Quoting Bryan Tyson :

On Saturday 29 January 2005 20:40, Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

When you open the device, you will find lint on the little rubber rollers that contact the ball. What you need to do is to scrape the lint off, using the edge of a knife blade.

The best solution is switch to an optical mouse. I often see them for anywhere from $5 to $15 at such sources as http://www.isellsurplus.com

Optical mice are fine if you do not play action games, e.g. Quake. They cannot track really fast mouse movements. Unless the newest generation is a lot faster. My desktop came with an optical mouse, one Q3A game and I traded it for my wife's mechanical mouse. She's happy, no cleaning. I'm happy, no ending up staring at the game sky while trying to dodge incoming, unfriendly fire. Jeffrey

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 06:10 am, Carlos E. R. wrote:

I have a logitech trackman marble+, an optical trackball, and it works   fine. However, I have found that, at lest on all suse linux versions I   tried, it can not track fast mouse movements - but I know it is not a   hardware problem, because windows can track it as fast as I can move   it: therefore, it is a linux software problem somewhere.

But it is not only optical mice: my other machine, with a normal mouse,   has the same problem. Both plug to the ps/2 port (/dev/psaux). A serial   mouse worked faster, but I wanted the comm  port free.

I use the same mouse here and don't have any tracking problems when moving it - fast or slow. Running 9.2 here. I *do* have a problem sometimes with it making a 'jump' movement when I am trying to zero in on something with the cursor. For example, getting ready to click on a kmail folder or email line and it jumps up one line. Same with a menu choice.

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 02:49 pm, Carlos E. R. wrote:

The Tuesday 2005-02-01 at 11:57 -0500, Bruce Marshall wrote:

...

I use the same mouse here and don't have any tracking problems when moving it - fast or slow. Running 9.2 here.

ps/2 port? Maybe my hardware is funny, but it happened on two PCs. If I move really fast, the cursor freezes for a moment, it looses data sent from the mouse.

Yes, ps/2 port and with a usb adaptor I think.

For example, I send the ball spinning on its hole, and the cursor just dances about the same spot till the ball slows down. In windows it bangs to the border, fast.

No such problem here.... Well maybe a little. I just did a quick spin of the ball and the cursor did sit for maybe a 1/3 of a second and then it took off. But that is extreme and would never be noticable (or a problem) in normal use. I would suspect maybe every trackball would do the same.

...

I *do* have a problem sometimes with it making a 'jump' movement when I am trying to zero in on something with the cursor. For example, getting ready to click on a kmail folder or email line and it jumps up one line. Same with a menu choice.

Setting two speeds helps. Acceleration, I think they call it. But my mouse does not moves by "lines", just by pixels. Or do you refer to the wheel? That one jumps, yes. Touchy design.

Hmm Maybe we are talking two different mice here. Mine says 'Logitech Marble Mouse USB' on the bottom plate. No wheel. It has two large buttons on either side of it and two small buttons as a part of the large buttons.

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 09:07 pm, Carlos E. R. wrote:

The wheel movements are interpreted usually as scroll up/down, and that movement sometimes bounces a line in the wrong direction.

Yup... my trackball has the same black dots (and areas where they are uniform which makes me wonder how it works at all in those areas) and the line-bounce is exactly what I am seeing.

On Wednesday 02 Feb 2005 00:42 am, Bruce Marshall wrote:

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 02:49 pm, Carlos E. R. wrote: <SNIP>

...

For example, I send the ball spinning on its hole, and the cursor just dances about the same spot till the ball slows down. In windows it bangs to the border, fast.

No such problem here.... Well maybe a little. I just did a quick spin of the ball and the cursor did sit for maybe a 1/3 of a second and then it took off. But that is extreme and would never be noticable (or a problem) in normal use. I would suspect maybe every trackball would do the same.

My Logitech wireless optical trackball does it too, but I've assumed it is a wireless lag issue. Dylan -- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine"                                   -Dark Helmet

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 08:00 pm, Darryl Gregorash wrote:

Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

Much of the standard "knowledge" says to clean mice and trackballs <snip>

All of this is --precisely-- the reason I switched to an optical mouse, and I have never regretted it. I have absolutely no problems with it, unlike some of the others. In particular, when I move the mouse, the cursor reacts immediately, whether the motion is fast or slow. Haven't tried it on games, but I don't think it would be a problem there.

