Over the years I have owned several of these and they are the most comfortable mouse I have ever used. Easy to clean trackball glides so smoothly. The only issue I have with them is the wheel seems to wear out but then after 3 years of use I guess I can't complain. I dread the day I have to find a replacement when they stop making this model.

I must admit that I never thouught I would go in for a trackball ever. But then, curiosity coupled with the reviews on amazon made me get one. Having never used a trackball, I was amazed at its ease of use and the fact that it felt so natural. All it took was about five minutes to get used to using my thumb to move around the cursor. The buttons are also prefectly postioned for ease of use. No setup was required and all I had to do was plug it in to the USB port and 5 seconds later it was working. I have always bought Logitech products because of their exceptionally good build quality, and this one is no different. For those who have never used a trackball I recommend getting the Logitech Trackman and I'm sure that you will never go back to using a conventional mouse ever again.

This is the second Logitech Trackman that I've purchased. Both work perfectly and were installed in less than 3 minutes. The only consideration is: do your hands shake slightly - or more? I have a mild medical condition that causes my fingers to shake slightly when doing intricate work. Occasionally, this causes problems when trying to get the computer's pointer on a small object. Overall, the Logitech Trackman is a terrific product.

I aboslutely love this product. I have been using logitech for years. I have a rat and he chewed through the cord on my old one so I got a new one. I think everyone should get this mouse! Its so easy to use especially if you have a laptop. Also the cord is pretty long. Another thing...that ball in picture is gray but in reality it is red.

It is a great product, i'm very happy with this buy. It has an exellent technician support and no problems with the installations.

I've used Logitech thumb trackballs since about 1999. As the other reviewers have said, it has saved my hand and arm from great pain. I own about 4 of the Trackman Marble Wheels (discontinued) and now one of these. Everything about it is perfect, EXCEPT that the ball pops right out of the top every time you drop it or even if it just gets turned over while moving (in a laptop case for example). I wish Logitech had made the ball just a little more snug or put a ring around it like on the old Trackman.

I see that I'm hardly unique here. Like others who've posted reviews already, I bought my Logitech Trackman Marble back in 1995 or so when I bought my first Windows PC.

So when I went GUI, like many of you, it seemed to me like a totally dumb idea to move a mouse around a desktop. It made much more sense to me to keep your hand on a stationary peripheral.

At the time, the Logitech Trackman Marble was the only game in town if you wanted a trackball. This simple inexpensive little peripheral has outlived countless computers and has served me well for over ten years! Wow!

So I was beside myself when some books on the shelf above my computer slipped and knocked a cup of Pepsi over my keyboard and Trackman last week. The keyboard? Eh! Keyboards are the proverbial dime a dozen these days. Big whoop. But my Trackman! I was frozen in terror. Do they still make trackballs? Or have mice totally won over? Or are they all ambidextrous now with the ball in the middle to appease lefties? I'm so used to using my thumb to roll the ball that I don't think I could get used to an ambidextrous trackball (and contrary to what others have said, I'm so comfortable using this type of trackball that I can frag in Unreal with the best of 'em using my thumb to aim with)!

Amazon.com to the rescue! Much to my relief, Logitech still sells a Trackman trackball. The styling is a little more modern and "swoopy," but the design is essentially unchanged in 10+ years--and that's a GOOD thing! I ordered it from Amazon last week and find it fits me as well as my prior Trackman Marble. The Trackman Wheel is a wee bit smaller than the Marble and the mouse buttons are a little closer together--not enough to see, but my hand feels the difference. But that's no big deal, I got used to it after just a few minutes. Also, it comes with a driver CD, but Windows recognized it out of the box without having to install the CD--even the wheel. That's a good thing too because I don't like installing unnecessary software onto my PC if I don't have to. I can't praise Logitech enough! Highly recommended for anyone addicted to a thumb type trackball!

