Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!emory!utkcs2!usenet
From: wnn@ornl.gov
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: INFO Wanted on Track-ball mice substitutes
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.204840.22320@cs.utk.edu>
Date: 9 Apr 91 20:48:40 GMT
References: <1991Apr8.005905.12711@starnet.uucp>
Sender: usenet@cs.utk.edu (USENET News Poster)
Organization: University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge National Labora
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In article <1991Apr8.005905.12711@starnet.uucp> orca@starnet.uucp (Sarah Emily
Liberman) writes:
>I'm interested in purchasing a track-ball input device to replace my 
>conventional mouse.

Take a look at Felix from Altra too. It's not a trackball!
IMHO it is as great an improvement over a trackball as the
trackball is over the mouse.
I have used a variety of mice and trackballs, but Felix is the pointing device
of my choice. It didn't work too well when it was originally released by
another company, but the latest version has very smooth operation and works
even faster than the best track balls.
Particularly if you have a large screen, such as two-page display, you don't
want to get an older model second hand.

Pointing devices probably are the hardware components of a computer system that
are subject to the greatest variation in personal preferences and subjective
judgement. You shouldn't buy them on someone else's recommendation. I was less
than completely satisfied with several of my previous choices. You really need
to try if for yourself, and you need quite a bit of time until you can make a
final judgement. Some that might seem strange and awkward to you during the
first few minutes our hours of use may turn out to be your favorite, as the
Felix did for me.

A trackball is probaly still the better choice for systems with multiple large
screens or with a virtual screen that substantially exceeds 2000 pixels in
either direction. I use an E-Machines Z-21 QuickView with a virtual screen size
of 2048x960 pixels. I could get more memory for a larger virtual screen area,
but I feel that it would become difficult to accurately position the cursor
without switching to precision mode. Altra supposedly works on revised software
and hardware to accommodate such special cases.

Wolfgang N. Naegeli
University of Tennessee & Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Internet: wnn@ornl.gov    Bitnet: wnn@ornlstc
Phone: 615-574-6143       Fax: 615-574-6141 (OrchidFax)
QuickMail (QM-QM): Wolfgang Naegeli @ 615-574-4510