Mice and Pointing Devices

[AntonC]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to update everyone on the current status of this issue and also address the petition link question. We've forwarded this thread to decision makers in the appropriate business unit. As a matter of fact, some of our community members have been in direct contact with folks from the product team. The business unit has not notified us of any changes in our product roadmap. However, please rest assure that your feedback is being forwarded to the right folks here internally.

The purpose of this peer to peer support community is to foster customer collaboration and provide a channel for voice of the customer. Those of you who've been with us for a while now should realize that we definitely do not censor constructive feedback. External links may be removed by our moderators if they promote commercial activities or contain security risks. I apologize ahead of time if the petition link was removed in error. Our moderators go through a very high volume of material daily, and we all make mistakes from time to time. Please PM me the link and I will look into this.

Regards,

[Daniel_Ashley]

I have had a wired Trackman Thumb Drive for over 10 years.  The scroll wheel stopped working, and they don't sell the mouse anymore.  So, I took it apart and cleaned it real good.  Now it is set to go again. It seems to work fine.

I would rather buy a new one than have to disassemble this one and fix it....but if they don't want to sell a wried one, I am stuck.  I can't use any more wireless products--there are so many such products that their radio waves interferere with each other and they don't work properly. 

[zeelurker]

I also want to express my long-time love affair with the thumb-controlled corded Trackman series of mouses and my hope that Logitech will seriously consider bringing it back in some shape or form.

I actually got to try the original Trackman months before it officially went on sale because I had a friend working at Logitech at the time.  I have been an avid user since the official release and have converted friends and co-workers along the way.  Unfortunately, the battery-operated Trackman models don't quite suit my needs because the batteries die annoyingly fast especially since I use my computer a lot.  If Logitech discontinued the corded Trackman series due to profitability, please consider bringing it back to save our planet from the waste of additional dead batteries polluting our landfills.

My current Trackman Wheel is on it's last legs and the cursor is rather slow on the Windows 7 operating system I currently use, so even if Logitch decides to bring the corded Trackman Wheel back as a "Limited Edition" release, I promise I'll buy more then one and encourage others to do so as well. 

[hair911]

Fail! For having the only option for a trackball being wireless. Last time I tried the wireless trackball we had to replace the batteries every week. LOVE the wired version. I am FORCED into trying the "new" wireless version. I hope the batteries last at least a month. We will see. Bring back the wired one please. We will buy at leat 6 to have on hand when one breaks down.

[J_York]

What I'm wondering might be more fruitful than waiting for Logitech to reverse their poor decision to discontinue the wired TrackMan Wheel is to share with each other similar products from other manufactures that might serve as a good substitute. It might also be a good idea if someone owns the other product to provide feedback so people can discover if that is an option they wish to pursue.

As the representative from Logitech said, we all make mistakes from time to time. The company's decision to end this product is certainly a mistake. Until they correct it, we need to move on.

[zampom]

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J_York wrote:

What I'm wondering might be more fruitful than waiting for Logitech to reverse their poor decision to discontinue the wired TrackMan Wheel is to share with each other similar products from other manufactures that might serve as a good substitute.

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I am afraid that there are no good substitutes.  The last "substitute" I tried was the Kensington Orbit with scrolll wheel.  The ONLY nice thing about it was the fluid movement of the scroll wheel.  Using the center mounted track ball was a pain and I just couldn't live with it.  So ... now I am searcing for a comfortable mouse to use for extended periods of time.  There are some interesting ones with nice ergos .... but have only seen pictures.  I have to find one in the flesh, so to speak, to give it a hands-on.  Good bye Logitech .... the relationship was nice while it lasted. 

[EugeneRepairman]

I am pleased and thrilled about the possibility that Logitech might re-introduce the wired version of our favorite Mouse.

In the meantime, I could repair your Trackman Wheel Mouse.

I am a prowd owner of three of these mice and have dome my own repairs to two of them over the years.I've had to replace buttons, cord, low friction tabs, lub wheel mechanism, etc.

If you'd like to explore this further, reply to this post and we'll take it from there.

Eugene

[Gwarks]

@zampom

You could try the MA-TB39S but from that what iread it is an very creappy device. Plus it might be impossible to press the middle and the right button at the same time.

@EugeneRepairman

If you that good at repair how much work do you think is needed to turn Wireless Trackman int Corded ones.

[J_York]

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zampom wrote:

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J_York wrote:

What I'm wondering might be more fruitful than waiting for Logitech to reverse their poor decision to discontinue the wired TrackMan Wheel is to share with each other similar products from other manufactures that might serve as a good substitute.

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I am afraid that there are no good substitutes.

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I'm fearful that you're right. I would think another manufacturer would swoop in and fill this need since Logitech seems unwilling.

[Logicwire]

I too have registered for the sole purpose of voicing my great disappointment in several things, not all of which is Logitec's fault. I admit, the first time I purchased a corded optical thumb trackball, it was a Microsoft product. i am a heavy AutoCAD user, and was leery of compatibilty issues wih AutoCAD. I know, forgive me. They were awesome, saved me from carpal tunnel surgery, and at $39.95 I purchased two: one for work and one for home. They lasted me five years or so, and when one of them failed, I went online to purchase another, only to find they were discontinued and selling for about $325.00. No way my boss was going for that. I did some searching and found Logitec was selling a similar mouse for $35.00. I remember thinking, " Thank God there's a company not as stupid, capricious, heavy-handed, and utterly arrogant as Microsoft, who had discontinued a product that had a 900% profit margin." I mean, raising the price to the stratosphere is one thing, but discontinuing such a popular product? Well. Maybe Bill Gates picked up a special brownie habit or something. I did some research, called AutoDesk, and determined that there would be no compatibility issues, so, my boss shelled out for the Logitec equivalent. I expected to be disappointed. And I was not. I found that after setting up the software properly, It was just as good, if not better than the former Microsoft product. What I see as a failing, is marketing. This is what I want to complain/ask for feedback about. I think trackballs in general are not popular enough. And yes, I understand that not everyone is right handed. But if they were popular enough, the cost of making a left handed version could be justified. Any ideas on what Logitec could do to increase demand for these? And yes, I think having a wireless version of something that DOES NOT MOVE is as boneheaded as discontinuing the corded version. Is Energizer/Duracell paying a kickback? Do you see cordless external hard drives? Cordless monitors? No. Why? Because THEY DON'T MOVE! What will they think of next? Pipeless, battery operated water heaters? Can Logitec collate testimonials of people who alleviated their carpal tunnel syndrome, and email HR directors, physical therapists, and doctors? Can Logitec host a Trackball fan site, and a coupon be included in MMORPG/Drafting/Drawing retail boxes, with a link to the fansite? Also, can we be honest as to what we'd put up with Logitec or a competing company charging to continue to make these? I'd grit my teeth, but the max I'd pay is about $65.00. You?