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Building the mouse Logitech won't make

(samwilkinson.io)
450 points sammycdubs | 3 comments | 25 Aug 25 15:34 UTC | HN request time: 0.63s | source
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redog ◴[25 Aug 25 16:45 UTC] No.45015817[source]▶
I miss the old microsoft track ball. The ball wasn't a thumb exercise as it was under your index-middle-ring fingers and you clicked with the thumb.
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loloquwowndueo ◴[25 Aug 25 16:47 UTC] No.45015842[source]▶
Don’t current Kensington trackballs have this layout as well?
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1. lytfyre ◴[25 Aug 25 17:28 UTC] No.45016364[source]▶
They do, but I've had severe quality/lifetime issues with them. Three Kensington trackballs, two different models, all three lasted under a year for me.
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2. mkl ◴[25 Aug 25 22:50 UTC] No.45020114[source]▶
Strange. I have lots of Kensington Expert Mouse trackballs, some of which I have used for 7+ years, and none have ever given out on me. I have a stockpile of spares in case they stop making them, but they seem to be built very well.

Which models did you have problems with, and what went wrong?

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3. lytfyre ◴[27 Aug 25 00:30 UTC] No.45034031[source]▶
Never tried the Expert Mouse in particular. Two of mine were slimblades, one orbit with scroll wheel. Different failures each time -

Orbit - broken plastic around one of the bearings. ball no longer turned smoothly or straight in every direction, and dragged. Slimblade #1 - began to operate erratically. I believe it was a failure of some kind with one of the optical sensors, but I never was able to figure it out consistently. Slimblade #2 - microswitch under the LMB failed mechanically, no longer triggered.

the slimblade's were provided by my employer at the time, the orbit was purchased personally for at home - it's use overlapped with the slimblades at work.

I don't think I'm super unusually hard on my trackballs - My Elecom Huge lasted for ~6 years before the soft touch plastic finally got a bit gross from skin oil contact, but still was functionally fine, and my current protoarc is going strong two years in.