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May 2005

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Review: Expert Mouse 7.0

by Chris Lawson, clawson@atpm.com

verynice

Developer: Kensington

Price: $100

Requirements: Mac with USB, Mac OS X

Trial: None

Kensington took its time bringing an optical version of its venerable Turbo Mouse to market. The Turbo Mouse was the original multi-button ADB trackball, introduced back in the late 1980s with two buttons and evolving through the late 1990s into a four-button, do-everything wunderkind of a mouse. Unfortunately, Kensington didn’t rush to produce a USB version once the iMac hit the market, leaving users stuck with the imperfect solution of a USB-ADB converter or—heaven forbid—even worse, the stock iMac mouse. Finally, when it got a USB version to market, the rest of the market had moved on to the optical mouse, and Kensington’s renamed Expert Mouse was behind the times again.

No longer.

expert-mouse

The latest revision of the Expert Mouse, version 7.0, has been out for about a year, and it fully lives up to its billing as the “ultimate trackball.” With USB connectivity, optical tracking, four programmable buttons, a brilliantly conceived “Scroll Ring,” an included wrist rest, and a billiard-size trackball, this mouse is the whole package.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: the Expert Mouse is the epitome of all things trackball. It’s the latest offspring of the original trackball mouse. If you’re a trackball-hater, approach this review with an open mind. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game—and Kensington’s game is not to be hated lightly.

A good mouse starts off with one of two things: either it’s dead simple or it has great software. Apple has always taken the dead-simple route. Kensington takes the opposite tack, with incredible software that makes an otherwise complex mouse quite easy to use.

Software has traditionally been a Kensington strong point, and the latest version of MouseWorks for Mac OS X is no exception. The only drawback is that third-party mouse support has disappeared. (A little-known secret on the Classic Mac OS was the fact that Kensington’s ADB MouseWorks software was amazingly supportive of non-Kensington devices, sort of like an ADB version of USB Overdrive.) It’s hard to find fault with Kensington for failing to re-implement this feature when it rewrote the software from scratch for Mac OS X.

expert-app-settings

MouseWorks will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used the Classic version, except it’s now implemented as a preference pane rather than a control panel application. Separate tabs are provided for button assignments, scrolling control, click speed, and—best of all—acceleration, which allows for a fantastic degree of fine tuning. There is excellent help and documentation, which are thankfully no longer the rarity they once were. Buttons can be assigned on a per-application basis, giving the user limitless possibilities for individual behavior in each application. This comes in especially handy for media pros, though almost every power user can, in time, make good use of it.

expert-acceleration

As with all good software, the default settings are sensible, too, though most folks will probably find the default scrolling speed and cursor tracking a bit too slow. Unlike Classic versions of MouseWorks, the new version bases these values on their corresponding global system preferences, so if you find yourself wanting to turn it up to eleven, make sure you’ve adjusted the settings in the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane first. Conversely, if you find it turned up to eleven and a mere tap of the mouse sends the cursor all the way across your screen, make sure the Keyboard & Mouse settings aren’t too high.

There seems to be one minor bug with the software under Mac OS X 10.3: plugging or unplugging the mouse seems to activate the screensaver within about 20 seconds. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to this behavior, but it’s fairly reliable and happens almost every time.

Let’s move on to the mouse itself. The great benefit of this long line of trackballs has always been the size of the ball, which allows for much better cursor control than, say, the built-in trackballs on 100-series PowerBooks or the thumb-balls used on Logitech and Microsoft’s widely tolerated optical trackballs. If you’re soured on trackballs because of bad experiences with another model, rest assured this is one area where size does matter, and the Expert Mouse could well change your opinion.

expert-mouse-hand

The included wrist rest is a nice touch. Though wrist-rest mousepads are a dime a dozen now, the pleather-covered dense foam makes for a comfortable and stable support. Just don’t plan on taking it off. It snaps into its two mounting holes very tightly, and it’s pretty tricky to remove. The leading edge sticks up a little higher than it should, which is mildly uncomfortable. Moving your hand up on the mouse a bit helps, but doesn’t entirely avoid the problem. Of course, if you already have a wrist-rest mousepad, this should be a non-issue.

