I'm taking Usability this month

So I am taking Usability. This class focuses on items we make for other people and the process of determining if it was made well. My class at Full Sail University is taken online, so we use bulletin board style posts to discuss topics. In this particular class we were asked to pick out a loved electronic device and talk about it's functionality in an objective light.

Here's my original post:

My Microsoft USB Trackball Mouse.

I absolutely love this mouse, but unfortunately microsoft doesn't make them anymore. In fact they are practically impossible to find. The are so loved, that a person on ebay sells service work on them to keep them running, and to buy a new one can cost from $300 - $415! I bought mine for gaming, and I will be VERY sad when it dies. My mother has Degenerative Arthritis, but is able to use the mouse I bought her without as much pain. (she has a logitech trackball which is slightly different and lacks the mouse buttons 4 and 5)

First of all, the design is ergonomic as if perfectly fits into the palm of my hand. As you lay your hand on it the thumb ball, your fingers naturally fall on the left and right mouse buttons.

Operating the thumb ball that is used to move the cursor onscreen is very different than a normal mouse, but after becoming accustomed to it I pernonally feel that it is more accurate and reliable. I have extensively used this mouse type and more standard desk top ones and Really, the trackball wins in a few areas.

1: You never run out of desk trying to aim at that guy behind you.

2: You can use it anywhere. Regardless of the surface, the Mouse is not reliant upon external factors for it's use.

3: Less painful. My arm gets tired after 5 hours of MMO Warefare with a standard mouse, The Thumb Trackball is much easier to use.

On a downside, the trackball does stay in one place unless you intentionally move it. This can cause your arm to tire from staying like that for an extended time. Simple solution is to move it every 30 minutes or so to give your muscles another angle to work with.

Anyways, lets break down the functionality of the mouse.

It has 5 buttons, a scroll wheel and a trackball.

The Mouse buttons are recognised by most games and can be used in tandem with shift, alt, and ctrl commands. I used to play WoW, and as a hunter you have many different abilities. I used 90% of them with a simple mouse click. Hunting and pecking on a keyboard during a fight is not enjoyed by anyone, but having just those extra 2 buttons increases accessibility.

The scroll wheel is for scrolling up or down in certain situations. In most games it can also be used for various functions and abilities. like most mice, pressing down on the scroll wheel activates MB3.

The only downfall I have with the mouse from a usability perspective is the fact that it can only be used by right handed people. I am unsure if they made a left handed model.

If you have an old one of these mice you can't stand please contact me so I can have it. (even if it's broken for spare parts!)

Aaron Crawford