I've used the wired version of the Kensington Slimblade trackball mouse for years and ergonomically I think it's the most comfortable, durable, reliable ball mouse on the market. I just now found out that finally there's a bluetooth/usb wireless version and I couldn't be happier! I'll transfer the wired version I have to another computer and order the PRO version asap. These are just GREAT to use and extremely comfortable. These make any computer a joy to use.
How is the wireless one working out? You are me, living life 6 months ahead of me: I LOVE my slimblade. Need another for my laptop bag - thinking I'll grab the wireless and hope it performs identically...
@@jamessbca its the same thing, just wireless. It can be used with a wireless usb dongle or just bluetooth without having the plug anything into the computer. My concern would be, it's size. This is borderline too large for a small desk, idk why you will carry it in a laptop bag. That seems insane. Just get a thinkpad laptop if you hate touchpads so much.
I do love the SlimBlade and the Experts. Sooo satisfying to roll those big balls. The scroll methods are incredibly satisfying too. My only gripe is that for 3d modeling, I want my thumb to be able to quickly access more buttons. Kind of a shame they're sticking with just the 4 buttons after all these years. That design certainly makes it looks pretty! If they ever do a re-design of the Experts, they should litter the thumb areas with buttons. I'd pay $200 for an Expert 'Pro' where the bottom corners were subdivided into 3 buttons each, instead of the single big buttons. For the time being, I have the Elecom Huge and that has been an amazing trackball for my needs. For 90% of people, this new SlimBlade will be glorious. Mouse users don't know what they're missing.
Thanks for your feedback, Raz! Great idea about a new "Expert Pro" featuring extra buttons. If you take a look at the original Kensington Expert Pro from 2001 (the white one with blue transparant ball), you'll see that one had a row of extra buttons on top of the device, they could take inspiration from that. And agreed... once you track, you never go back!
How do you use it when you need hold down the left click and move the cursor? This kind of thing is very easy and intutuive with a normal mouse or even a thumb trackball mouse but it's not easy with this kind of trackball device. I agree with this idea for more buttons in the thumb area, that would make it better for sure. They should also combine some of the features from the fat version they make which has better switches in the clicky buttons and an actual scroll wheel. the clicks are also SO LOUD on this device. I want my mouse to be as silent as can be. this is a very loud device. It's the loudest input device I own.
@@TimJohnson-x1oFor me, left-clicking and rolling are second nature. I bet it took a little time to develop the muscle memory when I first started. That was a long time ago now though. :)
Small correction regarding the number of buttons available for the Slimblade versus Slimblade Pro: On Windows 11 22H2 with KensingtonWorks 3.1.2, both the original and pro support 8 buttons. I do not have a Mac system to check KensingtonWorks 3.1.4 against. Just FYI - otherwise excellent review.
This is good news, I was actually thinking of buying a backup slimblade but this will be so much better. I am happy Kensington does recognize they made really something special that deserves to continue.
Literally came here because I saw trackball mouse and it piqued my interest for productivity purposes. But was curious because I thought the drag and drop function might be a problem. Glad this video cured my curiosity.
The drag and scroll issue really put me off from getting one, I have a Kensington Orbit Fusion which has the same issue. On the other hand, my Deft Pro drags and scrolls normally. I'm using Windows.
Not sure if this is a well known feature but as a workaround, while dragging the file / layer....etc, hover it above the scroll bar to scroll up, below to scroll down. The closer you are to the arrow up / down, the faster it will scroll. Though mouse drag / scrolling would be quicker and more accurate, it's not by much compared to this method. ymmv
That is one impressive trackball collection. I started using trackballs in the early 2000's with my first one being the Microsoft thumb operated one. Then I got the trackball explorer. That one lasted roughly 8 yrs before it literally fell apart from material degradation. I've used the original Kensington expert pro with the old ring bearings, and 6 oval buttons at the top, and fell in love with it. Now I'm on an Elecom Deft, (not the pro because I didn't like the button layout), which replaced my Elecom Huge after the scroll wheel started dying. One thing I don't like about Elecom is the fact that you have to replace the synthetic ruby ball bearings. I tried not to, but the bearing stick was simply unbearable. I picked up some 2.5mm steel ball bearings, and it's super fast with no sticking. It works almost too well. I really wish I could find a scroll wheel encoder for my Huge, but I have been unsuccessful. The only ones I could find are for standard mice, and won't fit the Huge due to shape, and size of the housing. A perfectly good mouse ruined over something easily fixed. Quite sad, really.
@@trackballmouse You're most welcome. Oh, and an update. I finally found encoders for my Elecom Huge scroll wheel! They're actually for the Razer Naga mouse, but with a very slight modification to the body of the encoder it fits perfectly, and is now being used.
I've been using the wireless Kensington expert mouse on a Mac for a couple of years, my only complaint is that when you assign a button to drag, you can only drag if you double-click the drag button. Has this issue been resolved with the Slimblade Pro?
In the end I bought both Slimblade pro and Expert, I love using them, athough the scroll wheel on Expert is too loose and wobbly IMO and it must be noted that the ball on Slimblade Pro has lighter action than on Expert, where it offers more resistance. Regards.
how do you see trackball vs trackpad? at the moment I use keyboard with trackpad (tuchpad) Problem is it is too compact. Doesnt have begin/end/pgup/pgdown buttons and I can't find model with mode keys and truckpad. S I think ablut mobeing to separate tools and here is a problem trackpad I'm used to or trackball... gestures... this is what I'm afraied to loose.