Kensington sensibly attaches a six-foot cord, putting the Expert Mouse within reach of even the worst hide-the-tower-under-the-desk setups. This cord is no longer detachable, as the ADB cable on the Turbo Mouse was, nor is there a USB pass-through on the Expert Mouse, though there’s admittedly less reason for one with the proliferation of USB hubs on the desktop. Though not tested for this review, a wireless version of the Expert Mouse (using proprietary RF, not Bluetooth, unfortunately—maybe in version 8.0?) is available for an additional $20, if you’re the type who hates any cord clutter and loves to use batteries.

Tracking is accurate and generally smooth, although not as precise as I remember the Turbo Mouse being under Mac OS 9 on my Wall Street, especially at slow tracking speeds. Fortunately, with the optical pickups, you’ll never have to worry about the ball sticking or the horrible thunking sounds the ball bearings in the old Turbo Mouse could make when dirt and dust got into the mechanism. Trust me, with heavy use, this happened more often than you might think, and the Turbo Mouse required fairly frequent cleaning. It’s one of the disadvantages of a trackball, with its upward-facing mechanism that collects whatever gravity drops on the ball.

expert-scrolling

Scrolling with the ring is very comfortable and feels quite natural, since my ring finger and thumb rest on or near the scroll ring anyway. It is not, however, as smooth as the tracking is. In fact, it’s noticeably jumpy at times. The scroll ring has very shallow detents that seem to exacerbate this problem, much like the soft clicking you feel on most scroll-wheel mice. At least some of the blame can be laid at the feet of application developers, though. Scrolling is noticeably smoother in Safari than in either Camino or Eudora.

Finally, those four glorious, programmable buttons are all within easy reach for maximum clickability. Even reaching over the massive trackball to chord is no problem, as your hand settles into a natural spread over the top of the mouse.

When I dropped $120 on a Turbo Mouse back in 1999, I did so sight unseen and without having tried it. Call it instinct. With the $20 price drop and superior features, the Expert Mouse is an even better value than its grandfather was, because the experience is markedly improved. While a lot of people might say $100 is too much for a mouse, a lot of people haven’t given the Expert Mouse a fair shake.

Kensington is one of the very few computer or peripheral makers to offer a fully transferable five-year warranty on anything, and their technical support has been highly praised in the rare case that it’s necessary. Do whatever you can to experience this mouse, and then try to argue it isn’t the best trackball—and maybe the best mouse—ever made. Well done, Kensington. Well done indeed.

Reader Comments (47)

Tharn · September 6, 2005 - 18:09 EST #1
good review. Still using optical mice here, but would seriously consider this trackball for gaming because of it's size and smoothness.. consider it for true swing on tiger woods 'golf game' instead of using a keyboard or game pad. Turns it into another challenge entirely.
More realistic, and alot more fun.
Jonathan · March 3, 2006 - 07:04 EST #2
Chris-

I just got my new Kensington trackball in the mail and then I went and read your review to compare experiences. I too have been using trackballs for quite some time and thought the new kensington was the perfect new addition.

I wanted to ask you about the scroll wheel. Mine feels cheep and crapy. It has a 'scrachy', 'plastic-on-plastic' sound and feel to it. I can barley feel the 'bumps' as it 'clicks' along. I was expecting to feel bumps like you would on a mouse scroll wheel. The bumps are barly noticible on my trackball but the annoying scracy-sound and fell are very noticible.

Do you have the same experience or do you think I got a lemon? I would appreciate your imput.

thanks for your time and good online review!

