Why Does This Make Me Angry?
I had to order a new MS Trackball Explorer from Amazon today since nobody here in Wichita seems to carry the damn thing. Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, Office Depot - no, no, no and nope. The closest any of them had to a replacement was the newer - and suckier - MS Trackball Optical.
Now, those 2 items sound similar, but they operate completely differently. With the Explorer, the trackball is on top of the device and is operated by your index finger (I use my index and middle finger in tandem); on the Optical, the trackball is on the side and is operated by your thumb. I ask you, why would anyone prefer to move the trackball with their thumb? Its your shortest finger, and has the least range of mobility - meaning that in one motion, you cannot move the cursor as far across the screen w/ your thumb as you could with your index finger. And your index finger has better developed fine motor skills, meaning that your movements will be more accurate as well.
Now, those 2 items sound similar, but they operate completely differently. With the Explorer, the trackball is on top of the device and is operated by your index finger (I use my index and middle finger in tandem); on the Optical, the trackball is on the side and is operated by your thumb. I ask you, why would anyone prefer to move the trackball with their thumb? Its your shortest finger, and has the least range of mobility - meaning that in one motion, you cannot move the cursor as far across the screen w/ your thumb as you could with your index finger. And your index finger has better developed fine motor skills, meaning that your movements will be more accurate as well.
# | December 07, 2004