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Why are Trackballs so freaken expensive?
Howard_Casto:
Happs and cheap dont' go in the same sentence together. I've said it before and I'll say it again, look EVERYWHERE before you buy something off of happ's site. Happs is overpriced on purpose as they know operators are forced to buy it from them.
You aren't an operator though, so you can hunt and choose for a single, well-priced trackball in good condition. I payed about 30 bucks for mine off of ebay.
Sorry went o.t., back to the question....
Precision sphere's and bearings are expensive. There is one precision engineered sphere and three bearings in a trackball. This does not include the cost of the housing and the optic boards.
In comparsion, the only percision parts in a 8-way joystick are the shaft and the washers, which are generic anyway.
I think that should pretty much answer your question.
Ugtar the caveman says:
mmm Joystick easy...... Trackball HARD!
Stein:
I just spent about 250 bucks building my stand-alone trackball... that's not expensive is it? ;D
at least the games we enjoy with our expensive controls are free ;)
Stein
Minwah:
--- Quote from: Howard_Casto on March 05, 2003, 07:32:48 pm ---Happs and cheap dont' go in the same sentence together. I've said it before and I'll say it again, look EVERYWHERE before you buy something off of happ's site. Happs is overpriced on purpose as they know operators are forced to buy it from them.
You aren't an operator though, so you can hunt and choose for a single, well-priced trackball in good condition. I payed about 30 bucks for mine off of ebay.
Sorry went o.t., back to the question....
Precision sphere's and bearings are expensive. There is one precision engineered sphere and three bearings in a trackball. This does not include the cost of the housing and the optic boards.
In comparsion, the only percision parts in a 8-way joystick are the shaft and the washers, which are generic anyway.
I think that should pretty much answer your question.
Ugtar the caveman says:
mmm Joystick easy...... Trackball HARD!
--- End quote ---
Well yes I would rather pay a lot once, than be cheap and break stuff lots!
Stein: Very nice woodwork!...I think I'll try and mount my trackball like that...