--Jonathan
iGreg · May 12, 2006 - 12:28 EST #3
This is my mouse of choice. But a few caveats. The older non-optical version design was a little more comfortable and its metal bearings are better than the new little beads that the new version uses. Also, the scroll ring is a little noisy and the wrist pad is way too big ( had to buy a smaller pad to permit use of this mouse on my desk's keyboard shelf). Other than those issues this is a superb device. Because it is optical it is less prone to skips of the cursor and cleaning is not anywhere near as big an issue as the older version. BTW, the ball works better when dirty.
Roland · June 15, 2006 - 17:47 EST #4
I use this Expert mouse now for four weeks. Previous I worked with the Expert Mouse Pro but the buttens went uncontrolable (holding down buttons and reaction was a click, etc) So I went for this new one. I must say, I can't get a nice position for my hand on this one. The Expert mouse pro was just exactly right and fitted my hand just perfect. This new one isn't that comfortable for me as I thought, pitty... So I think I just by a new Expert mouse pro again and work along dispite the dirt in the mechanism...

Good artikel though...
Konstantinos · August 4, 2006 - 21:27 EST #5
Hey there, thank you for a nice review.

I'm having the *exact* same problem as Jonathan (2nd comment) a propos to the scroll-wheel.

His description is fairly accurate and represents mine exactly.

Could you please let us know if that's the same case with you too?
Chris (ATPM Staff) · August 4, 2006 - 21:36 EST #6
I replied to Jonathan's comment a while back, but it must have been in private e-mail.

What he describes appears to be fairly normal behaviour for this mouse. I don't find it to be too distasteful (I don't like scroll wheels with detents, though) but I agree it sometimes feels like it needs oil or something. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any easy way to take the mouse apart for cleaning/lubrication.

cl
Konstantinos · August 5, 2006 - 02:58 EST #7
Chris, thank you for the immediate reply -- I appreciate it.

When you say it "sometimes feels like it needs oil or something", does this mean this behaviour is not always present, or is it just an expression?

Cause it always sounds/feels like this, in my case.

Thanks again,
Konstantinos
Lars · September 14, 2006 - 16:54 EST #8
I have a love-hate relationship with this product -- I've used a version of the Kensington Trackball for over 10 years so it has become deeply ingrained into my work habits.

The first version of this new optical trackball I purchased had very bad tracking (with the ball), I had to use a regular mouse for precise Photoshop work, etc. After almost a year of this, I requested a replacement, which I'll have to say was great customer service in that it arrived in a couple days.

The tracking is much, much better on the replacement (although I agree that the non-optical ones felt more precise when they weren't gunked up, which was often). The scroll ring on the replacement trackball, however, is just awful, much less responsive than the first one I had. I really like the idea of this feature, especially for web pages, pdf documents, etc., and don't see why it would be so hard to make it work at least as well as a scroll-wheel on a mouse. My finger rests right on the ring and it's frustrating to have to flick it with different degrees of force to get any affect.

One word of advice I would give is to be careful if you clean under the ball is to not dislodge the little support balls, as I almost lost one and can't imagine it would be easy to order a replacement.

It seems like they have a pretty serious quality-control problem, which hopefully will get worked out. While this model is not cheap, I would gladly pay twice the cost for one that really worked well.
Doug Edwards · January 3, 2007 - 20:41 EST #9
I too have the sme scratchy scroll ring. The demo model at Compusa was very smooth. I exchanged it in hopes for a better one, no luck. But over the last few days and a good vigorous work out it has improved tremendously. Tonight I remembererd I have a light lubrication pen. It has a small needle to apply oil to to presision locations in very small amounts. I put a little lube at opposite points where the ring meets the inside of the ball pocket. After a litle bit more of a work out it has again made tremedous improvements in how it feels. Still not like the demo, but much improved. I hope that with continued use this will all work out. Like breaking in a new auto engine.
Benedicte Ouimet · February 13, 2007 - 10:31 EST #10
I just got this track ball a few days ago and was previously using the turbo mouse. I agree with the wrist pad being too big. It makes my hand go further up un the ball and my thumb is uncomfortably far from the enter button of my keyboard. I will take advice from... IGreg and buy a smaller pad. I was surprised that the scroll ring wouldn't make any sound at all but it works perfectly well and I am pretty satisfied with it. There is something I can't get used to though, and I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. One time out of three (about) after the mouse was left idle for a few seconds, it jams for one or two seconds. The pointer just doesn't move to follow the ball movement. Very annoying.

