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New York, 6:41 PM
Tue Dec 1
76 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #macworld2009 more →

    Roundup: The Best of CES/Macworld 2009, All In One Place

    Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content

    Modbook Pro Is Secret Son of an iPod Touch and a MacBook Pro

    As Macworld Fades Into CES...

    Apple Keynote Beer Goggles to Become Obligatory in 2009

    Did You Enjoy The Keynote Any Less Without Steve Jobs?

    Watch the Entire Macworld 2009 Event

    Apple Confirms $179 Battery Swap Cost for 17" MacBook Pro

    iMovie '09: Video Tour

    iPhoto '09 Video Tour
  • Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.
    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of frigg frigg
    01/12/09

    In reply to Roundup: The Best of CES/Macworld 2009, All In One Place
    Disappointment: no 13" Macbook pro. Need firewire. Don't want a bigass laptop. And no consolation prize like some cool new tablety toy, and nothing Earth-shattering with iLife updates (except for making video steady).


    Delight: New Canon Vixia.


    Concern: Hope 24 doesn't suck, it's looking iffy.

     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
    Image of ph15h ph15h
    01/12/09

    In reply to Roundup: The Best of CES/Macworld 2009, All In One Place
    Those are the truly best of both exhibitions. >.> Nice to see you guys didn't forget about FyreTV.


    My Favs for 09s products: Macbook Pro (not groundbreaking but I'd buy it just for its improvements alone), Palm Pre (if I didn't already have a G1 I'd probably test it out), and the Vizio Televisions (Poor and in need of a good TV? Yay me!) >.> That Eee keyboard might have a spot in my future... I don't know.

     Reply
    ph15h was starred ph15h was unstarred
    Image of shenanigans shenanigans
    01/12/09

    In reply to Roundup: The Best of CES/Macworld 2009, All In One Place
    This is the first time I'm saying this but, Macworld was effin garbage. CES stomped it into the ground.
     Reply
    shenanigans was starred shenanigans was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    01/12/09

    @shenanigans: Yeah. It's hard to compete with so many different firms, and right now a lot are doing interesting things. All for the better to join in the show next time.
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of ph15h ph15h
    01/12/09

    @shenanigans: I always loved Macworld reports... but this year's disappointed me in terms of what was debuted... and I miss Steve. >.> Hope he's back next year when they hit up CES
     Reply
    ph15h was starred ph15h was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    It is me, or is the phrase "the ball does it all" hilariously inappropriate?
     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of tinkertank tinkertank
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    You can pry my Kensington Pro Trackball from my cold dead hands....
     Reply
    tinkertank was starred tinkertank was unstarred
    Image of diverguy diverguy
    01/07/09

    @tinkertank:


    LOL I feel the same way about my kensington expert mouse.


    I get a real kick out of seeing kensington trackballs on TV and movies. The IT guy on CSI:LV uses an expert mouse. I saw a kensington optical mouse (also a trackball but with just two buttons) on the desk of the guy that did the sound track for WALL-E.


    They show up all over the place.

     Reply
    diverguy was starred diverguy was unstarred
    Image of OMG! Ponies! OMG! Ponies!
    01/07/09

    @diverguy:


    No need to be grabby, friend. Honestly, you're almost as bad as a certain damned dirty ape I know. He couldn't keep his filthy paws off my stuff.

     Reply
    OMG! Ponies! was starred OMG! Ponies! was unstarred
    Image of Voyou_Charmant Voyou_Charmant
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    I prefer trackballs to a regular mouse, but very few are very ergonomic. If they are, they are, like this one, rather expensive.
     Reply
    Voyou_Charmant was starred Voyou_Charmant was unstarred
    Image of UberJumper UberJumper
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    I've been using a thumb operated trackballs continously since pretty well since the 90's.


    Here's someone else's shot of the Gen1 trackman marble. [www.flickr.com]


    At work right now I'm using a Microsoft Trackball Optical.

     Reply
    UberJumper was starred UberJumper was unstarred
    Image of qbrad qbrad
    01/07/09

    @UberJumper: Sorry about that image, it's not the first gen. First gen logitech trackmen had (hehe) blue balls.
     Reply
    qbrad was starred qbrad was unstarred
    Image of rip rip
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    One word: Centipede!
     Reply
    rip was starred rip was unstarred
    Image of Monty Monty
    01/07/09

    @rip: Two words: Marble Madness
     Reply
    Monty was starred Monty was unstarred
    Image of OMG! Ponies! OMG! Ponies!
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    Gunmetal grey? Check.

    No distinct logo? Check.

    Reputable manufacturer? Check.


    Name dangerously close to Sling Blade? You lost me.

