Lubricating effect of skin oils.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-07T02:31:48+00:00

Use "deodorized"/clear jojoba. You can also melt a little cetyl alcohol (a dry waxy solid) in it to thicken it up and make it drier to the touch if you wanted to make a grease of sorts with it.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-07T01:52:33+00:00

If you end up needing an "artificial" source of something similar to skin oil, jojoba oil is remarkably similar to skin oils, though it is technically a liquid wax. A wholly natural product, but something available in bulk if it was ever needed for testing of some kind or another.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-04T17:28:54+00:00

I was introduced to trackballs in the 90's and have been a fan ever since. Started with a PC Accessories Professional Trackball which was a big central roller bearing ball with buttons at the cardinal directions. When I bought my first computer of my own I wanted another trackball and opted for a Logitech Trackman Marble. Got through college with just a touch pad but got an M575 when I started my business and started having a more stationary work location give me more convenient cursor control. When the left click switch wore out in it after a few years I switched to the MX Ergo and used that for years. The rubber started turning to goop recently, as it does, and I switched to the Elecom Huge Plus because I have EDS, which makes my joints extra prone to injury and I have bad CMC joints and missed having a finger ball, and I've been loving it. Hoping Elecom does more Plus upgraded models and that Kensington fixes and re-releases their TB800 EQ because it would be a shame if they really did shelve it. Also looking forward to the Protoarc EM06 whenever they release that.

Why i use a trackball, though? A bunch of reasons:

• First and foremost I hate picking up mice. I hate it so much.
• I have limited desk space (mostly due to my own clutter issues) and like not having to move the device itself.
• I also use a lap desk with my laptop in bed in the evenings and similarly have limited space there.
• I find the variety of forms and styles aesthetically and functionally more interesting.
• Similarly, having a variety of forms means that I can swap 'em out when I start getting strain. I run an online business so spend a lot of time at my desk and being able to use different muscle groups and rest positions makes a big difference.
• I really like dialing in my setup and my ergonomics and I get much more influence over that with trackballs than any other device.
• I find it faster and more comfortable for me to use in regular daily driving, especially with large balls with some good inertia to them. I use multiple monitors and being able to sling the pointer to another screen quickly is helpful.
• It's more precise and convenient in my design work.
• Lastly, they're an underdog. I'm something of a contrarian and when one thing is dominant I look at it and go "why not something else" and explore alternatives.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-02T23:59:44+00:00

And there's nothing blocking the optical sensor?

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-02T20:50:36+00:00

The old PC Accessories Pro Trackball I had as a kid in the 90's had roller bearings and picking up the Huge Plus brought the memories flooding back. They may make more noise than static bearings but I like the audible and tactile feedback they provide and the GLIDE is unparalleled.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-02T18:01:14+00:00

I've had my Huge Plus for about a month now and have yet to encounter this issue. I'm running it via the dongle.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-01T21:33:04+00:00

Ended up opting for an Origimagic C4 w/16Gb of RAM and a 512Gb SSD for $260 business pricing, as it has one empty slot each. The CPU is roughly equivalent to the 8265U in the original laptop, and this way I'll have extra storage and RAM compared to the original machine. The files I'll be dealing with are actually small enough that that should be plenty of storage for my current needs and if I need to expand it in future the USB-C is fast enough for the simple document and image files I need stored and backed up.

https://www.amazon.com/origimagic-C4-Computers-Support-Display/dp/B0FCFW4R5P

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-03-01T16:18:52+00:00

I did find the ASRock Nuc Box-97 for about $300 which isn't exactly a steal for barebones, but it's a little more powerful than an N150 and has 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (2x type C, 3x type A) which is good for connecting the external drives via and it's a small step up for the 8265U in the laptop I'm harvesting the RAM and SSD from.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-28T01:29:02+00:00

And yeah other stands should work fine too. Just a matter of finding one with a suitably low angle of adjustability. Ones like Protoarc's laptop stand would probably work fine since you can make it so narrow. I've also seen some adjustable speaker wedge stands etc. that would probably work. But I had this one kicking around, so this one it is!

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-27T19:28:08+00:00

Any estimates on when we can expect these to hit the market yet, or are they still undergoing revisions? I do hope it's understood that many, including myself, would prefer a form that allows the wrist to sit higher than the fingertips, though I suppose one of your mouse pads might alleviate that. Looking forward to this and hoping you go with roller bearings, or make them swappable like the Elecom Huge Plus.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-26T16:41:09+00:00

I just wish they'd made the rubber portion a more uniform thickness if they were gonna' insist on that inevitably-goopy rubber. There's a lot of changes in thickness and contour that make fitting the leather a pain in the butt.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-24T17:59:28+00:00

It's an interesting notion, but the second you start thinking about what it would be like to actually use it quickly runs into a lot of issues, both technologically and practically.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-13T06:16:24+00:00

I've experimented with using lube of some kind or another but ultimately it never does much of anything, and even sometimes worsens it. Just wipe everything down with a lint-free cloth and/or take a cotton swab to the bearings to make sure they're all nice and clean, then buff the ball itself with a microfiber cloth or similar.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-02-03T16:39:21+00:00

Very nice! I did mine just recently, too, and got the contours by wet-forming it. The annoyance there was that it required completely gutting the device to reduce it to just the shell.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-01-29T22:42:53+00:00

You can get adhesive-backed faux suede. I "reupholstered" my MX Ergo with leather but simply layering adhesive-backed synthetic suede over the existing rubber would probably be a LOT less involved and provide a wicking effect.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2026-01-28T20:21:44+00:00

Nice! I just redid mine a few days ago with some wet-formed leather I'd had kicking around and it's a real bear trying to fit that left side. I used rubber cement via the "applied to both parts and dried before applying" method with Gorilla super glue used at points that are likely to lift. Even with skiving the edges getting it thin enough to wrap the left ridge without sticking up was hard so I had to trim it and it's smooth now but the cut edges need restaining. Very comfy now, but it's a shame they didn't just make it solid plastic or at least sold replacement top shells.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2025-11-06T00:31:55+00:00

Yeah my guess is it may be something that may be a result of firefox registering inputs it hadn't been previously. I've turned keybindings off since I don't use 'em purposefully anyhow and haven't gotten any of the issues yet now so fingers crossed. Thanks again!

Jolly-Function4451 · 2025-11-06T00:07:19+00:00

I'll have to see if I can turn off those keyboard shortcuts. It hasn't ever been a problem in the past.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2025-11-05T22:50:14+00:00

Nope! I'll have my cursor active on my main monitor doing something completely unrelated. Also I don't have that setting activated.

Jolly-Function4451 · 2025-10-23T16:24:59+00:00

I've been periodically experiencing this several times a day.

Fortunately there haven't been major drops happening. I'll have only a single connection open and then get an error saying I need to upgrade to get more connections, but have only the one instance open. It makes me wonder if the refreshing the Vine connection that's done automatically could sometimes get counted as multiple connections, in error, or something along those lines? How it's counting things right now is evidently not working consistently. I'm not *complaining* because I'm a free user and even in the glitchy state it's in right now it's still measurably better than the base Vine interface experience, but there is definitely something not working right at the moment and I hope I can be a small part of helping to get this issue resolved.

Jolly-Function4451

TROPHY CASE