Hints anyone?
iGreg · February 13, 2007 - 13:55 EST #11
Regarding jamming, could be lots of reasons. I've had that with some mice. Check the MacFixit.com Forums for ideas. Quick suggestion, do a thorough cache cleaning using Cocktil, Tiger Cache Cleaner, MainMenu, or AppleJack. In particular a cleaning of the system caches. That may help. Also, Mouseworks is good, but so is USB Overdrive to operate this mouse.
Sean · March 19, 2007 - 16:09 EST #12
I concur with iGreg about the older, mechanical version: the ball's rotation was much smoother. Over time, daily use improves the feel, but I've never been as happy with the new trackballs. Although the scratchiness of the scroll wheel also has gotten better, a couple years of daily use shouldn't be required to make it feel right.

The problem I'm having with my Expert Mouse right now has to do with the button under my thumb. It seems to get less and less sensitive over time, not only requiring more effort to click, but also tending to release early when I'm trying to hold something. For instance, dragging an icon from a folder to the dock, I often lose the icon on the desktop.

It's frustrating because if I drop another $100, it will certainly require me to slog through another lengthy break-in period for the ball and the scroll wheel, and that may leave me right where I am now with lagging buttons.

Maybe I'll just buy a regular mouse.
Gregory Martinez · March 20, 2007 - 00:34 EST #13
i still miss the older metal bearing Turbo Trackball. I would switch back to it if I could buy another one from Kensington. Alas, they no longer make it. The one I had a few years back is gone, I am pretty sure I lost it during my move in 2005.
Matthew Sag · May 30, 2007 - 14:21 EST #14
This new trackball is a backward step - the ball is smaller than the previous version and thus not as comfortable. A great product ruined (temporarily, I hope).
Robert Payne · July 14, 2007 - 15:33 EST #15
I must be really dumb, but I can't figure out how to program the thing. The fact that I didn't get a manual with my order might have something to do with it.

For example, I still can't fighre out how enter information in the drop down menu or get the thing to spit out a command-W for a button to close a window. Does Kensington have a web page to help me? Bob in Tahoe
iGreg · July 14, 2007 - 22:37 EST #16
I do not use Kensington MouseWorks software anymore. I use "USB Overdrive" to control mine. It works as well, if not better, than MouseWorks. Also, it can be used for almost any USB mouse/trackball available, making switching between devices a breeze.
jason earl · September 13, 2007 - 12:26 EST #17
i was wondering if you where to find some cool replacement balls for the expert? i want to make a statement with mine or at least change it up. thanks.
Kimi Reith · November 2, 2007 - 07:46 EST #18
I just got a new iMac, and am searching for a trackball that will work w/ the new OS X (Leopard). You and several others comment on the Kensington Orbit, and compare the old Orbit w/ the Expert Mouse 7.0. For years I've been using OS 8 - 9x with a Kensington Orbit. Unfortunately, the small black rubber rollers inside (not the teeny red plastic balls) just broke, so I need to replace the trackball finally. I never really liked the tall size of the Orbit -- mine was an early version I got when Mac put out the first iMacs. The trackball had a white base and turquoise "bondi" ball and two clickers. But compared w/ the excrutiatingly painful Mighty Mouse that came w/ my new computer, the old Orbit was heaven. I'm wondering if the new version of the Orbit is any good? Or if I can replace the small black rubber rollers inside the old Orbit and use it w/ OS X?

What I chiefly want is ease of clicking and double-clicking.

Thanks-- the article WAS well-written.

