Logitech Resurrects the Trackball Device With the Wireless MX ERGO

I had one of those about 20 years ago.

It was really fantastic. It was so much better compared to a mouse! So comfortable to use and precision was great.

I had to remove the ball once every couple of weeks to clean it up, and to clean up the sensors, but it then went back to being buttery smooth and extremely precise.

If it weren't for the multitouch gestures that I have grown accustomed to using a trackpad, I would buy one of these without hesitation.

This is awesome news. Trackballs oblivates my RSI/CTS issues and Logitech m570 was the first one I bought. I’ve switched to CST’s L-Trac 2545w trackball and it’s the best one so far with an actual smooth wheel that no trackball had.

This makes me wanna play a game of Missle Command. Or centipede.

Yup!

I still use an M570 after switching to trackballs due to the start of wrist issues. None since.
The only complaint is that the bluetooth connectivity is wonky. I have stuttering issues or a real connection loss for a few seconds. I'm on Yosemite so maybe that's the problem. I do notice more after my Mac goes to sleep.

I keep wanting to switch to my trackpad which I rarely use, but i don't like how my wrist sits with it. I should give it a shot.

Cheers,
Brian

The M570 is exactly what I am using for my office PC. I switched to this when I had carpal tunnel and even after the surgery I find it much easier to use than a mouse. I still prefer my trackpad on my Mac but for my PC the M570 is still my favorite option.

I LOVE my Logitech M570 and when the scroll wheel button dies (again) I will upgrade to this.

For those who don't know, here's what's awesome about this beloved device, which I hope the new controller lives up to:
[LIST=1]
* Superior ergonomics. Vastly better than mice or trackpads. It's the only thing that keeps my right-hand RSI at bay. Once you learn to use a thumb trackball, you will not go back to anything else.
* Amazing connectivity. At least in the M570, it uses a custom Logitech dongle that is far better than Bluetooth. Connects instantly, stays connected. (Incidentally the same dongle also connects to my Logitech solar-powered Mac keyboard, with its number keypad. Never needs charging, always a full battery even in part shade.)
* Amazing battery life. One AA is good for many months' use.
* Flexibility: I map the forward & back buttons to Mission Control & Dashboard, with BetterTouchTool. For good measure I keep an older Apple trackpad for my left hand to use for gestures.

Logitech's keyboards & controllers are the best on the market, bar none. Looking forward to this!

I had one of those about 20 years ago.

It was really fantastic. It was so much better compared to a mouse! So comfortable to use and precision was great.

I had to remove the ball once every couple of weeks to clean it up, and to clean up the sensors, but it then went back to being buttery smooth and extremely precise.

If it weren't for the multitouch gestures that I have grown accustomed to using a trackpad, I would buy one of these without hesitation.

Yup!

I still use an M570 after switching to trackballs due to the start of wrist issues. None since.
The only complaint is that the bluetooth connectivity is wonky. I have stuttering issues or a real connection loss for a few seconds. I'm on Yosemite so maybe that's the problem. I do notice more after my Mac goes to sleep.

I keep wanting to switch to my trackpad which I rarely use, but i don't like how my wrist sits with it. I should give it a shot.

Cheers,
Brian

I know plenty of creatives that swear by trackballs. I don't get it, either, but choice is a great thing. ‍♂️

For a good reason, creatives like trackballs due to precision when creating paths on Adobe Illustrator ( or any other vector app ), page layout, image editing, etc. You can't do that with a Magic Trackpad from Apple which feels weird. With a trackball mouse, you have analog control using your fingers and can program any custom buttons on it ( if any ) to your whim for shortcuts. And trackball mice keeps your hand rested while using your thumb as you use the other finger for 'right click' functions, or scrolling.

I had the original Magic Mouse when it came with my iMac and it broke down eventually. I stopped using it after getting hand cramps trying to do page layout and design-related projects. I switched to a full trackball mice and it was a godsend. My cramps and RSI went away since then.

