bother.
4th problem - The deal breaker for me was that the main selling point was that it was wireless Bluetooth. I also have a pair of BT headphones and the 2 do not get on even when not connected to the same device. When my headphones (Bose QC-35 if that is relevant) are on, this trackball drops off every 10 seconds. I don't know who is to blame but even if it is my headphones fault, they win this round.
Summary - It's like this has been made by a completely different company to the one that made my beloved Orbit. Tried my best to put up with all of its foibles and for 20 quid, I might have but this thing cost me over £100. Not a chance, had to go back.
| Brand | Kensington |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 5.08 x 15.24 x 20.32 cm; 70 Grams |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. |
| Item model number | 6014035 |
| Manufacturer | Kensington |
| Series | Orbit Optical Wired Usb Trackball With Scroll Ring for Pc and Mac - Black |
| Color | Blue |
| Form Factor | Ambidextrous |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR3 SDRAM |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows vista |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 70 g |