Kimi
dave trent · November 30, 2007 - 06:14 EST #19
After using the old Kensington Turbo Mouse 64210 for so long on my first Mac (I bought the mouse used and it's still going strong), I started researching what trackballs Kensington and others currently offered that would fit the keyboard's USB input on my new iMac. After reading the above reviews as well as others on the net I decided to hold off until Kensington makes a real effort to improve upon some of the design flaws this device obviously has if I'm to justify its steep cost. Kensington might have some of the best customer support in the business, but they appear to have become lackadaisical in the R&D department.

Until they bring this thing up to snuff I'm using one of those iMate USB to ADB adapters I picked up on eBay in order to use my old Turbo Mouse on the new iMac. Works like a charm. Since no drivers are available to use the Turbo with the Leopard OS the buttons aren't programmable, but it hasn't been much of a loss. As for the scrolling ring, I'm so used to using my trackball without one that I've become accustomed to using the keyboard's "page up/down" scrolling keys.

C'mon, Kensington, give me a reason to switch! Give me a trackball with quality bearings and a smooth scroll feature (vertical AND horizontal!) and I'll consider throwing some money your way.
Joe olivares · February 17, 2008 - 09:30 EST #20
Well, after reading the above, guess I'll wait before getting the new expert mouse. I'd just put in a new computer and wanted to use my older version Expert Mouse Pro (can't imagine going back to the standard mouse)and have trouble with the installation.
Dave Russell · April 15, 2008 - 02:01 EST #21
I think the new expert mouse sucks. It is a sure regress in the actions of Kensington. The new mouse feels different, less smooth, more mechanical. The angle of the mouse feels different, and the trackball size seems to be different.
I have been using the turbo mouse forever! I now have to look at another option. Thanks for messing up a great product.
Joe olivares · April 15, 2008 - 05:46 EST #22
Right Dave (23). I've solved my problem with installion and still using my old Expert Pro. I have to clean it more often but that beats going back to the old mouse.
Joe (22)
Steve Hoge · September 20, 2008 - 00:03 EST #23
Yes, there is some stiction with the ball, but I cleaned it with a silicone lubricant right after I bought it and that helped alot. The scroll ring especially feels cheap, is noisy (though it's gotten quieter with use) and imprecise - as you turn it you never know exactly when a scroll event is going to occur - before the next detent? - after?. To get scrolling to occur horizontally you must swap directions with a click and then swap it back to vertical - no modifier key possible.

Also, Mouseworks 3 does not include any acceleration parameters for scrolling, so you will spin and spin and spin through long docs.

And I have not been able to get the scroll ring to implement the screen magnification feature built into MacOS; this should allow screen zooming while scrolling with a modifier key pressed, but even when enabled in Keyboard and Mouse Prefs, it doesn't function on this hardware/software.

And while I never had any problems with my beloved ADB TurboMouse, I think I'm developing an RSI condition because of the angle of the thing or position of the scroll ring...
Chris (ATPM Staff) · September 22, 2008 - 15:41 EST #24
@Steve Hoge: holding down the Shift key on the keyboard will switch the mouse to horizontal scrolling mode. No clicking necessary. It's always worked that way for me ever since day one.

It's possible you're experiencing an Intel-only bug, though. I'm on PPC and don't have an Intel Mac around to test.

cl
Steve Hoge · September 23, 2008 - 00:20 EST #25
OMG, you're right - it works! Horizontal scrolling with the shift key! I looked again through the help text that came with Mouseworks 3.0 and as far as I can tell that feature is completely undocumented. (Yes, I'm on a MacPro running 10.5.5)

Pressing a key or mouse button to lock and unlock horizontal mode was way too cumbersome to be useful, but holding down shift to enable horizontal scrolling is great. Now if only zooming would work...

