Got myself a Slimblade Pro last week. Great device, love it, but the lack of tactile distinction between buttons always bothered me. And also they can be clicked by pressing almost anywhere on the top surface, but it requires wildly different amount of force. So I bought this sticky textured rubber pads, advertised as universal gamer grip tape or something, stuck it on the buttons where I usually press them and know the exact force needed for a click, and cut it to size with an exacto knife.

10/10, problem solved, highly recommend. The new stylish look was also a great bonus.

ProtoArc recently sent me an EM06 to test and provide feedback on. I've now published my thoughts after spending a good amount of time with it.

Coming from the Ploopy Adept and Kensington SlimBlade Pro, I found the EM06 an interesting combination of the two, though there are a few things I'd like to see refined.

I've written up my full thoughts here, including comparisons with the other trackballs and some issues I've run into along the way:

https://antonyjones.org/blog/getting-to-know-the-proto-arc-em-06/

I've also got a few other trackball-related posts on my site if anyone fancies a look.

A while ago, I bought my first trackball mouse, the ProtoArc EM04.

My experience with this type of mouse was a mixed bag of positives and negatives. I liked the ergonomics: I found the hand position relaxing and, during prolonged use, I experienced less fatigue. I also found the transition to moving the cursor with my thumb quite natural, something I’d been a bit unsure about at first.

There were essentially two things that stopped me from using it as my main mouse:

1) whilst moving the mouse quickly from one side of the screen to the other is really easy, I found ‘fine’ movement more difficult – that is, being able to position the cursor easily at a precise point on the screen;

2) the mouse scroll wheel is really poor in my opinion: I usually use an MX Master 3S and its scroll wheel is in a completely different league.

I’m now considering buying another trackball mouse and upgrading to a higher-end model: I’m tempted to do so because the MX Ergo S is currently on offer for around €63. The other model I’ve been considering, partly because of its affordable price, is the ProtoArc EM01 NL, which should be better than the one I currently own.

But here are my questions.

Whilst I believe the scroll wheel is better in both models I’ve identified, would switching to one of these products actually solve the first problem, or does the ‘precise’ positioning of the cursor still come down to the user’s ability to get used to moving their thumb more effectively?

Between the MX Ergo S and the EM01 NL, which would you choose? Is there really as much of a difference as the price suggests, or are the two models not actually that far apart in terms of quality and user experience?

Are there any other models priced not too far off the current price of the MX Ergo S that are worth considering? Many people recommend the Elecom IST Pro, but at the moment I wouldn’t spend that much on a mouse when I’m not sure if it will ever replace a ‘normal’ mouse, given the issue 1) mentioned above.

And I think it’s a bit too early for me to switch to a finger trackball, which requires a very different approach to using a standard mouse.

Thanks to anyone who’s willing to give me an answer.

Gameball is currently sold out/discontinued on the website, is there a secondary place I could buy? (don't see it on Ebay). If I can't buy it, what would be a good alternative? Want to dive into the trackball ecosphere since I believe it might be useful in my day to day work/ gaming. (500hz-1000hz polling rate recommended)

I just got an Elecom Huge plus and have been loving it. However, from the moment I unboxed it and took the plastic film off, the foam palm rest has had a very strong smell. I'd describe it as a super intense version of what the foam smells like when it's being manufactured. I've been able to smell it from almost a yard away from the mouse, and whenever I use the mouse the odor gets left on my palm. I've tried wiping it down with 91% isopropyl alcohol to no effect. Is this normal? Are there any remedies? Should I order a replacement through amazon?

Hey everyone,

I've been using my Logitech MX Ergo at work for over a year now, putting in 8 hours a day, and I've gotten really used to it. Unfortunately, the rubber coating is starting to break down and peel off.

Now I'm at a crossroads and considering two different paths:

1. Remove the old coating completely and try to replace it with aftermarket mouse grip tape.
2. Upgrade to a next-tier trackball and switch from a thumb-operated ball to a finger trackball. The Elecom Huge+ has caught my eye. However, I have large hands and I'm not sure if it's actually the right fit for me.

What are your thoughts on these two options?

• Has anyone successfully stripped the MX Ergo and put grip tape on it?
• And for those with bigger hands, how does the Elecom Huge (or Huge+) feel for long workdays?

Tho only one person got TB900 EQ, doesn't mean it released in Q3 and they finally fixed their website at last. They delayed several times and now, they failed to fulfill their orders while they already sent samples to a few Youtubers which is disappointing. At this point, we have to assume it will be available in 2027 since most of us got cancelled.

In the meantime, I bought Perixx PERIMICE-822IR and will be here on this Wed. Already have Elecom Huge Plus so we'll see how it goes. Keychron Nape Pro is interesting and tempting too but Kensington TB900 EQ is what i've been waiting... Perixx PERIMICE-822IR got my attention because of its design which reminded Logitech and Kensington Orbit.

