I'm a big fan of the shape and design of the Elecom EX-G, but the lack of a bluetooth version has been frustrating when I'm working not from home. My MacBook Pro doesn't have old style USB ports so I really would like a BT enabled one, so I don't need a long cable and adapter, or dongle and adapter.

I was curious about the Bitra as a portable BT enabled alternative, so ordered one as soon as it became available outside Japan last week.

Initial impressions

- It's very small. Like, perfect size for my 6 year old's hand. Photo has it beside the EX-G, which isn't a huge trackball itself.
- The case is nice... but pretty much defeats the purpose of a tiny trackball - portability. It's bigger than my full size EX-G. I'll likely just toss the Bitra in my bag.
- Ergonomics are... hmm. I'm not sure this going to fill the need I thought it was. It's sufficiently tiny that i'm not sure I prefer it to just using my trackpad. I much prefer the full size EX-G to the trackpad, but this is eensy teensy.
- The small ball seems more sensitive to dirt and stickiness, but I'll give it a bit of time to see how it goes.

Overall... i'm not sold, but I'll try it for a few days before deciding whether to keep or return.

Does anybody have experience / can tell me about their experiences in using trackballs for cad programs, specifically solidworks.

I recently had to switch from catia 3dX to solidworks and the different ways of house pan, zoom and rotate are handled are driving me crazy so I thought it might be worth to switch to different devices like spacemouse or a trackball. I never liked the spacemouse as it is super inprecise with the velocity control rather than position control and recently came across a video from David Liu who designed a mod to the kensington slimblade for exactly this.

Another concern I had is that CAD requires both manipulation of the model and moving the cursor across the screen for button actions and clicking features. I thought it would be super cool to use a mice on my right hand for cursor control and a trackball in my left for model manipulation but not for cursor movements. Does anybody have a clue if this is possible?

All tips, info or experiences are welcome. I am currently also hoping for the expert mouse pro tb900 eq to be released as it has dual sensors which, from what i understood) might allow for better cad manipulation.

I replaced my original bearings on my kensington expert in October 2025. It was initially amazing, but now, it's becoming a pain to use my trackball because how stiff it can be. I've tried lubing the bearings, cleaning them dry, and at this point, I might just order new bearings, but just not ceramic again.

I got the IST Pro about 5 months ago and while I like the layout of the mouse its crap bearing design has made it the most frustrating, inconsistent piece of shit I've ever had to use so I really need a replacement for it.

I'm basically looking for a thumb ball mouse that has as little stiction as possible- those are pretty much my only two requirements. Finger balls are not an option.

Also I don't give a fuck about how wet you get over your shitty Elecom trash, fanboys. If it wasn't a piece of shit then I wouldn't need to replace it. Downvoting doesn't somehow magically make my IST Pro stop sucking ass and make me wrong.

I like trackballs. Finger trackballs to be more specific because the thumb trackballs cause pain in my thumb. I also like the concept of the vertical mouse. This is my attempt at making a vertical trackball a reality.

I have a Kensington Expert but I don't like its ergonomics. First is the upward tilt it has, which is bad for my wrist. The wrist pad helps some but it doesn't improve the fact that you'll need your hands to be in a pronated position instead of a vertical\neutral position. Lastly, the placement of the buttons make me do finger gymnastics.

So I removed the top cover, sawed off the sides, removed the scroll ring and rehomed the left and right buttons to one side. This allows my hand to be in a more neutral\vertical position, gives a larger ball surface to control and my thumb can easily reach the two primary buttons easily. I also don't have to reach for buttons above the ball. This concept makes a lot more sense to me.

For scrolling I use drag scroll on the top left button with my ring\middle finger since I can reach it more easily now that my hand is vertical. For middle click I originally tried to put it in between the two primary buttons but it was too cramped. For now it's at the top right button but I am using the right click menu for any middle click option.

My wish is for a commercial trackball of similar design that puts buttons at the thumb instead of all around the ball. To make it more ambidextrous those buttons could be swung to the left or right side. The ball could also have a bit of a tilt to the left or right.

I love my Deft Pro and have been using it for years but, it's almost to a point of needing a replacement.

My only real issue is the optical/infrared sensor used for the scroll wheel as it becomes unreliable or sensitive at times and other times it stops working due to debris that requires disassembly to clean out.

So I'm curious if anyone knows yet if they still use the same thing or if they've switched to something else like magnetic or analogue sensors in their current lineup.

We have been informed by our development team in Japan that there has been a delay in the development of the activation patch for HUGE’s onboard memory feature. We had been working right up until the last minute to try to keep the original schedule, which is why we apologize for the late notice.

We will continue to prioritize this project and allocate the necessary resources to move development forward as quickly as possible. For features that are ready to be released, we are also considering releasing them in stages rather than waiting until everything is completely finalized, so that we can bring the onboard memory functionality to our customers as soon as possible.

We sincerely apologize for this outcome, especially to everyone who has been looking forward to this update and patiently waiting for it.

Please note that even if you contact us about this matter through our official website, we will not be able to provide information regarding the expected release date or development schedule.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for the delay and appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

After using the stock Adept for a couple of days it became apparent that the button layout was not ergonomic for me. I found my fingers would be in a more curled position to reach the keys on the right side due to the way I had my hand naturally positioned. Still need to make a couple of tweaks, but so far more enjoyable to use then before.

Hey everyone! I missed my chance to snag a Nape Pro on Amazon US a month+ ago. I've been following various threads about it, and I'm still curious about its usability. The ball bearing swap seems like a must do.

I have a short stop over in Japan and was thinking of grabbing one while I'm there. I have a feeling I'll use it for a little bit and it'll just end up collecting dust.

So please tell me, are you guys still using it? Have you gotten used to the scroll wheel being sticky? Are you still accidentally hitting the buttons? Was it cool as a novelty and have given up on it?

I've been a large fan of Model M keyboards from the mid 80s through the present day. So I have a large amount of BEIGE keyboards. I'm just now getting into trackballs and I do see some vintage ones pop up on eBay quite a bit.

Are any of these old trackballs actually worth buying and using on modern computers? I'd like to have a beige trackball that matches my keyboards, but it seems like I'd likely have to miss out on modern, must have features, like built in scrolling.

I don't keep up with this sub often, but last I heard the firmware to enable onboard configuration storage for the huge plus was still on track to be released in August. Has that been delayed or did I miss the announcement about its release?

Edit: Well, at least they responded quickly.

Hey Ballers,

I have a wired EX-G that has lasted! Sure, I've had problems over the years, but usually I can take it apart, clean it out, and be good to go. Whenever the bearings act up, I've tried to manually rotate them a bit, and it'll be back to smoothe sailing. I replaced the ball early on with the red ball from a Logitech trackman, and I think that's why I've been happy worth it for so long.

I'm at that point again, but I feel like there's no reason not to upgrade. I've grown so accustomed to the ring- finger button that I won't go without it. I love it for gaming!, but also just to set it as CTRL or ALT for common apps.

I'm looking at the EX-G Pro and IST Pro specifically. I like the placement of the extra buttons on the EX-G Pro better for gaming... one for the middle finger and one for a thumb bumper. The problem I've had with my current EX-G is that the left wheel- click has become intermittent. It looks like the same wheel mechanism is used.

I'm really intrigued by the IST roller bearings! Just thinking about the extra button placement for games, though, makes me think they wouldn't be as useful.

Do you/ have you owned any of these? I guess I'm wondering what people who play games think of these. Or even if you don't, what do you use the extra buttons for?

Thanks!

My huge finally stopped working but I have someone offering one that doesn’t have the dongle. Is it possible to use theirs with my dongle?

I installed Soft-X but it only seems to allow mapping of the buttons and doesn't feature CPI level configuration.

Hey everyone,

I’ve used a Logitech MX Ergo S for 5-6 years, but it has finally died recently. I’ve now been using a regular mouse for a few weeks again and I’m starting to get some wrist and shoulder pain.

I was just going to order another MX Ergo S (I honestly loved my experience), but then I started shopping around for other options, just for fun. I started going down a rabbit hole and I am now considering a finger trackball. I am thinking of waiting for the Kensington TB900 to release.

A few questions for the community:
1. Have you ever moved from a thumb trackball to a finger trackball? Which option do you prefer and why?
2. Do you think it’s worth waiting for the TB900, considering I already have some slight wrist and shoulder pain + the release date seems uncertain?
3. In my case, would you instead just stick with the good ol MX Ergo S?

Thank you for your help!

So according to grok the patent for it's been expired for awhile now. So someone with a marbel fx mouse could just take it apart and scan it for example.

https://gomeasure3d.com/blog/how-to-replicate-objects-with-3d-scanning-and-3d-printing-with-video/

Then modernize it with usb c and even make the case out of aluminum vs plastic. Yes more expensive and heavy but the mouse doesn't move the ball does.

Seems doable now, just scan the case parts in and post the 3d scans on the net once you have the updated insides worked out.

Ideas?

According to grok**Yes, the main patents associated with the Logitech TrackMan Marble FX have expired.**

Here are the key ones identified for this product:

### 1. Design patent (the overall shape/look)

- **USD410638** — “Optical trackball”

- Filed: May 8, 1998

- Issued: June 8, 1999

- **Expired**: June 8, 2013 (design patents from that era lasted 14 years from the issue date)

### 2. Utility patent (the core “Marble” optical tracking technology)

- **US5288993** — “Cursor pointing device utilizing a photodetector array with target ball having randomly distributed speckles”

- Filed: October 5, 1992

- Issued: February 22, 1994

- **Expired**: around October 5, 2012 (20 years from the filing date; as a pre-June 1995 filing it got the longer of 17 years from issue or 20 years from filing)

Both are listed as **Expired – Lifetime** on Google Patents and related sources. There was also some related litigation involving an earlier third-party patent (Samuel Gart’s US4862165), but that was resolved years ago and does not affect current status.

**Bottom line**: The design protection and the core optical tracking patent for the Marble FX have been expired for well over a decade. Reproducing the shape or the speckled-ball optical sensing approach for personal or commercial use no longer faces those patent barriers (other unexpired patents or trademarks could still apply in edge cases, but these specific ones do not).

Hi,

I’ve been using the M505 for more than a year now, and the left click has started to become harder to press and sometimes double-clicks.

Does anyone know if the switches are replaceable? I’m unable to open the case because the screws are difficult to remove, and the screw holes are starting to strip.

I have used this mouse for more than a day now. When I unboxed it; moving very slowly wasn't smooth -- it was fixed after lubricating the ball with my skin oils 😂 and then buffing the ball (I took advice from AI).

I use the Kensington software for this mouse because it somehow works. It helps me a lot with AutoCAD at my work.

I'd like to know if you have any advice or more tips on maintaining the life of this trackball because I'm starting to love it!

Split keyboard running ZMK
BALL is just from generic 34mm Amazon, idk what’s good and what’s not. Any advice there would be great.

First ever trackball and I’m sold. I don’t think I can ever go back to a regular mouse. Next I just need a scroll wheel/ring.

Thanks!

Used the Pixart breakout board for the sensor.

Hi everyone!

I just received my first-ever trackball — the Logitech M575s — and have been testing it for a few minutes. It definitely feels strange at first, but I can already use it for basic navigation.

Quick question: does the M575s show up in Logi Options+ for you? Mine pairs and works fine, but it doesn’t appear in the software at all

Even though it may be prevalent in Amazon and other sites, buyer beware.

I just had mine go south for its optical sensor. Was in the warranty period, but apparently Protoarc's corporate stock has been depleted and they're only giving refunds.

When I asked about a replacement trackball of comparable value to replace it, specifically the EM02, they pointed me to their replacement policy, which in no way states that it has to be a like for like item.

So now I wait for the refund, and hopefully can find another trackball that's not gonna crap out after less than two years...

I've had my nape pro for about a month now and the printed labels on the buttons are already fading :( anyone else had this happen?

Hello, longtime lurker. Spent a lot of work downtime peeking around in this subreddit.

I've been using a Nuela 512 as a daily driver at work for over a year now (Printing/Prepress) and having a great time with it. Figured a year at the job deserved an upgrade and ordered a Ploopy Adept+ the literal minute it dropped, never done anything in my life like that before. It just came in today and I have been really enjoying it. Need more time to find the commands I want to bind to the upper buttons and get used to that new scroll ring/knob thing it has going on before I give a solid opinion on it, but my first impressions are positive. First mouse with roller bearings! Much prefer the Nuela scrolling to it thus far, really useful for work in the Adobe Suite.

Anyhoo I figured my home setup felt left out after my Elecom Huge went on the fritz a few weeks back and came across a used X-keys Ltrac on Ebay for $60 and jumped on it like a rabid animal. PI has been out of stock for some time now and I see them float around in the $200-250 range sometimes which I think is nuts.

Herein lies my problem: of course the unit isn't working right out of the box, can't expect that for this price at all. No info on the listing as well, seems to be one of those larger conglomerate sellers. I have downloaded just about every one of the seemingly endless list of programs on the X-keys site and none of them seem to recognize it as being plugged in to my PC (already checked all the Occam's Razor stuff with ports and wires). The ball isn't tracking. It lights up when I scroll with the wheel and the right, left and middle switch all function. Ball don't track. Open it up and just about everything looks clean, pretty sure it's a laser issue? I also wonder why it isn't being recognized by any of the programs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I have some mild soldering experience from wiring guitars but not electronics. Not sure where to buy a laser from? Thought about emailing support but I am not sure how receptive they would be to a second hand purchase. I've seen, through many forums, that they are pretty kind and generally responsive but most posts saying that are around 5 years old, lord knows the world has changed a lot in that time. Also goes to show maybe a fading interest in the L-Trac, which I am of the belief that is an interesting piece of trackballing history -- especially considering how many companies bought the design to keep producing the damn thing.

And I could go on - yada, yada. Thank you for reading, deeply enjoy the longer rants I read on this sub and I thought I'd finally throw my hat in the ring.