Kensington Expert Mouse – Wireless Ergonomic TrackBall Mouse
Kensington Expert Mouse – Wireless Ergonomic TrackBall Mouse for PC, Mac and Windows with Ambidextrous Design, Optical Tracking, Scroll Ring & 55 mm Ball – Red (K72359WW)
Dual Wireless Technology
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| Description | The SD4700P connects to any laptop equipped with USB-C or USB 3, providing 1 USB-C port, and 5 USB 3.0 ports, one of which is a 2.1A fast-charging port to power up a tablet or smartphone. Supports Windows & Mac OS and single or dual monitors. | Improve posture, promote proper eye alignment and support neck and shoulder comfort with the Kensington SmartFit One-Touch Height Adjustable Monitor Arm. | Kensington delivers a game-changing 2-in-1 docking and locking solution for both Windows and Mac users. The LD5400T Single-User dock combines the productivity benefits of Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with K-Fob Smart Lock technology. | Engineered to be Kensington’s smallest, strongest lock for laptops and other devices, the MicroSaver 2.0 was developed using strict specifications, patented technologies and rigorous testing against tough environmental conditions. | The Kensington advance fit slim type keyboard combines a stylish exterior with premium laptop-style keys for crisp and responsive feel. Dedicated media keys control volume, mute and sleep while the Internet key instantly launches your browser. | The SmartFit conform back rest has patented back support technology that works in nearly all chairs. The SmartFit system allows you to adjust the height of the back rest for maximum support whilst the entilated back panels conform to your body. |
| Weight: | 612 g |
| Dimensions: | 15.3 x 12.5 x 7 cm; 612.35 Grams |
| Brand: | Kensington |
| Model: | K72359WW |
| Colour: | Red |
| Batteries Included: | Yes |
| Manufacture: | Kensington |
| Dimensions: | 15.3 x 12.5 x 7 cm; 612.35 Grams |
Saves space on desk and easier to use! Good quality.
I use this daily with an Macbook Pro M1, connects and works really well, it requires some software to tell the buttons what you would like them to do, not complicated all very straight forward and the software is part of the kit. Doesn’t drop the connection using the bluetooth, battery life is very good, lasts a fare while. Reaction on the screen is spot on I’m a graphic designer and if the connection was intermittent I would soon get annoyed with it, but there are no problems. – It’s Kensington and it works!
Originally bought and used this trackball mouse because of an RSI and have now used for over 10 years and love it. Originally didn’t want to spend a fortune finding a mouse that suited but this is now the third I’ve bought. The buttons are much quieter, precision is better and quality seems to have improved since the first one. At this price point and being used for 7/8 hours a day 5 days a week it’s an amazing product. I have tried other trackballs but they haven’t worked for me.
I was looking for the grey/red teardrop mouse (can’t remember the make) but they are no longer available. This mouse whilst a slightly different shape is still very usable. I haven’t used it for gaming. A very good alternative and the best I could find for a roller ball mouse.
One down side is the ball falls out if the tracker is turned upside down. Not recommended around young children or inquisitive pets.
The Logitech must be about 25 years old: the left button was sticking on or off.
This was my second trackball mouse and I was impressed. It was comfortable to use but does lack precision without altering settings in windows. I mainly use my pc for gaming so it didn’t fit my needs but if I needed an ergonomic mouse for productivity and general use I would get one of these again.
I have a few different types of mouse, but keep coming back to using this one – being able to control the trackball with fingertips gives good accuracy, and once I got used to clicking with the side-mounted buttons I prefer them to any other type. Excellent design.
I like this type of mouse. I do feel though, this is quite light in weight compared to another brand I have used, hence the 4 star mark. This light weight has inclined me to perceive its price a bit high for what it is, however it performs well and as soon as it was plugged in it was ready to use.
its good, not perfect, looks like “Darth Vaders” trackball …which i like. has the weight of a death star 🙂
which i like, accuracy… may hit a planet but not an asteroid! i use for music programming so its great for wide screens to save you “forever scrolling” if i use for photoshop or drawing, it can be a tad twitchy. but overall i still love it. best of all No cables! have not yet lost bluetooth link with computer. so far i love it.
THIS one DOES NOT HAVE A SCROLL WHEEL; instead you rotate the main ball – weird, finger knotting but easier than a rotary wheel. Hover over a window and it works.
MUCH lower profile and in conjunction with their gel mouse mat – perfect for arthritis.
