Requirements

• 15 MB of available hard disk space
• CD-ROM Drive
• Mac OS 8.51 or later operating system (excluding OS X or later); iMac also requires iMac update 1.1
• USB port

Review System

• PowerMac 7500 with USB add-on card
• Mac OS 9.1
• 128 MB RAM

In Use
The Trackball Explorer is easier to use than the standard mouse, especially for someone who is troubled with Carpal Tunnel. It takes a while to get used to, but then it is great. Now I would never go back to a standard mouse. It is so easy to roll the cursor to wherever you need it on the monitor. The scroll wheel is easy to use and is a great short-cut. There is less room for errors with the thumb click button. The overall design of the Trackball is more ergonomically suited to the hand and more comfortable to use. The only down-side was that at first I kept accidently clicking the right-click button, but after using it for awhile, that problem went away.

The Trackball Explorer preferences can be adjusted using Microsoft's Intellimouse software, which is super easy to use. I found that the default settings worked just fine for me.

Summary
In the world of mouse users, there seems to be a those who are standard mouse users, and those who are trackball users. I cannot speak for the die-hard mouse users, but for those mouse users who have wondered if they might do better with a trackball, or those already using a trackball, I highly recommend trying the Microsoft Trackball Explorer. Once you try it, you may never go back to using a standard mouse again. For those with Carpal Tunnel problems, this trackball is a must have.

Pros:

• Optical sensor reads through dirt, dust, and fingerprints
• Scroll wheel is a great add-on feature
• Shape and design is ergonomically excellent
• Five year warranty

Cons:

• May not be for die-hard mouse users
• Side buttons take some getting used to

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5 Mice