This review is for the ELECOM M-HT1URBK wired version on Windows.
I don’t think there is any perfect track ball. Everyone’s hands are different in size and dexterity, to say nothing of right vs left handedness. This trackball is firmly in the right hand, medium sized hand camp. And, this Elecom M-HT1URBK is a mixed bag of very good and not so good.
**So first the hardware:
It is described as an 8 button track ball, but it really has 10 buttons or switches. The scroll wheel has three, Tilt Up, Tilt Down, and Push In, along with scroll function.
Elecom makes several trackballs, and they rightly are divided into “thumb operation”
and “forefinger operation.” This is the forefinger type which I prefer.
Compared to some other trackballs in the field I find it well built. The anti-skid pads on the bottom are just OK. They work if really clean, the slightest bit of dust and the trackball skids around easily. The soft palm rest is OK now, but time will tell if it gets sticky or degrades with hand oil as most others do.
As for the trackball itself, I find it a good size at 52mm. It rides on three ruby red nubs. Those nubs stand a bit higher in the Elecom than other manufacturers. For example my Kensington SlimBlade’s ruby nubs are almost flush with the ball housing. With Elecom’s being higher it takes a bit longer for the ball to gum-up and get sticky with debris. Other reviewers have commented on the not so smooth performance of the trackball itself. I don’t find that an issue.
I have a collection of just about every track ball made, going back to the early days of computer GUIs. The early ones were essentially, an upside down mouse. They used steel wheels to track movement and were really rough. Modern trackballs such as this Elecom use reflected light off the ball to track movement. However I find that every modern trackball has to be ‘treated’ out of the box. Here is my method:
Get some Engleside Old Fashioned Kitchen Wax & Cleaner. ASIN: B005WW1JF6. Give the ball a good washing with liquid dish detergent. Dry it completely and then use the Engleside to wax it up. Wax it twice, use a soft cotton rag, and be sure to buff to dry between applications. If you do this you will have no complaints about smooth movement. Do it as routine maintenance.
Elecom claims on their website they use Omron switches. I have not taken this trackball apart to verify that, but I can say some of the buttons have a very clear and easy click. But, not all the buttons click with the same force. For example the LMB really only clicks well in the forward most finger position. As you move back on the button the force changes to where it won’t click at all. This does tend to slow me down when working, as I have to find the sweet spot to click.
The thing is, that is just opposite of the so-called Button #5. The rear of the button is easier to click than the front, go figure.
And the other thing about that most used LMB is that it is positioned a bit under the scroll wheel, so I have had to disable the “Scroll In” button as I sometimes hit them both with my fat thumb.
Also, I find the scroll wheel to be too far to the rear of the housing. I have to bend my thumb a bit more than I would like.
Lastly the “R” or Right button needs to be widened near the top to cover the blank area at about one or two o’clock on the ball. If the “R” button were wider there, it would facilitate Right-Click Drag. In fact I have assigned “Right Click” also to “F2" to help with drag.
There is a switch near the base that allows one to switch the pointer resolution between 500/1000/1500. An LED will blink once for the first position, twice for the second position, and three times for the third position. That helps to verify the switch position.
**On to the software:
Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest software. The M-HT1URBK is not currently listed under “Products>Trackball mouse.” Just search for it and it will come up. This review is for the Mouse Assistant for Windows v5.2.00.000 which is current as of this writing.
BTW Elecom, it is not a “trackball mouse” it is a trackball pointer, but that is a rant for another time.
And, there is a downloadable 23 page PDF manual in English, and some other languages. The install routine is well behaved and requires a reboot. There is no “About” button or check for update button in the software, so it is hard to know if one is running the latest version.
The software did recognize the attached trackball and put up the correct picture on the “Allocate button function” tab. There are 46 plus Off assignable functions for each of the ten buttons. And if one fails to assign the two most necessary functions (i.e. for Windows-right and left click) the software puts up a warning box (see pix) and will force one to assign Left Click to a button. As good as that is, inexplicably it ignores the just as important Right Click.
However, software labels for the buttons don’t match what are on the trackball. E.g. the trackball button Fn1 is labeled “Button 6:” in the software. If the user clicks on the list box for Button 6, the corresponding button on the trackball picture lights up. But, it does not work in reverse. One should be able to click on the button in the picture and have corresponding assignments come up.
Also the scroll wheel tilt is labeled in the software “Tilt left:” and “Tilt right:” but it really should be labeled “Tilt up:” and “Tilt down:” Left and Right is an assignable function, not what one does with a finger.
There are other labels that don’t match. If the software can sense the specific model of trackball, it should be able to use the correct labels. As it is, it is just an awkward UI.
One can create custom profiles; save and name them. The software defaults to putting an icon in the notification area so it is easy to switch between profiles.
There is a feature called “flying scroll” [with apologies to Jay Ward, not Rocky the Flying Squirrel] It is essentially an auto scroll function, and will take some playing with to match your reading speed, but useful, nevertheless.
There is a new for this version “Presentation mode” in the current software which the manual hasn’t caught up with yet. I played with it a bit, and it will take some work to see what it does. I’m sure an updated manual would help this.
The last tab is for gesture functions. Just be careful of conflicts with Win10 gestures.
So all in all there is a learning curve to the feel and the customization for any one individual’s use, but I’m glad I have it and look forward to when it will become more intuitive.
| 品牌 | ELECOM |
|---|---|
| 制造商 | Elecom Japan (PC) |
| 型号 | M-HT1DRBK |
| 商品尺寸 | 5.72 x 11.48 x 18.19 cm; 258.55 克 |
| 电池 | 2 5号电池 电池(附带) |
| 制造商是否已停产 | 不是 |
| 颜色 | 无线 |
| 内存类型 | VRAM |
| 电压 | 1.5 伏特 |
| 电源类型 | 电池供电 |
| 硬件平台 | Laptop, PC |
| 操作系统 | macOS 10.12 Sierra, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows RT8.1 |
| 是否包含电池 | 是 |
| 电池包装类型 | 电池是包含在该商品的包装内，但没有装配在该商品内 |
| 商品重量 | 259 g |
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