(Kensington Mouse Mat with Wrist Rest — Ergonomic duo gel wrist support for computer / laptop use with laser and optical mice. Anti-slip comfortable mouse mat with cool gel)
You don’t need a mouse mat for this but as a wrist rest and clean surface for the trackball, works fab – easy to clean too.
THIS device is also VERY easy to clean – especially being optical. The buttons are flush so a simple antibac wet wipe will clean whole of trackball & mat.
Suggestion: let the ball air overnight otherwise harder to move next day. Quick polish with a microfibre cloth – does the trick.
If it squeaks a wee bit (the ball rather than me), I think it’s normal – no rollers. The ball makes a clicking in normal use too – takes getting used to.
Software is an ABSOLUTE bugger on Windows 11 Pro – does not really like it, needs UNINSTALLED / reinstalled every few weeks; but sometimes W11P does that with other software too.
EXCELLENT NEWS – you can backup your settings either to local file or cloud.
Once set up WITH the software, you have 4 primary keys, top together as a 5th, bottom together as a 6th; settings for the scroll function, addition of keyboard key modifiers – you can program all sorts of options for different software – VERY versatile Kensingtonworks – you have to download from them – Win and Mac.
I just have single / double / control clicks and back.
I bought this to replace a wired one and, so far, I’m pleased that I did. It’s used for general mousing around on a laptop and performs well but I can’t comment on it’s efficacy as a gaming mouse.
The only thing that I don’t like about it is the finish on the plastic body. The previous one I had was black and looked great but this one’s silver look appears cheap. Not a huge problem at all but equally I’d prefer it to look smarter.
I really liked the orbit predecessor which I had since2010 and was looking forward to receiving the wireless version.. however this mouse is a little bit too small and it hurt my hands if I used it for extended periods.. if it were shaped like the older version and a 40mm ball it would be perfect.
Why, why did I wait to buy one of these it’s beyond brilliant.
First up let me explain, about 3 months before buying this I had a fall and broke my wrist, broke 2 bones and did some ligament damage – ouch, yes it’s as painful as it sounds and if you take nothing else away from this review be careful with icy pavements.
The healing from a broken wrist can take up to a year in some cases and a lot of pain ensues while thats happening, when I had a cast on for 6 weeks towards the end there was no discomfort hardly at all so in my head it’s yay, cast off, back to normal, rock on. Er no, as the cast came off my reaction was mm ow ow OW OW! MOTHERFU…. that hurts, and so began a quest to find someting I could use comfortably and get my extremely bored arse back to work.
So finally, the trackball itself, what can I say, silky smooth operation from the actual ball, being 55mm across it means you can control it with three fingers if needs be, the four buttons around the ball are totally customisable if you download a small application from Kensingtons website and you aren’t limited to four functions either, you can add keys to each button so you get a different function if you press shift, or control, or alt or the win key so four individual functions on each of four buttons – that’s a lot of shortcuts. In addition to this you can specify a set of shortcuts for each application, the combinations and permutations are mind boggling. There is also a scroll wheel right next to the ball and again it’s customisable in terms of speed and direction and inertia which I tried but didn’t like but it’s worth looking at it to see if it works for you.
There is of course the usual pointer speed control which using a super ultra wide high resolution monitor I have set quite high to quickly move around the huge screen area, that is fine but it’s not the most precise method – however Kensington have thought of that too, you can set one of three keys to instantly and temporarily lower the pointer speed making precision a doddle, there is even a setting to lock the movement to just vertical or horizontal movement in a single axis and while this might not sound like the pinnacle of technology if say you have a bunch of tabs open in a browser or are going through a bunch of drop down menus in a professional application such as Photoshop or illustrator – which I do all day every day while doing actual work it just makes it even easier – hence quicker to use. It’s just one more reason to like this trackball and why I will NEVER go back to using a mouse again – ever.
Looking at one of the other reviews there was a criticism that you had to float your arm to use the trackball and it placed strain on your arm/wrist – well as this was the entire reason I’d been looking at things like this trackball to reduce just that and allow me to get back to work take a look at this…
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0752MCX82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It’s basically a device that clamps to your desk and cradles your arm taking the weight and strain away from your arm – and crucially for me the wrist, a combination of that cradle and this trackball means I have a perfectly straight arm position from the elbow to fingertips and the sometimes unbearable pain of using a mouse – and i’ve tried 6, everything from gaming mice to really thin bluetooth mice to smaller sized mice, even a vertical mouse has gone, I can use this for hours with nothing more than the odd twinge – using a mouse all day I’d have to mainline so many painkillers it’d turn me into a zombie.
