🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov23.143547.472@resonex.com> michael@resonex.com (Michael Bryan) writes:
>For my home system, I'm about to replace the mouse with a trackball.
>My current first choice is the Logitech Trackman, which is basically
>hand-shaped, and is unlike any other trackball I've seen in that the
>ball is operated by the thumb, while the rest of the hand remains
>motionless, effectively "wrapped around" the upper portion of the
>device.
>
>Does anybody know of any potential negative aspects of this particular
>device?  Specifically, will I end up with a sore thumb in another six
>months because all my trackball motion is with the thumb?  My initial
>test drives of the device show it to be very comfortable, and easy to
>use, but the new thumb motion takes some getting used to.
>
>My gut instinct tells me this is at least as good as, if not better than,
>any other trackball design I've seen.  But I thought I'd fish for responses
>here before committing myself to the $70 purchase...
>
>-- 
>Michael Bryan  michael@resonex.com  "Milk and Cheese in '92!"  |     ,_,
>"There's nothing quite like watching your most recent          |    /oo \
>crush, and your second-most recent crush, rushing into         |    <>__|
>each others' arms..."  --- Miss Almira Gulch                   |    |  U|

I use the Logitech here at work and the only problem was an occasional stiff
wrist. I have found a block of very stiff foam rubber the same height as a
keyboard wrist rest and use it in front od the trakball. It allows the heal
of my hand to rest on it, NOT my wrist, therefore keeping all things in a
straight line. This has eliminated the stiffness. This foam rubber came out
of some packing that was headed for the trash...'One man's garbage is another
man's treasure' :-)

If I were to need a similar device for home I would dfinately go with the
trakball. 

--scott
-- 
Scott Stembaugh - N9LJX           internet: n9ljx@ecn.purdue.edu
Operations Supervisor, ADPC       phone:    317 494 7946 
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1061

Personally, I would expect my thumb to get very sore using the Logitech,
but I have not tried it. 

I have been looking into mouse alternatives because of the pain generated
by using the mouse.  There are many alternatives including joy-sticks,
graphic tablets, and track balls. I went for the mouse-trak and am just
beginning to work with it. I like a track ball because I can roll it under
my whole hand instead of working with just the fingers. I believe that the
looser I work and the larger the body part doing the motion, the less stres
and eventually the more control and precision.  I found the graphic tablet
about 30% of the pain that the mouse gave. The mouse-trak is good but I
will probably run a switch so I can use the other hand or a foot to control
the clicker -- holding the switch down while manipulating the cursor is not
a good idea for me. A track ball also allows me to switch hands for relief.

The current issue of Windows Magazine: Dec. 1992 reviews 16 pointer
devices; use it as a starting point in evaluating such devices.

Hope this helps.

jerry

-- 
Jerry Halberstadt	New Technology Publishing, Inc.
POB 9183: c/o Mailboxes Etc.(#110)
955 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02139 USA
617-661-3851		halberst@world.std.com