Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball

by Kensington

Additional Resources Accessories

The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball from Kensington is a compact ambidextrous trackball mouse that provides the convenience of wireless in a small footprint. The compact size and wireless convenience make it a suitable solution for short-term mobile usage or for users with small hands who may find other trackball options to be a bit large.

The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is plug and play (no driver required). Buttons situated on the outer sides of the trackball housing provide access to Left and Right Clicks. Scrolling is available via dual Touch Scroll Zones that are positioned to the left and right of the compact 32 mm trackball. Functions can also be customized by installing and running the TrackballWorks software from Kensington. TrackballWorks offers button customization as well as cursor and scrolling speed adjustment options.

In order to extend battery life the wireless range is limited to 10 feet. Users are notified of necessary battery replacement by a low battery indicator light. A power switch further reduces unnecessary battery consumption. In step with the mobile focus of this product, the micro receiver can be conveniently housed in the body of the mouse during travel or storage.

Ergonomic Benefits

Reduces Strain on Arm, Elbow and Shoulder Muscles - Like a touchpad, the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is a stationary mousing device. (Moving the ball with the fingers moves the cursor on the screen.) Limiting the repetitive movements of the arm and shoulder can greatly reduce the potential for injury and inflammation in these muscle groups. The housing of a trackball can also be angled in any direction, allowing the user to keep the elbow, wrist and hand in a straight line, and to limit ulnar and radial deviation. Learn More About Ulnar Deviation

Reduces Strain on the Hand, Wrist and Arm - Trackballs effectively counter any tendency the user might have to grip the pointing device too hard. This often inadvertent static grip can cause pain and injury to the muscles and soft tissues in the back of the hand and in the wrist and forearm. Trackballs, by requiring a simple spinning motion accomplished with the fingers, eliminate static grip entirely. Learn More About Static Grip Force.

Ergonomic Support - The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball features a contoured housing that can provide support for users with smaller hands. The hand can be relaxed, permitting it to "drape" over the trackball which naturally positions the hand for optimum control.
Note: Users with larger hands may find this support is forfeited as they must move their hand further back, away from the body of the trackball, in order to best position their fingers for cursor control and button activation. The narrow width of the trackball and the positions of the left and right click buttons will also require a pincer-like action from those with larger hands. For these reasons users with larger hands should consider a larger trackball option in order to achieve a more ergonomic position.

Reduces Reach for Buttons - The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball positions the left and right buttons for natural access by the thumb and pinkie finger (some users may choose to use the ring finger as it has more strength). The available TrackballWorks programming software allows reassignment of trackball buttons and adjustment of tracking and scrolling speeds.

Enables Load Balancing Between Left and Right Hands - The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball features an ambidextrous design and can be placed on the left or right side of the keyboard in the traditional desktop layout. The ability to distribute the workload as desired allows the user to reduce the strain on the muscles of the dominant side.

Can Be Used In Locations Where a Mouse Can’t - This trackall can be used between the two modules of a separated keyboard, in tightly constrained workspaces, or wherever else the user might find convenient and comfortable, providing more options for load distribution than conventional mice.

Light Weight Ball - The 32 mm trackball on the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is light and features a silky, smooth movement. However, it retains significant enough weight that the fingers feel a level of feedback resistance. This enables a user to exert fine control without the sense of the ball being too light. This noticeably lighter load on the fingers can significantly reduce the potential for fatigue but does not lend itself as well to "spinning" the trackball for extreme acceleration when operating on large high-resolution monitors.

Frees Up Space on the Desktop - Since the trackball itself is the only moving part of this type of device, much less space is required for it on the work surface. A trackball may be the solution if restricted space on the desk top or on a narrow keyboard tray has prevented the mouse and keyboard from being used at the same level.

Software Driver for Increased Productivity - Users can take advantage of the powerful TrackballWorks Software package which can be downloaded from the Kensington website. As the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball only has 2 buttons the software does offer more limited options than other models (i.e. button reassignment and tracking speed control).

