Kensington Expert Wireless Trackball Mouse (K72359WW)

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I am a film and video editor with more than 25 years of experience. I only write reviews when I think i can really help other people by sharing information. I film a lot but when editing comes, I can spend 9 hours editing per day. Weeks ago I started feeling some pain in my shoulder, after doing some research I realized it was a mild case of RSI. Surely, I realized that to stop RSI you need to tackle chair, posture, desk, keyboard, etc. So, keep that in mind when reading my review. So, lets talk about the mouse. I tried several vertical mouses, I tried ergonomic mouses and even some gaming mouses, the pain was the same and with some of them even worst. I tried the logitech m570 trackball and found that the way its built you need to use your thumb to handle the trackball. Also, really precise movements as the ones needed in graphic design or video editing are hard to perform with the m570, even more if you are a fast editor, or an editor who thinks fast and wants to keep what your hands do up with what your mind solves. I tried the Kensington Expert Trackball (wired version) and, at the beginning, I liked the big trackball but did not find much difference. Still, precise movements were not easy. But then I read some useful reviews and found the solution, and now I love this trackball. I can edit for hours without arm fatigue and, best of all, I do not feel my arm while editing!!! Without any doubt, this trackball is the best mouse replacement device ever. My next step will be to try a Wacom Tablet, but for now I am in a honeymoon with my Trackball!!! So, the keys to effectively use this trackball for video editing or other activity that requires extremely precise movements is: 1.Move the trackball with your index finger with occasional help from middle finger. DO NOT use your thumb to move the trackball because that will put you in more pain if you have RSI or will develop other problems if you are OK. 2. I use a MAC, but I assume you can do the same in PC. In Mac, go to Control Panel, Mouse speed control (not the specific speed of trackball but the general mouse speed) and put it right at center or one line before (slower) than center. 3. I use a MAC, but I assume you can do the same in PC. In Mac, go to Control Panel and in the panel of the Trackball, check for the tab that controls speed, set the speed between 20 - 40% (the exact number will depend on your style of editing, fast or slow movements). This will help you to do precise movements without problem, but will reduce the speed of the pointer to traverse big distances fast. So, to help with that, in the same tab, set up the acceleration of trackball around 40-70%. This will help the trackball to catch some speed when you spin it to move the pointer from a one point to another in the other side of the screen or in a second screen. 4. The trackball has 4 buttons that you can customize in the same tab mentioned before. As default, the lower buttons are set to right and left click. I suggest you to set up the upper left button or the upper right button to drag lock, that way you will stop one of the worst activities for RSI, the dragging. With drag lock, you click on item with the drag lock button, you move it and then you drop it with another click of same button. I hope this review can help other video editors, or graphic designers, or sound mixers, looking to protect their hand/arms, or trying to stop RSI or even carpal tunnel.

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Ive been using trackballs ever since I got my first Mac Performa in 1995. Its a personal choice thing, but after all these many years I have no carpal tunnel and I dont have to have the extra mousing space on my keyboard tray. I type reports for a living, so I spend at least 8 hours every day at my computer. For the past 13-15 years I have been using a PCAlly Glitterball trackball, which has functioned remarkably well (probably because the ball is heavy for its size and is on steel rollers), but lately the old Glitterballs right mouse button has become somewhat sporadic in response, so I decided to try something new and see if I could get used to it. I bought one of the Logitech M570s but alas the ball was not heavy and it seemed somewhat "scratchy" and was hard for me to move it smoothly. Plus, the ball was too small for me— I have large hands, and Im used to hovering my fingers over the ball and moving it with my hand instead of finger pinching. So I bought this Kensington Expert Trackball Mouse, and my first impressions are quite good. It took my Mac a few seconds to latch onto it for use, but now its working just fine right out of the box. I have not installed any software (will look into that to see if it would be useful for me). The ball is LARGE, very large. And the one I bought moves as smooth as silk right out of the box. Because my keyboard tray is positioned pretty low, I am more comfortable using the wrist rest, it seems. (time will tell). The ball platform and the ball are both heavy and I like it that way, it seems to allow the ball to move more fluidly. The left and right click buttons are just where I need them to be too. I wasnt sure how I would like the scrolling ring, but I think its going to do OK for me, once I get used to it; it was a little noisy and scratchy feeling right at the onset but has become smoother and quiet over the past few hours of use. Yes, this was a pretty pricey item, but if it lasts like I hope it will, Ill consider it money well spent. ======== update May 1, 2018: still using the wired Kensington trackball and loving it. I have continued to use the wrist rest. The ball is still smooth as silk. This trackball is worth every cent I paid for it, and I really recommend it for serious computer users.

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Love the feel of the trackball. Wish the angle was flatter. It kinks my wrist and causes pain that a trackball was supposed to eliminate. Ended up having to angle the housing flat, and then creating a pad for my forearm. After several months of use, my updated review: I bought this trackball hoping it would work out. But sadly, it has not. The ball is large, easy to move, love have 4 buttons and scroll wheel. Those features I have zero problems with. I even like the software, easy to use and allows programming of the buttons. My biggest complaint is with the angle they made. A trackball is supposed to be an ergonomic tool and allow the hand and wrist to remain in a natural neutral position. This is anything but that. Even using the supplied "wrist pad" the angle is in the completely wrong direction for the tool. I have had to resort to stuffing bubble wrap under the housing to get then angle up and then placing a bubble wrap forearm pad the level my arm . I have been using this in this configuration for months and am finally just getting tired of this. I spent good money hoping this would help my hand after using a mouse for 30 years running CAD systems. If Kensington just made the angle go in the opposite direction, this would be the best out there. Whoever was the lead design engineer on this product should be fired for angling this in the completely wrong direction.

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Full disclosure: I have Fibromyalgia which effects the movement of my hands. I spent more than 40 years working in IT. I am an old female online gamer (not many of us around). I used to play Star Trek on the mainframe back in the 70s. I use my computer all day long, from espresso to bedtime. Lets start with the competition. Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball - Now I will admit I have never used this device but I have used its grandfather. This is a thumb trackball. I used to have one at the office and one at home. I loved it and used it for seven years until my thumb stopped working. I stopped using it over 15 years ago. Recently I started getting thumb pain for no apparent reason. Then I realized that even though I had quit using it I still had trackball thumb and was getting arthritis in it. It is kind of like quitting smoking and then 20 years later getting lung cancer. Use at your own risk. Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse - This is what I currently have and am trying to get away from. This is a finger ball like the Kensington Expert. We will start with the good. It has a smaller ball which I prefer. Due to the ball and the software your pointer will fly across your screen at the speed of light which I like. I have found the buttons are put in a convenient location. They take very little hand effort to press which I like and need. The bad is the universal scroll which is not so universal. For me it works in my Firefox browser and it will work with Microsoft programs and thats about it. If you want to zoom in or zoom out (which is quite common) in another program you are out of luck. So if you play MMORPGs like WOW, Rift, EVE, SW, GW2, TSW you are out of luck. If you play single player games like CIV 6, HOMM7, MOO, Endless Space, Gal Civ III, Stellaris, you are out of luck. I had to write my own code and assign it to keyboard keys so I could zoom and I dont have a programmable keyboard. It sounds like Logitech needs to hire better help. My dogs are pretty good coders and they only charge $50 an hour. This device may be usable if you only do office work. Now lets get to why we are here, the Kensington Expert Wireless Trackball. I know there have been complaints about the scroll ring but I dont know why. I love it. It is a thing of beauty. It is located in just the right place and requires just the right amount of pressure to operate. People who dont like it need to get out more. I find the ball really big making it a bit awkward for me. It takes some getting used to. It is also quite heavy. Even with the software set to the fastest speed it takes some hand effort to get the pointer across the screen. Its like watching molasses in January. This is something I dont need. After a couple of hours I end up with hand pain. I need a trackball I can use all day. I find the upper buttons awkward to use. Reaching across that big ball every time I want to do a double-click is a bit awkward. I havent been able to double-click in 25 years. I have to have a button do it for me, so yeah, this is awkward. Having four buttons beneath the ball I think would be a better design. The good news is you dont have to be a programmer to use this device. Summary Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball - use if you are a masochist Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse - use if you are only going to do office work or you are a programmer Kensington Expert Wireless Trackball - use if you have healthy hands and are not a programmer

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First, this review is for the Expert WIRELESS Trackball. In typical Amazon fashion, the wired and wireless reviews are lumped together. I hate that Amazon does this, because it skews the rating system. Its basically the same product, but if there are tons of issues with the wireless feature, it would be good for viewers to know. The reason for my purchase was so that the user, my daughter, would not be tethered to the computer and forced to sit next to it. When I was a teen, I bought a similar Kensington trackball with a generous amount of cord. I would play games on my computer from the comfort of my bed. This is similar to how my daughter now uses it. I point this out, just to show the flexibility of using a trackball. If you had a decent size display, a wireless keyboard and this trackball, you could use your computer just about anywhere. When I first started searching for trackballs, I ended up with a decision between the wired and wireless version of this trackball. A few weeks ago the price difference for the two was over $20, but for some reason the wireless just jumped to within $3. Seeing the mimimal difference in price, I bought the wireless version. Installation was as easy as plugging in the USB dongle (found in the battery compartment). Its actually very thoughtful to have a space for the dongle in the battery compartment, as some people may travel with this trackball and its a great way to store it. Batteries were included, which isnt too uncommon these days. What was uncommon is that they were Energizers, not the Happy Fun Power 3K batteries that Im used to recieiving. You know the ones. The batteries with the three week shelf life and 6hr run time. Putting the batteries in the compartment was a little fiddly though. They both go the same way (just an FYI) and have a cheap strip of plastic under the batteries for removal. Ive never been a fan of the plastic/cloth battery removal strip, as they tend to break and rip off. After the batteries were installed, it was as simple as turning on the trackball with the off/on switch. Theres also the USB/Bluetooth switch, not to be confused as both are labeled. I did not install the software, as currently just using two buttons and the scroll ring is all that is needed. Using the trackball is pure nirvana. Just kidding, but it is nice. The ball is of good weight, great size and just the right amount of drag to it. One thing you wont be using it for is playing Centipede though. The ball is not retained in any way except by Newtons Laws. Cmon, who doesnt want a little physics lesson in the middle of their trackball review? Gravity. I like the fact that the ball can be easily removed for cleaning, rolling around the desk as a stress reliever or as a personal defense weapon. The ball itself is silky smooth and the cursor just glides across the screen. I wish the same could be said for the scroll ring. For all the attention, tech and detail, that was put into the trackball... the scroll ring just seems to have been added as an afterthought. The ring is textured and rubberized, and one caveat I have with rubberized things is that many times the rubber starts to peel and flake off with decent amounts of use. I cant say this will be the case here, but its just my experience with numerous rubberized surfaces. And now we come to the scrolling. Know how your Microsoft mouse has that little scroll wheel in the middle? Remember how it has little click stops you can feel as you scroll away? You know how its smooth ams easy rolling? Well... forget about all that with trackball scroll wheel. Its a plastic ring that feels like its sitting on top of a piece of plastic. No smooth scrolling, no click stops and no use as another button (yeah, I forgot to mention that above). I wouldnt say the scroll wheel grinds as it goes, but its just a free spinning plastic on plastic wheel. It actually does "hang up" as it spins. You can feel the slight variations and bumps in the plastic as you spin the wheel. Now, for me, this isnt a deal breaker by any means. It functions fine for my needs, but just be aware of this and know that when scrolling with the wheel, it may be a little jumpy at times. The rest of the trackball is constructed well. No complaints or high praise about the placement of buttons or their feel. Everything is good. It would have been nice to have smoother edges on the bottom since this device will be held during use, on occasion, but just a line item for the wish list. I have not used the included pad that attaches to the front of the trackball. Ive had similar things for keyboards and just find them bothersome, but it seems pretty durable and well made. The only "issue" Ive had is that once when I turned on the computer, it didnt recognize the trackball. I think that was just due to my daughter fooling around with the switches on the bottom though. Speaking of switches, remember that youll need to turn the trackball on and off everytime you use it. I dont know how long battery life is, but I cant believe that this thing would suck down power like the Starkiller Base, so Id expect a fairly long time (even if left on at times). The two star dings come from A, the price. I cant yet decide if this is a great value or not for this price, but in the day and age where I can buy a new laptop for $300 (albeit not the best) the $80 price tag seems a bit steep. I think the premium comes from this trackball possibly being the best on the market and now weve hit the law of diminishing returns. And the second star C, the scroll ring. Apparently all the tech and design went into the ball with its cool metallic red surface and not into the scroll ring and battery compartment. At least they didnt name this the Pro Kensington Expert Wireless Trackball Mouse. If it was Pro (like every other fifth item sold today) Id have expected more ;)

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This is my first time using a trackball since 1980 when I used to play Missile Command. Anytime I had to help another developer at work and needed to "drive," I hated it if they had a trackball...because they were always weird, awkward things (the trackballs, not the developers). The little ball had to be operated by the thumb, and it seemed to me that excessive thumb movement could cause issues as well. So that was my opinion of trackballs for many years. Lately, Ive been trying to address ergonomic issues from many years of long hours at a desk, so I wanted to try something different. To provide brief background, I cant keep my wrist on the desk as with a mouse, and no "wrist rest" of any kind is comfortable to me. I can also completely wrap my fingers around a mouse, so I wanted something bigger. Refer to the photo for a size reference, shown with a tape measure and a Logitech M510 (a somewhat larger, heavier mouse) for comparison if you are switching from a mouse. I bought two of these separately. My first one was amazingly smooth and precise. Seriously, I was quite surprised. I really like how a light touch with precise movements can drive this thing. There was a slight learning curve, being a long-time mouse user, but it didnt take long. Ive been using it at the office for a week for complex , and even I brought that one to the office and then bought a second one for my home office. (I like my input devices to match so theres a "unified" desktop experience between the two environments.) The included (detachable) rest is firm, but for me, it works because its actually the naturally padded parts of the hand that absorb the pressure. It keeps my wrist and forearm off the desk and just feels like a good fit. I wonder if it would work as well with small hands... This actually started as a four-star review. I was even considering three stars. The second trackball, which I just set up today, felt a bit heavy and sluggish. My fingers slipped over it because there was more resistance than the first, and it required more pressure to control. However, while writing this review, I have been indulging my short attention span on four monitors (curse you, YouTube and Facebook!), so Ive had this review open for well over an hour. In that time, the trackball seems to have loosened up and feels smoother now. So if you get one that feels like it takes too much effort, it might just need to be moved around for a while.

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I have been a Kensington Expert Trackball users since the early 90s and I admit the new versions of the Expert pale in comparison to early versions. But if you are like me and cant work with out it, I have figured out what the "sand" feel that some are reporting. Inside the scroll ring, there is an inner ring that allows the ring to spin comprised of small flat, plastic bearings which enables the spinning motion. In order to maintain stability with the scroll ring laterally, there are tiny plastic ball bearings around the housing. It doesnt take much for one of these bearings to come out of its housing and find its way inside the inner ring where the scroll ring is spinning. Maybe it wasnt seated right at the manufacturer, maybe it was knocked loose, who knows...but what I do know is that before you tear into the packaging and remove the mouse, TEST THE SCROLL RING FOR SMOOTHNESS! The scroll ring should be a smooth action with no sandy or gritty feel. If you do have one of the plastic bearings loose in there, you can actually hear a slight click or noise as the flat bearing passes over the loose bearing. If you have this condition, RETURN THE PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY and GET A REPLACEMENT! I bought 3 in the past 3 years and 1 had the gritty, sandy feel. I opened it up and this is how I figured out the bearing was rattling around in there there causing the condition.

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You buy a trackball - its like buying a mouse, right? Plug and play. Even wireless. Oh, dont be so droll. Kensington has finally micro-managed itself into the pit of ineptitude from which I fear there is no escape. They may be on their final downhill slide. I own Kensington products. Ive purchased trackballs from them since the 1980s. Yes. Perhaps since they started making them. All with a cord. All very happy. And why not? They did everything right. But I was feeling sporty and modern. I generally dont like wireless devices as they occasionally exhibit a finicky side I dont enjoy in computer work. But this setup may have benefited from a wireless device. I was so stupid. Plug it in. Yes it works slowly. Kensington USED TO include the drivers. Nope. Not anymore. Those days are gone. No matter, I have other trackballs - ill use THAT copy of drivers. Nope. Cant recognize it. Go get the LATEST driver, you stupid customer. Okay, Ill do that soon. Then i notice the wireless is inferior. Yes, its without a wire, but no, the reception makes it unusable. Its only line of sight. It may as well be an old infrared unit. Line of sight works great. Behind anything at all (including flowers), it skips, stutters, and pauses. Worthless. Far below what I once thought was Kensington quality. New batteries? Nope. No change. Still a mess. Okay, lets do the driver thing. Downloaded -- a bit of an unfriendly chore by itself -- and install. But wouldnt you know it?? "This version of Windows requires a digitally signed driver." (W7) Cant use it. Its their driver, off their site, d/l this very day, but theyre apparently not trustworthy enough for windows to work. Now, of course, the device doesnt work at all -- after 2 more reboots and tweaks - what with Windows having isolated the driver and even warning me about it. Its going back. The reception is rubbish. The software is insane -- and thats good ol W7 and it STILL wont work. Kensington has jumped the shark. They no longer make products for people to use, but simply bait for fish to bite on. It SHOULD have been 1. plug and play. 2. exceptional reception. 3. no-glitch software. 4. a happy-to-give-you-the-drivers-we-require website. If youre looking for any of this, do not buy the wireless version. Do not buy from Kensington. Love my other Kensington trackballs.