Thanks!
jt · February 20, 2009 - 16:56 EST #26
Hey steve, I'm not on a Mac but I just got my 7.0 and with it holding the ctrl key I get magnification by degree depending on how much I move the ring. Hope this works for ya.
Greg R · March 10, 2009 - 09:46 EST #27
I bought this mouse just a few hours ago. I read this review about a week ago and I decided that this is the trackball I wanted to try. this is my first trackball, in fact the first time I ever even touched a trackball. and Im actually amazed how easy the switch already is. I actually already think Im faster with this trackball than a mouse with some things. such as mixing and mastering my composed music. I cant imagine what it will be like when Im 100% used to it!

the only complaints I have is the scratchy scroll wheel (which Im sure will break in with time). the wrist rest is too hard and it gets uncomfortable. for someone with big hands, it doesnt put your hand in a good position. I highly recommend taking out the metal clip and putting the pad at a distance that is comfortable with your hands. this helps though I am still going to buy a new cushion. the last problem I have (im sure this is a problem with all trackballs) is for precise movements it get a tad bit "creaky" or "jumpy". especually when you havent moved it for a while. its very light, and most people wouldnt even notice. you only notice this when moving the ball very slow. other than that it feels like a brand new oiled bearing. im sure that some car wax on the ball will fix that small issue.

over all I love the trackball so far, and I cant wait til Im a "trackball pro"!
Greg R · March 10, 2009 - 10:17 EST #28
this is an addition to the previous comment...

I just wiped my trackball with some screen cleaner from monster and it completely fixed that "jumpy" "creaking" problem! I guess the anti-streak chemicals in it helps keeping the ball from sticking. I'll see how long it lasts for. if it doesnt last long, then Ill try polishing the ball with car wax and see how that helps...
Steve Hoge · March 10, 2009 - 13:36 EST #29
the last problem I have (im sure this is a problem with all trackballs) is for precise movements it get a tad bit "creaky" or "jumpy".

This effect is known as "stiction" - it actually might get worse with any waxy coating that you apply. Better yet would be to try a silicone-based lubricant or traditional Armorall cleaner, which also contains a silicone emulsion.
iGreg · March 10, 2009 - 20:25 EST #30
This will sound nasty, but skin oils help the ball. Take your fingers and rub your outside of your nose or forehead and wipe your finger on trackball and rub all over it. The ball will work better.
Mason · March 15, 2009 - 03:35 EST #31
this is my 3rd and best trackball, but when I tried to figure out why all-of-a-sudden I had 'jumpy' motion I discovered it was not due to dirt or oil, but one of my roller beads WAS MISSING.

they are tiny, glass-like beads about the size of a caviar egg. impossible to find even if it were under my desk, but definitely the culprit, as the 'stiction' occurs only when I'm rolling TOWARD that bead location.

I've contacted Kensington about a replacement ball-tray.

Let's hope this problem is a fluke.
Kimi Reith · March 16, 2009 - 02:53 EST #32
Back in November 2007, when I first added my comments to this page, I was torn between getting the Expert Mouse 7 or finding an Orbit Trackball, like the one I'd been using for years. I thought I'd post an update, since I'm still getting emails every time a new comment is posted on this discussion. I did get the Orbit. It's slightly different from the old version, because it is laser operated. Recently I ran into my very first problem with it: the right clicker (set up to double click) doesn't always work. I have to press a little harder/longer to get it to operate. If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this problem, I'd love feedback. Other than that, the Orbit trackball is extremely smooth and easy--I never have the problem so frequently described by users on this discussion board, the jerky movement. I mounted my trackball on a small box lid, which has the left side cut out, so that it fits right over my keyboard. This brings the trackball up to a much better height and also brings it closer to the center, so I don't tire my shoulder muscles by reaching uncomfortably far to the right. Yes, not exactly hi tech--a mechanical solution, but it works. I have an idea for the person with the missing, tiny red ball (!). The Orbits also have this part. If you can find a cheap, used, or broken trackball, you could pry the ball out of its socket and replace the one you're missing.
Greg R. · March 18, 2009 - 05:45 EST #33
Steve Hoge thanks for the info! I ended up taking back my expert mouse, not because I didnt like it, but because I was interested in trying out the newer keningston "SlimBlade". I figured if I didnt like it I would go back with the expert. I just got the slimblade today and to be honest I like the feel of it better so far. it looks a lot more slick and less bulky yet your hand rests on it just as nice. no wrist rest but honestly it just pissed me off because my hands were too big for it. I only used it to keep my hands level. also the slimblade took out the wheel and instead you just spin the ball to scroll up or down. it seems like this function would get in the way but so far it doesnt. it actually feels a lot nicer than the scratchy wheel. it gives you a confirming clicking sound when you scroll which actually gives a really nice feel. I have 30 days to try this one out but I think Ill keep it even though its an extra 30 bucks. over all I loves my expert mouse. but I think the slimblade is worth the extra 30. Ill tell you guys if I end up staying with it or going back with the expert.

