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IT & Technology

Elecom Deft Pro Review! Pros and Cons of an 8-Button Trackball Mouse

A review of using Elecom's medium-sized trackball mouse, 'Deft Pro (M-DPT1MRBK)', for a week. Explains everything from pros like reduced wrist strain and abundant button assignments to cons like cleaning effort and the learning curve for operation.

About the Elecom Trackball Deft Pro M-DPT1MRBK

It has been about a week since I purchased the Elecom trackball “Deft Pro M-DPT1MRBK”, so I will review my experience using it.

Main Features

  • High number of buttons (8 buttons)
  • Can be connected in 3 ways: wired, wireless receiver, and Bluetooth
  • Large ball size (medium size, 44mm diameter)
  • Purchase price on Amazon: ￥7,012 (as of May 2, 2021)

Pros

  • Unlike a mouse, you don’t need to move your wrist, which reduces wrist strain.
  • With many buttons, you can assign various functions to them. img_1.png I currently have them assigned as shown above. You can also change button assignments per application.
  • Dedicated software installation is required for button assignment.
  • Since the buttons are large, it is relatively easy to make precise movements for a trackball.

Cons

  • Dust accumulates around the trackball, so the ball needs to be removed and cleaned regularly (about once every few days).
  • It takes time to get used to the different feel compared to a mouse, as you use your index and middle fingers to move the cursor and your thumb to operate the mouse wheel.
  • Although I mentioned above that fine movements are easy, it is still difficult to move the cursor pixel by pixel with a trackball.
  • You cannot operate the wheel while pressing the left button (e.g., when you want to zoom in or out while selecting an area in Paint).

Overall, I think it is on the expensive side for a trackball, but generally it is quite easy to operate and has improved my work efficiency. I hope this will be helpful for those considering purchasing it.