Incidentally, after my new Trackman arrived and I breathed a sigh of relief that it is essentially the same design, I performed a little "surgery" on my dead Trackman. Removing the four little screws from underneath it, I disassembled it. Before you read on, don't try this on any working device--this was a shot in the dark on a device that I had given up for dead anyway. With the ball out and the screws removed, the shell pops apart easily and the tiny circuit board lifts right out--no prying necessary or risking snapping little prongs off to lift it out. Being careful not to break any of the delicate wire jumpers, I wiped the circuit board down with a damp cloth to get all the Pepsi gunk off. Then after it dried, I wiped it down again with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove any residual moisture. The top and bottom plastic shell, as well as the ball, I ran under the hot water faucet for a few minutes (there's no metal parts). Letting it all dry out overnight (the slightest moisture on any electronic circuit will totally fry it upon giving it power), I reassembled it the next morning. Guess what? I plugged it back into the USB port, and it works perfectly! Better, actually, than it had worked for a long time. Being optical, the Trackman Marble never lost its precision over the years the way ordinary mice do after a year or so, but I was never really able to clean those little metal prongs in the ball socket very well, and the ball sometimes felt "sticky" even after cleaning the ball socket out. Picking the gunk off those little metal prongs in the ball socket with my fingernails never got it as clean as the "overhaul" it just received. So now I have two working Trackmans, both seemingly in brand new condition!

So I'm going to go back to using my old Trackman Marble and put the new Trackman back in its box and save it for when my old one does eventually wear out.

I've had Logitech tracksballs for so long I don't remember when I first got mine. I just love it. I like the part that you don't need lots of room on your desk to use it, and you never run off the mouse pad.
They are comfortable as I'm usually on my pc for about 6 hours a day, sometimes longer.
But I like the corded one versus the cordless ones. The response for games is just not as quick with a wireless one comapred to a corded one. I even got my son interested in using a trackball.
Great mouse.

I have used this mouse at work for over 6 years. I found when using the regular mouse at home my hand hurt very bad. This is helps a great deal.

This mouse works great. I prefer it over other mice. My desk is kind of small, so this kind of mouse is good to have, as I only move the ball with my thumb to navigate.

This is my third track ball mouse, the first, also a logitech with a "center" ball, I hated. This one is the second side ball logitech I have had, and I found it hard to use a regular mouse when I had to replace the first "side" track ball mouse. The wait of 4 days was LONG.
Once you get used to a side trackball, it is so easy that you will not want a regular mouse.

I have never been able to figure out how to work with a mouse! They have always gone all over the place! This is my third track wheel and it's the best one so far! This has a thumb control plus the page wheel, and a good size for my hand. I'm quite happy with it.

This is the best mouse I've ever used, bar none. In fact, this is the fourth one I've purchased. My only complaint is that this one in particular has a trackball that rattles around a little - the fit isn't what I have on the other three. That's why I gave it four stars instead of five.

This is a replacement for the original Trackman Marble which lasted for nearly 10 years of heavy use. If this products lasts even half as long I'll be very happy. However, take note, it can only be used for right-handed people.

Operation is very smooth as it was with the Trackman Marble. It is very comfortable to use and fits the shape of nearly every hand. The two buttons as well as the wheel are programmable with the included Setpoint software. My software was already installed on my Windows Vista Premium computer when I installed the Logitech Wave Keyboard. Installation was fast and easy. Setpoint integrates all functions for all Logitech keyboards, mice, and trackballs. It is very convenient to have one program that controls multiple devices. Included is Logitech Messenger which periodically checks for software updates.

I did see one complaint that using the thumb ball isn't as fast as using a ball controlled by the fingers. The speed of the cursor can be adjusted with the software. That person may have not realized it could be adjusted or perhaps chose not to install the software. If software is not installed, the Microsoft software has fewer control and programming options.

Now for the flaw. The old marble's ball was easy to remove to clean. On the Trackman Wheeel Optical, there is a small hole on the bottom plate under the ball. Theoretically, dust and dirt should drop through this hole. In reality, dust and lint do not drop out but instead build up inside the compartment making the ball more difficult to move and respond erratically. To clean, remove the 4 screws on the bottom plate, remove the plate and carefully use canned air or a soft brush to remove the lint from all surfaces that contact the ball. I then use a q-tip moistened with household rubbing alcohol to clean the optical window. I am a fanatic about keeping my computer and peripherals clean and this procedure adds only a few minutes to my monthly cleanings, I will not deduct any stars although it is a step backwards from the older design.

I bought this to replace my Microsoft Trackball Explorer 1.0. Would have gone with a Trackman Optical to have the center-fingers-oriented ball, but hated the buttons on the one I tried, so went with this.