Is there an obvious day to day difference compared to the old wired version? I like mine but the buttons require a little bit of finger power and it can be a bit noisy in an office job.
The CST scroll wheel is super smooth, no clicks or sound, not sure how it technically works but love the feel of that one. Only downside of the CST scroll: you need to reach a bit far so better suited for larger hands/long fingers, but I'm able to use it without moving my hand from the ball roll position.
I used this when I had RSI problems but it did not help. Only Elecom HUGE and Deft Pro eased my RSI. I really miss the twist to scroll feature, though.
how much i love Kensington's trackballs, so much i hate their outdated unfinished design and lack of support in Europe, e.g. not being able to buy 2.4Ghz adapter for Kensington expert in 2024 is a bit less crazy, than lack of support for multiple Bluetooth connections at once
Twisting the ball for scrolling would've been a nice upgrade to the Logitech Trackman marble mouse. The ball sticks up quite far and would be easy to grab and twist. I just switched from the Marble Mouse to the Elecom Deft, mostly because of the lack of a scroll wheel.
You can use xmouse button software for Logitech Trackman. In my setup I can use small right buton and using index finger to scroll ball in direction forward and backward. This works excellent. I wish Trackman would be wireless via Bluetooth. But it seems this product is no longer in production (outdated).
Been using a Slimblade for years now and my left click button is starting to go. I was almost about to buy a new normal Slimblade when I saw this and I couldn't be more excited that there's finally a wireless version! I will buy this as soon as it's back in stock which I really hope is very soon. I will note that with my normal Slimblade in the audio editing software Pro Tools, I am able to click and drag and scroll with no problems.
I've been using the Kensington SlimBlade for years now. It's just beginning to show it's age with the chrome ring beginning to flake off. Glad to see that there's a new wireless model, however I feel like they've missed the mark with some of the new features, like the toggles for the connection modes - why is it so obtrusive and why have they used a white font? Doesn't feel as premium as the price commands. It feels like they could have added slimmer and universal buttons on the sides where your thumb can reach. The connectivty/dpi toggles could be moved towards the top of the Slimblade, where the flaps used to be and more streamlined into the design. Also how or where can you find the battery charge level? I'm probably going to take apart my old wired SlimBlade and respray the cream sides and flaking chrome ring and give it a new life.
Maybe it's due to newer drivers, or the fact I'm on Windows. But I just got mine today and click and dragging layers in Photoshop to move them works fine.
If this had a scroll ring I would buy it immediately.. What a let down... They made such a big deal about this scroll ring and then they took it off makes no sense.. I loved that scroll ring..
Way different than the physical scroll ring Which I owned since it came out in 1989 and bought every single generation since.....The touch sucks in comparison ..I use a apple magic pad now only cause of that dumb touch ring ....I still keep finding myself looking for the scroll ring by habit lol....@@officialWWM
I fear that I wouldn't like the lack of scroll ring, I got an opportunity to try a Kensington expert trackball and I loved it, literally the best mouse I have ever borrowed from someone, in this case it was one that was at school when I forgot my mouse, anyways I'm likely gonna get the wireless expert trackball, and throw in my spare rechargeable battery, and I think it will be just as good for me, but I was heavily considering the slim blade pro until I realized it doesn't have the scroll ring, that was one of the features I liked when I tried the trackball
How’s the ergonomic feel of this device vs the expert? I love the expert for everything except the way it feels. I threw away the wrist rest because it made it more painful, and now use the expert in a drawer so it sits lower, so I’ve been curious about if I just need a lower profile trackball
I do like that the SlimBlade has a lower profile body, that is more comfortable in my experience. (I also never use the wristwrest of the Expert by the way)
It's been many years since I last used the Expert Mouse. Does it still come with that steeply-raked wrist-rest? I remember that from back in the day and how it you were not careful it might just help you get carpal tunnel. I did recently buy the wrist-rest to add to my existing slimblade. I've had my Slimblade for years, but for some reason on recently has my palm/hand been feeling irritated and uncomfortable resting on the bare desk surface. Thankfully the rest is just a low-profile jell-filled affair, that gives a soft comfortable place to lay the hand.
Great thorough review. Is Kensington going to also offer the sale of extra dangles? Is this device capable of association with multiple dongles (3 for example), so that it can be used/moved between multiple computers that have their own dongles that stay with them? Yes, there is the Bluetooth for connectivity to multiple devices, but if there is the rf option, I think I'd prefer that. Thx for any insight you might have.
Currently there is not an option to add more dongles and switch between them. I agree that would be a good feature. Some keyboards have the feature of switching between different devices but that is usually via Bluetooth. Switching the SlimBlade between devices via Bluetooth would mean disconnecting and pairing, there is no button to switch between devices either. I did send the suggestion to Kensington, so perhaps we will see the device switch option on future trackball devices.
@Trackball Mouse thx for the reply. Looks like I'll have to keep my Logitech MX Mouse hanging around as it is my current solution for moving between three workstation setups that all share the same monitor. Sucks, because I own two slimblades, but they hostage at their respective computers makibg for intolerable desktop clutter and discord. Alas, itll likely take ages if ever that Kensington provides this solution, considering this pro model is only just now hitting the shelves.
@@garolstipock yeah it'd be ideal to have that option. As I suggest in the video the only way is to use Bluetooth, Dongle and Wired for each device, then you can theoretically switch between three devices with the sidebutton.