It's a Logitech USB mouse with a PS/2 adapter. No @#$%$#^% way am I going to hang a 9600 baud device off a multi- megabit USB port!! :-)

What do you consider an optical mouse?? The Logitech Marble Mouse is an optical mouse as far as I am concerned. The only moving part is the ball which is tracked optically.

As the original poster, I have a question: Does anyone know of an optical trackball with a "real" trackball--i.e., a big inch and a half or so ball that you can put 3 fingers on? The Logitech thumb-ball is not for me! --doug At 07:36 PM 2/1/2005 -0600, Darryl Gregorash wrote:

Bruce Marshall wrote:

...

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 08:00 pm, Darryl Gregorash wrote:

...

Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

Much of the standard "knowledge" says to clean mice and trackballs <snip>

All of this is --precisely-- the reason I switched to an optical mouse, and I have never regretted it. I have absolutely no problems with it,

/snip/

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 9:05 pm, Peter B Van Campen wrote:

Logitech Marble Mouse is Ultra cool. Symetrical, hand shaped and a real trackball! Don't let the "Mouse" in the fool you. About $15 retail in the US

I have one and I'm quite satisfied with it. I haven't observed any tracking problems, although perhaps I'm not demanding enough. As to cleaning: you stick a pencil eraser through the hole behind the ball and the ball pops out. The undersurface has relatively few nooks and crannies to trap lint, though I have yet to see a mouse of any species that doesn't trap some lint. Paul

I've tried various mice and track balls until I've got Mouse-Trak Pro from ITAC http://www.itacsystems.com/index.html I'm using it for more than five years and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Alex On Tuesday 01 February 2005 09:42 pm, Dylan wrote:

On Wednesday 02 Feb 2005 03:11 am, Paul W. Abrahams wrote:

...

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 9:05 pm, Peter B Van Campen wrote:

...

Logitech Marble Mouse is Ultra cool. Symetrical, hand shaped and a real trackball! Don't let the "Mouse" in the fool you. About $15 retail in the US

I have one and I'm quite satisfied with it. I haven't observed any tracking problems, although perhaps I'm not demanding enough. As to cleaning: you stick a pencil eraser through the hole behind the ball and the ball pops out. The undersurface has relatively few nooks and crannies to trap lint, though I have yet to see a mouse of any species that doesn't trap some lint.

I find the biggest problem is accumulated black gunk on the little bumps which the ball runs on. This mix of sweat, sebum, dust and god knows what else can make the ball stick in place.

I've tried out a gyroscopic mouse, and as soon as I can justify it I'm getting one.

Dylan

...

Paul

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine"                                   -Dark Helmet

On Wednesday 02 February 2005 12:42 am, Dylan wrote:

I find the biggest problem is accumulated black gunk on the little bumps [in the Logitech Marble Mouse] which the ball runs on. This mix of sweat, sebum, dust and god knows what else can make the ball stick in place.

Yes, that happens to me too, but it takes a while before the lint builds up to the point of being noticeable -- and when that happens, it's very easy to remove it. Compared with other mice I've had, the Marble Mouse is easy to clean effectively. Paul

I looked at the Microsoft trackball, and it is a thumb-ball. That's not what I'm looking for. However, I did find a Kensington optical trackball, and ordered it. I will get back to the group when I get it, and report. (I am not a gamer, however, and if it's a bit on the slow side, I'll probably never know.) Thanx to all who responded. On another note, the people who make the Mouse-trak stuff have finally cut their prices. I had a couple of their track-balls many years ago, and used them until I wore them out. They were very durable. They were expensive then, and still are, but not like they were 8 or 9 years ago, when they were absolutely prohibitive. These are not optical, but they really work well. I have a message in to them asking whether the 3rd button can be programmed to emulate pushing the left and right button, so as to paste in Linux, but I'm almost sure the answer will be yes, since they specifically call out Unix as a supported OS. Will report back on the answer. One other note: all mice and trackballs are somewhat optical; the little wheels with the holes in them at the ends of the axles that the mouse/track ball drives send an interrupted optical signal to the detectors that tell the computer how far the mouse has gone, and in which direction. It's really fairly sophisticated electronics for a simple and low-cost device. If cleaning the mouse or t/b, make sure there is no gunk in the unit that the little wheel turns in. --doug At 03:10 AM 2/2/2005 +0100, Philipp Thomas wrote:

Doug McGarrett [01 Feb. 2005 20:45:43 -0500]:

...

