[giancarlostoro]

A Trackball mouse. No seriously. I had awful wrist pains, its always commented on that us developers / people who use computers a lot run the risk of getting CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and I was basically worried I was headed that way at 26, so I looked around at what my much more senior co-workers were using, and about half of them had trackballs. So I bought one, then I bought an ergonomic (Microsoft) keyboard. I've never had pain in my wrist again. I use my Trackball for everything, including gaming (although lockpicking on Skyrim is a PITA, it does not transfer well, so I keep a normal USB mouse plugged in that I rarely touch for the rare case where my trackball is a hindrance).

[blakesterz]

Yep, doing a more ergonomic set up on my desk here made my life better too. I had some write/forearm pains too and went with a vertical mouse, and that did the trick. I couldn't get used to a trackball for some reason. Also went with an ergonomic keyboard and that also helps. I don't do any gaming on here, just work stuff.

[giancarlostoro]

I have heard good things about Vertial Mice but I've fallen in love with Trackballs once I embraced my first one, I don't know if I can appreciate normal mice since.

[DamnInteresting]

Seconded on the trackball. I was a trackball user for years until Microsoft discontinued their trackball ca. 2005, and I was unable to find a suitable replacement. A couple of years ago I was feeling some wrist pain from my conventional mouse, and reexamined the trackball offerings. After a couple of missteps with mediocre Kensington models, I found the Elecom HUGE Trackball. It is excellent, I am tempted to buy some backups in case they stop making it.

For the Mac users: I find that it is quite handy to keep a Magic Trackpad on the side of my keyboard opposite the trackball. I use it to make quick gestures such as switching desktops, showing all windows, etc.

[giancarlostoro]

Funny I'm currently using a Kensington one, I didnt like that it felt smaller, but I just realized this today, I got used to it already.

[DamnInteresting]

I tried two different models of Kensingtons. The first one felt fine to use, but it had a scroll ring around the ball, and this piece broke off after a few weeks. I got it replaced under warranty, and the next one broke the same way in a similar time frame. So I tried one of their other models, and it just didn't fit my hand well. It's now my emergency backup.

[jacknews]

How does it compare to an 'external' trackpad, eg an apple magic trackpad?

[giancarlostoro]

Never used one, but with a Trackball mouse you rest your hand on top of the mouse body, and its really mainly your thumb vs your wrist being moved.

[jacknews]

I don't know if it's just me, but my thumb does not do fine control that well, and feels quite stiff doing it. It's great for gripping (obviously) and for 'thumping' a spacebar or whatever, but it seems unnatural if I try to drive my trackpad with my thumb, for example.

I see the point about wrist movement though, even on a trackpad there's a lot of lateral wrist movement.

[EForEndeavour]

Which trackball mouse, and how did you choose?

[jackstraw14]

Not OP, but you really need to try out a few styles yourself and see what fits best, for me that was the Logitech MX Ergo. The big square Kensington one was pretty nice too, but not as comfortable as the MX Ergo IMO. Still working great after 6 years or so.

[anotherevan]

I worry about thumb fatigue or De Quervain syndrome with a thumb trackball.

[giancarlostoro]

I have gone through some changes with the mice and the keyboard, I got the first one in like 2017 so its fair to say wear and tear and other factors.

First one I got was the Logitech M575, I just went for what looked to have good reviews, and I've always bought Logitech. I got one for work and my home when the first one died too quickly because it got bumped in my bag going back and forth to work.

Then they released a new trackball called the Ergo MX (when googling it, definitiely add the term "Trackball") which was fantastic. I liked keeping it raised instead of lowered (which was a feature it had) but then after a few years the clicking stopped working as expected, and I found out some people had issues with the switch wearing down over time.

At this point I have a wireless Kensington Trackball mouse, it supports three devices (2 bluetooth, and one USB paired device, so three total), witching between all three isn't perfect (its a little too delayed compared to my Logitech keyboard that switches on a single tap) but it works well enough. Its raised by default so its just as I would have used the Ergo MX. It also has two programmable buttons, though you can also program other things with their software, I've left their custom software uninstalled however, since it fights with Windows' own settings, but it works great on any OS I'm on, including my Linux system.

As for the keyboard, I had Microsoft's Ergonomic wireless keyboard for a while, I've been leaning towards wired keyboards more, since I do tend to use Linux, and use full disk encryption, and none of that works if you're fully bluetooth wireless only.

My other thing is I prefer flat key keyboards, I know some people hate them, but I just find them to be nicer on my hands and quicker to type on, so I usually lean towards flat key ergonomic keyboards now, which there's not a huge amount of those. The wired Microsoft keyboards only come with regular "fat keys" as opposed to the flat keys their other wireless ergonomic keyboards feature. I did find a Kensington wired keyboard that's ergonomic and has flat keys, I replaced it after I spilled coffee on it and bought the same one, but I cant help but want a wireless one still.

But I'm looking into a Logitech keyboard that is ergonomic and supports multiple devices, and using the unifying USB plug as the main way to connect to my encrypted Linux system, I've always had solid luck with Logitech's unifying USB device, it usually just works regardless of what stage the computer is in, its just bluetooth only that fails if you're trying to make bios changes.

Anyway, its been a few different devices, but the focus has always been on getting a ergonomic keyboard and any trackball mouse that works best for me. I definitely like the ones where you rest most of your hand on them the most.