     Reply
    OMG! Ponies! was starred OMG! Ponies! was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    01/07/09

    @OMG! Ponies!: Got me a pad with a ball in the middle. Mmm-hmm.
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of diverguy diverguy
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    I've been using a Kensginton Expert mouse for years. Standard mice should be banned outright. Trackballs, and I mean real ones, not those dinky things microsoft and logitech put out once in a while, are simply the most effective pointing device out there.


    I used a standard mouse for years and I was left with so much pain in my wrist and shoulders doctors were considering surgery. I started using a trackball (the expert mouse specifically) and within two weeks the pain was gone. The rolling of the ball with the middle three fingers, and the 'clicking' with thumb and pinky is simply ergonomically better than how your hand is forced to contort around a mouse.


    The only thing I don't see on that mouse is the scroll wheel around the ball like the expert has.


    [us.kensington.com]


    I will never go back to a standard mouse.

     Reply
    diverguy was starred diverguy was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    01/07/09

    @diverguy: How is a trackball working out with drag-drop stuff? I imagine holding down the button while moving the ball would be tricky.
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of OMG! Ponies! OMG! Ponies!
    01/07/09

    @ripfire: It comes down to design. Microsoft's optical trackball is moved by thumb while your fingers comfortably rest on the left and right buttons.
     Reply
    OMG! Ponies! was starred OMG! Ponies! was unstarred
    Image of diverguy diverguy
    01/07/09

    @ripfire:


    Nope, very easy. Press the "left button" with your thumb, move the ball with your three middle fingers, release with your thumb. It takes about 5 seconds to get used to but after that, it's just obviously more natural.


    I build software systems and games for a living. I also create movies etc.. all with extensive drag/drop and I've never had any problem.

     Reply
    diverguy was starred diverguy was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    01/07/09

    @diverguy: Cool. I'm thinking of getting one for work. (Maybe something slightly affordable). This Dell mouse is killing me!
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of verythrax verythrax
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    Trackball is fine... until you need to do multiple selections on screen.
     Reply
    verythrax was starred verythrax was unstarred
    Image of diverguy diverguy
    01/07/09

    @verythrax:


    Huh?? There's nothing you can do with your standard mouse I can't do with my trackball.

     Reply
    diverguy was starred diverguy was unstarred
    Image of verythrax verythrax
    01/07/09

    @diverguy: how about precise drag selection in strategy games?
     Reply
    verythrax was starred verythrax was unstarred
    Image of diverguy diverguy
    01/07/09

    @verythrax:


    Easy. A good trackball has a higher DPI than a standard mouse does. That means it's more precise. I use my expert mouse for everything from FPS games to RTS games. Heck I've even played PC Madden Football with it. And because it rolls, I can move from one side of the battle field of an RTS faster than a mouse can with the continued shuffle/pickup/shuffle/pickup motion a mouse needs.

     Reply
    diverguy was starred diverguy was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    01/07/09

    @diverguy: Funny you mentioned that because I thought it would be nice if someone comes up with a xbox360 controller with a trackball for FPS games.
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of Monty Monty
    01/07/09

    In reply to Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Built to Handle Digital Content
    I am sad to say I can remember the first time I used a mouse on the original Macintosh and saying "oh, it is an upside-down trackball". And, while the mouse is newer technology, at this point we are talking about two brothers that were born a couple years apart and are now middle aged. Plenty of people use both, but most of us use a mouse because that is what ships by default. Neither are really better than the other, as far as I am concerned.


    That said, I am a cheapskate that would not pay $20 for a mouse or a trackball, so this product is clearly aimed at someone different than me.

     Reply
    Monty was starred Monty was unstarred
    Image of ZLevee ZLevee
    01/07/09

    In reply to Apple Keynote Beer Goggles to Become Obligatory in 2009
    These goggles are in use already:



    + Watch video
     Reply
    ZLevee was starred ZLevee was unstarred
    Image of ZLevee ZLevee
    01/07/09

    @Zlevee: f'ing Sony and their copyrights. OK let's try breaking the link so you can copy and paste:


    www.youtube.com
    /watch?v=WqDNhcal61s

     Reply
    ZLevee was starred ZLevee was unstarred
    Image of ZLevee ZLevee
    01/07/09

    @Zlevee: or just google "Kenna - Hell Bent"
     Reply
    ZLevee was starred ZLevee was unstarred
    Image of damnelantra™ damnelantra™
    01/07/09

    In reply to Modbook Pro Is Secret Son of an iPod Touch and a MacBook Pro
    so how do they keep your hand from being read as a touch when penning?
     Reply
    damnelantra™ was starred damnelantra™ was unstarred
    Image of frigg frigg
    01/07/09

    In reply to Modbook Pro Is Secret Son of an iPod Touch and a MacBook Pro
    Didn't they keep announcing this and then delaying it? I figure having Woz as their new booth babe means these things will finally ship.
     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
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