Best Computer Trackballs
Thumb-operated trackball and laser sensor for smooth, precise cursor control Works anywhere you do—even your sofa Powerful 30 ft. wireless range** with tiny leave-in Logitech Unifying receiver Up to 18 months of power on a single AA battery* Scroll wheel and Back/Forward buttons for easy document and web page navigation Enhanced comfort—refines the time-tested shape of the popular Logitech Trackman Wheel. Now there's no limit to where you can get precise cursor control. This hand-friendly wireless trackball lets you work and play wherever you want. Download Spec Sheet Stay-put comfort Thumb-controlled trackball stays in one place No need to slide around a mouse or move your arm to move your cursor Sculpted shape supports your hand for comfortable control all day long. Work and play anywhere Get precise cursor control wherever you want to use your trackball Works on hard tables, comfy sofas, even your leg Compact footprint—great for tight work spaces with limited room to use a mouse. Fingertip-based control and comfort. Cordless freedom, comfort and fingertip-based control. The ultimate in trackball freedom, comfort and thumb-based control Connection Choices Wireless: The higher the signal strength, the more reliable the connection. 27 MHz connection. Up to 6 ft. wireless range**. 2.4 GHz connection. Up to 30 ft. wireless range**. Unifying Receiver: Tiny wireless receiver stays in your laptop and connects multiple Unifying-compatible devices. Corded USB. PS/2 Connection Design Features Shape. Ambidextrous. Right-handed. Right-handed. Trackball Operation. Fingertip-based control. Fingertip-based control. Thumb-based control. Rubber Side Grips Control Features Laser Tracking. Scroll Wheel. Customizable Buttons for one-touch zoom and more. 4. 8. 4. Back/Forward Buttons for quick web page navigation Compatibility Windows XP, 7, Vista. Mac OS. Style: 910-001799. Now there's no limit to where you can get precise cursor control. This hand-friendly wireless trackball lets you work and play wherever you want. For Windows or Mac OS: Robust 2.4 GHz wireless connection lets you control your laptop, desktop computer or home theater PC wirelessly from up to 30 ft. away** (** Actual wireless range will vary with use, settings and environmental conditions) Please refer the User Manual before use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"To make it 10x more ergonomic, place a wedge with a 30 degree incline under it to make it the most natural wrist angle and keep you from resting any weight on the nerves in your wrist."
"I would highly recommend this product especially with a padded rest and angled stand like the one I made."
"It connects just fine and works on several different surfaces without difficulty (it uses Microsoft's Bluetrack technology for better tracking). If you don't make this change the mouse is almost useless because if it sits idle for a few minutes, windows will turn off Bluetooth and - no more mouse. I have medium sized hands, and a smaller mouse feels a little more comfortable to me, but this too, is simple what I'm used to. Anyway, those of you that are reluctant to use this mouse due to the connection problems, there is a simple fix, and once that's done the mouse works great with no disconnect problems."
"Pros: - Internal battery. - 6 programable buttons. - Works on glass. - Ergonomic shape. - Bluetooth/Unifying receiver. Cons. - Scroll wheel. - Loud. - Matte texture. The things that I don't like about this mouse are mostly trivial but they're things I'm not a big fan of."
"There's no mention anywhere of the 6th mouse button under the thumb rest, I only found it because rubber molding pops up a little for it and I tried to push the molding back down only to hear a click. The 4th and 5th buttons are utterly useless due to their size and placement so far back on the mouse."
By gently pushing, pulling, tilting or sliding the SpaceNavigators pressure sensitive controller cap users simultaneously move objects with six degrees of freedom. By varying the amount of pressure on the cap users can easily accelerate or decelerate actions with precision. The key advantage of a SpaceNavigator over a mouse and keyboard is the ease of performing intricate adjustments to camera views and models without repeatedly stopping to change direction, zoom, or rotate. A heavy (479 grams) brushed stainless steel base keeps the SpaceNavigator stationary and provides a stable platform for the spring-mounted pressure sensitive controller cap. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Not sure what the prob was but i. ended up on the phone at least 10 times with Apple and 3Dconnexion trying to load it correctly.....i was ready to send it packing when it just started. working for some reason."
"Right now what I am doing is, through the software, disabling the Spin and Roll and Tilt functions, and doing those using "center mouse" key with a touch-pad button rather than on the mouse wheel, which would be harmful to your hand in my opinion. Anyway, a big relief for me because I wouldn't want to be doing 3D modeling without this device since I had become dependent on it for saving me the torture of using the mouse wheel for zooming in and out while applying textures to my model surfaces."
"I had to adjust the 3D Connexion default settings for use with Sketchup, as the auto horizon stops the mouse acting as it should. As with all programs you use the 3D connexion with, you need to configure how the Connexion works with that bit of software. Everything is configurable with each different program you use, and the 3D Connexion software has a neat config program that sits in your task tray to allow you to make changes when required."
"I am learning Autodesk Inventor and I lasted about a week of using the mouse to pivot objects."
"What blew me away is the fact that most common software such as Excel, Word, etc, have their native commands accessible through the mouse programming. I have yet to explore all my other software like Keyshot and Photoshop, I am hopeful that some commands will be there as well for these soft."
"I use this 3d "mouse" and my regular Apple mouse in unison to draw 3D objects in Sketchup."
"If the made a simple "act like a mouse driver" I'd give it five stars."
The Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball gives you the freedom to be hyper-productive without being limited by a USB cable. Auto-sleep helps conserve AA battery life,Compatibility: Chrome OS 44 and above, Mac OS 10.8, Mac OS 10.9, Mac OS Sierra 10.12, Mac OS X 10.10, Mac OS X 10.11, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I tried the logitech m570 trackball and found that the way its built you need to use your thumb to handle the trackball. I tried the Kensington Expert Trackball (wired version) and, at the beginning, I liked the big trackball but did not find much difference. 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. 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. 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)."
"It's a personal choice thing, but after all these many years I have no carpal tunnel and I don't have to have the extra mousing space on my keyboard tray. I bought one of the Logitech M570's but alas the ball was not heavy and it seemed somewhat "scratchy" and was hard for me to move it smoothly. I wasn't sure how I would like the scrolling ring, but I think it's 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."
"(it still worked, but the scroll wheel was worn down where my fingers made contact.)."
"Even the earlier version that didn't have the scroll ring. The large ball makes the fast, stable and easy to control. I don't know why the could not design this so the ring was bigger and keep the larger ball size."
Best Computer Trackballs
By gently pushing, pulling, tilting or sliding the SpaceNavigators pressure sensitive controller cap users simultaneously move objects with six degrees of freedom. By varying the amount of pressure on the cap users can easily accelerate or decelerate actions with precision. The key advantage of a SpaceNavigator over a mouse and keyboard is the ease of performing intricate adjustments to camera views and models without repeatedly stopping to change direction, zoom, or rotate. A heavy (479 grams) brushed stainless steel base keeps the SpaceNavigator stationary and provides a stable platform for the spring-mounted pressure sensitive controller cap. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had to adjust the 3D Connexion default settings for use with Sketchup, as the auto horizon stops the mouse acting as it should. As with all programs you use the 3D connexion with, you need to configure how the Connexion works with that bit of software. Everything is configurable with each different program you use, and the 3D Connexion software has a neat config program that sits in your task tray to allow you to make changes when required."
"I am learning Autodesk Inventor and I lasted about a week of using the mouse to pivot objects."
"What blew me away is the fact that most common software such as Excel, Word, etc, have their native commands accessible through the mouse programming. I have yet to explore all my other software like Keyshot and Photoshop, I am hopeful that some commands will be there as well for these soft."
"I recommend cloudvalley aggressive brand as a basis so that it does not have movement at the table."
"I use this 3d "mouse" and my regular Apple mouse in unison to draw 3D objects in Sketchup."
"If the made a simple "act like a mouse driver" I'd give it five stars."
"great gadget, the first time you enable it on google earth and use it, you will know exactly why I put 5 *, but in autocad its even better, smooth 3d movement."
"Be prepared to fiddle with settings, including speed and reversal of axis."
Best Computer Touch Pads
Lots of workspace -- the edge-to-edge glass surface area of the Magic Trackpad 2 is nearly 30 percent larger than the previous Magic Trackpad.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've used the previous version of this trackpad for many years, and instantly leapt to buy one directly from Apple when they became available. I liked the previous model to the point where I bought copies for home, work, and my son's desk. This new trackpad has a convenient Lighting port which, if I am so inclined, I can just leave plugged in all the time. Apparently, Apple figures most Mac users will have plenty of Lightning cables attached to appropriate chargers on their desks. I assume that after many charge cycles and many years, the batteries will go bad and tethering will become the only mode available. This newer model has Force Touch, which is compelling, if your apps supports it and you can incorporate it into how your brain communicates with your computer. I have half a lifetime of muscle memory for using my thumb for clicking, but if I can unlearn it, it will make mousing much more fluid and quick. Unfortunately, there is a bug where the system stops honoring "Silent clicking," but disconnecting and reconnecting brings it back. It lies flatter and can be used on non-flat surfaces, unlike the older model whose mechanism was picky about where it would work. If you are a Mac developer and need to incorporate Force Touch in your software, run out and buy one. Otherwise, wait for more software supporting Force Touch, and for Apple to come to its senses and lower the price."
"Some of the functionalities are listed below: - Look up the definition or wiki page of a word. - Preview web links. - Get tracking details from tracking numbers. - Annotate image/pdf attachments in Mail app. - Fast forward or rewind video in quicktime based on finger pressure. Force Touch also allows the trackpad to have even clicking across the entire trackpad. The trackpad doesn't physically click, but rather the click is simulated through a combination of haptic feedback and audio from the built in speaker. The simulated click is very convincing and IMO superior to the real click from the MT1, which incorporates a diving board mechanism that's only clickable on the lower half of the trackpad."
"When I would move it, I guess the battery would lose connection and the trackpad would disconnect for a moment. This one doesn't have this issue and maintains a solid connection with my Mac mini 100% of the time."
"There is an issue with the pad not being sensitive to my finger when moving the cursor."
Best Computer Graphics Tablets
Boogie Board eWriter eliminates the need for paper, scratch pads and sticky notes - simply write and erase. The Boogie Board tablet's pressure-sensitive LCD writing surface creates lines of different thickness based on how hard you push - just like paper and pen.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Here are a few things to make your decision a little easier: Pros: • Amazingly easy feel when writing. • No-erase clip with a stylus holster as well. • Magnets are included. • 50,000 erases which allow for you to erase 3 times per day for a little more than 45 and 1/2 years!!! • Perfect for any lister, artist, playmate... You name it. • Super light for on-the-go. Cons: • Around the 5 mm of black, nearest to the blue frame on each of the 4 sides, the Boogie Board writing color turns bluish. • The no-erase clip and stylus holster make the Boogie Board rock back and forth/bend slightly which isn't as annoying as it is nerve racking at the feeling/thought of hurting something that I like so much. [To solve this, I took a piece of plywood and cut it down to a slightly smaller shape than the Boogie Board's back edge with a gap for the no-erase clip to slide. I very much recommend it and, if you are having trouble deciding between this one and the other Boogie Boards, as I did, this might help. The other Boogie Boards' attractive features were the bigger screen size, no-erase switch, ability to save on your computer, ability to have a memory bank of your drawings/writings/etc, and rechargeable battery."
"My 3 year old loves this and calls it her "iPad" best thing about it was what was written on it when I opened the Amazon box!"
"Use caution ordering these items, especially if you are sending it directly to a child just learning to read."
"I don't mind taking pictures to store notes and really appreciate the minimal and thin design. Stopped erasing few days ago after daily use, but the battery was super easy for me to replace, literally 4 screws and the battery(theres the back with screws removed in my photo)."
"The magnets that you put on the back work well and I haven't had any issues with the board sliding or moving at all on the fridge when opening the door or writing on it. All in all - I really like it and it's a great, useful tool for lists, notes, or even for our daughter to write on or work on her homework."
"I knew my mom needed something next to the phone- something for quick notes when her doctor would call so she would stop getting confused by the litany of cryptic yellow post it notes she was collecting."
"The board fell off the fridge last night in the middle of the night and I can’t find the pen anywhere. If it wasn’t constantly falling and I had a way to attach the pen and magnets permanently, I would leave 5 stars."
"And a different color pen to make it easier to spot when dropped but otherwise, we love it and have had many friends and strangers purchase it once they saw our kids with them!"
Best Numeric Keypads
Style: Mecha-Membrane. Choose from preloaded lighting effects or create your own unique palette of colors for a gaming experience that’s truly yours—all set easily through Razer Synapse 3 (Beta). Upon clicking and holding it, you enter “Hypershift mode”, which opens a secondary set of commands for everything from macros to windows shortcuts, on top of your current controls.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've had this nifty device for the past few months now, and I've finally decided to write a review. My goal for this purchase was to streamline my workflow, both for ergonomic and speed reasons. Working with a wacom + keyboard setup on my small desk was wreaking havoc on my shoulder, and because I do this professionally, I can't afford to miss work thanks to pinched nerves or sore arms. I considered buying just an average keypad but I didn't much care for the idea that I'd have to switch up my shortcuts for everything, especially since I don't always work from home with my own setup. Comfort: As a woman with fairly small hands, I worried that this device would be too large for my needs; Now that I have it with me, I can see why some reviewers struggle with its size. I've assigned my top row for things I don't typically need all that often (Save As, New Layer, etc) and it's worked out just fine. I've suffered no pain when using it (well, at the fault of the device anyway; more on that later) and I have yet to have the glue seepage issue arise (but I'm keeping an eye out for it). Esoteric Spine is set to red, PS is blue, CSP is currently lilac. I'm able to create countless profiles, each with a bunch of keymaps if I need it, and I've got half a dozen already! Still, the hiccups and compatibility issues have given my Orbweaver quite the... uh, personality, and while I can find workarounds and fixes for some of its quirks, I'm still annoyed by its failings sometimes. When I first considered using the Orbweaver for my art needs, I combed the internet looking for recommended layouts and everything, and I found... In Esoteric Spine, for example, I have these keys set to translate, rotate, and scale -- everything one needs to animate a character. -Either hunt down someone's lineart of the Orbweaver or make your own and print out a dozen or so copies to keep on hand. You can use these to visualize a layout plan and/or to put together a cheat sheet while you're learning to use your new keypad. You will be slow the first hour or so, but you'll be back to your usual speed by the end of the day; as you get used to it, you'll find yourself going MUCH master than before."
"This is easily fixabke by using a hair drier to heat off pads and applying a better adhesive before replacing pads."
"the chroma settings really allow you to set up the lights however you want and you can get add-ons to set him up even differently than what the chroma user interface will allow you .as far as ergonomics they cant be beat ,much more comfortable than using a standard keyboard and even I with very small hands can reach all the keys with ease, although I did have to loosen the palmrest to wear moves freely as I game but I wouldn't really consider that A con more less than advantage."
"The grip part is super comfy and adjustable, the space bar button is a dream to touch and the thumb toggle makes you just wanted to move it around all day."
"If you are a Laptop Gamer, I feel Gamepads are a must because most laptops have horrid Membrane keys and there those that try to Mechanical, but don’t have the space to get that full effect off. But what all Razer’s Gamepads lack is a dedicated SHIFT key. I have to go one row up off the W key and reprogram everything or just bind the SHIFT key to a different key."
Best Digital Pens
Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bought this stylus to use on my tablet, phone and kindle fire, and it works well on my devices."
"DAGi Capacitive Stylus For Apple iPad & iPad 2 & iPhone 4 & iPod Touch. Length: about 4.7 inches. Pros: See-thru tip lets you see exactly where you are writing. Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch (Silver). Length: 4.8 inches. Pros: Multiple color choices. Just Mobile AluPen Stylus, Black. Length: 4.7 inches. Pros: Multiple color choices. SGP Stylus Pen Kuel H10 Series [Black]. Length: 3 extendable to just over 4 inches. Pros: Smaller yet responsive silicone tip. Bamboo Stylus for iPad (CS100K). Length: 4.7 inches. Pros: Build quality seemed really nice, perhaps a little too light. Griffin Technology Stylus for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone and other touchscreens. Length: about 4.3 inches. Pros: Comfortable. Kensington Virtuoso Stylus for Tablet Computer - Black, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S Compatible (K39358US). Length: 4.3 inches. Pros: Available with a ball point pen for more money. Targus Stylus for Apple iPad 16GB, 32GB, 64GB WiFi + 3G, iPad 2, iPhone, iPod, Tablet AMM01US (Black). Length: 5.2 inches. Pros: Well balanced but heavier with pen option. AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices Including Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Apple iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, BlackBerry PlayBook (Black). Length: 4.1 inches. Pros: Was exactly the weight I was looking for. I purchased an iPad 3 for my wife and of course got her a stylus, plus a pretty cool Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover Black for iPad 2 and iPad (3rd/4th generation) (920-004013) which she loves."
