HUGE

Don’t be put off by the reviews on this page, which at first sight are horrifying news for anyone considering buying the Elecom M-HT1DRBK “HUGE” wireless trackball. A third of the purchasers found it unsatisfactory or barely good enough (up to three stars). There clearly is or was once a quality control problem with the artificial ruby bearings for the trackball. On the other hand, two thirds of the buyers are extremely satisfied or even ecstatic, and there is no problem returning an item to Amazon. Besides, the cure for the bearing problem is known, cheap, safe and quick, a ten minute job with a screwdriver and instructions freely available on YouTube. In addition, the choice of solid large, multifunctional trackball mice is basically this Elecom or its sister, the Elecom EX-G Pro, which is built with the same upmarket components, including the ruby bearings. I decided to take the small risk. My Elecom HUGE is one of the good ones (or later ones, if it was a batch problem, now solved), with a creamy-smooth action on the trackball, feather light switches, one heavier switch just where I want it, and a slight stiction on the scroll-wheel which adds to the precision. You’ll see I gave five stars, so count me among the happy customers. If a finer grading were available, my rating would be 4-3/4 stars because one of the switches is too light for it to be ergonomic in that position — for me. Also, the mostly plain black styling with just the big metallic red trackball (diameter 52mm!) and a smidgin of chrome on the scroll-wheel, while intricate and extravagantly curved, in the eyes of an artist like me should have been further relieved of its blackness. So the quarter-star deduction is for personal ergonomic preferences and to mark an overdose of Japanese “professional” styling, a.k.a. too much bloody matt black, not fundamental faults. Obviously, I consider the Elecom HUGE good value for money; the nearest comparable Kensington costs twice as much and offers less. The HUGE is solidly built and feels like quality in the hand. I wonder, however, whether the self-skinned soft polypad which adds so much to the comfort of operating the HUGE will last the decade or more of hard use the rest of the trackball seems good for. (If the memory foam skin does wear while the trackball survives, I’ll glue on tan leather cut to shape.) The ergonomics are excellent, with large, huge and massive buttons, and would suit a hand of any size, including very large hands. The hand is spread across the big expanse of the aptly-named HUGE, with the thumb operating three of the buttons plus the four-function scroll wheel, including yet another button function, which I instantly allocated to the left click because it is heavier and louder than the other switches, in the instance of the left click a very good thing. An ergonomic error — for me anyway — was making one of the assignable buttons, the piano key under my little finger, as light as the others. The little finger is just not as controllable as the other fingers. In fairness, it must be said that the designer apparently intended the ring finger to operate this button, with the little finger being unallocated. I therefore assigned no function to this button. As a result I control the ball with my two middle fingers, which is another big win in precision, especially since the HUGE offers three resolutions (500, 1000, 1500dpi) selectable on-the-fly with a slider button under the thumb, so that you can make pixel-perfect adjustments on any size of screen, useful in making fine art or graphic design, indispensable in engineering work, and even in typing or editing when the cursor needs to be placed precisely but quickly every few seconds. I’ve also reassigned the default left-click thumb button to the Mac’s COMMAND modifier key (the propeller) because it is too easy to press such a large, responsive switch and get unwanted results if a direct action is assigned to it. This trackball is so customisable and feature-rich, it reminds me of nothing so much as a puppy eager to please. A word about the control assignment software: The earlier software has been rewritten and repackaged, including into English, and is now excellent, regardless of what you may read in the reviews here. It is easy to make the basic button assignments, and you can even use the trackball for gestures, similar to gestures on Apple’s Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. Counting the scroll-wheel’s click and tilt functions as buttons, there are ten buttons, which with the variations and the gesture programmer give no fewer than 160 possible functions. It is well worth spending some time reading the help files for the function allocation software accessible through the software dialogue box. For those with much more intricate needs (games players, perhaps?) I’ve also tested the HUGE with USB-Overdrive aftermarket peripheral management software (free with advertising, $20 without), which is potentially more powerful than Elecom’s free software, but only if you know what you’re doing. On the whole, I think most buyers of the HUGE will find Elecom’s layman-friendly software serves them well. So who is the Elecom M-HT1DRBK “HUGE” wireless trackball recommended for? I’m a writer, an editor, a typographer, an industrial designer, and a painter both in traditional media and digitally. In each of those avocations by itself Elecom’s HUGE would be worth the money and considerably more to me, so for each of them the trackball adds far more convenience than the trivial cost per job. Music and video editing, which I occasionally do, also uses the same facilities and speedy precision. The question isn’t really whether the HUGE is great value for money, but whether each individual buyer would get on better with the HUGE layout of the trackball on top and the scroll-wheel at the side, or with the reverse layout of the sister EX-G PRO, which has the scroll-wheel on top and the trackball at the side, which when you change over to the trackball is a straight transition from the common Microsoft-style mice with a consequent shorter learning curve. Personally, I think the trackball on top with the scroll-wheel on the side, as in the HUGE, offers the best ergonomics — and the learning curve was anyway pretty short. The Elecom M-HT1DRBK “HUGE” is definitely recommended.

