Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
The first trackball I ever saw outside of an arcade was the Wico trackball, a perfect match for mid-
1980s video games and computer games, such as
Missile Command
and others. It emulated the eight-
position Atari 2600 analog joystick but was capable of much more flexibility.
Unlike the mid-80s trackballs, today's trackballs are used primarily for business instead of gaming.
Most trackballs use a mouse-style positioning mechanism—the differences being that the trackball is
on the top or side of the case and is much larger than a mouse ball. The user moves the trackball
rather than the input device case, but rollers or wheels inside most models translate the trackball's
motion and move a cursor onscreen the same way that mouse rollers or wheels convert the mouse
ball's motion into cursor movement.
Trackballs come in a variety of forms, including ergonomic models shaped to fit the (right) hand,
ambidextrous models suitable for both lefties and right-handers, optical models that use the same
optical sensors found in the latest mice in place of wheels and rollers, and multibutton monsters that
look as if they're the result of an encounter with a remote control.
Because they are larger than mice, trackballs lend themselves well to the extra electronics and battery
power needed for wireless use. Logitech offers several wireless trackball models that use radio-
Devices
,” later in this chapter.
Trackballs use the same drivers and connectors as conventional mice. For basic operations, the OS-
supplied drivers will work, but you should use the latest version of the vendor-supplied drivers to
achieve maximum performance with recent models.
Trackball troubleshooting is similar to mouse troubleshooting. For issues other than cleaning the
trackball, refer to the section, “
Mouse Troubleshooting
.
”
Because trackballs are moved by the user's hand rather than by rolling against a tabletop or desktop,
they don't need to be cleaned as often as mouse mechanisms do. However, occasional cleaning is
recommended, especially with trackballs that use roller movement-detection mechanisms. If the
trackball pointer won't move, skips, or drags when you move the trackball, try cleaning the trackball
mechanism.
Trackballs can be held into place by a retaining ring, an ejection tab, or simply by gravity. Check the
vendor's website for detailed cleaning instructions if your trackball didn't come with such
instructions. Swabs and isopropyl alcohol are typically used to clean the trackball and rollers or
bearings; see the trackball's instructions for details.
Touchscreen Technology
Touchscreens have been around for many years but have mostly been used in commercial or industrial
applications such as point-of-sale systems. With the increasing popularity of tablet computers and
smartphones, and especially since the release of Windows 8 (which includes integrated multitouch
support), touchscreen displays are now becoming more and more popular.
The original touchscreens were single touch devices, meaning they would sense only a single touch
point on the screen, allowing for simple pointer control or object selection. Modern touchscreens can
sense two, five, or even ten or more simultaneous touch points on the screen. Such displays are called
multitouch, and they allow more complicated control, including touch gestures using two or more
fingers simultaneously. Using a single finger can move a pointer, while using two fingers can initiate
a scrolling action, for example.