I would also like to add that trackballs have been an excellent change! Im now forever a Trackballer!
Greg R. · March 19, 2009 - 03:15 EST #34
Im taking back the slimblade mouse and going back with my expert mouse. the top buttons on the slimblade are not customizable. top right click is for zoom control, and top left is for volume control. also it has no nice software like mouseworks that lets you customize the speed and acceleration. its so sad, I really like the feel of the slimblade...
iGreg · March 19, 2009 - 20:43 EST #35
I wonder what effect USB Overdrive would have on the slimbladed.
Greg R · July 9, 2009 - 02:56 EST #36
Im still having problems with the ball "stiction". best thing so far was wood furnature cleaner."vegtable oil soap" it helps for a little while. but still, when I want to move very slow for per pixel accurate work, the ball creaks skipping a few pixels at a time. this is bad for work in photoshop or fireworks. this it a problem Ive had with every optical trackball ive tried. I tried an analog trackball a little while back and it didnt have this problem. IMO, the trackball should still rest on wheels/bearings but use an optical reader.
rust · August 6, 2009 - 20:20 EST #37
Hi Greg, other then the limited customizable button would you say the newer slimblade is better then the expert?
bigpook · October 10, 2009 - 16:23 EST #38
There is a way to improve the scroll wheel on this mouse. Seperate the top and bottom by removing the 4 screws on the bottom of the mouse.

Look closely at the lower right hand side of the mouse and you will see a small magnet. Pry it out with a screwdriver.

Reasssemble the mouse.

This will get rid of the notchy feel. While still not as smooth as it should be for a mouse that costs this much it certainly is an improvement.
Chris (ATPM Staff) · October 10, 2009 - 16:31 EST #39
The four screws bigpook refers to above are probably hidden under the feet of the mouse, unless Kensington changed the design since mine was made. Losing the feet may not be worth it.

cl
bigpook · October 10, 2009 - 18:31 EST #40
Chris, that is correct. I had to remove the rubber feet to get to the screws. I didn't put them back on though, but a bit of adhesive would do probably do the trick.

My desk has a pullout keyboard tray. It runs the length of the desk. I put a sheet of refrigerator liner ( it comes in all kinds of colors, I used black ). Nothing moves on that. My keyboard and mouse stay in place now. They do not move at all.
mark · December 18, 2009 - 13:07 EST #41
the slimblade is a dumbed down consumer product. Comfort of a trackball with a few pre-programmed choices...BLEH.

If you're going to "program" the buttons of a slimblade to work like the old ones did, you'll need third party software on "os x".

As a user of the Turbo Mouse Pro (preceeded the Expert Mouse, and came w/ 6 programmable buttons and a dual-vertical/horizontal clickable scroll wheel that supported extensive programmability, chording, etc.)

As a mac user since the original 128K I've admired and used Kensington faithfully for years. Their differentiation and screwing of Mac users in the last several years, charging significantly extra for the identical product because (gasp!) sucked monkey balls. People weren't retards, and went and bought the PC version and plugged it in and it worked...just like you'd expect w/ the mac driver.

