

- #Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement for mac os x
- #Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement for mac os
- #Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement mac os x
This cord is no longer detachable, as the ADB cable on the Turbo Mouse was, nor is there a USB pass-through on the Expert Mouse, though there’s admittedly less reason for one with the proliferation of USB hubs on the desktop. Kensington sensibly attaches a six-foot cord, putting the Expert Mouse within reach of even the worst hide-the-tower-under-the-desk setups. Of course, if you already have a wrist-rest mousepad, this should be a non-issue. Moving your hand up on the mouse a bit helps, but doesn’t entirely avoid the problem.



The leading edge sticks up a little higher than it should, which is mildly uncomfortable. It snaps into its two mounting holes very tightly, and it’s pretty tricky to remove. Though wrist-rest mousepads are a dime a dozen now, the pleather-covered dense foam makes for a comfortable and stable support. If you’re soured on trackballs because of bad experiences with another model, rest assured this is one area where size does matter, and the Expert Mouse could well change your opinion. The great benefit of this long line of trackballs has always been the size of the ball, which allows for much better cursor control than, say, the built-in trackballs on 100-series PowerBooks or the thumb-balls used on Logitech and Microsoft’s widely tolerated optical trackballs. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to this behavior, but it’s fairly reliable and happens almost every time.
#Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement mac os x
There seems to be one minor bug with the software under Mac OS X 10.3: plugging or unplugging the mouse seems to activate the screensaver within about 20 seconds. Conversely, if you find it turned up to eleven and a mere tap of the mouse sends the cursor all the way across your screen, make sure the Keyboard & Mouse settings aren’t too high. Unlike Classic versions of MouseWorks, the new version bases these values on their corresponding global system preferences, so if you find yourself wanting to turn it up to eleven, make sure you’ve adjusted the settings in the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane first.
#Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement for mac os
(A little-known secret on the Classic Mac OS was the fact that Kensington’s ADB MouseWorks software was amazingly supportive of non-Kensington devices, sort of like an ADB version of USB Overdrive.) It’s hard to find fault with Kensington for failing to re-implement this feature when it rewrote the software from scratch for Mac OS X.Īs with all good software, the default settings are sensible, too, though most folks will probably find the default scrolling speed and cursor tracking a bit too slow. The only drawback is that third-party mouse support has disappeared.
#Kensington expert mouse trackball replacement for mac os x
Software has traditionally been a Kensington strong point, and the latest version of MouseWorks for Mac OS X is no exception. Kensington takes the opposite tack, with incredible software that makes an otherwise complex mouse quite easy to use. Apple has always taken the dead-simple route. Hate the game-and Kensington’s game is not to be hated lightly.Ī good mouse starts off with one of two things: either it’s dead simple or it has great software. If you’re a trackball-hater, approach this review with an open mind. It’s the latest offspring of the original trackball mouse. Let’s get one thing out of the way: the Expert Mouse is the epitome of all things trackball. The latest revision of the Expert Mouse, version 7.0, has been out for about a year, and it fully lives up to its billing as the “ultimate trackball.” With USB connectivity, optical tracking, four programmable buttons, a brilliantly conceived “Scroll Ring,” an included wrist rest, and a billiard-size trackball, this mouse is the whole package.
