Why cancel good products? - The Trackman Marble FX
One example is the Logitech Trackman Marble FX. Logitech discontinued them after 2-3 years of production, and has yet to introduce a replacement that feels or works as well in my opinion.
My wife and I buy them whenever we find them available, but a shrinking
supply has driven the prices up into the stratosphere - we paid $75
for one from a friend a year ago, and used prices on Amazon are almost
$300 the last time I checked. I can occasionally find one for less than $10 in the bin at Goodwill Computerworks, but they’re few and far between.
I would love to see Logitech introduce a modern version of the Trackman
Marble FX, or even run across 2-3 of them in good shape for a decent
price.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Bill,
I’ve got one of those laying around collecting dust somewhere :). Send me your mailing address and I’ll send it on down to you guys.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:30 am
I went through this when Logitech discontinued the C-9 serial mouse over a decade ago. The emerging fad was to move from “bar of soap” mice to ergonomic designs–which if you are left-handed (like me) means anti-ergonomic design.
One weekend, back in the day when CompUSA was a Dallas store called Soft Warehouse, I was prowling the PC stores along Belt Line Road in Dallas. I found one store dumping a big stack of these mice. I bought a half dozen of them at fire sale prices, and couldn’t have been happier at my find.
October 19th, 2007 at 5:51 am
I use a Trackman Wheel, which is a lovely pointing device. I just wish there was a Bluetooth version of it so I can control the Mac under my TV. But no. There’s a wireless version, but it’s weird and proprietary, and so is useless. So I got a “The Ball” bluetooth trackball instead. It works well, but the design is decidedly sub-optimal - the ball is in the middle, which makes clicking and dragging with one hand nigh-on impossible. Fine for controlling my fancy VCR, but it would be lousy for using a computer as a computer.
November 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Where can you get the drivers for a trackman marble fx? I have one that is still running smoothly, but I lost the floppy (grin) with the drivers on it and need to reinstall same to get full functionality.
Please point me in the right direction!
Thx!
November 25th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I’ve got 2 in the closet here. I love them so much I’m afraid to use them for fear of breaking them.
February 26th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I have 3 or 4 o them, and I have them ALL in use (Office, Home, Notebook Docking stations…)! These lovely things saved me from Carpal Tunnel/RSI. However, you are absolutely right in that Logitech needs to redesign/modernize and re-release them with updated electronics (at the very least) ASAP!.
What they really SHOULD do is recreate the EXACT SAME optical ball mechanism and “feel” in an updated devices with:
1) USB connectivity
2) Wireless / bluetooth connectivity options
3) find a way to incorporate scroll-wheel functionality either as added physical hardware (I’m thinking about making the ball itself _slightly_ smaller, say 1/8th inch diameter less, in exchange for putting a physical scroll dial…kind of on the thumb side where the existing thumb hole to the ball is - think “strapped to the thumb side and a bit more forward”…kind of where the tip of a man’s index finger might be if it is resting right on top of the TrackMan Marble FX…and it would be best if the entire wheel were exposed so the thumb could also be used on it…my theory being that the more useful hand/finger/thumb motion options there are, the less likely it is to induce RSI over time) or via improved software drivers / emulation (perhaps via adding a shift-key-like button function to change the ball input to “scroll wheel mode” while it is depressed…or even allow a user-seected mapped keyboard key to do the same function…?
4) put a replacable/cleanable gell-pad cushion (cloth or leather covered) on the palm rest part of the TrackMan Marble FX (designed to raise the palm up a bit higher, say 1/2″ or so). I bought a few of fhose smallish gel-pad mouse pads (deisgned to sit on your desk to support the heel of the hand/wrist of a regular mouse user) and I actually GLUED one to one of my TrackMan Marble FXs. It was SO nice (until the glue came lose).
5) produce both Right- and Left- handed versions.
If Logictch did something along these lines, they would realize two things:
A: they could almost market this revised/updated TrackMan Marble FX as a THERAPUTIC MEDICAL DEVICE…Seriously! Years ago, I was getting to the point that with a mouse, my right hand was _hurting_ at the end of a long workday slaving over a hot keyboard and mouse. I was diagnosed and heading down the path towards carpal tunnel surgery…until I found and switched exclusively over to my TrackMan Marble FX. That was something like ten years ago, and I never had to go back to the hand/neurological specialists I was then seeing (and I’m willing to say so in print too!)
B: Done right, my scroll-wheel equipped version opens up TWO added marketing opportunities for Logitech for longer-term ongoiing revenue… think about making round decorative scroll wheel side/hub covers which could sell for a modest few extra $, and also the same with the replacable gel-paded palm rest…wouldn’t you be tempted to buy one or more of those if decorated with your favorite sports team logo, perhaps?