Features

Plug & Play Installation: Users can be up and running in moments with convenient Plug & Play capability. Those looking for advanced features can install the optional TrackballWorks software from Kensington which offers customization options.
Optical Tracking Technology: Optical Tracking ensures precision cursor control.
Touch Zone Scrolling: Convenient Touch Zones located to either side of the trackball offer fingertip access to scroll functions. The TrackballWorks software from Kensington permits customization of the scrolling speed.
Wireless Convenience: A nano receiver offers 2.4 GHZ wireless functionality, compatible with both PC and Mac OS. For battery life the range is limited to 10', completely suited to the mobile computing environment.
On/Off Switch: To ensure that batteries are not drained unnecessarily the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is equipped with a simple On/Off Switch.
Compact Size: The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is designed for mobile use and as such has compact dimensions. This also makes it well-suited to users who have small hands and who may find larger trackballs too large.
32 mm Trackball: The 32 mm ball can easily be moved by users with any size of hand. The movement requires minimal effort so the load on the fingers is minimal. Although low effort is required the ball still offers sufficient resistance, ensuring that users can retain a high level of control. Movement is smooth and accurate.
Natural Contours: The body of the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is shaped in such a way that it can provide a degree of hand support for those with small hands. Left and Right buttons are naturally activated by the thumb and pinky finger with the index and ring fingers positioned for access to the scroll touch zones. The middle finger is positioned centrally, over the trackball, to provide cursor control. However, unlike larger wired Orbit Trackball models, there is no extended support available for the heel of the hand. As well, due to the compact size, users with average to larger hands will receive little if any support from the trackball housing. These factors could lead to possible wrist extension and pinching actions, especially for those with larger hands. For these reasons this group of users should consider a larger trackball which offers support appropriate to their hand size.
TrackballWorks Software: The optional TrackballWorks Software enables users to re-assign both button commands as well as to adjust tracking and scrolling speeds.
Ambidextrous Design: The symmetrical, comfortable design means that both left and right-handed users are able to enjoy the benefits of the Orbit Optical Wireless Mobile Trackball.

Images (Click on any thumbnail to view larger image)

Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball

Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball - Top View

Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball - Compact Size

Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball - Dual Touch Scroll Zones

Technical Specifications

Dimensions:
Width: 3.4" (8.6 cm)
Depth: 4.3" (10.8 cm)
Height: 1.3" (3.4 cm)
Weight (batteries installed): 6.4 oz (182 grams)
Diameter of Trackball: 1.25" (32 mm)
Trackball Resolution: 1000 DPI
Number of Buttons: 2 + Touch Scroll zones
Default Button Functions: Left button: left click
Right button: right click
Frequency: 2.4 GHz
Range: 10 ft (3.0 m)
Power Source: 2 x AA
Colours: Graphite body, ruby red trackball
Compatibility:
PC: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Mac: Mac OS X (10.4 or later)
Chrome OS 44 and above
Drivers Available: TrackballWorks Customization Software
Note: Current Trackball Works software is certified for the following OS.
- Windows: 10 (32/64), 8/8.1 (32/64), 7 (32/64)
- Mac: OS X 10.11 El Capitan, OS X 10.10 Yosemite, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
Warranty: 5 years. Manufacturer Direct.
Package Contents: Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball, Nano Receiver, 2 x AA Batteries, Documentation

Usage Tips

If you are new to a trackball expect that it will take a while to get accustomed to the different style of control. It is also a good idea to limit the amount of time you use it in the first while. Rather, build up to longer periods of usage by interchanging with a different mousing device or by Load Balancing (see next point).
Load Balance Your Use: The freedom of an ambidextrous trackball lets you easily switch between left and right handed use. Make a point of using it with your non-dominant hand. Not only is this good for your dominant hand, which gets a break from working, it can slowly build dexterity and endurance which your non-dominant hand generally does not have. As a bonus, it is a also a way of stimulating the other half of your brain, never a bad idea.
Take regular breaks. If you find that you are experiencing discomfort in your fingers, especially in the learning stages - that is a good sign that you may want to take a break by switching to a different device or by swapping to the other hand. As with any device, make an effort to regularly change your usage, take breaks, and perform stretches. Some users find that the fingers can benefit from occasionally flexing them through a full range of movement, both extending and contracting them fully.
If you are a user with larger hands it would be advisable to limit your use of the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball to short periods and/or find an alternative solution which can provide improved ergonomic support and ensure that you are not performing potentially damaging actions.

Models

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Model #	Description
72352	Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball