From: Greg B. Eanes Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Jason L. Tibbitts III Subject: REVIEW: AmTRAC Trackball Keywords: hardware, controller, trackball, commercial Path: menudo.uh.edu Distribution: world Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Reply-To: Greg B. Eanes --text follows this line-- MicroSpeed has produced a quality trackball for people desiring a mouse alternative. Among its features are: plug compatibility with all Amigas, large trackball surface, large wrap around left and right buttons, drag lock, and comfortable use. Product: MicroSpeed's AmTRAC Trackball Price : $99 SRP (Call MicroSpeed for special user group pricing.) NOTE: MicroSpeed provided our users group with an AmTRAC Trackball demonstration unit under the condition that we would demonstrate it at the next meeting, review it in our newsletter, and raffle it off to our membership. The following is a review of that trackball. AmTRAC Arrives ------ ------- The AmTRAC trackball arrived within a week of talking with Peter Rowe, MicroSpeed's coordinator for user group sales. After opening the shipping box and wading through a sea of styrofoam packing, I removed the enclosed AmTRAC box and opened it. Inside was an Amiga color coordinated trackball which looked twice as long as the standard Commodore mouse and half again as wide. The ball was larger than other trackballs I had seen, big enough to accommodate three or four fingers. The left and right buttons, which are functionally equivalent to their mouse counterparts, wrapped almost completely around the trackball. Separating the left and right buttons and located at the top of the unit (furthest away from you) was a middle button used to lock either the left or right button in an activated state. There was also an owner's guide inside the AmTRAC box and after a quick look through its four pages, I unplugged my mouse and inserted the trackball connector. Since the trackball is plug compatible with all Amigas, installation was easy. The fit was not as tight as with the mouse, but it was snug enough that I did not have to worry about it working loose. I turned on my Amiga and started experimenting with the trackball. When placed on my desk, the AmTRAC sloped off toward me, providing a comfortable resting place for my palm. The bottom of the unit had rubber feet, giving it a firm grip on the desk. As you might expect, it was a different feeling than using a mouse. At first, attempting to hold the right button down while moving through a menu was awkward, similar to the first time I used a mouse. The same went for holding down the left button and trying to resize a window. The awkwardness stemmed from my initial inability to use my fingers to move the trackball while at the same time using a finger (or thumb) to press and hold one of the buttons. However, the awkwardness vanished quickly and within an hour I was well on my way to being addicted. Drag Lock ---- ---- As mentioned above, MicroSpeed has provided a drag lock feature through the addition of a middle button. With it, AmTRAC gives you the ability to lock either the left or right buttons so that you can simply concentrate on moving the trackball. By default, the drag lock setting is for the left button. To change to the right button, or to change back to left button drag lock, you must: 1. Press and hold the right or left button 2. Press and release the middle button 3. Release the right or left button. I found this method cumbersome for common tasks and preferred, with some practice, to hold either the left or right button down with a finger while moving the trackball. I suppose drag lock could be useful in certain applications where one of the buttons needs to be activated much of the time, such as in any number of graphics programs where pressing the left button causes the pointer to draw. But since my use of those types of programs is minimal, so was my need of the drag lock feature. For my purposes, it would have been better to include a ``real'' middle button instead of a dedicated drag lock. However, drag lock is there if you have a need for it. A Few Points To Consider - --- ------ -- -------- Overall, I have really enjoyed the use of MicroSpeed's AmTRAC Trackball. Not having to pick a mouse up and move it back onto the mouse pad is pure joy. After 2 1/2 weeks of flawless performance and several phone conversations with Mr. Rowe, I am convinced MicroSpeed runs a top notch operation. In addition to Amigas, MicroSpeed produces trackballs for a wide range of other computer systems including Sun and Silicon Graphics workstations as well as IBM and Macintosh computers, which leads me to believe they must be doing something right. Also, a one year parts and labor warranty comes with each unit. If you are in the market for a mouse and would like to try something different, give MicroSpeed's AmTRAC trackball a try. I was pleasantly surprised, you might be too. Specifications (from the owner's guide) -------------- Case Dimensions 6.75"l x 3.75"w x 2.4"h Unit weight 14 oz. Ball 2.25" diameter, polyester Cable 8 Conductor, shielded 4' long Connector DB-9S female Power Req. Less than 100 ma DC @ 5V For additional information, contact: --- ---------- ----------- ------- Peter Rowe Coordinator for User Group Sales MicroSpeed Incorporated 44000 Old Warm Springs Blvd. Fremont, California 94538 Ph#: (800)232-7888 (510)490-1403 FAX: (510)490-1665 -- -- Greg Eanes gbeanes@tucana.ualr.edu 1508 Winslow Drive Little Rock, AR 72207-6120 -- --