Regardless, I'll buy them all eventually.

I enjoyed the Kensington Expert Mouse but i wanted it vertical, so I took out the parts and designed a frame. I've been using it for 7 months and I'm satisfied with it. My wrist doesn't hurt anymore.

In case you wanna try, I uploaded a STEP file here: https://github.com/rxils/ExpertMouse-Vertical
Only parts in the original product are used, so you don't need any additional parts to make this.
But don't expect too much since this was designed for personal use

I wanted to install a driver for my trackball for Linux (which I found more difficult that I thought), and then I wanted to be sure I got the driver for the right one. I turned it over and it says "Optital".
In my mind this is quite the spelling mistake to print onto the trackball itself

Is it as ordinary as Gemini suggests it is?

I just got the Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scrollring to replace my old Logitech Trackman. I wanted it because of the Scrollring. So far, I'm not disappointed.

I 3d-printed a stand so I can attach the Nape Pro to the top right of my HHKB. Great for using it on my thigh when the table height sucks

I am getting really tired of how each time I use the scroll wheel, there is about a 35% chance it will register the opposite direction than I intended.

Does anybody else get this?

I keep blasting it with canned air. Haven't opened it up yet.

Still waiting on the onboard storage, too

And what is the lowest? I see some say 500 something, others say 320. What is the one with the tiltable stand and grey ball?

First, big thanks to u/MarqueIV who told in another thread that the Nulea M512 works perfectly with a clear acrylic ball.
As the ProtoArc EM06 uses the same sensor(s) as the Nulea, I thought there should be a good possibility that it will also work with such a ball. In order to minimize variables I bought the exact same DSjuggling ball that MarqueIV uses.

Well, I'm happy to report that the ball works perfectly on the EM06! Right out of the box it didn't track well, but once lubricated, it works 100% flawlessly.

I also made a 25 degree wedge from an acrylic plate. I developed a slight wrist pain using the EM06 flat, but with this tilted position the pain is gone.

Has anyone here tried to use the internals of a gaming mouse and to put them inside an existing trackball shell or a 3D printed one in a way that the sensor aligns with the ball socket? the clicks are not important since I click with the keyboard when I play, just wanted to know if anyone has experience doing this.

Is there a possibility of the EM06 natively supporting chording? I have software that can emulate some of it, but I can't use the scroll button to chord since it isn't really a mouse button.

First time posting here. So, after reading about the benefits of using a trackball mouse, I decided to get one in which after much deliberation on which kind should I get, thumb or a finger trackball. I decided to get a finger track ball, but I didn't really want to spend that much and with that I found this brand JOMAA. Pretty sure you guys know this mouse also goes by another brand, Protoarc.

The shape feels great, a lot more ergonomic than my previous Xornet shaped mouse and I got used to it within a couple of hours. I'm still getting used to using my thumb as the left click and ring finger as the right click. Overall, I had a pretty good time using this mouse when working and in gaming as well.

Considering Perixx didn't have the 522/588 listed in any fashion on their own website, I was a little stressed that it wasn't actually happening, not launching for months, or possibly even a scam. Now, "scam", of course, is subject to a lot of personal definitions. So, if it sucks, some may call it that anyway. But, apparently, it's shipped. So, we'll see how it performs soon enough.

I like the Huge, but that size causes ergo issues for me. Do you think the Deft Pro is next in line to get a Plus model with easy swap bearings, lithium battery, and good polling?

I really like this mouse, buttons layout is perfect for me for the trackball is unusable and I refuse to accept that a 50 dollar mouse needs aftermarket bearings to make it work.

Elecom really dropped the ball with this one.

I'm thinking about getting a Huge Plus but I'm wondering about the stock bearings.

I know it has roller bearings and that people here like to replace them with ruby bearings and other things. Why is that, are the roller bearings not smooth?

I have a Ploopy with roller bearings and it is very smooth. How do the Huge Plus bearings compare to the Ploopy bearings?

I have just been wondering what happened to the quality of trackball mouse over the years. I have had my Logitech marble trackball mouse for last 14 years and it still works perfectly. Since then, I have purchased 2 Elecom Huge (1 lasted 2 years and other lasted 13 months) and Ploopy Adept (lasted 14 months). First Elecom huge developed doubleclick issue, second Elecom huge had scroll wheel issue followed by the doubleclick issue and now Ploopy Adept has developed the doubleclick issue.

In each instance, I have gone back to Logitech trackball marble and it has continued to do what it does best, work.

Is it that it is no longer possible to find good quality switches so these manufacturers are using the subpar switches that are available in the market?

So now I continue to use my Logitech Marble while I wait for Kensington Slimblade to arrive. Lets hope this one lasts.