Very seldom do I buy anything that makes a real improvement to my daily life but this is definitely one of those times and I don’t like this trackball I love it.
The only software you need to install is the Kensington TrackballWorks 1.3.1 and with that I’d suggest a few changes, such as changing direction in which you spin the ball to scroll and adding the “drag” function to one of the buttons. You can customise how you use the trackball in various other programs, and even add more functions to “dual-clicking”. Honestly I like to keep my usage simple and easy so I have tried them but have stuck to the basics.
So why a trackball?
I like the slim, almost minimalist design. It’s a sleek, almost timeless design and yet it’s also very functional. You don’t need a large desktop area nor a mousepad either, which is good in keeping my desktop clean and small. Some things can be improved though, perhaps the material paint around the trackball, or the “loudness” of the click, I’ll mention this later on.
The other main issue was wrist pain, I used to play a lot of games and do a lot of video editing which involved constant dragging which caused my right wrist to hurt. Along with a few other changes, such as posture, changing my computer chair and getting rid of the mouse, my wrist has not been in pain from using the trackball. I can still play games with no problems, perhaps better than before.
I love how effortless it is to scroll through a webpage, it’s a small, perhaps under appreciated thing. Maybe a certain gaming mouse has a free turning, weighted scroll wheel that helps alleviate the constant action of flicking your middle finger, but with the slimblade you’re actually scrolling at an angle which reduces more stress from your finger, it’s hard to describe but the feeling is different and better.
If there is one thing, I wish they would update the model, maybe work out a few new colour schemes that would reinvigorate their product line. I have a few nitpicks though, a slight QC/design issue I have is with the chrome ring paint chipping just by the left and right click pad (especially if you have long finger nails) and how it sometimes doesn’t register your scrolling due to dust surrounding the trackball sensors. That part is easily cleaned and rectified though.
Overall, while it might seem pricey, I haven’t come across any trackball alternatives that rivals the Slimblade in quality and design. I’m still using it after all these years.
If anything, it worked out as possibly more comfortable than my old Logitech, despite being slightly larger. I tend to work with the trackball on my lap, and the design allows for this to be done very comfortably, with no wrist strain.
You can see a few different types of trackball, but in general terms, I’d always recommend going with ambidextrous types like this for comfort and control. It may take a couple of extra hours for some to drop the muscle memory of using a mouse, but in this configuration, you control the pointer very precisely with the index finger (possibly your middle finger, I suppose), while your thumb and little finger lie comfortably over the left and right buttons and your middle finger can easily control the scroll collar for quick navigation of webpages, or documents.
A common alternate design has the trackball controlled by the thumb. While this may seem like an easy transition from mouse, as you use the same fingers for the left & right button, in these, the ball is often slightly smaller and for me, I don’t have the precision of movement in my thumb, that I have in my index finger. The upshot of which is that it can take a few passes to get to a tickbox, or onscreen button. That could just be a personal problem with dexterity, but I think the smaller ball has a lot to do with it (smaller thumb movements result in larger on-screen pointer movements).
All in all this is an absolute dream to use, but there is a downside.
The buttons, although beautifully placed and requiring just the right amount of force, without accidental presses occurring, don’t seem to have too much longevity.
The left button after a little over a year failed to register. Thanks to the extended warranty that came with it though, I was able to contact their service department and was sent a new replacement. This replacement though, began to fail after about 14 months. This time though, the left button was misfiring, as though releasing and re-engaging, making drag-and-drop an impossibly chaotic affair.
To be fair, I use my computer and trackball a lot, so others may find that it lasts longer, but I’m not alone, another reviewer here is similarly gushing in praise, but resigned to needing to replace his regularly. If only they could replace the left and right buttons, this would be a perfect device for me. Personally I can live without forward and back browser buttons. If the cost of regular outlay for replacements isn’t a issue to you, it could still be your perfect device.
Edit:
Despite my misgivings and trying a few alternatives (vertical mouse, another of my old Logitech ones and an Amazon wireless trackball), I’m back with old faithful for the comfort and accuracy of use. I just wish Kensington would do something about those buttons.
Initially found this an excellent little device for avoiding extra wires on my small desk – however, maybe it’s just my hands but the touch scroll does not respond to me very well or at all at times, and periodically the trackball stops moving the cursor which necessitates removing and cleaning it. I have had to resort to using it in conjunction with a standard cordless mouse for whenever I need the scroll wheel ( such as searching through images when using Photos application ). Sadly not as good as the marble mouse which I may soon be going back to.