I have long, slender hands and find it to be small to the point that it causes extra fatigue, requiring that I take breaks more often to not screw up my tendons. The buttons have a solid enough click to them, but the scroll wheel has a cheapness to its tactile feedback that is annoying at first. The whole unit is extremely light... Took a couple days to get used to using my thumb, but was less of an adaptation than I thought it would be. I'm still twitchy with it in Photoshop, but get along with it ok while fragging Canadians in Unreal. Sniping isn't as precise as with my old one, but still doable. That said, I still miss my Trackball Explorer as this only performs at about %75 percent of the comfort and ease of use that thing had. I wish Logitech would revise the Trackman Optical with bigger buttons that click like those on the Trackman Wheel.

I bought this for two reasons:
One, I always wanna try what it feels like to use a wheel track.
Two, my fingers always feel numb after using a typical mouse for a long time.
After using this product for several weeks:
One, it feels great!
Two, no more pain in my fingers.

This is a great mouse! Especially for those of us who prefer not to have to move a mouse around on top of a desk. I have both the wired and wireless version of this mouse and both are working perfectly. One is on a PC and the other is on a MAC. Definitely worth the money.

I already own this exact trackman which I bought for work at best buy. I needed one at home, so this one looked perfect and was a good price (and I got it with free shipping). Note that the grey ball is actually red (also just like the one I have at work). That was nice.

One thing that worried me was that when I first opened and began using the trackman that it didn't work all that well. At work I could spin the ball pretty good and the one I bought would kind of stick. You couldn't spin it to move more and faster at all. However, this was the case only for maybe a half hour to an hour. By the end of the night I forgot it wasn't working well until I stopped to think about it. So ya, pretty disappointed actually at first but then delightfully surprised. It works great.

I've been using trackballs for decades now, but this was my first thumb activated trackball. I suppose they are fine if that's what you are used to, but I hated it. It just took too much effort to move the pointer across the screen. Not to mention that with a normal trackball I have three fingers I can use to move the trackball instead of just a thumb.

Helped a lot with the pain in my wrist from using the regular mouse, I got used to it in less than an hour. Great product!

This is the least expensive track-ball mouse that I have found. It is very easy to use, just plug it into the computer. There is no set-up other than that.
I highly recommend this product for anyone who suffers from wrist pain connected to computer use. I have vertually no pain when using this mouse, even being on the computer every day.
It's a great item at a great price!

Hands down, Logitech's trackball is the best pointing device ever made for a computer. PC, Mac, Linux... Accurate, durable, no-frills. I've used one at home since 2000 and one at work since 2003 -- still using the original in each case.

I ordered this mouse after I already had two other mice that I have had for 9 years. It is the easiest mouse I have ever used. No pushing it around on the desk. Just move the ball and it rolls so easily. My kids love this and will not use any other. The best mouse we have ever had and will not use or order any other type, I am ever thinking about order one for my laptop.

I'm an engineer with a medium size company in Texas that designs and manufactures pneumatic conveying components such as diverter valves, slide gates, and rotary feeders. 75% of the time I am on my computer doing 2D and 3D cad work with AutoCAD and AutoDesk Inventor. I also use Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk's Maya quite a bit. I switched from a mouse to a trackball about 6 years ago for the ergonomics and increased precision.
I have owned (3) of these guys - the original at work, the one I bought for my home PC because I liked the one at work so much, and the new one for work that I bought recently. The only reason I replaced my old one is because, after 6 years of heavy use, the rubber pieces that kept it from sliding on my desk had disappeared.
...And, when I say heavy use, I mean heavy use. I can't count how many times I have knocked it off my desk, or slammed a fist down on it in frustration (if you do CAD, you understand). It keeps on going, despite my abuse. I also put greasy, dirty hands on it sometimes, when I am in a rush. It works through the grime accurately and cleans up easy when you have time.
As with anything Logitech, you can expect good support, great functionality, and a long life for your product.

Also, for anyone doing similar work, I would recommend a spaceball from 3Dconnexion. One of these guys in conjunction with your Logitech trackball will streamline your work. Increased efficiency... Less fatigue... You will wonder how you did anything without them!

