Talk:Trackball

message: I find it surprising to not find any reference to the widespread use in industrial and marine equipment, for marine use the trackball is the standard to operate radars and a whole host of other systems. Also the article mentions that hardly any new trackball models are rarely released, which is untrue there are quite a lot of companies still selling these except they usually do not cater to private consumers. 
There is also no mention of the optical trackball or the laser trackball.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Alras (talk • contribs) 15:41, 19 November 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Industrial use 

message: This article should mention something about trackballs with different ball sizes. There a re trackballs with balls that can be operated with the thumb. Other trackballs are meant to be operated with the middle three (or sometimes even more) fingers. While logitech has the small, thumb-operated trackballs, compare with the big and really big models of Kensington. Anyway I think the article should consider this somehow. Also, the section on computer games and trackballs is completely uninteresting, as trackballs are meant as mouse alternatives and more precise, this all already implies what this means for gaming.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 133.27.247.163 (talk) 09:18, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  TALK: TRACKBALL 

message: I've often heard of trackballs as being used on the grounds that they are less damaging to users (carpal tunnel syndrome) than mice. Is this true? if so, perhaps a section noting this? (MarkG)
I personally switched away frome mice because my wrist was starting to hurt, but thats hardly evidence nor a believable source. (MindTwister)
Regarding which is better for you, the best I can find on the web (besides vendors' own promotional matter) is from the US Center for Disease Control, which says basically that it varies from person to person, and that one should try out different devices.  I'll try to fold that into the article.  -- Tomlouie | talk 21:11, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Trackballs as less damaging than Mice 

message: Trackball, Tracker ball, etc.: be consistent.
--Jidanni 2006-04-15
The device fitted to Type 22 Frigate Sonar consoles were definately "Trackerballs" MalFarrelle 16:19, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  unify naming 

message: <removed information that could be used to spam>
:And no, it means you manufacture someone else's design. - Denimadept 16:29, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  FYI all you trackball fans 

message: What are they?  Please add definition before using the term.
:The previous generation of mouse / trackball used slotted wheels that rotated between an LED and sensor.  The slots in the wheel periodically broke the light path between the LED and sensor. Counting interruptions told you how fast the mouse is moving in that axis.  Using two sensor cells spaced 90° out of phase told you which direction.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.80.7.88 (talk) 17:38, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Chopper wheels? 

message: Why were trackballs put at a disadvantage by the scroll wheel and the switch to optical mice? Trackballs added scroll wheels and optical tracking as well so it seems the only distinction is that the new mice had less disadvantages, but it doesn't seem like they gained any advantages that trackballs did not also gain? 216.36.186.2 (talk) 17:23, 19 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  ... put trackballs at a disadvantage ... why? 

message: I see only 3 refs, used again and again. Bettering the Wiki 00:36, 9 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Only 3 refs 

message: Microsoft's optical trackballs (such as the Trackball Optical 1.0) used three tiny steel support balls embedded in a plastic cage. When users do not wash their hands or the trackballs are used in a dusty environment, those steel support balls quickly wear flat spots and the trackball drags on the cage. In extreme cases the ball itself will get scratched and dull, further accelerating the wear of the steel support balls. I suspect this was a cost cutting measure. Rather than fix the problem, Microsoft just quit making trackballs.
Other brands, Kensington and Logitech among them, use synthetic gemstone or ceramic supports, which don't wear out.
Microsoft's first trackball was a conventional mechanical-optical design, rather bulky, with a blue-green ball and scroll wheel. It was a fingertip ball design. Can't find a thing about it on the web.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bizzybody (talk • contribs) 22:51, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Microsoft's exit from trackballs

message: Are that sentences don't contradict each other?
"trackball requires no mousepad and enables the player to aim swiftly (in first person shooters)"
"Computer gamers have been able to successfully use trackballs in most modern computer games, including FPS, RPG, and RTS genres, with any slight loss of speed compensated for with an increase in precision"
:They're not necessarily contradictory.  Aiming with a trackball might be slightly slower than with a mouse, yet still swift.  It would be better to have cited statements, though.  Adrian J. Hunter(talk•contribs) 10:02, 1 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: ps. Remember to sign with ~~~~ and put new posts at the bottom. Adrian J. Hunter(talk•contribs) 10:03, 1 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Actually, the slotted wheel “light-beam chopping” design was in Douglas Engelbart's original patent, as one of 3 ways he mentioned to detect and measure rotation of the tracking wheels.    Solo Owl   01:30, 2 April 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction? 

message: There's mention of Kenyon Taylor in caption of the world's first trackball image, but there's no mention of him in the body text. Was Kenyon Taylor part of the Royal Canadian Navy's DATAR team? His article states he was. Best Regards. DynamoDegsy (talk) 18:46, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[Kenyon Taylor]] 

message: I know there is a specific name for the scattering of dots on a trackball, but that name escapes me. If someone knows it, can they post here and/or update the article? Thx! --Kickstart70TC 13:34, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  "direct optical tracking" 

message: The pippin gamepad is an *incredibly* obscure device and is a very odd selection for the sidebar.  Why is it there? Pxtl (talk) 18:26, 10 October 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pippin gamepad picture 

message: I have removed the "dubious" tag, which had no discussion of course, from the LEAD. Reading over the various materials, it's clear the original version was never built, and Benjamin states this in an interview (refed). I do suspect that the Ferranti team was aware of this work, given the almost identical nature of Benjamin's work and the DATAR concept. Maury Markowitz (talk) 00:42, 3 August 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removing dubious, along with better explanation 

message: I don't see anything dubious about the first paragraph in the Ergonomics section.  It has a citation and seems reasonable.  Am I missing something?  Hanzalot (talk) 15:43, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Dubious dubiousness in ergonomics 

message: Is there a wikipedia article for an "arcball"?  I'm not sure if there is actually any physical basis for that interface concept, or if it's just a concept.  But it seems odd that there isn't, since both concepts are usually mentioned together in graphics textbooks. Jimw338 (talk) 02:32, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't see an article, but it is a GUI widget that is actually implemented in various toolkits and software. A lead ref for the concept might be . DMacks (talk) 04:33, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Section/article for 'arcball'?  Is it a physical 'reality'?