I suffer from RSI and have found this to really help manage my symptoms, in fact since using it my wrist no longer hurts. It’s not massive as one reviewer mentions, it is of course bigger than your average mouse but it’s not by any means as big as some older trackball mice. It sometimes can be a little oversensitive but not enough for it to be a problem. The scrolling pad is also quite good but with prolonged use has potential to cause other RSI symptoms in fingers. Suggest users to alternate, and switch it up between using that and the trackball and buttons to scroll. Overall, a great mouse, would recommend. I like it so much I have one at work and home.
I use the mouse for work and it does the job fine, but could be better.
Having used a wired version before, I do prefer the wired version’s structure, the left and right click buttons are further forward than the wireless version, which suit me better as I use it left-handed. Also the collar for scrolling is MUCH easier to use on the wired version. The scrolling touch area is quite difficult to use on this wireless mouse so I use the scrolling bar on the screen instead, which is less convenient.
Pros (and my personal bias):
(+) It is a finger-operated symmetrical (ambidextrous) trackball. I am right handed, but it took me just about a week to learn to operate this trackball with my left hand. Of course, my left-hand pointing device performance is not as high as when I am using a mouse with my right hand, but as the typical interaction with computers includes a lot of other activities, like thinking and typing, my overall performance does not really degrade. If I have to quantify, I would say the total performance loss is under 1%.
(+) It is a USB wired device, meaning there are no batteries. I don’t mind the cable. The USB cable is 1.5 metres long.
(+) It does not require any drivers for GNU/Linux or Windows OS. It manifests like a regular mouse to the computer and to its user.
(+) It has a detachable wrist rest, made of something like stiff rubber. I am personally not using it, but I find it a useful option. It is also thoughtfully made, as the wrist rest has a small connecting rib, which nicely fits into a groove on the underside of the trackball (see close up on my picture 4). This way the rest and the ball can not be unintentionally separated by normal hand movements.
(+) It has sufficiently good optical resolution. It feels like a 1000+ dpi mouse. As a comparison I can say that a 800 dpi mouse is not enough for me. I prefer mice of 1000 dpi, at least, and with 1200 to 1600 dpi I feel most comfortable. In my case, it is not enough to change the mouse settings of a 800 dpi mouse, e.g. to “speed up” the mouse pointer.
(+) The ball glides smoothly. The big ball sits on 3 tiny balls (see my picture 5). Grease and dirt may collect there, so you might need to clean these areas and the ball from time to time.
(+) It has a scroll ring with smooth operation. Unless you are a gamer, this is exactly what you need for scrolling through webpages and documents. Not that I have heard of any contemporary gamer using a trackball, anyway.
Cons:
(-) This particular model has only 2 buttons, whilst I sometimes need more.
Tip:
If you are a software engineer you might find some extra joy and satisfaction by programming the trackball to do something different than a mouse (pointer). Last year I played around a bit and I created a small demo application for X on GNU/Linux, where the trackball is used to pan an endless drawing board, while the primary mouse (pointer) is used to draw lines. So I was able to use both my hands in a fashion, similar to the way mechanical engineers use 3Dconnexion spacemouse in their CAD programs.
These are fantastically good trackballs. Excellent for people who find mouse or trackpad operation has become uncomfortable after too many years of computer use (yes folks, RSI is a pain), these are a really flexible alternative input device. Your can move the trackball with thumb or finger, right or left handed, as you wish. The button action is light but not too light. The speed of cursor movement can be adjusted over a wide range with standard Windows drivers. The scrolling function alongside the trackball is a total boon.
I use these with desktops and with laptops. They are perfect for use with a laptop on a stand, and are compact enough to slip into your laptop bag when working away from base. The lack of wires is very convenient, and the tiny dongle can be left in place on the laptop USB socket when travelling.
Highly recommended!
Having previously used the Kensington Expert Mouse, I did find it took a while to get used to this one. The buttons are on the top of the Expert and on the side on this one. I did at one point consider sending it back because of this, but I have now got used to the layout and am getting on just fine with it. It’s a good size, stable and the lack of wires is a plus. I spent some time adjusting the sensitivity of the trackball before I felt I had the cursor under control on the screen. Overall, now that I have got used to it, I’m happy with this purchase.
A great experience, migrating from a microsoft Explorer mouse the ratcheted scrolling takes a little getting used to but with adjustable speed – no problem. The trackballworks 1.2 sw is very comprehensive and will allow you to customise the device on a global or application basis. Which is useful. I use Sibelius and Finale where small precise movements put quite a strain on the hand after a full day of use but this device – although it takes a little getting used to after an orthodox mouse – starts to feel quite natural after playing a few games. The effort of holding down the left click while dragging items across the screen is greater than with the mouse and it is a co-ordination thing, training the hand to behave differently but already, after just 24 hours of use, the accuracy is starting to improve and there is no residual strain on the hand. A wrist rest may improve things even further but so far, this device is just sitting flat on the desk and no problems. Occasionally, I get the urge to pick it up and shuttle it as I would a mouse but with practice I expect this instinct will disappear. My partner thinks I am kicking her off the computer – the device isn’t for everyone, but after you have struggled for years to find a comfortable working set-up anything that improves that is a blessing.
Set up is a case of trial and error and the extra function of the two top buttons puts a range of possibilities at your fingertips. Trackball works 1.2 does allow chording and the scrolling click we get is quite unobtrusive. The keys are not heavy or much louder than ye olde Explorer mouse and while some users report they have a sweet spot, it’s really quite large and these extra movements of hand and fingers help to keep things loose. The static hand position we adopt for the normal mouse is a primary source of the cramp we experience. In any case with the Slimblade the movements are not large and flinging the ball around in its mount enables us to cover a large amount of real estate of multiple monitors, quickly and relatively precisely. Loading the sw for the first time, I had an oh oh moment with the cursor only moving in the vertical axis, but maybe I was asking the Trackball works sw to do too much too quickly. In any case, it straightened itself out after a reboot and a few minutes of playing around. No problems since.
The lack of horizontal scrolling is seen as a negative feature for many it seems, but if you hold down shift while scrolling in windows it converts the vertical to horizontal and is a bit quicker than fiddling around with the little corner buttons. The window needs to be active for this to work – if you can remember that you should have no problems.
As a musician I am quite familiar with the idea of muscle memory so my relapses back into standard mouse mode are quite understandable but with practice comes perfect and though I am not there yet, I feel it won’t be long before using this device comes as second nature. As a musician I appreciate anything that means I can avoid the visits to the doctor and keep my hands in top condition. This is not just a device for people with impairments though I can easily imagine how it might alleviate the problems they experience with a normal mouse. If you have used the normal mouse for years and don’t like changing, save your money and buy a nice big fat normal mouse though if you are willing to try something a bit different and are prepared to put in a little practice, the results could impress you.
We have some issues to overcome which actually stop me from replacing my mouse completely;
1. There is no ‘Enhance pointer precision’ setting like I have with my mouse, so even with careful setup it’s just not got the fine control/accuracy of my mouse. I need this accuracy for my graphic design work and I just can’t get it with the trackball.
2. You are forced to use your thumb for left click and trying to double click with your thumb is not as easy as using your finger. Add to this the fact that you have to hold down your thumb to click drag and it’s quite awkward and actually not useable for fine control requirements like graphic design or photo editing which is a large part of my daily workflow.
3. Not really an issue but a gripe, it’s about as “plastic(y)” and cheap as any other low to mid price mouse and the scroll ring particularly just feels like it’s broken (but works great)
SETUP:
This is nothing like a mouse in terms of setup, the software is easy to use but don’t try and set it up like you would your mouse, you’ll just find yourself throwing the trackball out the window. The thing is; this trackball is very sensitive and setting fast pointer speeds just doesn’t work like it does for a mouse where we have the ‘Enhance pointer Precision’ setting. The best setup turned out to be slower pointer speeds (around 35% or a little slower) and high acceleration settings (100%), I was then able to get better accuracy with the ability to easily move from top to bottom or between monitors thanks to the acceleration setting that basically multiplies the pointer distance/speed when you move the ball quickly.
IN USE:
For web browsing and general office and desktop application use it excels (once you get used to it) and it performs much better than a mouse. With a multi-monitor setup It’s easier and quicker to move between screens with a quick spin of the ball and scrolling is super quick (you can adjust the speed of that too) and the level of accuracy is fine for desktop use (we need that ‘enhance pointer precision’ setting again to make it truly amazing). It doesn’t take too long to get used to the trackball and you will find yourself flying across the screen and happily clicking away.
For Graphic/Photo work:
I tried and tried to use the trackball for my graphic design work (vector illustrations and print design), but even after a week of use and being able to use the trackball for everything else, It was absolutely not good enough for my needs when it came to the reason I bough it. The fact is the two issues it has stop it from working in the area where I feel this type of device is probably aimed at.
