Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Tokey on December 27, 2004, 08:57:38 am

Title: Kensington Trackball?
Post by: Tokey on December 27, 2004, 08:57:38 am
Anyone use one of these?
Title: Re: Kensington Trackball?
Post by: markb on December 27, 2004, 11:00:33 am
I've got a similar Kensington one but for an Apple Mac, the construction inside is okay but it is not very rugged. I don't think it will be able to take much of a hammering.

I've bought quite a few different trackballs now (except a proper one) and none of them have really cut the mustard when it comes to gaming:-
Kensington Mac Trackball
Kidtrac
2 1/4" Lindy Trackball
Playstation Classic Trackball

My advice - spend the money and get a proper one it will work out cheaper in the long run.
Title: Re: Kensington Trackball?
Post by: missioncontrol on December 27, 2004, 01:30:48 pm
ften has a page with about hacking one you may want to take a look at....

http://fathertom.net/mame/trackball.html

I have used mine for some centipede and a few other games and seems allright but a real trackball does feel better.....
Title: Re: Kensington Trackball?
Post by: NoOne=NBA= on December 27, 2004, 03:19:06 pm
I don't know about the guts of that one specifically, but most of the "mouse" trackballs don't have bearings in them.

They are made to be precision pointing instruments, and do a really good job at that.
What they DON'T do is continue to roll, like a real arcade trackball.

I've had good luck using the mouse type for games where you want precision pointing, like Centipede.
They have issues for other games, where you want to "roll" the ball, and have it follow through.

It's alot like spinners.
The spinner for Arkanoid is designed to precisely position your paddle to hit the ball.
The one for Tempest is designed so that you can spin it hard, and it will keep going.