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 pm
The driver is available from the Logitech web site. Run the XP driver on Vista even in XP compatibility mode - seems to work
March 20th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I looked on Logitech website and cannot find driver. Is there a link ? I bought my trackman brand new from office depot many years ago and still use it. Couldn’t live without it ! Just bought a used one from ebay to use on vista,
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I use one of these mice and it is by far the best mouse i have ever used. It is now at least 10 years old and i have had to rewire a twice due to the abuse i put it through but all the button and the track ball still work like new… besides the logo being worn off from hours of Quake, you couldn’t tell the age of it. Because of this mouse, i only use Logitech. <– period
April 9th, 2008 at 8:25 am
This trackball device has allowed me to stay in my field… I wouldn’t last two months with an old skool mouse (RSI was getting extremely painful). And the “new” trackballs have a teenie ball and/or are thumb-controlled. WTF??? Did too many people complain to logitech about the exceeding levels of comfort experienced with this device? Been watching and waiting for 7 years for _anyone_ to produce something comparable or even better. Nada.
I have not been able to get the original drivers to work on a machine since Win XP came out (caused a blue-screen on me during boot-up). Never bothered with Vista. I don’t care tho. So I can’t program buttons or scroll outside of MS licensed applications. I’ll rough-it for as long as my trackman will last… it’s been about 8 years now on my first and only one. Never had a problem with it. I pray that I never will.
April 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
A little app called X-Mouse http://tinyurl.com/fq3fm will allow you to configure the buttons on the trackball. We need to get a petition started to get Logitech to make this mouse again with “minor” updates.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I love my Marble FX. I bought it in 1999 (or rather the state agency I work for did) and used it until I moved to a different department and couldn’t take it with me. 7 and a half years later, I came back to this agency and lo and behold, there it was sitting unused on a shelf. Couldn’t believe it.
I totally agree that they should release a new version with a scroll wheel. Why this thing isn’t even more popular, I’ll never know.
April 24th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Hi,
I have an old logitech track ball mouse that connects via s-video.
I cannot connect to my newer computers. How do you folks connect?
I have looked for an adaptor with no luck so far.
Thanks!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Paul,
That’s not S-Video, that’s a PS/2 connection (used by older keyboards and mice).
All you need is a PS/2 to USB adapter. Here’s one for $6; I have this same model and it works fine on both PCs and Macs.
http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-SBT-PS2U-2-Port-Splitter-Converter/dp/B0007UW0YM
May 14th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Egad. Mine just died anyone interested in fixing?
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:39 am
I fell in love with the LOGITECH TRACKMAN MARBLE FX years ago when I was looking for an alternative to mice. I’d been playing a game on the Commodore Amiga called “ATOMIX” where you had to build organic molecules in a maze. I played it so much that one night my right wrist just froze and was very painful. Everytime I went into PC WORLD to look at alternatives, my hand just couldn’t resist resting on the above-mentioned product. I used to go in the store just to get my fix of comfort from this amazing device. It was a lot more expensive than I was planning on spending but in the end I bought one and have never looked back. I’m still using it!
June 4th, 2008 at 4:29 am
mrbill: I just got myself a ps/2 to usb converter to use the trackman on my macbook, but it doesnt work… >_<
Is there a driver for mac or something that Im missing?
June 12th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
i’m right there with you… i have two of them and both the right buttons are finicky and i would love for logitech to produce another updated verson.. anybody got any ideas on how to persuade logitech to give us what we want?
July 31st, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Everyone at work uses the trac ball. and I noticed two old used ones on a shelf thay are going to thow away. So I brought one home to try it out today. WOW. I like that. im going to grab the other one first thing in the morning.
But yes I wish it had a scroll.
August 16th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I’ve been using the marble since 99′. I transported it with my laptop and the buttons stoped working yesterday but the marble/pointer works fine. I use a usb adaptor for my laptop that has always worked fine. The buttons click fine and it is hard to imagine a mechanical failure of four buttons at once. Could this be a driver error. I don’t recall loading a driver when I connected via usb adaptor to my Vista. Logitech really needs to bring this back as a usb or bluetooth. I use this for cad. This is by far the best mouse I have ever used! If anyone has any ideas let me know.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I love this mouse. I can’t get it to work right with my new 64-bit computer and logitech has no plans to release drivers for a 64-bit system. I haven’t found a mouse that works as well and feels as comfortable. I would sign a petition for Logitech to release this mouse with minor updates!
September 12th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I love my trackman fx, but it has the common problem that the buttons no longer work well… and they’re getting worse. Anyone know how to repair them?
September 16th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
The Logitech Trackman Marble FX is BY FAR the very best pointing device ever, from an ergonomic point of view. I have no idea why Logitech stopped making it. Makes no sense. There is obviously a market for these, since they sell used for as much as $300! I have contacted Logitech to ask them to reissue it. If enough people do this, maybe they will actually do it. I hope that if they do, that they do not change the ergonomics one bit. They are perfect as they are.
In the miean time, if anyone wants to sell me one in good condition, please e-mail me your terms - jbell@khatman.com