With no pointer precision enhancement the pointer wobbles on screen because it’s so sensitive, every little movement/wobble is seen on screen. And because we have no pointer precision selecting menus and shortcuts etc. you need to be a little more careful because you end up accidentally moving the ball when you thumb click. Menus and icons are notoriously small and deeply nested in this type of software and I found myself missing, miss-clicking and generally getting annoyed at the lack of precision.
With a mouse with pointer precision turned on I have no such issues.
In the end I earn my living from this type of work and it takes me much longer to do the work using the trackball and that costs me.
HEALTH:
A lot of people buy trackball devices to help ease carpal/wrist injuries or strains. I’m not a big sufferer of this, but do feel the strain after 8 hours like most of us, however this trackball did not help, it was just as bad as it normally is even with the slide on wrist rest which I do use. So in my experience this is no better for your health than a good quality mouse setup.
SUMMARY:
I would imagine this trackball is excellent for gaming and first person shooters and I know it’s great for general desktop use and web browsing and if that’s what you want to use it for, then I highly recommend it. But if you use photo, graphic or DAW software then I would try before you buy.
ONE WEEK ON UPDATE:
A week on from writing this review, have now gone back to using a mouse full time. There is just no getting away from the fact that with good setup a mouse is so much easier to work with than the trackball, at least for me anyway. The trackball is still a great device, but for me and the work I do, a mouse is much better and far more productive.
I’ve been suffering from mouse-related elbow tendonitis since late last year, so I have been through various pointing devices trying to find one that will not keep damaging the tendons. Finally, with this trackball, I have found a solution … not just in helping with the tendonitis, but also in feeling easy and natural to use.
As a hardened mouse user, I was initially wedded to the idea that I needed to find a better mouse. So I tried various “ergonomic” alternatives, but I realised that my problem came from the left-right pivoting of the elbow, and not from the angle of my wrist or the stress of pressing the buttons. In fact the “ergonomic” mice I tried made things worse, since being wireless they added the weight of a battery to the mass I was pushing around. One or two small batteries doesn’t sound like much, but it’s all extra load on a problem joint/tendon.
Next, I went for a Logitech M570 trackball. I found steering with my thumb clunky, and the trackball was not pixel-accurate; it jerks by several pixels when you move it, rather than rolling smoothly. Cleaning and lubricating helps but does not completely solve the jerkiness (in fairness it’s fine for general desktop use, just not for pixel-perfect control). The final drawback is that the M570 is right-handed device; I used it for a period with my left hand in order to allow time for my right elbow to heal, but it’s not designed for this at all.
I also tried a Wacom tablet, but again moving the stylus put stress (if less than with a mouse) on the damaged elbow.
Then a few weeks ago, I happened to see one of the large Kensington trackballs (it was in a producer’s intro to the Battlestar Galactica box set; he was sitting in front of an editing system with a Kensington Expert trackball front and centre). As soon as I saw it, I instinctively felt it was the kind of thing I needed. I searched for “Trackball with large ball” and soon identified it as a Kensington device; a SlimBlade soon arrived and now, a few weeks later, my elbow is not troubling me at all and I’m as comfortable using this, as I used to be with a mouse. The large ball has a definite feel of “heft”, running smoothly and allowing pixel-perfect placement. So for me it has been worth every penny, even allowing for the rather high price. I have spent more than that price on trying other solutions that didn’t work for me.
The initially-released software was rightly criticised but the latest version is fine, allowing each button to be programmed with a different function, as well as being able to detect when the top pair or bottom pair of buttons are pressed simultaneously, giving six functions overall. The “twist ball to scroll” feature feels completely natural, and is the main feature that sets the SlimBlade apart from the slightly cheaper Expert. But I’m sure that an Expert with its physical scroll ring would do just as well, and it offers the benefit of coming with a wrist rest … however I don’t personally feel that the SlimBlade needs a wrist rest because of the way it slopes gently down to the desk — and it would be easy enough to improvise or purchase one if needed.
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Updates following a few more weeks of use:
LUBRICATION: lanolin is apparently what Kensington uses for lubrication at manufacture, and is thus perfect for re-lubricating the ball if necessary. I just moisturised my fingertips with a tiny amount of solid, 100% pure anhydrous lanolin, and then used the ball for a few seconds, and a day later it is still gliding like new.
GAMING: I got around to playing a first-person shooter with the trackball, and am happy to report that it works for me just as well as a mouse. Equivalent control, but no more running out of mouse-pad! The only disadvantage is that your index finger is naturally used to steer the ball, so you may need to map a different control to fire weapons etc. But overall, FPS gaming is at least as enjoyable for me with this, as it was with a mouse.
The product matched my requirements.
I prefer a trackerball as it puts less strain on the wrist and forearm when researching and composing long and detailed multi-media reports, for example.
The wireless connection frees up a port on my PC and there is less restriction on movement when there is no wire to become entangled with the others. However, I am now gradually replacing as many of my ancilliary devices as possible with their wireless counterpart.
However, it could be useful if one could purchase separately a plug adaptor to recharge a different type of battery for these devices. Currently, the battery on some of my devices becomes discharge when I have no spares at home or the local stores are shut.
Seriously, if trackballs had been invented in the 1980s who would now be using a mouse?
I had a wired trackball from Kensington before this one. I originally bought it because using a mouse was giving me RSI.tendonitis in my foream. Any trackball gets rid of this. The wired trackball wore out after 6 years, so I replaced it with this wireless model because I am often working on my laptop.
It never gets a single fingermark. Even after a week of use 12 hours a day it looks like new.
I did find the buttons more awkwardly placed than in the wired mouse and there is no Back or Forward button, like the old trackball had. I have only just installed the TrackballWorks software as a download, and there were a few small problems with that as well. Logic would suggest that the software be supplied with the trackball. There was no leaflet in the packaging to tell me about this software either! I only foud out about it from reading reviews here on Amazon.
Now I have TrackballWorks I have configured the two button together press to go Back 1 page in the browser.
There are obvious places on this trackball where extra buttons could be added and I do not understand why it has so few functions, but overall I love i
The Good: I had problems with my normal mouse, as I do a lot of photo editing in Lightroom, which entails prolonged periods of clicking on sliders, and the need to keep my finger pressed down while I move sliders for the best effect – this was not going to do my finger any good, and it was uncomfortable. The Kensington Expert Mouse has changed that, and to move the sliders I just need to press my thumb down lightly on the bottom left (left click) button, and move the large trackball with my finger or fingers (the bottom left button is right click). Even after a long session my hand feels relaxed, and I can therefore use the mouse with much more control – I mean, you would soon get writers cramp if you had to hold a pen tightly, and wouldn’t be able to write very well – a relaxed hand makes so much difference. I read that the scroll wheel feels and sounds rough and scratchy, and this is true, although it’s not that bad and worth putting up with. I also use the scroll wheel in Lightroom to re-size the brushes and spotting tool etc.,which is useful. It also seems to be pretty accurate when masking with the editing brush, and again a relaxed hand helps a lot – I don’t know if I will need a tablet and pen for photo editing when I start using Photoshop, but this might possibly do the trick. The gel wrist pad has had mixed reviews, but I find it comfortable, and my wrist is in a straight position. To be honest I was surprised that there was almost no learning curve, and my Apple Magic Mouse was put away in cupboard within 5 minutes. The trackball is very smooth, and the cursor shoots around the screen very quickly and accurately.
The Bad: I wasn’t interested in the software that allows you to personalise the 4 buttons (left & right click + scroll wheel is all I need). But I read on the internet that the top 2 buttons have a default use, and just wanted to know if that was correct. I downloaded the manual from kensington.com, but strangely there was no information about the thing works. So I decided to email customer services (they need to rename that department!) and the website directs you to register first – but after that you go to a screen that just asks you to register for product updates, then takes you in a circle. I managed to get the email address of another Kensington department, but a series of emails just left me pulling my hair out, as they just told me to go to the site again, even though I told them there is no link, and then they gave me another link which did not work. I then managed to contact the UK customer services by telephone, and was advised to just try the top 2 buttons and see what happens! They did not know how I could contact customer services by email either, and didn’t know much about the product – they did saw however, that the Kensington mouse I purchased from Amazon (after I gave the product number) was an old Kensington Expert product that came out in 2007, and that the product on their website is up to date (it seems to work ok though, but wonder if the newer product direct from them will work better with the software for those who want to re-assign the buttons?
All being said though, I am very happy with the product. I complained to the UK office about the lack of very basic product information, and the problem in contacting customer services, and they sent my concerns to the USA by email, with a copy to me, so at least someone at Kensington has taken ownership of this problem
I am really struggling to find a mouse/trackball that suits my hand size, I have very large hands and long fingers.
I have tried various mice and trackballs and none do the job for me in terms of comfort for long periods of use, I always end up with pain in the fingers, wrist, forearm or shoulder. Sometimes in multiple of places at the same time.
