Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mark Hollingsworth) (01/31/91)
>>
Hi, I have a friend who wants advice on a trackball. He just purchased a
Mac Classic, and he has a disability from WW II , which makes it hard for him
to move his hand and click with the mouse. So, I suggested a trackball, and
am
wondering which is most comfortable specially for someone slightly handicapped
in the hand. I heard good things about the new Curtis. He would like to get
an
absolute cheapest price but get a good one. Thanks...
::::::::::::<<<<<
I know someone that just got a Kensingtion trackball. I'be messed with it a
bit, seems to work very well. You can configure the buttons to do different
things, and the ball is quite large so your friend with the diabilites may
find it easier to handle.
BTW, the trackball was purchased from the MacConnection, and the first one
didn't work properly, so they sent a new one out right away.
--
Mark Hollingsworth - via FidoNet node 1:105/14
UUCP: ...!{uunet!glacier, ..reed.bitnet}!busker!354!1!Mark.Hollingsworth
INTERNET: Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORGrock@warp.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill Petro) (02/05/91)
Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mark Hollingsworth) writes: >>> > Hi, I have a friend who wants advice on a trackball. He just purchased a >Mac Classic, and he has a disability from WW II , which makes it hard for him >to move his hand and click with the mouse. So, I suggested a trackball, and >am >wondering which is most comfortable specially for someone slightly handicapped >in the hand. I heard good things about the new Curtis. He would like to get >an >absolute cheapest price but get a good one. Thanks... >::::::::::::<<<<< > I used a Kensington Trackball for 4 years, until I wore it out. If you're looking for something new and cheap, try MicroSpeed's MacTRAC. You can get it from mail order for around $65. It has two very large buttons on either side of the ball, a third one on the top, and has a sloping ergonomic design, no "lip" in the front. I am trying one now and it is quite satisfactory. It got Honorable Mention in this year's MacUser Editor's Choice for Best Input Device. -- Bill Petro {decwrl,hplabs,ucbvax}!sun!Eng!rock "UNIX for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 19:12
mrn@eplunix.UUCP (Mark R. Nilsen) (02/07/91)
in article <89.27AB6128@busker.fidonet.org>, Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mark Hollingsworth) says: > >>> > Hi, I have a friend who wants advice on a trackball. He just purchased a > Mac Classic, and he has a disability from WW II , which makes it hard for him > to move his hand and click with the mouse. So, I suggested a trackball, and > am > wondering which is most comfortable specially for someone slightly handicapped > in the hand. I heard good things about the new Curtis. He would like to get > an I have used both the Curtis and the Kennsington. The Curtis has a draw back in that one has to push the buttons further down to get a click (Too far in my opinion). As a plus, you can get a foot switch. This may be just the thing for someone with hand control problems. The Kennsington has a better over-all feel, but only has two buttons. As an extra aside the Curtis has an odd engineering kludge to keep the ball from depressing the left button when doing a particularly energetric mouse-move. Look for a small plastic flange on the lower left of the socket. This isn't visible in there actual-size adds, but the button to ball proximity is. In summary I would recomend the Kennsington first but the footswitch on the Curtis may be just the thing for your friend. The prices tend to be. Kensingtom 129.00 Curtis 89.00 Footswitch for Curtis is 29.00 --Mark. PS. I did some research and found the the balls are the same size as pool balls. Just a customization idea.
pj@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Paul Jacoby) (02/09/91)
One of the later trackballs has a foot pedal option, which might be just the ticket for someone with a hand problem. You would only have to have some movement in your fingers to move the trackball, and the foot for clicking. The maket is Curtis, but I can't locate their number at the momemt. Check any Mac magazine and you'll see them, I am sure. .-----------------------------------------------------------------------------. | UUCP: {crash tcnet}!orbit!pnet51!pj | RTFD = Read The Silly Doc! | | INET: pj@pnet51.orb.mn.org | | `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
derosa@motcid.UUCP (John DeRosa) (02/09/91)
>in article <89.27AB6128@busker.fidonet.org>, Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mark Hollingsworth) says:
Hi, I have a friend who wants advice on a trackball. He just purchased a
Mac Classic, and he has a disability from WW II , which makes it hard for him
You might want to try easy access, an init that comes with the
mac system software. This allows you to use the keyboard to
mimic the mouse actions. Its free and may do the job.
