it's very easy task to change bearings on elecom. After swap bearings, elecom for me is the best trackball mouse. Second device I'm use when I'm in bed is Kensington wireless expert . Wish to buttons be wider/bigger and ball much smaller but its very comfy after learn how to use.
I watched the Huge bearing-replacement videos and thought "above my pay-grade." I need to just accept that I'm more weenie when it comes to DIY than the average person, and stop making it sound systemic. From your Expert complaints, it sounds like Adept would be perfect if it had wireless / Bluetooth.
Generally like to call them wedge finger ball trackballs. With the Slimblade, having a wrist rest that covers some of the bottom buttons helps prevent accidental clicks and feels more comfortable IMO. There's some videos about how the switches fail quicker than they are designed to due to low-voltage driving the switches. The X-Keys LTrac is another wedge finger ball, but the scroll wheel can be hard for some to use. I use a Kensington gel wrist-rest cut-up so it fits on the slope, required since I use a keyboard tray with next to no depth. Also the X-Keys has a 1000 Hz polling rate. I've got the roller bearing kit from tekhedd2006, and it's really smooth, but feels off-axis at times compared to the Ploopy Adept due to the old bearing mount layout (optical encoder 90 degree layout bleh). With roller bearings, you have to fight against them a bit if you want precise 360 movement all the time, annoys me too. Love the sound of roller bearings (as long as they're greased). If the Adept was about the same size as the Slimblade, that would be *chef kiss*. The MX Ergo gave me thumb pain, didn't help that mine went rough/scratchy, and I worked it too hard. X-Mouse button control lets you have profiles for each application, and is more lightweight than Kensington Works. Takes a bit to set up, but worth it.
"Wedge". I think I've seen that elsewhere too, I'll adopt it. Interesting about the low-voltage, I didn't realize there was something more behind the malfunctions; figured it was the rare case of hulk button-mashing. I believe the Ploopies are 1000Hz as well - I forgot to mention that in the video, big "forget" as it pertains to gaming (with GameBall, L-Trac, and Ploopy Classic being the main gaming contenders). L-Trac was definitely high on my list, and I'd love to try it sometime. Glad to see we've had similar experiences with axes, Ergo, etc - validates some of my trackball journey. Noted on X-Mouse. I gave it a whirl once, and thought "woa... maybe tomorrow" - GTK it's worth it.
@@lefnireIf you are up for another peripheral, a separate trackpad that can go on the left or right of your keyboard might be useful for you. However, you don't get the curved shape of the Slimblade with your palm (ball being high point of tent). With the L-Trac, you can connect additional buttons via the rear jacks, people have 3D printed side mounts for wedges that house key switches etc. I do wish the L-Trac was as level and tented/curved as the Slimblade, the main reason why I can't use it without a wrist rest. Your other trackball videos have brought important clarifications to my trackball journey, thank you! Also, your channel is a diamond in the rough, covering any and all complaints a user could have ergonomically and just general usage. Subscribed! :D
Nice review. I ordered both the ploopy thumb and the adept, as I alternate between “top ball” and “thumb ball” form factors (I.e., the Slimblade and the logi Mx ergo). For the life of me, I can’t get the same accuracy on topball or fingerball devices as I can with thumballs, which I use mostly. It is interesting that ergonomically the slimblade is better for you than a thumb, as my experience is the opposite (often getting fatigue pain in the forearm from top ball use). Might be because I console game fairly heavily so I am used to using my right thumb for aiming with a thumbstick…?
Oh I never thought of console gamers! I'll be there's a huge correlation between thumb-ball users. Yeah I've had a few replies directing how to use MX Ergo correctly; I've tried adjusting, but no matter what it just wrecks my thumb RSI. I'm gonna try to stop throwing it under the bus though, since it seems a *lot* of users really like it.
@@lefnire Could be a correlation for sure. To be honest, I am more accurate pointing and clicking with a thumball (+ Windows OS stock mouse acceleration software turned on about halfway) than I ever was with a regular optical mouse. Granted, I converted to trackballs about 15 years ago, so maybe I’m not a generalizable example if applied to someone who may be switching fresh.
The different types of trackballs are basically Thumb ball (Thumb operated), Fingertip ball (Index/middle finger operated), and Hand ball (Hand operated) and I have a fourth that I call Cabinet ball (Thumb/Finger/Hand operated but with Metal wheel bearings). For people that live in a humid area I would only EVER recommend a Cabinet ball save yourself from everyday gunk cleaning that just happens no matter what you do due to humidity, its fluid consistent ball movement and the sensor but only Ploopy(High grade 3360 sensor) and x-key l-trac(Average grade Laser sensor) make this type of ball which is why the company is so loved and that they are eligible to charge so much.
@@penguinsushi8442 In comparison to a PMW 3360 sensor it is Average. Average is not a bad thing though. So, I'm not sure how you're trying to approach this... I guess I'll approach it as a debate.. So, Just on a scale of the last "x amount of years the first slimblade first launched" of the internet.. How many people use the slimblade for games like FPS Shooters? How many videos could you find even demonstrating players using the slimblade for fast movement, fast but super controlled fps shooters at even a decent skilled level? That answer is none. I have not made that decision, people have.. Anyways, down to the technical science of the sensor I will also say yes, the PMW 3360 sensor is better and superior in precision and polling rate(response time) then a slimblades PAW 3220. That being said, I use both X-Keys L-Trac and the Ploopy Adept for both gaming and work. While only using the slimblade for work and to dink with.. It's not responsive enough with polling rate(sensor related), not the best shape for quick ergonomic fast button presses, and the static bearings which can hinder pin point accuracy at any given time make other Trackballs (Ploopy, X-keys L-Trac, and Gameball) a far better choice especially in the gaming world.
You really sell it, talking about those roller bearings... I'm buying an 8BitDo Keyboard and the matte black-on-red style of that ploopy is looking real good right now. Would be fun to get the build-it-yourself kit and make an evening out of assembling it! I'm really intrigued by the gaming angle, since the 'sticky' issue of most trackballs is a huge bummer for me inside and outside of games - battling the stickiness was just added stress, when ergonomics should have your hands as relaxed as possible...
If you're down with this form factor, then it's wonderful for gaming. GameBall & Ploopy Classic are typically used for gaming due to polling rate & dynamic bearings. Adept less-so due to form-factor, but it's got the bearings and polling rate, and same size ball as Classic (bigger I believe than GameBall); so in theory, this could be top-3 gaming trackball mouse
@@lefnire I just run with the theory that "what's good for gaming is good for the office" since at least with mice, I can go way longer if my pointing device is fast and accurate - less backtracking and extra movements to fix screwups - I like the idea of the form factor since it looks like it would fit perfectly beside a keyboard so the travel distance between the two is minimized compared to an ergo shape or a standard mouse, though I haven't tried this shape yet
@@nathanfranck5822 very true on the travel distance. Since it's sort of flush against the keyboard, you just slide on over. I personally prefer this form factor all around. I bought into it for ambidextrous ergo, to heal my right hand but also not rule the right hand out, but accepted it as a compromise. But now when I try other form factors I prefer this one. So it's all about "what you're used to."
Not yet. It's highly lauded, same or better sensor and bearings. I likely won't get to it, the main reason is it has too few keys for my taste, and a less ergonomic design. I only review mice I plan to use (or hand-me-down), and I use the heck out of middle-click and back. I know it has an jack for expanded buttonry, but that's a bit rabbit-hole for my taste. From what I understand, the two king-of-kings are Ploopy Classic (which I *do* plan to review) and X-Keys L-Trac. L-Trac with a 57mm ball and mega-ultra sensor + bearings is as good as it gets, if you don't mind the form factor and few buttons.
I'm 99% the answer is no. I've seen it mentioned around, in Discord or such, but I think it may be people building it into the device DIY (since Ploopy is first and foremost an open source device). But yeah, if you order from their website pre-built, there's no option for that.
Make a video of you gaming with the Ploopy Adept
"I'm lucky that way" what a way to look at the glass half full! thanks for doing these reviews!
Love it, I didn't think of the positive spin!
You can save your setting profiles for the Kensington trackballs. It makes a file, then you just load the file. A little crude but it's there.
it's very easy task to change bearings on elecom. After swap bearings, elecom for me is the best trackball mouse. Second device I'm use when I'm in bed is Kensington wireless expert . Wish to buttons be wider/bigger and ball much smaller but its very comfy after learn how to use.
I watched the Huge bearing-replacement videos and thought "above my pay-grade." I need to just accept that I'm more weenie when it comes to DIY than the average person, and stop making it sound systemic. From your Expert complaints, it sounds like Adept would be perfect if it had wireless / Bluetooth.
When a roller bearing gets gunked up - and they do - way more PITA to clean.
I am learning that lesson at this very moment. I have no idea how to remove these
Generally like to call them wedge finger ball trackballs.
With the Slimblade, having a wrist rest that covers some of the bottom buttons helps prevent accidental clicks and feels more comfortable IMO. There's some videos about how the switches fail quicker than they are designed to due to low-voltage driving the switches.
The X-Keys LTrac is another wedge finger ball, but the scroll wheel can be hard for some to use. I use a Kensington gel wrist-rest cut-up so it fits on the slope, required since I use a keyboard tray with next to no depth. Also the X-Keys has a 1000 Hz polling rate. I've got the roller bearing kit from tekhedd2006, and it's really smooth, but feels off-axis at times compared to the Ploopy Adept due to the old bearing mount layout (optical encoder 90 degree layout bleh). With roller bearings, you have to fight against them a bit if you want precise 360 movement all the time, annoys me too. Love the sound of roller bearings (as long as they're greased).
If the Adept was about the same size as the Slimblade, that would be *chef kiss*. The MX Ergo gave me thumb pain, didn't help that mine went rough/scratchy, and I worked it too hard.
X-Mouse button control lets you have profiles for each application, and is more lightweight than Kensington Works. Takes a bit to set up, but worth it.
"Wedge". I think I've seen that elsewhere too, I'll adopt it. Interesting about the low-voltage, I didn't realize there was something more behind the malfunctions; figured it was the rare case of hulk button-mashing. I believe the Ploopies are 1000Hz as well - I forgot to mention that in the video, big "forget" as it pertains to gaming (with GameBall, L-Trac, and Ploopy Classic being the main gaming contenders). L-Trac was definitely high on my list, and I'd love to try it sometime.
Glad to see we've had similar experiences with axes, Ergo, etc - validates some of my trackball journey. Noted on X-Mouse. I gave it a whirl once, and thought "woa... maybe tomorrow" - GTK it's worth it.
@@lefnireIf you are up for another peripheral, a separate trackpad that can go on the left or right of your keyboard might be useful for you. However, you don't get the curved shape of the Slimblade with your palm (ball being high point of tent). With the L-Trac, you can connect additional buttons via the rear jacks, people have 3D printed side mounts for wedges that house key switches etc. I do wish the L-Trac was as level and tented/curved as the Slimblade, the main reason why I can't use it without a wrist rest. Your other trackball videos have brought important clarifications to my trackball journey, thank you!
Also, your channel is a diamond in the rough, covering any and all complaints a user could have ergonomically and just general usage. Subscribed! :D
99 CAD is equivalent to 72 USD today. So, quite a bit cheaper than $90!
Yes indeed! Shipping makes the difference. Nonetheless, it's cheaper than the competition for a better price. I'm leaning ploopy these days
Nice review. I ordered both the ploopy thumb and the adept, as I alternate between “top ball” and “thumb ball” form factors (I.e., the Slimblade and the logi Mx ergo). For the life of me, I can’t get the same accuracy on topball or fingerball devices as I can with thumballs, which I use mostly.
It is interesting that ergonomically the slimblade is better for you than a thumb, as my experience is the opposite (often getting fatigue pain in the forearm from top ball use). Might be because I console game fairly heavily so I am used to using my right thumb for aiming with a thumbstick…?
Oh I never thought of console gamers! I'll be there's a huge correlation between thumb-ball users. Yeah I've had a few replies directing how to use MX Ergo correctly; I've tried adjusting, but no matter what it just wrecks my thumb RSI. I'm gonna try to stop throwing it under the bus though, since it seems a *lot* of users really like it.
@@lefnire Could be a correlation for sure. To be honest, I am more accurate pointing and clicking with a thumball (+ Windows OS stock mouse acceleration software turned on about halfway) than I ever was with a regular optical mouse. Granted, I converted to trackballs about 15 years ago, so maybe I’m not a generalizable example if applied to someone who may be switching fresh.
The different types of trackballs are basically Thumb ball (Thumb operated), Fingertip ball (Index/middle finger operated), and Hand ball (Hand operated) and I have a fourth that I call Cabinet ball (Thumb/Finger/Hand operated but with Metal wheel bearings). For people that live in a humid area I would only EVER recommend a Cabinet ball save yourself from everyday gunk cleaning that just happens no matter what you do due to humidity, its fluid consistent ball movement and the sensor but only Ploopy(High grade 3360 sensor) and x-key l-trac(Average grade Laser sensor) make this type of ball which is why the company is so loved and that they are eligible to charge so much.
If you think the X-Keys L-Trac is an average sensor, then the Expert and Slimblade are slop. Or am I mistaken?
@@penguinsushi8442 In comparison to a PMW 3360 sensor it is Average. Average is not a bad thing though. So, I'm not sure how you're trying to approach this...
I guess I'll approach it as a debate.. So, Just on a scale of the last "x amount of years the first slimblade first launched" of the internet.. How many people use the slimblade for games like FPS Shooters? How many videos could you find even demonstrating players using the slimblade for fast movement, fast but super controlled fps shooters at even a decent skilled level? That answer is none. I have not made that decision, people have..
Anyways, down to the technical science of the sensor I will also say yes, the PMW 3360 sensor is better and superior in precision and polling rate(response time) then a slimblades PAW 3220.
That being said, I use both X-Keys L-Trac and the Ploopy Adept for both gaming and work. While only using the slimblade for work and to dink with..
It's not responsive enough with polling rate(sensor related), not the best shape for quick ergonomic fast button presses, and the static bearings which can hinder pin point accuracy at any given time make other Trackballs (Ploopy, X-keys L-Trac, and Gameball) a far better choice especially in the gaming world.
You really sell it, talking about those roller bearings... I'm buying an 8BitDo Keyboard and the matte black-on-red style of that ploopy is looking real good right now. Would be fun to get the build-it-yourself kit and make an evening out of assembling it! I'm really intrigued by the gaming angle, since the 'sticky' issue of most trackballs is a huge bummer for me inside and outside of games - battling the stickiness was just added stress, when ergonomics should have your hands as relaxed as possible...
If you're down with this form factor, then it's wonderful for gaming. GameBall & Ploopy Classic are typically used for gaming due to polling rate & dynamic bearings. Adept less-so due to form-factor, but it's got the bearings and polling rate, and same size ball as Classic (bigger I believe than GameBall); so in theory, this could be top-3 gaming trackball mouse
@@lefnire I just run with the theory that "what's good for gaming is good for the office" since at least with mice, I can go way longer if my pointing device is fast and accurate - less backtracking and extra movements to fix screwups - I like the idea of the form factor since it looks like it would fit perfectly beside a keyboard so the travel distance between the two is minimized compared to an ergo shape or a standard mouse, though I haven't tried this shape yet
@@nathanfranck5822 very true on the travel distance. Since it's sort of flush against the keyboard, you just slide on over. I personally prefer this form factor all around. I bought into it for ambidextrous ergo, to heal my right hand but also not rule the right hand out, but accepted it as a compromise. But now when I try other form factors I prefer this one. So it's all about "what you're used to."
Have you tried the xkeys l-trac?
Not yet. It's highly lauded, same or better sensor and bearings. I likely won't get to it, the main reason is it has too few keys for my taste, and a less ergonomic design. I only review mice I plan to use (or hand-me-down), and I use the heck out of middle-click and back. I know it has an jack for expanded buttonry, but that's a bit rabbit-hole for my taste. From what I understand, the two king-of-kings are Ploopy Classic (which I *do* plan to review) and X-Keys L-Trac. L-Trac with a 57mm ball and mega-ultra sensor + bearings is as good as it gets, if you don't mind the form factor and few buttons.
Does Ploopy Adept has a Wireless BlueTooth and/or WiFi model ?
I'm 99% the answer is no. I've seen it mentioned around, in Discord or such, but I think it may be people building it into the device DIY (since Ploopy is first and foremost an open source device). But yeah, if you order from their website pre-built, there's no option for that.