The mouse I had rescued from my problem pile to use at work died again recently, and this time taking it apart and reassembling it didn't help. Since I can't live without a scroll wheel, it was time for a little visit to the company store. Last time I bought a mouse, I toyed with the idea of getting a trackball, since I have almost no mouse space on my desk at home. I have no trackball experience though, and they look strange enough that I was afraid it would be too awkward and I'd have to buy yet another mouse right away. This time, since I seem to be burning through mice fairly quickly, I decided the risk was worth taking and got a trackball instead of a mouse.

Considering how different the control method is, I was surprised at how easy it is to use. I was able to handle it reasonably well straight out of the box, although fine control was difficult. After a couple of days it's starting to feel more natural (although my thumb is confused by having to do so much work), and I suspect it will be just as good as a mouse before long.

Besides being better-suited to the space I have at home, I get the added advantage of having a different pointing device at work and at home—I figure that regardless of which is “better” for routine use, doing something different at work and at home is even better, especially given how much computer time I log between the two. Now I just need some sort of bizarre alternative keyboard construction, and I should be all set.