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Loading ...The Pitch: First introduced at CES 2008, the Kensington SlimBlade Trackball has been updated for 2009. The fundamentals of the SlimBlade are the same. It gives you the ability to quickly switch from traditional mousing to trackball and back. In mouse mode, the scroll ball allows you to scroll horizontally and vertically simultaneously. Trackball mode gives you precise cursor control in tight spaces and on any surface. For the new version, Kensington has incorporated a few of the features found on its SlimBlade Media Mouse: A media mode that lets you control volume, play/pause, stop, and track forward/backward, as well as a view mode that lets you zoom in/out and pan.
Pros: Users seem to like the SlimBlade line better than most other trackball mice. The hand-feel is reportedly very pleasing and the accuracy is good. It’s a small detail, but I love the little cover that slides over the laser eye when not in use.
Cons: FixYa’s members haven’t yet reported many problems with the SlimBlade Trackball, but one user has experienced a problem getting the curser to move after using the right-click menu. The original SlimBlade Trackball connected to your computer via Bluetooth, something that seems to hold true for the new version as well. If your computer didn’t come with Bluetooth built in, you can purchase the Kensington Bluetooth USB Micro Adaptor, which may well be the tiniest Bluetooth adaptor you’ve ever seen. The downside is that it will add an additional $39.99 to the $129.99 you’ll pay for the Trackball.
Recommendation: $170 to add the Kensington SlimBlade Trackball to my existing set-up? I think not.