Unlikely. Kensington has traditionally catered more for the enterprise market, where dongles need to be hard-coded for security reasons (Logitech Unified Dongles can be hacked to allow remote controlling the computers they are used at). So Kensington dongles cannot be replaced and you cannot use the devices with other/multiple dongles. I guess that will still be the case here. Note: even Kensington cannot replace the dongles, so don't loose them!
@@torstenschenkel2110 Yea, I hear ya. Ah.. it's a shame. Btw- Logitech has the 'bolt' dongles for their 'business' products, that offer the security feature their standard Unified dongles dont.
Ooh interesting. I see you also have the Elecoms but no reviews on them, any reason? I am getting scroll wheel pain from the Elecom Huge and its thumb scroll wheel, I wonder how you see it compared to that of the Vertical axis scrolling from the Kensingtons? Or anybody else with experience? Thanks, Jacob
Does software allow inverting mouse pointer? aka roll to left and mouse goes to right? (can do that on linux natively, but kensington windows drivers were lacking)
I've been using kensington trackballs for decades and just got a couple of these, one for home and one for the laptop bag (linux laptop). At home I have it wired to a windows laptop I need on rare occasion and via broadband to my linux desktop, so to switch machines I just slide the selector switch. You could do the same using the rf module with a third computer. My keyboards also can connect to up to three devices via bluetooth, so with a keyboard press I can switch between computers also. I do wish they'd just stuck with the expert scroll ring, I'm getting better with this one but the expert was really easy to use I thought.
Long time Slimblade user here. Did you know you can use the ring that’s around the ball like a scroll ring? Try it, while ensuring the same finger is in contact with the ball.
@@OldAussieAds -- Yeah, as I said I got used to it and use it all the time, but I still prefer the old style scroll ring. Love the slimblade though, these are great.
Wonder if there's demand for two extra combinations of either diagonal buttons. Or maybe I'm the only strange one who makes his right click the top right button instead of the bottom right on his old slimblade.
I feel like this is NOT ergonomic. The mouse slants upward from the base the of the wrist to the fingers. Typically sitting at the desk your forearms angle down towards the desk and then you have to bend your writs back or upwards, it's literally painful.
it's the least slanted out of all of these boxy ambidex track balls. For me it's not an issue since my hand is supported my arm rest so it just hovers over the device. When you have the device on person the slant is smaller than it looks.
It works a little bit but it's not really usable. Kensington has been experimenting with a 8-ball and 9-ball designs, but they can't laser tracking to work as good as the original balls, so they probably won't release it.
Technically the ring doesn’t do anything. But if you slide your finger on it while ensuring it’s also touching the ball, it does in fact work like a scroll ring.
Hi, great video but I'd like to know if it's possible to tap or double tap the ball with your finger to serve as a single or a double click? Like it is on a touchpad. Regards
As a long time user of the Kensington Expert, I was looking for a trackball with higher DPI. This Slimblade is very disappointing for gaming. In most FPS, the scroll is used to switch weapons. However, with the Slimblade cannot move and scroll at the same time. This makes it useless in most FPS games.
I have used track balls likely since they were introduced. Have a drawer full of old ones. One, the Logitech marble, like so many of the marbles has it on top, your fingers are curved oddly, they get tired and cramped and do all the work with long motions. I don't see that this is going to be any different, in fact worse as you have no place to rest your hand and your finger free float. I've ended up using a Logitech Ergo marble, the marble moves with little thumb movement and the thumb is at rest not held in the air. The wheel turns with also little movement of your first or second finger moving your screen up and down at will. With this you have to lift your hand and twist the ball???? really odd?? Kensington should have stuck with their old one finger wheel method. The two major buttons also operate with your first and second fingers with Logitech. All of this with little hand or finger movement as your palm rests comfortably on the mouse in a natural curve. The Logitech Ergo used to be considered the best, easiest and most comfortable, used by most professionals except those who had special needs. All the fancy new designs aren't much different than old discards, many I have in my discard drawer. Maybe these internet jockeys need something new to talk about, but they need more than a sleek design and a nice shinny surface that seems to always crack the $100 mark. More $$ doesn't make it better, nothing he said would even make me want to try it, even free. The Kensington Ergo TB550 Trackball looks like it may be worth a try once this Logitech wears out. By the way he admits he is a Kensington Pro ambassador, humph?? Wonder why he likes this ;). I'm no pro, but I just spend a lot of time on my computer having fun since I retired. Has anyone ever driven a Farrari or even a Rolls Royce? Neither are that easy to drive, Ford, Toyota or Honda, the cheepies are easier.
It completely baffles me why anyone would choose a standard mouse over a Slimblade trackball. Kensington definately hit a homerun with the Slimblade Pro.
In the video you can see an Atrix Guild RGB Gaming Keyboard (ref GSKB03) now hard to find, but came from GameStop. I liked the large scroll wheel for volume control and the 6 programmable hot keys on the left side of the keyboard. (btw I currently use a Keychron K1 RGB as I wanted a slightly smaller keyboard and keys, but still a cool wireless RGB keyboard).