I will never, ever touch an Apple produced mice or trackpad again unless they get their act together and go back to proper ergonomic design. They may look nice in appearance but how they function isn't really practical. It may be a lot of fun to use multi-touch on the trackpad for iMac but in the end, using, say, Photoshop with it doesn't seem effective at all. You have to use an ergonomic mice/trackball and/or a Wacom tablet for precision work.

I had one of those about 20 years ago.

It was really fantastic. It was so much better compared to a mouse! So comfortable to use and precision was great.

I had to remove the ball once every couple of weeks to clean it up, and to clean up the sensors, but it then went back to being buttery smooth and extremely precise.

If it weren't for the multitouch gestures that I have grown accustomed to using a trackpad, I would buy one of these without hesitation.

Same here. I had a similar model around 1999-2002 and it was awesome. So comfortable and it really cut down on elbow/wrist movement. I currently use the old school Kensington trackball and it's a godsend compared to the Apple trackpad which is a case between practicality versus vanity.

Because I had bad RSI in the early days working at Starbucks and doing digital art, the trackball allowed me to use my fingers to precisely move paths around or the cursor from one spot to another quickly, and using right click options.

Thank god for Logitech and their practical design. And LOOK! It has a recharging port in FRONT of the trackball mouse compared to Jony Ive's Magic Mouse design. When it comes to input devices, Logitech knows what they're doing.
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Oh gosh. They couldn't fix logitech mx master mouse fur to lag skip and all that..why this? I ask people not to get master mx.
[doublepost=1504703076][/doublepost] yeah mx connection is bad.

They're usually very well made but I swear by USB connection since it's far more stable than Bluetooth. My advice? Go old school. Bluetooth devices are usually asking to be recharged now and then while USB devices keep trucking on and on forever without interruption.
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This makes me wanna play a game of Missle Command. Or centipede.

The Kensington trackball mouse will do just that :). I still use it and it works great, especially with 4 programmable buttons and a scroll wheel. I swear by it compared to the Magic trackpad.
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I never liked trackballs and as I'm left handed I'm not in the least bit tempted to give them another try with this offering!

The Kensington trackball mouse will allow you to use your left hand. You'd be surprised.

I really love my m570 logitech trackball !!!

I've been using them for about 20 years.

Many people 1st reaction to trackballs is negative. I think that's because they only tried a trackball for 1 minute and didn't had the time to get used to it.

I think getting used to a trackball takes some days. The first time I tried a trackball, it took me about 3 days to get used to. Every now and then, I had to think about moving my thumb instead of my hand. Then, it started to feel natural, you know, like riding a bike and not having to worry about the balance anymore.

You don't need much real estate for a trackball, as for a mouse. One big plus for me, is seating on the couch, holding my mbp laptop on my lap and placing the m570 trackball on my laptop, to the right of the trackpad and below the keyboard.

I hope, with this new trackball logitech moved for the better, but I have some concerns:

1 - m570 trackball battery is not rechargeable but lasts about 14 months (it's amazing what can be achieved with only one AA battery). Logitech announces just 4 months for the MX Ergo trackball on a rechargeable battery.

2 - where to store that charging cable ? If you left the cable at home and are away with your laptop and trackball, how can you charge it ? Unless the trackball has compartment to hold the charging cable inside, it will be easy to lose it.

3 - Bluetooth connectivity... I never tried it for any mice or trackball... but I've had experiences with this technology... can you trust it ? No lag concerns moving the pointer ?

4 - A hundred bucks ??? really ???. This time a really hope the buttons last longer (especially the middle button).

To this day, I still use a Microsoft Trackball Explorer on my awful PC work machine. Even though the thing is getting a little flaky in the scroll wheel, it's still the best non-trackpad pointing device I've ever used. If Logitech resurrected that style, I'd be all over it. Probably buy two. But I couldn't ever learn to use the thumb-centric trackball they're releasing, more's the pity.

Have you looked into the Japanese company Elecom and the trackballs they make? They released a new one this year that's very similar to the MS Trackball Explorer. I currently use their smaller one, also ergonomically similar to the MTE. They make both thumb controlled and index/middle finger controlled trackballs.