Mice and Pointing Devices

[MultiCAD]

My FX Marble finally broke after seven years.
I do extensive CAD work drawing schematics and pcb layouts. Add to that the drawing conversion to T-Tech Isopro to mill the boards.
I did a web search for a used FX Marble. The only place I found one is Ebay. A new one was priced at $400.00 and a used one started at $85.00.
I bought a new Logitech trackball, but with developing arthritis, I cannot control the ball with any precision.
Messages on several CAD related discussion groups lament that there is NOTHING that matches the ease of use of the FX Marble.
With the price that a used FX Marble is getting and people wanting to buy a new one, it seems like Logitech should consider making the FX Marble again. It does not need any fancy bells and whistles, maybe a USB version and possibly a scroll wheel.
Myself, I would buy three for the computers at work and home, maybe an extra as a spare.
Please, Logitech, bring back the Marble FX.

[plc92084]

I concur with you. I too hope Logitech comes to their senses and starts producing this mouse again (before mine breaks, preferably !). I haven't seen anywhere other than here to communicate with them about this product. None of their current product offerings come close to the usability and comfort of the FX...

[Seanz]

Hi guys!

I appreciate the time that you have taken to contact us with your feedback and suggestions on having the new FX Marble.The information that you have provided is considered useful and constructive. It will be passed on to the appropriate area for analysis.

[mginfo]

Wow, I'm glad to find this thread. I totally agree with the above comments. I wanted to use my old PS/2 Marble FX on a new laptop running Vista.  A USB adaptor of appropriate gender gave some hope, but Vista and the new SetPoint drivers just wouldn't respond.

With no other choice, I bought the new Marble Mouse. The difference between this and indeed all the new Trackballs and the Marble FX demonstrates that change is not necessarily for the better. In fact, the Marble Mouse makes me wonder if the design was sent to manufacturing without anyone having tried a prototype. I constantly have to take my hand off the trackball and move my arm back and forth to use the buttons. Aside from near perfect button placement mentioned above, the Marble FX accomodates a natural finger to opposing thumb combination that current trackballs lack.

I wonder how many customers walk away without bothering to write... Bring back the Marble FX!

Message Edited by mginfo on 03-17-200703:48 PM

[arley]

Add one more vote for Logitech to revive the Marble FX.

I've used lots of mice and trackballs; this is head and shoulders above all of them.

Logitech, you've already invested in the tooling; keep making them, please. The large ball makes it precise and comfortable. The subsequent products aren't as easy to use.

Hey, charge a premium. You'll get it. I'm setting up a dream system at home, and this is the trackball I want, but I can't afford $400 for a used one.

Only analogy I can think of is Chevrolet knocking it out of the park with the '57; then two years later making that godawful cats-eye 1959 model.

[r9blake]

I created an account here just to add to the chorus urging the return of this design classic.

(See http://www.chi-athenaeum.org/gdesign/winners99.htm : Logitech Trackman Marble FX Mouse, 1997-1999 Designers: Peter Sheehan and Lazhal Loughnane, Design Partners, Bray, Ireland)

I believe the effectiveness of the Marble FX is due to the user's capability to grasp the ball between thumb and fingers and rotate the entire hand, which gives fine control that is impossible by just pushing the ball with thumb OR fingers. Yet gross movements are possible, too, and are effective for fast, long-distance pointer movement. A large ball is nearly essential, but is not sufficient.

But the design is not without its flaws. I would like the new edition to feature padding (gel?) at its tail, where the heel of the hand rests. To minimize dust intrusion, the two openings where the ball is revealed can be ringed with a strip with fine synthetic "hairs"; with the ball out, these can be cleaned with a swipe of a damp cloth. A scroll wheel should fit nicely where the forefinger rests. USB, of course. Wireless, why not?

PS: I think I could go for a keyboard with the left and right qwerty group split, and a big, fat Marble FX ball sitting in between, ready to be grasped by left or right hand as may be available. A couple big buttons below the spacebar, accessible to the thumbs, as the main mouse Left and Right; a scroll wheel between them; a couple little buttons above the ball (below the F# keys) for custom functions. This would answer my prayers for an end to swinging the hand between keyboard and "pointing device" all day long.

And please, let's have optional pointer wrap [around screen edges] (and reasonable behavior in multiple monitor setups), in the drivers for this and all mice/trackballs. But that suggestion belongs in another thread.

[Professor]

When the resale price for a used Marble FX hits $400, you got to know the design has something special.  Especially when all other computer pointers are junked when they age.  Here is one more voice for the return of the Trackman Marble FX (maybe with a scroll-ring added, like the Kensingtom Trackball with scroll ring).  My Marble FX is no longer functioning (the cursor won't move, but the buttons work ok).  I am seriously considering taking my new Trackman Marble (which does'nt even come close to the FX in comfort) apart and putting the guts into the Marble FX.  If Logitech doesn't jump on this sentiment about the Marble FX, it is missing a sure bet. 

[IRONHEAD]

Add one more voice to this subject - I can't agree with you more - and there are certainly hundreds, if not thousands, of Trackman Marble FX users worldwide that would agree - especially CAD users. Do an online search for this product and you'll find 10's of thousands of hits (a Google search produced 42,100). And yes, it's true these things are offered for sale at $300+ used! Gawd! I should have snatched up ten of these things at $80 ea. several years ago when I had the chance - instead, I just bought one to replace my original - an IT friend of mine and his co-horts snached up the rest. I've had to pirate parts from my first one to repair the second and eventually I was forced to make my own Rube-Goldberg parts - it still works, just not on my Laptop which has no serial or external PS2 ports. I hope that the good people at Logitech read this: if people are offering these things used at $300+, people would buy as many of these as they could afford post production, and I would go to the trouble to make my own parts to keep mine working, don't you all think it would make good market sense to bring this thing back into production? Don't change a thing other than offering a USB version. In the meantime, I'm pondering the possibility of patching a USB cable into my Trackman.... wonder if that would work? Maybe ITAC has a better product....

[jerrynorton]

Me three. I have three Cordless Trackman FX. I had a corded one too, but prefer the cordless. It's the size of the ball that makes this mouse. I tried the Cordless Optical TrackMan® with the little ball when it first came out and sent it right back. Plus, I don't need all those little Mickey Mouse buttons all over the place. Just left and right click and click and scroll with the ball.

I dropped one of my mice in the toilet briefly while dusting it. I know, stoopid. It functioned briefly afterward, but instead of opening it up and using a blow dryer right away, I shook it out and let it air dry. Now it doesn't do anything at all. I've had them since they were sold here on this website. They work fine with Vista. I never use the Logitech driver and they were completely idiot proof until the toilet incident.

I just got on here to see if Logitech repairs them.

Obviously not.

I suppose Logitech holds all the patents so no one else could make them?

Message Edited by jerrynorton on 05-09-200704:41 AM

[Professor]

I asked Logitech Tech Support if they could repair the Marble FX, but they said they do not repair them. 

But maybe at $400 used, it begins to make sense for someone to repair them.  China, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia - are you listening?