I do not normally do reviews, but for this item it is different, so please excuse the essay.. I previously used, quite happily for a number of years a trackball moise that was "thumb driven". I was very happy with it until it decided to expire a few weeks ago. Having seen that there were now index finger driven trackball mice, i thought this is a good idea, may also be more accurate as well. I did my research, and purchased highly recommended and reviewed mouse from a competing manufacturer, and after a couple of days returned it as it was huge, and I mean "huge", and button placement for left and right mouse buttons was not great. So, did some more reseach and came across the Deft Pro from Elecom. All the reviews i saw said great mouse but bad instructions, so i thought how bad can they be? and ordered one. The box arrived next day, Iook the mouse out, looked at the manual and saw it was in Japanese. I also noticed a very small slip of paper tucked in the box, in English advising go to Elecom's website to download the manual in pdf format in English, as well as other languages. I did so, read the manual and the setup was nice and easy, with no additional drivers needed, unless you need to use the additional software, which I do not need at present. So, mouse connected to laptop, and on use found left and right button placement is near perfect. Scrolling the ball is precise and tight, also is very smooth. Would i buy one again? Hopefully the build quality, which feels lightweight but sturdy, will last a few years, so at the time I may need to replace it, I would definately purchase it again. A quick note to the Manufacturer..... Please add a non Japanese manual in the box or a larger note in other languages advising where the instructions can be found, which is the only reason this is a 4 star review and not a 5 star review. I look forward to (hopefully) using this for many years to come.

I have used several wireless trackball devices over the years, in search of one that ticks all the boxes for me and this is by far the best one I've used. I love it. It is actually massive, so the embossed 'HUGE' is very apt! My hands are big and it's perfect for me. Extremely comfortable, and the default button functions are great. I haven't tried the app to assign the f buttons and don't think I need to, but good to know the option is there if I need it or want to try a different layout. Only improvements would be to make it a rechargeable device, but I'm being picky! Highly recommended!

(Edited: they finally responded, but I didn’t see their messages till a month or two later. They had withdrew their help to resolve this. Nice. And here I was considering purchasing it again.) This is the perfect mouse when it works. The trackball allowed me to game and move much faster and without the need to pick up the mouse. They are easy to use and perfect for people with large hands. I cannot say enough about how I like the mouse. Unfortunately, I have had three of these break within months of purchasing them. They seemed to have fixed the dodgy bearing issue as the last one was much better and I found I didn't have to replace the bearings. I would happily repurchase it again if I knew it wasn't going to break within 2-4 months of use which is outside of the limited warranty. Directly contacting the manufacturer is a joke they won't respond. I cannot recommend anyone purchase it till they fix the longevity of their product.

So you are prob like myself. a firm lover of the Microsoft Trackball Explorer's. Having owned both versions of the MS trackball, i have always been a firm believer in them. in fact i have 4 at home. one in the workshop. the rest used for my normal PC. the thing is. they arent cheap.. even when brand new they were almost £80. and now because of the rarity of them, you find Brand new ones or 2nd hand but almost perfect ones for almost £200. Scary prices for a device.. Logitech made an alternative. personally i never like them. they were always the lesser of the brands out there. there was a couple of others, but they didnt last long in the scheme of things.. so when my last trackball was wearing out, i went on ebay and then Amazon looking for a new one. By Luck i found this Beasty.. Size wise its almost the same. the Ball is almost in the same place. but it looked really nice.. Programmable buttons, soft padding, Wireless. and CHEAP... well almost £40.. but for a trackball thats Cheap. SO ordered it. turned up today.. First thoughts.. Wow.. everything is in Chinese/japanese (made in China but i think its japanese branding) that matters not. has the dongle, has batteries.. 10 mins later its on the PC and running. right away its smooth.. like fluid smooth.. the ball is like nothing is there. it floats within the housing. the mouse icon glides effortless across the screen. i start flicking buttons.. its got some interesting defaults.. downloaded the latest software for it. so easy to program the extra options. first thing was to go and play some games on steam. which it handled without issues. flicking from screen to screen, was a breeze.. i think the Microsoft one has met its match. whilst i will keep my old ones. im going to buy a couple of these new HUGE ones. not just for spares, i have systems in the workshop and else where that i need one for.. So if you are looking at this, wondering if its worth getting hold of seeing as the Microsoft one has worn the bearings out, or the buttons have jammed up.. Go for it.. Well worth it