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This is my FAVORITE trackball. Ive been using the same trackball for over 8 years. 8 YEARS. Its sooooo good that I needed a second one. But when I arrived I noticed a few things: 1. The ball itself does not glide like my original expert mouse... It grinds... Making a plastic on plastic feeling that is akin to nails on a chalkboard. I cant move the cursor as freely as my old one, it just has too much resistance on it. 2. The scroll wheel also has the same problem as the ball. It has this feeling to it like two pieces of sand paper rubbing against each other, and it also no longer glides like the older production trackballs. 3 The buttons feel loosely set, and two of them sometimes make a buzzing sound due to the force of another button click, even when lightly pressed. I really love this trackball. There isnt any other pointer device I would rather use. It just breaks my heart that they cheaped out so much on production quality.

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I have purchased the Expert Wireless and Slimblade Trackball mice to compare which one is better in attempts to resolve possible RSI issues. Here is my opinion on how they stack up. Expert Mouse Pluses: +Fits great in hand +Buttons have a slight edge, which makes it easier to click than the slimblade +The scroll wheel works SIGNIFICANTLY better than the SlimBlades twist to scroll option, especially when confined to a smaller window where the mouse jetting across the screen will cause you to randomly quit scrolling where you desire +The palm rest really helps, and is quite necessary for this mouse because of the angle +Wireless and Bluetooth options Expert Mouse Negatives: -Angle that your hand sits at actually causes more stress, and is the reason I will probably be returning this device -Scroll wheel has a very cheap design. While I like it better than the SlimBlade scrolling, it makes a strange noise any time you scroll more than a couple of clicks and makes me feel as though the product will break sooner due to cheap plastic parts. Also the wheel doesnt have any stop points/clicks, but this doesnt both me too much -Under the ball the mouse has no hole at the bottom, and the area isnt smooth, so it makes cleaning the area under the ball more difficult Slimblade Mouse Pluses: +Easy to clean - under the trackball everything is smooth and there is a hole at the bottom. This allows for skin cells to fall out of the mouse and with some occasional cleaning, you can keep the skin cells out of this mouse much easier +The angle is much nicer than the Expert mouse, leaving your hand feeling much more comfortable after a solid day of use +The design just looks nicer than the Expert mouse when they sit side by side Slimblade Mouse Negatives: -The keys are very flat and have no edges like the expert mouse, which actually makes clicking ever so slightly less comfortable -The mouse doesnt quite fit in your hand as nicely because it is not at a raised angle, but this is also a positive because it doesnt leave your hand feeling as fatigued at the end of a day -The scrolling functionality leaves a lot to be desired. While it doesnt feel as cheap as the Expert mouse, it causes a lot of issues while scrolling within small areas because your pointer will move and lose focus if you do a decent amount of scrolling at once down a large list. This has caused some loss of productivity and was the main reason I purchased the Expert mouse in hopes that the experience would be better. While Id like to see the ability to scroll by turning the ball, I think it either needs to be refined to disable pointer motion altogether when activated, or they should bring back the rotatable wheel and put it on ball barrings so it can not only scroll freely and you could just stop it, but also to give it a smooth feel, instead of a cheap one. People would pay extra knowing the quality is worth it. -Only option is wired. Not only does this leave unsightly cables on my desk, it also makes it more difficult to switch between my right and left hand throughout the day. -Should have came with a wrist wrest like the Expert does All and all the only reason I choose the Slimblade over the Expert is because the expert is at a funny angle which causes more issues than just using a traditional mouse. Otherwise Id totally select the Expert over the Slimblade.

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