3D connexion SpaceExplorer 3D Navigation Device with USB Interface ( 3DX-700026 )

My Microsoft Trackball Optical is pretty much worn out, and I needed a thumb action device again. I tried the Apple mouse with my new Mac and started having arm trouble again. I found that it this point the Trackman Wheel is actually the only thumbball you can still buy. I also remeber now why I did not buy one years ago when I bought the Microsoft one, the Logitech is smaller physically. My hand has since made the adjustment, but I wish there was a thumbball that was larger than this one.

I have been using the Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical on all my computers at work and at home for years and have never had one fail! I purchased this particular one to replace one which I gave away to a friend with 'coordination issues.' This is a great device, which fits perfectly into my hand.

far more precise than a mouse-Great for graphics files and advertising. I love this product so much that I bought a separate one just for my laptop.
only thing thats a pain is the cord (just on the laptop) I wish it were wireless but that wasn't enough to make me not use it constantly, even traveling!

I'm a professional writer. The keyboard and all of its accoutrements are of great importance to me. This Logitech trackball unit has proven to be one of the finest elements to be added to my operation.

It is far better than any touch pad, mouse, or any other kind of point-and-click device. Yes, if you have been used to a mouse, you will have to get used to a ball unit like this, but it's worth it. It's fast and right on the mark every time.

This was the answer for me. It just might be for you as well.

Logitech Cordless TrackMan Wheel
Easy to use. Great to save my hand. Not for lefty

I use this mouse primarily on daily internet works, it does eliminate the pull and push motion caused by using other regular mice. It takes some getting-used-to though. Now I have this one on my right side and the old one on my left side to work both hands when either one gets tired. Amazon picture is B/W, actual item you will receive is with the red scrolling ball. This mouse has been on the market for long time, it is not with advanced technology, but it works and helps. With this mouse, you do not need a mouse pad or large footprint on your desk.

I love the Trackman Wheel that I use with my PC. When I bought one for my Mac Book, I was disappointed to find that I could not adjust it to scroll one screenful at a time. A prompt reply from Logitech Tech Support confirmed that this function is not available to Macs.

This is the 7th trackball purchased by my family and work. The first one my wife purchased for work. Then we purchased one for our desktop which we lost in Hurricane Katrina. Now we have one for each of the 3 laptops at home and we just purchased 2 for work. If you have never experienced a trackball, once you get it, you will never want a mouse or mouse pad again. Recommend a trackball over any mouse period!

This is the first trackball I've owned & I was surprised how easy it was to adapt to. I do graphics all day at work and have some repetitive stress issues, but this mouse is very comfortable and has definitely helped alleviate some symptoms. To be honest, I still switch back & forth with the mouse I was using before so my thumb doesn't get overused either. But, I'm quite happy with the Logitech Trackman - the scrolling is super fast and the trackball is accurate and easy to control. I also like the angle of the shape - which allows my had to rest in a more natural position.

This is a very positive improvement over a standard mouse. It works flawlessly and is very well built. Shipping was very prompt.

Logictech Trackman Wheels steer all computers on which I spend time. This model, the Logictech Trackman Wheel Optical, steers four of them. The Cordless Trackman Wheel, whose wireless connection is powered by one AA battery, steers the fifth.

Because this unit doesn't need to move around, it uses a much smaller footprint on your desk. No need for a mouse pad. For that matter, it can be perched on top of desk clutter.

The tiny black dots that freckle its red thumb ball enable one to steer the cursor with unerring accuracy, ease, and responsiveness. The underside of the thumb ball rides on three little metal balls, each like the end of an over-sized ball-point pen. Every 2-3 months, depending on the dustiness of the environment, enough lint accumulates around these three little balls to noticeably brake the thumb ball. Whenever this happens, it takes me 30 seconds to pop the thumb ball out, flick off the offending lint, and reinsert the thumb ball. If I'm being super neat, I'll do it with tissue paper, also wiping the thumb ball.

Mouse users who are new to the thumb ball will soon discover that their old habits need adjustment. That adjustment comes in a few hours, but momentary visitors are likely to struggle. Trackball users are familiar with the basic idea; but they, too, must learn to rest their palm over the device, as though it were a mouse, then employ the thumb of their right hand to guide it. So far as I know, Logitech does not produce a left-handed version of this device. That's too bad. It's obviously awkward for left-handed users, even after years of practice.