Kensington Expert Mouse – With this, I find that my hand always wants to lean over to the right towards my little finger, so then my index finger is only on the ball, I then end up curling my fingers up to rotate the ball, button placement is just plain awkward for me, I can use the left click with my thumb OK, but others I have to look to see where they are. I also find that without the supplied wrist rest that my hand is tilted upwards from the wrist to much. With the supplied rest it is too easy for my hand to slide forward and then have the ball in the palm of may hand. The scroll ring works fine. I also had to download and install Mouseworks for XP as no software supplied, which works well. There is also Trackballworks software for XP/Vista/7 but I did not try that.
Overall it is is a good trackball and works well but just not for comfortable enough for me.
Others I have tried the following:-
Evoluent Vertical Mouse 4 – Good concept, held arm/wrist in a better position, but too small and fingers still get curled up using the buttons and mouse wheel, hand does not sit in the place it is designed to so ends up with the little finger running on the desk and hence causing pain.
3M Ergonomic Optical Mouse Large – Again a good concept holding arm/wrist in a better position, again it is too small for my hand and holding it in position designed for cramps my little finger against the base of the mouse causing pins and needles. Mouse wheel replacement(button) does not work in a lot of software so makes it useless, also uses standard windows mouse driver and you have to wind the mosue speed up full to get it to do anything, then making normal mice useless as they are too fast.
Logitech Marble Mouse – So far this has been the most comfortable to use, but is not very accurate.
Normal mice – I end up gripping the sides of the mouse with thumb and little finger, other fingers curled up to use buttons and scroll wheel.
Wacom Tablets – takes a long time to adjust to the completely different way of working and I end up with severe pains in my hand from gripping the pen, which I do get with a normal pen and after a while my accuracy has gone all over the place.
So I have spent a lot of maoney on variosu mice/trackballs and all to some degree or another are just not good enough for my size hands.
Back to the drawing board, with pain in fingers/wrist/forearm and shoulder 🙁
Here is an update to my original review. I just as keen on this excellent input device as I was a year ago when I bought it. It has been in constant use and it really is imho the best input device I have ever used.
I use it for graphics, mostly in Adobe Illustrator for example and there is so much control and it is precise. Equally it can go very quickly across screens so I can get across my two screens easily.
I also use it for editing video in Final Cut Pro and here, it is really superb. It’s great big trackball makes it very easy to just creep forward and back a frame at a time.
I really do think that people may overlook this terrific input device because it is not slick and cool, but it is very much the best possible thing for the job.
My only comment that could be negative, but isn’t, is that using it exclusively may risk RSI problems with you shoulder. I think this is true of any mouse of this sort. That is why I also use the Contour RollerMouse Free. This I use for scrolling around word processing documents and that kind of thing.
ORIGINAL REVIEW MARCH 2010
I bought mine on 30 January so I’ve had it for six weeks now. I absolutely love it!
I do not use it exclusively, I use it in conjunction with a Contour RollerMouse Free. However I use the Kensington Expert Mouse for graphics. I recently just finished doing a lot of editing of a video with Final Cut Express and the Expert Mouse is superb for this kind of thing.
Many years ago I used a Kensington trackball, I think in about 1995, and I really like that one, but this is so much better because it has such a large trackball.
The negative things about this trackball are that it feels a bit cheap in construction compared with say, a Logitech or Microsoft mouse at this price, however I think it is well constructed nevertheless.
It looks rather 70s to me but I don’t mind this. In actual use the feel is very good. The scroll wheel bearing surface is noisy in a plasticy way but there is no problem with this in use.
From time to time it is a good idea to remove a build up of gunge on the three little ball bearings. I keep an old toothbrush nearby for this purpose. It’s also quite good to take the ball out and polish it, perhaps with your shirt 🙂
Any of these small negatives are hugely outweighed by the fact that the level of control over the cursor is superb. That is what an input device like this is for and that is what it does so well.
Before I got this I tried the most expensive Logitech mouse, however the software for that on my Mac was a disaster so I had to send it back. IMHO the Kensington Expert Mouse is a far better buy than that more expensive Logitech mouse. The level of control over the cursor is much better.
The software for the Kensington Expert Mouse works very well indeed on my Mac. I use it with the default settings and it is fine. The scroll direction can be switched with a menu in the menu bar at the top of the Mac OS screen and this is very handy.
If you buy this you will be initially disappointed when you take it out of the packaging. You will think it is a prop from the Star Wars movie.
When you first use it you will think it is a bit weird if you have not used a trackball before. You will still be having doubts.
After a week of using it you will never want to use a “normal” mouse again!