Kensington Orbit Trackball Scroll Ring
- Stan@Voltage Castle
- Mar 6
- 5 min read
Updated: May 2
Disclaimer: Please note that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Please rest assured that I only write reviews for products that I have personally used, and I will give you my honest opinion on them. For more information, please visit my Disclaimer page.
Pro | Con |
|---|---|
Trackball Smoothness | Two Buttons |
Scroll Wheel | Size |
Software (Kensington Works) | Sleep Mode |
The Voltage:
The Kensington Orbit Trackball Scroll Ring is a smooth and affordable trackball mouse that can help you get the job done with more comfort than a conventional mouse. Though the mouse is a little on the small side the scroll wheel that comes with it is too notched. The Orbit does come with only two buttons which could dissuade some from purchasing it. With all that said and done I still think that the Orbit is a great choice for those who are looking for something different or wanna dip their toes into the world of trackballs!
The Trackball Search
I rediscovered the world of trackball about a year ago and ever since then I’ve been on the search for the trackball that fits me perfectly. A trackball mouse is one of those products that you either love or hate. I use both the conventional mouse and the trackball when I’m on my PC, though I do find myself using the trackball more than I use the conventional mouse.
The Kensington Orbit Trackball With Scroll Ring
This is the second trackball I’ve used from Kensington and so far I like them both. Yes, they both have issues that I have come across however, they are both good products and worth a look. If you want to look into the Kensington Expert please Click Here.
The Kensington Orbit is a decent bit smaller than the Expert with two fewer buttons, but the textured scroll ring on the Orbit works great and is much smoother. The smaller trackball did take me a little bit to get used to, but I got used to it pretty quick.
Features
Ambidextrous Design
Optical Tracking
Removable Wrist Rest
Kensingtonworks Customizability
Scroll Ring
Plug & Play
My First Impression
When I first used the Kensington Orbit With Scroll Ring it felt a bit smoother even with the smaller trackball. I did leave the speed of the trackball in the software on the slower end but pushed up the acceleration so when I flicked the ball it would move faster. This way, I would be able to have the precision I wanted and still be able to move from one screen to the next quickly and easily.
The two buttons are a bit of a hindrance because it doesn’t give me much to work with, but if you use the software you can assign pressing both the left and right click to another action. When I first started using the left and right clicks, they did start out really stiff and wouldn’t activate its assigned commands. After a little time they started working as it was intended.
The scroll wheel is probably my favorite feature that comes with this trackball. The tactile feel of the wheel mixed with the smoothness of how it makes the page scroll up and down without jumping around makes it a joy to use.
The size of the trackball is a little small for my liking however, if you have small hands it may work for you instead of against you. I have hands on the larger side and when I use the buttons on the sides I have to lift my index and middle finger or I move the trackball while trying to click. It's a bit troublesome and a situation I don't really notice on my bigger trackballs.
The Kensington Orbit Trackball Scroll Wheel comes with a wrist rest that’s made of all plastic and it attaches directly to the mouse. Though I do have to say it gets a little uncomfortable after using it for a while. I still find it more comfortable than a regular mouse, but it’s just something to keep in mind if you're thinking about purchasing this one.
Kensington Works Software
Once you open up the software and choose which device to work than you can get into the customization aspect of the deivce. The software has some great features such as "Bind to Cloud" which allows you to save your settings to use later.
The first tab on the left is called the "Buttons" and this is where you can assign different commands for the buttons that are available to you. The software gives you so many commands to choose from once you click on the button you want to customize.
The next tab is called "Pointer" and this is where you can increase or decrease the speed in which the pointer moves. This tab also has the acceleration options you can enable or disable in case you need that extra speed to get from one screen to another. There is even an option to change the speed while pressing down a button on the keyboard so that you can move at a different pace without having to open up the software.
The last tab is the one called "Scrolling" which is all about the scroll wheel. In this tab you can adjust the speed in which the scroll wheel moves the page. I do not like messing with this because I don't like how jumpy it can get, but that is just my preference. There is also an option to reverse the scrolling orientation.
The Good & The Bad
The Good:
Trackball smoothness- The trackball is very smooth, even for a smaller trackball, and doesn’t stick very much.
Scroll Wheel- The scroll wheel has a very nice feel and I like how it works.
Kensington Works- The software give you the ability to customize your mouse to work the way you need it to.
The Bad:
Two buttons- I don’t like that it only has two buttons because it doesn’t really give you much room to play with.
Loud Clicking- Maybe it’s just me, but I like my buttons more on the quiet side.
Smaller- The Orbit is a bit smaller and took some getting used to before I was comfortable using it.
Sleeps- It kinda irritates me that if you don't touch the trackball for a while it seems to go into a sleep mode that takes a second for it to turn back on.
Final Thoughts
The Kensington Orbit Trackball Scroll Wheel is a great starter trackball to see if you really wanna get into the world of trackball. It is a wee bit small for my liking, so for those of you with larger hands you may wanna look elsewhere however, if you have smaller hands this may be the right fit for you. The trackball itself is very smooth and the textured scroll wheel is a pleasure to use. So if you're looking for a wallet-friendly starter trackball the Orbit maybe right up your alley!
Disclaimer:
All articles on the website from reviews to information are for entertainment purposes only and not advice from professionals or experts. These are my views and opinions and the information given is accurate to the best of my abilities and as such may have errors, mistakes, and/or missing some key information. These reviews and information are my opinions and do not reflect the opinions of those I may be affiliated with. For more information please visit Disclaimer Page.
For more Reviews on products click on Product Reviews
Comments