Not so much a review but a reassurance for Linux users you’ll be able to program the extra function buttons. Obviously you won’t be able to run the Elecom programming software natively because it’s only designed for Windows and Mac systems. But fear not. I have this “HUGE” trackball as well as the Elecom “Deft.” On both I’ve been able to program in keystrokes and complex macros using “Input Remapper.” The extra function buttons on the trackball will be dead to start with, but you can wake them up and make them do your bidding. I use Linux Mint but Input Remapper is available on most distros through your software manager or installation via the terminal. Input Remapper has a GUI to make things simpler. You can ignore online posts that insist on using the terminal for button programming if you’re not a command-line nerd. There are plenty of resources online demonstrating how to use Input Remapper. Just do a Google search. It’s a bit fiddly til you “get it” but once you understand how the program works you’ll be able to program your trackball buttons to your heart’s content. Long story short using Input Remapper, open the program and select your device to take you to the programming feature. In here you can record your button choices. Create a new input on the bottom left, give it a name. Then hit “Record” and press the mouse button you are wishing to use. Then click Apply. On the bottom right you’ll see your programming options eg Macro or Analogue etc. It’s there you add the commands for your particular button choice. You’d type the desired command(s) there and click “Apply.” It’s not the place here to go into the specifics of the programming, but I’ll give a few tips on how best it’s done. When you name your newly created input on the bottom left, keep it on a “human” level. Eg “DaveRapidFire” or “DaveWorkspaceLeft” and avoid using the names of the physical buttons themselves eg “Fn3” – The reason for this is the program will probably ignore your recorded button press because it thinks a native command is already assigned to it. Avoid using spaces in your command names. Computers don’t like spaces. Fact. Also you may need to give it a few goes. At this stage the program can be less than responsive. Persevere. Close then open again if needed. When you’ve done your research and understand how the commands work and what’s the correct syntax to input multiple keystrokes, use a text editor like Libre Office Writer to type out commands you’ll paste into the macro box. It may take a bit of trial and error, but as an example of using a button to inject the complex password *)2025Pwrd the coding is as follows: modify(Shift_L, key(8)) . modify(Shift_L, key(0)) . key(2).key(0).key(2).key(5).modify(Shift_L, key(p)).key(w).key(r).key(d) In the macro section there’s a dropdown box. Most of the commands available start with “key_” so if you type “key_” then look in the dropdown box you’ll see most of the commands available for your modifications. Just a tip. Set your programming profile to “Autoload.” Always bear in mind these devices have no onboard memory chip. That means they run on software alone that launches in the background after you’ve logged on. From that point onwards all of your button settings will be in full effect during your user session. Hopefully this has been helpful to Linux users. You can at least be assured you can get these devices working the way you want with a bit of a will and a way. All the best with it, and if Elecom are listening, feel free to give me a massive bung for getting Linux users onboard. I await with baited breath…….

I bought this as a stand in for my usual Elecom Thumb trackball mouse as I broke my left wrist and needed a trackball mouse with as many buttons as possible. The Elecom Huge fitted the bill. I have been using it for around 4 weeks now so I am more or less used to the trackball being controlled by fingers rather than thumb. The trackball is smooth (I use it for Dota 2) but I find there are issues with the button size and placements. I rebound the 2 buttons to the right of the ball as left and right mouse buttons as this seemed logical, but they are both very skinny and slippery which isnt ideal. This left me with the option to rebind the forward and back buttons to the left of the ball as other active buttons but that does mean that you have to operate the ball with your middle finger. However, due to the design angles, the Huge seems to encourage you to control the ball with your index finger. Unfortunately this then leaves you with no spare finger to operate the forward and back buttons. the 3 buttons clustered around the wheel are ok, although for some reason the largest one at the bottom seems awkward to hit, probably due to placement of the wheel. All in all its well built and all the buttons are programmable which is very good. I have dropped it a couple of times and it suffered no ill effects.

I read the reviews, with an eye on the Mac users' comments. Like many folks I've been using a Microsoft Trackball Explorer for the past ... twenty years. <gulp> My latest one was developing a frustrating fault and so I thought I'd take the plunge on the Elecom Huge. I should add that I've been using and upgrading as the years passed, the excellent Mac SteerMouse app, so I had no need to go anywhere near the Elecom drivers. To be clear, it's plug and play, but you will want to customise those buttons. I've set the Elecom Huge up to match, as far as possible, what I found familiar on the Microsoft Trackball: i.e. the left and right-hand buttons for primary click, secondary click and forward and back is the two right-hand buttons. I've set the two function buttons as page zoom + and -. Lots of commentary on the poor quality of the ball bearings used. I'm not sure that it's hugely different to the Microsoft device, it's certainly no improvement, but it rolls just fine for me. I did find a fabulous video on YouTube "Elecom HUGE trackball bearing replacement" explaining how to remove the existing balls and insert silicon ones. It seems easy enough, but my fingers aren't as nimble as they could be and my eyesight not great, so I don't think I'll risk it. That said, Amazon sell the G5 precision, zirconium oxide ball 2.5mm ceramic ball bearing if you are feeling up to it.