Review of Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball
Great trackball so far but I remain slightly dubious
The Logitech Wireless Trackball has served me well with just a couple of hiccups in the few months that I have owned it. Though on the expensive side, it's a good mouse that retains some classic features I appreciate.
A few months ago I was brought kicking and screaming into the world of wireless interface devices. I was looking to replace my old corded Logitech trackball but I was unable to do so. For some inane reason, Logitech apparently decided to discontinue this trackball's older brother which looks, feels and reacts almost the same as this one but was corded. It's very telling to me that this was a poor decision on Logitech's part because those trackballs go for now truly exorbitant sums on E-bay and other online shopping venues.
I have always been dubious of wireless interface, and I still remain so. I would much rather have the positive aspects of a corded mouse than one that uses a cordless interface. Having said that, I must admit that so far none of my concerns about this mouse have come true. The trackball is still on its first battery negating my concern that battery drain / expense would be too high. With only a couple of exceptions, this mouse hasn't "skipped" or missed its interface, mostly negating my concerns about 100% connectivity. Finally, there have been no instances of outside interference from stray signals as I had previously been concerned about.
One of the most pleasant things about upgrading to a wireless trackball for me is the ability to use this trackball as something of a television like remote control. My computer does double duty in the age of Netflix, HULU and YouTube in that I can watch educational entertainment shows online. The wireless trackball allows me to control the players from across the room.
Setting up this device was beyond simple, as it should be for today's plug and play technology. One simply has to plug in the receiver dongle, make sure the battery is situated properly and turn on the power switch to the mouse. Within a minute or so, my computer was running this device without any problems.
The construction of this Logitech Wireless Trackball is good. I've been using Logitech products for a very long time. In fact, I purchased my first Logitech trackball at their long since closed outlet store in Fremont, CA. This device respects the long standing Logitech tradition of producing what appear to be rugged and long lasting devices. I am slightly skittish, however, of the 2 little buttons on the upper left hand side that are there for web navigation. I don't use these but their feel makes me wonder if they will last for a long period of time for those who do.
The biggest drawback of this device, aside from not being corded and Logitech not making a corded version available, is the price. To say that I had sticker shock at laying out nearly half a Franklin for a pointer would be an understatement. I went with it anyway because I love how this product feels and the fact that there would be little or no time getting used to a new configuration.
The upsides of the Logitech trackball are the same as they were for the corded version. The mouse points precisely. It moves smoothly and the thumb-style trackball is, for me, the most pleasant and comfortable way to interface with a computer, yet developed.
In my opinion, the Logitech trackball is a very good device. It's fit, finish, feel, precision and pedigree have left a positive impression on me. The relative cost of this item as well as my Luddite like yearning for a corded version take one star off this review but if these are not issues for you, a Logitech trackball might be your near-perfect device.
Click to view the Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball on Amazon.com.