"I have an iPad Air, a Kindle Fire HDX 7, and a Nexus 2013 model Android tablet."
"The accuracy isn't good enough for fine detail or drawing, but it works okay for sketching."
"You want economy and quantity and are willing to wait for the slow boat, you can get a whole lot more devices (enough to scatter them around your home or even lose track of them) that work just as well. Have notice that the cheapos actually seem to make better contact with the screen (I use them for playing games on my Kindle Fire, purchased used, first edition...heavy, isn't it?). So cheap light materials actually have an advantage so long as you don't stomp on them or chew or suck on the tips as apparently other reviewers or their children do."
"I don't recommend it for everything, but it does come in handy and doesn't leave finger prints on the scream."
"I purchased this stylus to use with my iPhone, and it works very well."
"I find this stylus too small and too rough to use comfortably."
Best Digital Handwriting Pads
Huion tablets are designed to inspire people's creativity with our patented pen so that you can naturally draw as you would with the real pen and paper Huion 420 OSU Tablet Huion 420 Tablet is a device ideal for the rhythm game called OSU, it's also an entry level graphic designing tool that can be used for causal art works. A mouse alternative, adequate for OSU!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My daughter loves to draw, so she wanted this tablet for her birthday, I'm glad I got it for her, she is excited, exploring a new way of drawing."
"I recommend this tablet to anyone who’s starting out in digital art or need their first graphics tablet."
"Needed and graphics pad for PS."
"If you're trying to get more competitive at osu!, there are several other tablets (Bamboo Wacom) that are longer lasting with larger play area, and I would advise getting those in the long run."
"It was purchased for my 13 year old and she loves it."
"The customer support for huion is very prompt in responding to questions and their website is relatively easy to navigate."
"Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that often, while playing osu!, my pen suddenly dies off and ruins my combo!"
"It works perfectly and smoothly except sometimes it has a split second delay every time you touch it."
Best Office Presentation Pointers
The pointer is not a toy and should not to be used by anyone under 21. It is illegal to direct the beam at any flying objects, moving vehicles and any public or private structures. A pointer should not be directed at people or animals. A pointer can be dangerous if not used properly. It is made of nickel plating metal dome and silicone keypad, brings you comfortable touch feeling. Comes with auto standby and deep sleep functions for energy-saving and durable use, and equipped with a separate switch and effectively avoids unwanted power consumption when you put it in your bag.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm a graduate student who frequently takes part in public speaking opportunities. After searching Amazon & reading many reviews, I decided to purchase the wireless presenter by Doosi. After receiving the product (which came quicker than expected), I found it to be packaged nicely. Once you turn it on, the device has a blue light in the front that blinks twice to ensure you it is powered on (see pictures). Looking at & holding the product doesnt give you the impression that it is cheaply made. The front of the device has a red light that turns on when the laser is being utilized to ensure you it is on."
"I read other reviews that said the buttons didn't always respond or required "heavy force" to use, so far I have not seen this issue with mine. The two middle buttons do have little raised dots (like the letter f and j on your keyboard) to help you know what button you are pressing."
"Normally I have to sit at my computer and advance the slides instead of being able to walk around or stand up as I present my information. Doosl Wireless Presenter, RF 2.4GHz Powerpoint Clicker Presentation Remote Control Pen [Upgraded Vertion]."
"The red laser is powerful enough to still stand out in even the poorest lighting conditions for my presentations. I love how the USB dongle fits seamlessly into the chassis of the remote with a magnetic snap. The chassis of this remote has a curved bottom, which makes it delightful to hold, but the manufacturer even thought to form two tiny plastic pegs on the bottom to keep the remote level on a flat surface. Even the LED provides blue or red light feedback depending on whether you're using the function buttons or the laser pointer. Initially, I was frustrated at the prospect of forking out $15 for a techy gizmo when all I needed is a laser pointer that I can pickup at the hardware store for a couple bucks. I'd prefer to give my presentations on the newer machine, because that's where all of my resource files are, but always resort to my older Mac to take advantage of the remote. The manual was helpful in discovering a couple of other functions that the buttons perform when held down."