I have bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and have had both hands surgically repaired within the last year. I do application design work and need to have very fine control over the position of the pointer. Not wanting to have a regression in symptoms, and looking for the most comfortable pointing device that allows me to work without moving my wrist, I've tried several different trackballs. I have bought the
Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball for PC or Mac 64325
, the
Logitech Trackman Wheel
, and this Logitech Optical Marble Mouse. The Expert Mouse was very well built and included a nice wrist rest, but it was a bit too large even for my large hand. I still had to move my wrist around in order to move the ball and press the buttons. I used it for two weeks before giving up on it. The Logitech Trackman's ball is manipulated by using the thumb only, and I found myself straining in order to hold the ball steady while clicking the mouse buttons. The main issue here is my own limitations rather than a design flaw on the mouse. Due to the nerve damage I suffered in my right hand, I can't hold my thumb steady enough to use this mouse.
The Logitech Marble Mouse is perfect for my needs. The design is the most comfortable I have tried and I am able to move the ball using my index and middle fingers while letting my thumb and ring finger rest comfortably on the left and right buttons. An added bonus for me is that the buttons are not as sensitive as most others I have used. This allows me to relax my hand and let the fingers rest on the buttons without inadvertently clicking. I am able to comfortably work with this mouse without moving my wrist at all. There are two additional programmable buttons that are well-placed so that I don't accidentally click them, but they are handy when needed. The mouse is well built and has a nice heft to it. The rubberized areas underneath keep it from wandering across my desk.
I highly recommend this product to anyone who either suffers from CTS or wants to avoid developing it in the future.
I'm updating this review (1/14/2009) now that I have had this device for some time.
My CP did begin to flare up again, and I have finally settled on a solution. I removed the ball from this trackball, and use it with my right hand only to click. I then gutted a regular mouse to disable the buttons (so I could relax my hand and let it rest over the mouse) and use it with my left to move the cursor. Yes, mousing is now a two-handed operation, but it is the only way I can avoid the damage to my wrists. Ideally, I would love to have a flat touch pad for my left instead of the mouse, but I haven't found one yet.
| National Stock Number | 7025-01-501-0424 |
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