--
= John DeRosa, Motorola, Inc, Cellular Infrastructure Group =
= e-mail: ...uunet!motcid!derosaj, motcid!derosaj@uunet.uu.net =
= Applelink: N1111 =
=I do not hold by employer responsible for any information in this message =rock@warp.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill Petro) (02/10/91)
mrn@eplunix.UUCP (Mark R. Nilsen) writes: >in article <89.27AB6128@busker.fidonet.org>, Mark.Hollingsworth@f1.n354.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mark Hollingsworth) says: >> >>>> >> Hi, I have a friend who wants advice on a trackball. He just purchased a >> Mac Classic, and he has a disability from WW II , which makes it hard for him >> to move his hand and click with the mouse. So, I suggested a trackball, and >> am >> wondering which is most comfortable specially for someone slightly handicapped >> in the hand. I heard good things about the new Curtis. He would like to get >> an From my review on MACWORLD Expo in comp.sys.mac.misc: -- Rats This year saw a variety of new input devices, not just keyboards and rodents, but some non-traditional beasts. I have been using a trackball on my Macintosh for about 4 years now. I have the Assimilation Trackball (later acquired by Kensington). It took me a few days to get used to it originally, but once I did, I gave up my mouse and never went back! Logitech This Fremont-based company offers both a 3-button mouse and trackball. MouseMan ($129) has a Control Panel device (cdev) that allows you to reprogram the additional buttons for other functions in different applications. The TrackMan ($149) is a stationary 3-button trackball that uses a thumb rollerball and the same button reprogramability. This reprogramming functionality is not unique to Logitech, and is offered by other manufacturers, like Kensington - although the Kensington Trackball requires dipswitch reprogramming. The Logitech input devices are also available for Sun Microsystems computers. What I did not see at the show was the new radio controlled mice. Instead of an infrared device, like the one below, it uses radio waves that can transmit up to 11 feet away. They also will come in different sizes. Spark International I asked them if they had had any problem with their name being so close to "SPARC International." The person at the booth had never heard of it. This company makes a cordless infrared mouse ($170) and trackball ($180). The trackball seemed rather large and clumsy. Curtis Curtis Manufacturing Company sells a number of accessories for the Mac. The also produce a trackball that looks rather like a small bathroom scale, complete with raised bumps. It has three large buttons that surround the ball, and offers reprogramming of the keys through a cdev. MicroSpeed While MicroSpeed was not at the show, I think they are the ones to watch. They were picked by MacUser Magazine as Honorable Mention in category of Best Input Device. Although they've been in the business a few years, their new ergonomic design and low cost could make a big splash. They offer a three button mouse for the Mac, Amiga, and PC. They also will be offering their new design for Sun Microsystems computers as well. The design offers a slanting leading edge, rather than the raised lip of most trackballs. Ergonomics and workplace ease were emphasized by a number of vendors at the show this year. The MicroSpeed MacTRAC trackball offers two large buttons on either side of the ball, and one button above the ball that acts as a click-lock. While the Macintosh is essentially a one button machine, I am looking forward to trying this three button tool on my Sun workstation, which uses a three-button input device. The MicroSpeed trackball can be obtained from many mail order companies for around $65, much less expensively than its competitors. One difference I notice though, is that its ball is not set as high as some of the other new trackballs, meaning that the range of movement is more limited (but the ball is not going to fall out either). The Mac Plus version does not offer any custom Control Panel device to modify the tracking, and you must use the Mouse cdev that Apple supplies with the Mac. Bill "Rock" Petro - System Software Marketing -- Bill Petro {decwrl,hplabs,ucbvax}!sun!Eng!rock "UNIX for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 19:12
porter@motcid.UUCP (Richard Porter) (02/12/91)
rock@warp.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill Petro) writes: >MicroSpeed >While MicroSpeed was not at the show, I think they are the ones to >watch. They were picked by MacUser Magazine as Honorable Mention in >category of Best Input Device. .... I purchased one of these to be used by a profoundly handicapped child and was dissatisfied with the MicroSpeed MacTRAC's performance. Its main problem was that it did not provide that basic function of moving the mouse properly. If you were to roll the ball in a direction that rotates the ball away from the optical rollers (is that what they're called?) the mouse movement was very flakey. This was also true if you rotated the ball at a 45 degree angle to either of the optical rollers. I can't say if this is a problem with all of their devices but I sure got a lemon. I returned mine with no desire to have another one.