So now, Kensington gives the middle finger back to the mac users by not writing an updated driver since about 2006 if memory serves me correctly.

For the $100+ I've laid out several times there should be no shortage of drivers in perpetuity. To their credit their products have had good longevity w/ proper cleaning--though they said on their website the generation I use couldn't / shouldn't be taken apart for cleaning...yeah, right...it's doable, but easily implemented design steps could've made it simple too on this generation.

So, While I'm a proponent of Trackballs, I'm no longer a fan of Kensington.

But, for anyone looking for a more expanded functionality may be better off w/ the "expert mouse" which is still available.
John K. Love · January 25, 2010 - 08:27 EST #42
I have just bought an Expert mouse and it is great. However, problem - I use Autocad and previously if I depressed the wheel button I could Autoscroll or 'Pan realtime' in autocad terminology - a 'hand' appears on the screen and you can pan with the mouse. I have programmed 'Ctrl + button 1' for autoscroll, but it does not work - the 'hand' just flashes momentarily on the screen and then disappears. What am I doing wrong?
Alex Kessaris · February 12, 2010 - 14:05 EST #43
The scroll wheel is quite simply a piece of crap. I was completely surprised that a device for more than a decade so revered by the mac community could feel like a two-dollar knockoff made of bakelite.

Even the concept of a scroll wheel is preposterous in itself. It should be implemented as twist-and-hold interface like a camera zoom that snaps back to center when you let it go and accelerates faster the farther you twist it.

I bought this mouse because I trusted kensington and I believed that the "awards" for the scroll wheel actually meant something.

Now I can only imagine the awards must've been akin to a razzie after having used this wheel in a professional setting.
Alex Kessaris · February 12, 2010 - 14:37 EST #44
One thing that does make scrolling a much better experience and seems to work quite well with the built-in scroll functions of this trackball is a third-party utility called "Smart Scroll" which is available here:

http://www.marcmoini.com/sx_en.html

It allows for far better coasting and also enables faster scrolling when using a modifier key, in addition to setting the base scroll speed far better than the options in the kensington software.
Alan R · April 1, 2010 - 01:15 EST #45
I've been a fan of Kensington trackballs (on Macs) for a couple of decades. I'm on my 3rd Expert Mouse because the scroll ring fails after about a year. Very unlike the quality of the original Turbo Mouse which had a 5 year warranty compared to the newer version with 3 year coverage. They're just not up to the same QC standards.

I've had one problem with their trackballs previous to the Expert Mouse, a microswitch stopped working and they gladly replaced it. They also replaced my first Expert Mouse, but since the warranty has expired I'm out of luck with this latest one. I too liked the "rollers" in the older versions as opposed to the synthetic "rubies" used as bearing in this one which aren't as smooth. Up side is they are not effected by dirt/lint/hair like the rollers were. Nor do I care for the permanent USB cable setup, the old ADB ones had the ability to replace the cable if it was ever a problem.

Overall I think it's a great product that I would not consider replacing with ANYTHING else available on the market, but it a few notches down in quality from their products from the near past. When you build a reputation on performance and reliability, cost cutting does little to reinforce or support that mission. - PS. The reason the pref pane has to close, then reopen is because it's running in 32bit as opposed to the System Preferences that's running in 64bit. Personally I've had no problem with their software spanning Mac OS 6.8 to 10.6
Dan the Man · July 19, 2010 - 13:53 EST #46
Personally I think Kensington would sell a ton of Expert Mouse Pros if they were to re-release them. The new ones just don't work nearly as nice as te old 6-button mouse pros and not as smooth. Giant step backward if you ask me.
David · February 16, 2012 - 23:52 EST #47
I agree with Dan the Man. The Expert Mouse Pro was the BEST - always was, always will be - unless Kensington realize their mistake and bring back an improved version of it. I love the large number of buttons, all of which I can program.

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