Excellent review. Convince me taking this over trackpad. I had most of the top end trackballs in the 15years ago, thinking about getting one again but trackpad takes care of all the needs . So what is better on trackball that is not sogoodon trackpad. Thank you
AHHHH I WANT THIS SO BAD!!! But alas, my stupid old one is still too pretty and works too perfectly for me to justify a replacement... WHY. CANT. YOU. JUST. BREAK ALREADY!!!!!! UGHHH, it's not fair! But damn man, I really want those wireless modes.. and those DPI settings... and 2 extra button combos, I really want them too!!!! But above all else I NEED THAT COLOR!!! That thing looks freakin BOSS and would match SO PERFECTLY with the gunmetal aluminum on my Thinkpad X1 Yoga! God, it's so not fair...
I got mine about a week ago. Its a very handsome and functional device, but it will take some getting used to, as im very accustomed to an ergonomic style mouse.
The Slimblade really is in it's own class in terms of style and feel; nothing else out there quite like it. The scrolling in particular has kinda spoiled me, previously I'd been using a Griffin Powermate for scrolling with a Logitech Trackman Marble, so having that "knob" style scroll built in with the Slimblade is amazing and frees up the Powermate to now function as a horizontal scroll.
Build quality on the newer models is awful. Double clicking instead of single clicking issues; wobbly base (had to balance it with guitar picks under the slimblade). Not exactly the high end trackball I expected. Had better luck with a logitech a third of the price.
If there was an Adept with a scroll ring, I’d absolutely buy it. But I don’t want to have to click once to start scrolling and then again to stop scrolling. I scroll all the time and it sound like too much extra work.
Kensington's wireless connectivity is awful and unreliable. Buy their wireless stuff at your own risk. I've had enough of their wireless stuff to know - hard pass.
Thanks for actually revealing your conflict of interest within the first 3 minutes of the video. Now everyone knows they can't actually trust anything you say because this isn't a review, it's an advertisement. If you want to be taken seriously, return the free device. Purchase it with your own money. and denounce your "brand ambassador" relationship. Of course that will never happen, therefore no one with basic media literacy would take your claims for as anything more than promotion. You should change this title to advert/promo if you want to be more honest.
That thing is horrible. Nothing beats the Microsoft Trackball Explorer to this day. I’m never going to use anything else, even if that means having to duplicate the design myself and use different guts. Everything else sucks. The Ploopy project will make some of the work dead simple. 3D printers are invaluable.
It's not ONLY wireliess though, this SlimBlade can also be used wired, by plugging in the USB cable and setting it to USB (middle setting of the left side button).
Wireless isn't why this sucks for fps games, it's because of the twist to scroll which you can't disable. You can disable scrolling from within the games but when you flick the ball in bit weird way and accidentally trigger the scrolling motion your cursor will just stop moving since it's sending scrolling instead of moving. You can probably learn to avoid it almost completely but I would still avoid this for gaming.
I've used the wired version of the Kensington Slimblade trackball mouse for years and ergonomically I think it's the most comfortable, durable, reliable ball mouse on the market. I just now found out that finally there's a bluetooth/usb wireless version and I couldn't be happier! I'll transfer the wired version I have to another computer and order the PRO version asap. These are just GREAT to use and extremely comfortable. These make any computer a joy to use.
How is the wireless one working out? You are me, living life 6 months ahead of me:
I LOVE my slimblade. Need another for my laptop bag - thinking I'll grab the wireless and hope it performs identically...
@@jamessbca its the same thing, just wireless. It can be used with a wireless usb dongle or just bluetooth without having the plug anything into the computer. My concern would be, it's size. This is borderline too large for a small desk, idk why you will carry it in a laptop bag. That seems insane. Just get a thinkpad laptop if you hate touchpads so much.
I do love the SlimBlade and the Experts. Sooo satisfying to roll those big balls. The scroll methods are incredibly satisfying too. My only gripe is that for 3d modeling, I want my thumb to be able to quickly access more buttons. Kind of a shame they're sticking with just the 4 buttons after all these years. That design certainly makes it looks pretty! If they ever do a re-design of the Experts, they should litter the thumb areas with buttons. I'd pay $200 for an Expert 'Pro' where the bottom corners were subdivided into 3 buttons each, instead of the single big buttons. For the time being, I have the Elecom Huge and that has been an amazing trackball for my needs. For 90% of people, this new SlimBlade will be glorious. Mouse users don't know what they're missing.
Thanks for your feedback, Raz! Great idea about a new "Expert Pro" featuring extra buttons. If you take a look at the original Kensington Expert Pro from 2001 (the white one with blue transparant ball), you'll see that one had a row of extra buttons on top of the device, they could take inspiration from that.
And agreed... once you track, you never go back!
For that reason i don't have one, i'm a 3D designer
How do you use it when you need hold down the left click and move the cursor? This kind of thing is very easy and intutuive with a normal mouse or even a thumb trackball mouse but it's not easy with this kind of trackball device. I agree with this idea for more buttons in the thumb area, that would make it better for sure. They should also combine some of the features from the fat version they make which has better switches in the clicky buttons and an actual scroll wheel. the clicks are also SO LOUD on this device. I want my mouse to be as silent as can be. this is a very loud device. It's the loudest input device I own.
@@TimJohnson-x1oFor me, left-clicking and rolling are second nature. I bet it took a little time to develop the muscle memory when I first started. That was a long time ago now though. :)
Small correction regarding the number of buttons available for the Slimblade versus Slimblade Pro: On Windows 11 22H2 with KensingtonWorks 3.1.2, both the original and pro support 8 buttons. I do not have a Mac system to check KensingtonWorks 3.1.4 against. Just FYI - otherwise excellent review.
Thanks for this information!
This is good news, I was actually thinking of buying a backup slimblade but this will be so much better. I am happy Kensington does recognize they made really something special that deserves to continue.
Literally came here because I saw trackball mouse and it piqued my interest for productivity purposes. But was curious because I thought the drag and drop function might be a problem. Glad this video cured my curiosity.
UPDATE: I can now click-drag-drop (on a Mac) without any issues.
The drag and scroll issue really put me off from getting one, I have a Kensington Orbit Fusion which has the same issue. On the other hand, my Deft Pro drags and scrolls normally. I'm using Windows.
Not sure if this is a well known feature but as a workaround, while dragging the file / layer....etc, hover it above the scroll bar to scroll up, below to scroll down. The closer you are to the arrow up / down, the faster it will scroll. Though mouse drag / scrolling would be quicker and more accurate, it's not by much compared to this method. ymmv
UPDATE: I can now click-drag-drop (on a Mac) without any issues.
I love my Expert which converted me to trackballs and cured my developing wrist issues.
Not sure if the SlimBlade isn't too flat for me.
Still using it?
Familiar with Logitech's freewheeling scroll wheel? It's wonderful.
How does that scrolling compare to Logitech's freewheel?
Thanks.
That is one impressive trackball collection. I started using trackballs in the early 2000's with my first one being the Microsoft thumb operated one. Then I got the trackball explorer. That one lasted roughly 8 yrs before it literally fell apart from material degradation. I've used the original Kensington expert pro with the old ring bearings, and 6 oval buttons at the top, and fell in love with it. Now I'm on an Elecom Deft, (not the pro because I didn't like the button layout), which replaced my Elecom Huge after the scroll wheel started dying.
One thing I don't like about Elecom is the fact that you have to replace the synthetic ruby ball bearings. I tried not to, but the bearing stick was simply unbearable. I picked up some 2.5mm steel ball bearings, and it's super fast with no sticking. It works almost too well. I really wish I could find a scroll wheel encoder for my Huge, but I have been unsuccessful. The only ones I could find are for standard mice, and won't fit the Huge due to shape, and size of the housing. A perfectly good mouse ruined over something easily fixed. Quite sad, really.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with trackballs!
@@trackballmouse You're most welcome. Oh, and an update. I finally found encoders for my Elecom Huge scroll wheel! They're actually for the Razer Naga mouse, but with a very slight modification to the body of the encoder it fits perfectly, and is now being used.
Is the slimblade any smoother at low speeds compared to the expert?
I've been using the wireless Kensington expert mouse on a Mac for a couple of years, my only complaint is that when you assign a button to drag, you can only drag if you double-click the drag button. Has this issue been resolved with the Slimblade Pro?
In the end I bought both Slimblade pro and Expert, I love using them, athough the scroll wheel on Expert is too loose and wobbly IMO and it must be noted that the ball on Slimblade Pro has lighter action than on Expert, where it offers more resistance. Regards.
How practical is this when used in an armchair? It could be sat on one's lap and operated with both hands? Very interested in this. Great review.
Are you able to get different coloured trackballs?
how do you do a horizontal scroll?
You can hold "SHIFT" while turning to the ball to scroll horizontally. (At least on my Mac that works)
how do you see trackball vs trackpad? at the moment I use keyboard with trackpad (tuchpad) Problem is it is too compact. Doesnt have begin/end/pgup/pgdown buttons and I can't find model with mode keys and truckpad. S I think ablut mobeing to separate tools and here is a problem trackpad I'm used to or trackball... gestures... this is what I'm afraied to loose.
Is there an obvious day to day difference compared to the old wired version? I like mine but the buttons require a little bit of finger power and it can be a bit noisy in an office job.
Not much difference with the wired version regarding the buttons.
Do you still do reviews on trackballs? I'm very curious on your opinion of the Nulea M505
Thank you for the review. Regarding your criticism of the scroll wheel, how does the CST 2545 scroll mechanism work?
The CST scroll wheel is super smooth, no clicks or sound, not sure how it technically works but love the feel of that one. Only downside of the CST scroll: you need to reach a bit far so better suited for larger hands/long fingers, but I'm able to use it without moving my hand from the ball roll position.
I used this when I had RSI problems but it did not help. Only Elecom HUGE and Deft Pro eased my RSI. I really miss the twist to scroll feature, though.
how much i love Kensington's trackballs, so much i hate their outdated unfinished design and lack of support in Europe, e.g. not being able to buy 2.4Ghz adapter for Kensington expert in 2024 is a bit less crazy, than lack of support for multiple Bluetooth connections at once
Twisting the ball for scrolling would've been a nice upgrade to the Logitech Trackman marble mouse. The ball sticks up quite far and would be easy to grab and twist. I just switched from the Marble Mouse to the Elecom Deft, mostly because of the lack of a scroll wheel.
You can use xmouse button software for Logitech Trackman. In my setup I can use small right buton and using index finger to scroll ball in direction forward and backward. This works excellent. I wish Trackman would be wireless via Bluetooth. But it seems this product is no longer in production (outdated).
is it possible to click and drag on a MacBook and do the scrolling with the trackpad from the MacBook?
UPDATE: I can click-drag-drop on a Mac without any issues. But yes it also works if you use the trackpad.
@ thank you for the quick answer!
I wish they would make a silent version of these, mouse & trackball mouse are still too loud if you work from home.
Been using a Slimblade for years now and my left click button is starting to go.
I was almost about to buy a new normal Slimblade when I saw this and I couldn't be more excited that there's finally a wireless version!
I will buy this as soon as it's back in stock which I really hope is very soon.
I will note that with my normal Slimblade in the audio editing software Pro Tools, I am able to click and drag and scroll with no problems.
On widows?
@@imiy On Mac. However now with the wireless one I am no longer able to drag and scroll and it sucks but I've gotten used to it lol
Hi from italy, May I ask if it is expected that it will also be available in Europe?
Was released recently - just ordered one :-)
I've been using the Kensington SlimBlade for years now. It's just beginning to show it's age with the chrome ring beginning to flake off.
Glad to see that there's a new wireless model, however I feel like they've missed the mark with some of the new features, like the toggles for the connection modes - why is it so obtrusive and why have they used a white font? Doesn't feel as premium as the price commands. It feels like they could have added slimmer and universal buttons on the sides where your thumb can reach. The connectivty/dpi toggles could be moved towards the top of the Slimblade, where the flaps used to be and more streamlined into the design. Also how or where can you find the battery charge level?
I'm probably going to take apart my old wired SlimBlade and respray the cream sides and flaking chrome ring and give it a new life.
Maybe it's due to newer drivers, or the fact I'm on Windows. But I just got mine today and click and dragging layers in Photoshop to move them works fine.
Hi,
Will the software work with an older iMac running High Sierra 10.13.6 ?
If this had a scroll ring I would buy it immediately.. What a let down... They made such a big deal about this scroll ring and then they took it off makes no sense.. I loved that scroll ring..
Though, it's still nice that you could scroll by actually twisting the ball, but I do agree that the actual ring is better
What are you talking about? It has the scroll ring! It’s a touch ring, you just slide your finger across it.
Way different than the physical scroll ring Which I owned since it came out in 1989 and bought every single generation since.....The touch sucks in comparison ..I use a apple magic pad now only cause of that dumb touch ring ....I still keep finding myself looking for the scroll ring by habit lol....@@officialWWM
It technically doesn’t. But it still works like one if when you’re sliding your finger, it also rests on the ball.
I fear that I wouldn't like the lack of scroll ring, I got an opportunity to try a Kensington expert trackball and I loved it, literally the best mouse I have ever borrowed from someone, in this case it was one that was at school when I forgot my mouse, anyways I'm likely gonna get the wireless expert trackball, and throw in my spare rechargeable battery, and I think it will be just as good for me, but I was heavily considering the slim blade pro until I realized it doesn't have the scroll ring, that was one of the features I liked when I tried the trackball
How’s the ergonomic feel of this device vs the expert? I love the expert for everything except the way it feels. I threw away the wrist rest because it made it more painful, and now use the expert in a drawer so it sits lower, so I’ve been curious about if I just need a lower profile trackball
I do like that the SlimBlade has a lower profile body, that is more comfortable in my experience. (I also never use the wristwrest of the Expert by the way)
It's been many years since I last used the Expert Mouse. Does it still come with that steeply-raked wrist-rest? I remember that from back in the day and how it you were not careful it might just help you get carpal tunnel.
I did recently buy the wrist-rest to add to my existing slimblade. I've had my Slimblade for years, but for some reason on recently has my palm/hand been feeling irritated and uncomfortable resting on the bare desk surface. Thankfully the rest is just a low-profile jell-filled affair, that gives a soft comfortable place to lay the hand.
Will the keys be hard? If with omron f-f-3-7?
What is the latency on this? I'm looking to play games on the trackball
not bad but the sensors doesn't feel accurate at low speeds, also the twist to scroll feature is pain in the ass while gaming
Does the ring in SlimBlade scrolling too?
No, unfortunately only for decoration. Would be cool if it was a touch scroll ring.
please make a review for the Expert version.
so which one is the best one? because i dont wan to spend 100 bucks.
Great thorough review.
Is Kensington going to also offer the sale of extra dangles?
Is this device capable of association with multiple dongles (3 for example), so that it can be used/moved between multiple computers that have their own dongles that stay with them?
Yes, there is the Bluetooth for connectivity to multiple devices, but if there is the rf option, I think I'd prefer that.
Thx for any insight you might have.
Currently there is not an option to add more dongles and switch between them. I agree that would be a good feature. Some keyboards have the feature of switching between different devices but that is usually via Bluetooth. Switching the SlimBlade between devices via Bluetooth would mean disconnecting and pairing, there is no button to switch between devices either.
I did send the suggestion to Kensington, so perhaps we will see the device switch option on future trackball devices.
@Trackball Mouse thx for the reply.
Looks like I'll have to keep my Logitech MX Mouse hanging around as it is my current solution for moving between three workstation setups that all share the same monitor.
Sucks, because I own two slimblades, but they hostage at their respective computers makibg for intolerable desktop clutter and discord.
Alas, itll likely take ages if ever that Kensington provides this solution, considering this pro model is only just now hitting the shelves.
@@garolstipock yeah it'd be ideal to have that option. As I suggest in the video the only way is to use Bluetooth, Dongle and Wired for each device, then you can theoretically switch between three devices with the sidebutton.
Unlikely. Kensington has traditionally catered more for the enterprise market, where dongles need to be hard-coded for security reasons (Logitech Unified Dongles can be hacked to allow remote controlling the computers they are used at).
So Kensington dongles cannot be replaced and you cannot use the devices with other/multiple dongles. I guess that will still be the case here.
Note: even Kensington cannot replace the dongles, so don't loose them!
@@torstenschenkel2110 Yea, I hear ya. Ah.. it's a shame.
Btw- Logitech has the 'bolt' dongles for their 'business' products, that offer the security feature their standard Unified dongles dont.
Ooh interesting. I see you also have the Elecoms but no reviews on them, any reason? I am getting scroll wheel pain from the Elecom Huge and its thumb scroll wheel, I wonder how you see it compared to that of the Vertical axis scrolling from the Kensingtons? Or anybody else with experience? Thanks, Jacob
How do I get one of your coffee mugs
WAIT, there's a slimblade pro now?!?
Does software allow inverting mouse pointer? aka roll to left and mouse goes to right? (can do that on linux natively, but kensington windows drivers were lacking)
I've been using kensington trackballs for decades and just got a couple of these, one for home and one for the laptop bag (linux laptop). At home I have it wired to a windows laptop I need on rare occasion and via broadband to my linux desktop, so to switch machines I just slide the selector switch. You could do the same using the rf module with a third computer. My keyboards also can connect to up to three devices via bluetooth, so with a keyboard press I can switch between computers also. I do wish they'd just stuck with the expert scroll ring, I'm getting better with this one but the expert was really easy to use I thought.
Long time Slimblade user here. Did you know you can use the ring that’s around the ball like a scroll ring? Try it, while ensuring the same finger is in contact with the ball.
@@OldAussieAds -- Yeah, as I said I got used to it and use it all the time, but I still prefer the old style scroll ring. Love the slimblade though, these are great.
One huge question is... can we disable the scrolling sound?
no
where to get?
hi what about wireless latency?
where do they sell this model pro?
Wonder if there's demand for two extra combinations of either diagonal buttons. Or maybe I'm the only strange one who makes his right click the top right button instead of the bottom right on his old slimblade.
I use the top right button for LEFT click strangely enough...
I feel like this is NOT ergonomic. The mouse slants upward from the base the of the wrist to the fingers. Typically sitting at the desk your forearms angle down towards the desk and then you have to bend your writs back or upwards, it's literally painful.
it's the least slanted out of all of these boxy ambidex track balls. For me it's not an issue since my hand is supported my arm rest so it just hovers over the device. When you have the device on person the slant is smaller than it looks.
Exactly. Thumb trackball all the way.
Is 1600dpi too low for 2k monitor?
I'm currently using a mouse with 5500dpi.
even the lowest dpi is fine
you guys just fly right over the innovative scrolling method...
Is this finally the scroll that won't break in 2 months?
thank you for made this video! Does Slimblade scroll wheel has more resolution than the Expert?
I can't find this in any store, not even listed. Is it discontinued or unreleased ?
Kensington's amazon store has them
Hi . Can you please tell me if the Kensingon Slimblade trackball has a very noise click buttons like the Expert trackball? Thank you
I have Click & Drag issue with Macbook
Would be great if the App Supports Programming 'Diagonal Pair of Buttons'
omg, I haven't heard anything from this channel in forever!
can you use a billiards ball instead here?
It works a little bit but it's not really usable. Kensington has been experimenting with a 8-ball and 9-ball designs, but they can't laser tracking to work as good as the original balls, so they probably won't release it.
Is it twist scrolling only or does the silver ring also scroll?
Only twst scrolling, the ring doesn't do anything.
Technically the ring doesn’t do anything. But if you slide your finger on it while ensuring it’s also touching the ball, it does in fact work like a scroll ring.
Hi, great video but I'd like to know if it's possible to tap or double tap the ball with your finger to serve as a single or a double click? Like it is on a touchpad. Regards
Hi, no the ball itself can't function as a button, although that would be very cool indeed!.
As a long time user of the Kensington Expert, I was looking for a trackball with higher DPI. This Slimblade is very disappointing for gaming. In most FPS, the scroll is used to switch weapons. However, with the Slimblade cannot move and scroll at the same time. This makes it useless in most FPS games.
I have used track balls likely since they were introduced. Have a drawer full of old ones. One, the Logitech marble, like so many of the marbles has it on top, your fingers are curved oddly, they get tired and cramped and do all the work with long motions. I don't see that this is going to be any different, in fact worse as you have no place to rest your hand and your finger free float. I've ended up using a Logitech Ergo marble, the marble moves with little thumb movement and the thumb is at rest not held in the air. The wheel turns with also little movement of your first or second finger moving your screen up and down at will. With this you have to lift your hand and twist the ball???? really odd?? Kensington should have stuck with their old one finger wheel method. The two major buttons also operate with your first and second fingers with Logitech. All of this with little hand or finger movement as your palm rests comfortably on the mouse in a natural curve.
The Logitech Ergo used to be considered the best, easiest and most comfortable, used by most professionals except those who had special needs. All the fancy new designs aren't much different than old discards, many I have in my discard drawer.
Maybe these internet jockeys need something new to talk about, but they need more than a sleek design and a nice shinny surface that seems to always crack the $100 mark. More $$ doesn't make it better, nothing he said would even make me want to try it, even free. The Kensington Ergo TB550 Trackball looks like it may be worth a try once this Logitech wears out. By the way he admits he is a Kensington Pro ambassador, humph?? Wonder why he likes this ;).
I'm no pro, but I just spend a lot of time on my computer having fun since I retired. Has anyone ever driven a Farrari or even a Rolls Royce? Neither are that easy to drive, Ford, Toyota or Honda, the cheepies are easier.
I have the wired only option and wish I knew this was available when it came out… seems like it’s sold out everywhere.
I found mine on Amazon.
It completely baffles me why anyone would choose a standard mouse over a Slimblade trackball. Kensington definately hit a homerun with the Slimblade Pro.
I have to be honest, a modern mouse with high DPI needs a lot less movements than an average trackball of today, just for the high DPI.
How you drag file with such device
You can assign drag to a button in Kensington Works.
Where to get software for linux?
Doesn't exist and will not exist. You can rebind any of the keys by using existing Linux software, there is couple reddit threads about it.
Crazy they put an A to C adapter instead of making it C and put an C to A adapter.
But, honestly, who uses such a big ball?
can you use macbook usb c cable to charge it?
I tried it woth my MacBook Air USB C cable, no problem.
@@trackballmouse thank you for confirming!
What keyboard is that?
In the video you can see an Atrix Guild RGB Gaming Keyboard (ref GSKB03) now hard to find, but came from GameStop. I liked the large scroll wheel for volume control and the 6 programmable hot keys on the left side of the keyboard. (btw I currently use a Keychron K1 RGB as I wanted a slightly smaller keyboard and keys, but still a cool wireless RGB keyboard).
Really useful. Thank you! 🙏
Excellent review. Convince me taking this over trackpad. I had most of the top end trackballs in the 15years ago, thinking about getting one again but trackpad takes care of all the needs . So what is better on trackball that is not sogoodon trackpad. Thank you
I also cannot click, drag and scroll. Come to think of it, I can't do that on a trackpad either...
AHHHH I WANT THIS SO BAD!!! But alas, my stupid old one is still too pretty and works too perfectly for me to justify a replacement... WHY. CANT. YOU. JUST. BREAK ALREADY!!!!!! UGHHH, it's not fair! But damn man, I really want those wireless modes.. and those DPI settings... and 2 extra button combos, I really want them too!!!! But above all else I NEED THAT COLOR!!! That thing looks freakin BOSS and would match SO PERFECTLY with the gunmetal aluminum on my Thinkpad X1 Yoga! God, it's so not fair...
Click&drag&scroll is the deal breaker for me. Thumb trackballs have no such limitations.
can you program capture screen area and delete file for Mac OS use?
Temporarily sold out -- sometimes reviews cause that.
thanks for making this video. I'll try the Kensington with your link.
I got mine about a week ago. Its a very handsome and functional device, but it will take some getting used to, as im very accustomed to an ergonomic style mouse.
I want to hear click Sound...
it's very loud
Looking for gaming trackball for mechwarrior. Great review.
The Slimblade really is in it's own class in terms of style and feel; nothing else out there quite like it. The scrolling in particular has kinda spoiled me, previously I'd been using a Griffin Powermate for scrolling with a Logitech Trackman Marble, so having that "knob" style scroll built in with the Slimblade is amazing and frees up the Powermate to now function as a horizontal scroll.
Build quality on the newer models is awful. Double clicking instead of single clicking issues; wobbly base (had to balance it with guitar picks under the slimblade). Not exactly the high end trackball I expected. Had better luck with a logitech a third of the price.
Ploopy adept beats the hell out of anything else in the market right now
If there was an Adept with a scroll ring, I’d absolutely buy it. But I don’t want to have to click once to start scrolling and then again to stop scrolling. I scroll all the time and it sound like too much extra work.
@@OldAussieAds I prefer it to my trackballs with rings. It’s very satisfying to use, like having irl momentum scrolling. To each their own though
unfortunately it`s sold out even in the US...
Imagine this trackball has a usb c connector and the logitech g pro wireless doesn't xd
SlimBlade 最大的问题是，横向转动球体时，光标会动，这一点无法忍受
我沒這個問題
If it wasn't this "beautiful", I would get one.
Sold out everywhere. 😕
Miss the Trackman Marble Mouse so bad 😢
I miss the MacAlly iBall.
1:17 I think this must be illegal have many balls in one table!
It's definitely quite obscene 😆
that looks huge
Kensington's wireless connectivity is awful and unreliable. Buy their wireless stuff at your own risk. I've had enough of their wireless stuff to know - hard pass.
Thanks for actually revealing your conflict of interest within the first 3 minutes of the video. Now everyone knows they can't actually trust anything you say because this isn't a review, it's an advertisement. If you want to be taken seriously, return the free device. Purchase it with your own money. and denounce your "brand ambassador" relationship. Of course that will never happen, therefore no one with basic media literacy would take your claims for as anything more than promotion. You should change this title to advert/promo if you want to be more honest.
Ridiculous collection you’ve got there
That thing is horrible. Nothing beats the Microsoft Trackball Explorer to this day. I’m never going to use anything else, even if that means having to duplicate the design myself and use different guts. Everything else sucks. The Ploopy project will make some of the work dead simple. 3D printers are invaluable.
...unless you need it to be ambidextrous
If it is wireless it is objectively not the best. Top Tip for people who enjoy first person shooters and don't want an RSI.
Get a trackball.
It's not ONLY wireliess though, this SlimBlade can also be used wired, by plugging in the USB cable and setting it to USB (middle setting of the left side button).
Wireless isn't why this sucks for fps games, it's because of the twist to scroll which you can't disable. You can disable scrolling from within the games but when you flick the ball in bit weird way and accidentally trigger the scrolling motion your cursor will just stop moving since it's sending scrolling instead of moving. You can probably learn to avoid it almost completely but I would still avoid this for gaming.