Does anyone know of an optical trackball with a "real" trackball--i.e., a big inch and a half or so ball that you can put 3 fingers on?

The Microsoft trackball should come close.

Philipp

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On Tuesday 01 February 2005 10:57 pm, Doug McGarrett wrote:

I looked at the Microsoft trackball, and it is a thumb-ball. That's not what I'm looking for. However, I did find a Kensington optical trackball, and ordered it. I will get back to the group when I get it, and report. (I am not a gamer, however, and if it's a bit on the slow side, I'll probably never know.) Thanx to all who responded.

I would be very interested in what you think of it. I have a ton of Kensington expert mice around here because I really like the large ball. Unfortunately they don't make so that they can be taken apart anymore... and they *do* need to be cleaned. So I will not buy any more Expert Mice.

On another note, the people who make the Mouse-trak stuff have finally cut their prices. I had a couple of their track-balls many years ago, and used them until I wore them out. They were very durable. They were expensive then, and still are, but not like they were 8 or 9 years ago, when they were absolutely prohibitive. These are not optical, but they really work well. I have a message in to them asking whether the 3rd button can be programmed to emulate pushing the left and right button, so as to paste in Linux, but I'm almost sure the answer will be yes, since they specifically call out Unix as a supported OS.

Will report back on the answer.

Interested in this too.

On Wednesday 02 February 2005 01:53 pm, Mikus Grinbergs wrote:

Hmmm.  I have several quite recent model K64325 Expert Mice (the ones with the "scroll ring").  There is no mechanical connection between the large ball and the motion sensors. In use, the large ball rests on three tiny fixed supports. But the large ball *does* come out of its socket, so that when needed, lint can be removed from around these supports. I doubt that one would need to take things further apart.

My trackball resets on three rollers, two of which are used for motion sensing. The rollers collect lint under the ball socket and that needs to be cleaned periodically. Your's must be a totally optical setup.

On Tuesday 01 February 2005 7:00 pm, Darryl Gregorash wrote:

Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

Much of the standard "knowledge" says to clean mice and trackballs <snip>

All of this is --precisely-- the reason I switched to an optical mouse, and I have never regretted it. I have absolutely no problems with it, unlike some of the others. In particular, when I move the mouse, the cursor reacts immediately, whether the motion is fast or slow. Haven't tried it on games, but I don't think it would be a problem there.

It's a Logitech USB mouse with a PS/2 adapter. No @#$%$#^% way am I going to hang a 9600 baud device off a multi- megabit USB port!! :-)

Hi, I have 2 systems with Logitech Marbel trackballs Optical. One is native plugged into USB 1.x port on SUSE 8.2 and the other is same model but plugged into PS/2 port via Ligitech adapter supplied. When I 'snap' my finger on the ball for a burst of rapid movement I see the 'stuck cursor' mentioned on the PS/2 connected TB, but on the USB connected TB the cursor moves fasted than I can see. I will remember this! PeterB -- -- Proud SUSE user since 5.2 Loving SUSE 9.2 My BLOG == http://vancampen.org/blog --

The Tuesday 2005-02-01 at 19:28 -0600, Peter B Van Campen wrote:

When I 'snap' my finger on the ball for a burst of rapid movement I see the 'stuck cursor' mentioned on the PS/2 connected TB,

Ah, good to see it is not my machine alone that does that. ¿Have you tried that trick in windows? If windows can (mine does), I feel Linux should be able to track that fast movement. I wonder if there is some speed configuration for the ps/2 port somewhere.

but on the USB connected TB the cursor moves fasted than I can see.

I will remember this!

Interesting. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

The Tuesday 2005-02-01 at 23:50 -0600, Peter B Van Campen wrote:

Same Marble Mouse on PS/2 port on XP has the same motion error as on SUSE 9.2 PS/2 port.

Ah, very interesting. My "Me" doesn't have that problem. It has many others instead. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson