Can I use a trackball with Lion?

From watching the videos and demos, I don't think Lion will take anything away from your ability to navigate with a trackball. It appears to add gestures for users of the Magic Mouse and Trackpad. Neither of those devices is listed as a prerequisite for Lion though.

I think you'll be ok.

Regards,

Captfred

Yes, you will be able to use a mouse or trackball with Lion. A trackpad is not a requirement for Lion. Obviously, you don't get the "extras" that gesturing will provide on a trackpad, but you'd use Lion basically the same way you'd use previous versions of OSX.

(BTW, I don't have a disability, but the primary input device for my Mac Mini is a Kensington Orbit trackball and I plan to continue using the trackball and NOT getting a trackpad when I upgrade to Lion. 🙂 )

My Kensington Turbo Mouse has lost ALL its secondary functions with Lion. Now it is a slow, single function track ball, totally useless. The Kensington website fails to recognise that they ever produced a Turbo Mouse, and speaking to their help line informed me that as the device has been discontinued, its driver is unlikely to be updated.

...Turbo Mouse...has been discontinued, its driver is unlikely to be updated.

FYI: The Turbo Mouse was discontinued quite a while ago, which is why it no longer shows up on the website. (I believe it was originally released in 2000 or 2001.) It was replaced with the Expert Mouse.

http://us.kensington.com/html/2200.html

Not true. I bought this one, my second, when the first wouldn't work with my new Intel iMac; I bought that in 2009.

art Harris wrote:

Not true. I bought this one, my second, when the first wouldn't work with my new Intel iMac; I bought that in 2009.

You may have bought the Turbo Mouse in 2009, but the design was originally introduced in 2000 or 2001. So it is a 10 year old model, which shouldn't surprise you that it got replaced by Kensington.

Does the Expert Mouse work with Lion?

Zero Gravity wrote:

Does the Expert Mouse work with Lion?

The unit will "work" with Lion. The real question is whether the Kensington software that control the extra buttons will work with Lion. No info from Kensington so we'll have to wait and see, or hope someone will try and post their results.

OK, so the Turbo Mouse Pro does work with Lion....the software does NOT. you can adjust the speed with the mouse peferences, and with 'mission control' you can still assign the buttons to activate mission control, launchpad, and some other stuff

Thank you; I had already speeded it up, but I have lost my double click, righr click, and copy function, which are the ones I miss. And even speeded up, it isn't as fast as it was.

I am getting by with the TrackPad, but it isn't the same.

I agree, it is not as fast, but it is use-able. I called Kensington yesterday, and they said they have currently No products that are compatible with Lion (way to be prepared) they have no timeline when the new software will be released, and they will only support current products, like the expert mouse, etc. The Turbo Mouse pro is as good as dead to them.

I'm having the same problem with my trusty Macally Q Ball as those above have reported with their Kensingtons. It "works", but even though I reinstalled the latest driver, the configuration app says that the Q Ball is "not connected", and my configuration settings are ignored.

Since Lion has been available to developers for a year or so, it's doubtful that they'll fix it.

But, hey, this is a universal driver which works for a dozen products, and I see that some of them are still in production. I think I'll send them an email. If enough of us ask, they might fix it.

For Technical Support : techsupport@macally.com

For Technical support hours in USA 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday to Friday

Tel: 909.230.6778

Macally U.S.A Mace Group, Inc.

4601 E. Airport Drive, Ontario , CA 91761, USA

I have 3 Kensington Expert wireless trackballs and have been able to get by but the Mouseworks software is essentially unworkable. I got the following email from Kensington: Mac 10.7 Lion OS is a new operating system and Kensington is developing a new software for the Expert Mouse Optical Trackball model # 64325. In this regards, we request you to please check the website on a regular basis for the new updates of the software, as we do not have an exact time frame.

I also called regarding the Trackball Works Beta software which was posted 6-21-11 and it is NOT Lion compatible.

macris,

you got a more useful response from your Kensington contact than I did from mine.

It seems that I will need to buy a 3rd new Kensington product (my first was PowerMac based, the second Intel) when the Lion software comes out as the Logitech products will not do the things I have got used to using the Kensington for. Pity! They are cheaper!

Perhaps in the meantime, I will get used to the Trackpad, which, at the moment, drives me scatty, with its ability to do things I don't want it to do. It is just too sensitive.

I have used a Turbo Mouse PRO since it was released. I rely on it for it's customization in each specific application. Kensington is really missing the boat on this one.

They discontinued these years ago, but people still get as much or more than orig retail on ebay for them!

Why are they not supporting it?

Why did they stop making it?

Why is there not a bluetooth version???

No other device has ever come close to the accuracy of using a heavy trackball for doing graphics, nor has another ever been so customizable. (Being able to leave the pionter in one specific spot and let go has been invaluable in photoshop.) Also loved the launch buttons.

Lion?

Don't like the mail.

Don't like the lack of icons in the sidebar.

Don't like the lack of color in the toolbar.