Technology

The modern trackball mouse wants to be a wireless solution to your ergonomic problems.

The modern trackball mouse wants to be a wireless solution to your ergonomic problems.
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Kensington SlimBlade Pro Trackball Mouse on Desktop

Kensington

Trackballs aren’t exactly a PC fashion accessory. Its heavy and crude constructions bring old-fashioned vibes to office settings. and despite 73 years of existence, trackballs have been usurped by modern mice and trackpads as the preferred forms of computing input. But despite its low popularity, trackball mice still have a place in many people’s hearts.

If you have a physical problem like carpal tunnel syndrome or a repetitive strain injury that makes repeated movements difficult and/or painful, you may be one of those people who hangs on to a trackball mouse. Although generally larger and heavier than traditional mice, trackball mice make it easy to keep your hand and arm in a neutral position and prevent pronation.

Kensington launched the SlimBlade Pro Trackball Wireless Mouse this week.
Expand / Kensington launched the SlimBlade Pro Trackball Wireless Mouse this week.

Kensington

And because you don’t push trackball mice around on top of your desk, they can be a better fit for tight workspaces. Some trackball fans also praise the precision they can achieve with the smooth roll of the right trackball. But there’s definitely a learning curve to using them, and they’re not for everyone. And a good trackball mouse may not be as fast or accurate as yours. best mouse for pc with a traditional design.

But the continued advancement of trackball mice ensures the relevance of the peripheral. Promoting healthy ergonomics is becoming increasingly 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 biggest names in trackball mice (it also sells other PC peripherals and office solutions), launched a new trackball mouse, the SlimBlade Pro Trackball (K72080WW). It looks like any old trackball mouse, complete with a bulbous ball. But along with that piercing 2.17-inch-wide (55mm) red orb that can scroll up and down and rotate are modern considerations.

For one, the mouse is wireless. You can connect to PCs running Windows (Windows 7 and later) or Mac (macOS 10.13 and later) via Bluetooth, a 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, or even a USB-A cable. The mouse is also rechargeable over the modern USB-C connector, and the vendor says the mouse will last up to four months before needing a charge.

Ready for the modern age with a detachable cable, dongle or Bluetooth connection.
Expand / Ready for the modern age with a detachable cable, dongle or Bluetooth connection.

Kensington

Like its corded counterpart first introduced in 2009, the SlimBlade Trackball, Kensington’s new wireless trackball has programmable buttons. The wired version’s programmable buttons are limited to four, but the wireless option lets you program “each of four individual buttons and four combo button sets” if you download Kensington’s software, according to the company’s announcement with headquarters in California.

Unlike trackball mice with a thumb-controlled ball, the SlimBlade Pro’s rotating globe is designed to be used by either finger and any hand. But if you’ve never used a trackball mouse before, you might find the SlimBlade Pro more difficult to operate than something like the Logitech MX Ergowhose shape is more similar to a traditional mouse.

The SlimBlade Pro trackball currently sells for $120only a $10 premium on the wired version MSRP. The price alone is enough to show that the trackball mouse, while no longer the king of the hill, hasn’t gone completely off the rails. For those who find these products less painful for long-term use, long live trackball mice.

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