I have never used a trackball before. Only mice. Is it difficult making the switch to one or is it an acquired skill? Someone told me they’re better for gaming.

 

Someone lied to you.



Trackballs are super difficult to get used to. As far as speed, I find it's about as good as using the eraserhead on a laptop.

 

Yeah, they take some getting used to...

 

I am forced to use one at work everyday, it was weird for about a day and then it was fine.

 

Trackballs are as hard to get used to as driving somebody else's car. Get a good one and you just might prefer it.



By "good" I mean a Kensington with an optical wheel tracking system. I've been wearing one of these out for the last four or five years. It is superior.

 

^^Those are the exact ones we use at work, I sort of like them. prolonged use tends to hurt the bottom of my wrist though, they come with a pretty flush pad though for comfort.

 

My desk is set up so my wrist is right on the edge of the desk. I have a 1"x3/8" x 4" strip of foam padding under the near end of the trackball, and the whole trackball is angled away from me at the angle required for my hand to fall straight on the controls. No wrist problems and I use that thing a lot. I found that the pads in front of keyboards and mice/trackballs are a good way to induce RSI by encouraging you to rest your arms and just move the hand.

 

The benefeit in track balls are for things like graphic design. They're not for gaming where you stay active. they're for situations where you need to click, double-click and right click without moving the cursor. You simply let go of the ball and it stops moving. With a mouse there will be movement everytime you click.

 

Dude, gaming with a trackball would have to be one of the most painful experiences ever, unless you are some sort of crazy camping sniper POS.