Here it is being held horizontally against a keyboard, and that way it makes more sense: your hands can use the trackball without ever leaving the keyboard. If the trackball is held and located in a position that one can expect from a trackball or mouse, it doesn’t look really ergonomic.
I feel like that still only works for people with larger hands. You need to be able to reach it without stretching or moving from home row or else or kind of defeats the purpose I think.
That’s not an angle that looks natural to hit with your thumb for most people.
You need to be able to reach it without stretching or moving from home row or else or kind of defeats the purpose I think.
As a diehard Vi user who rarely leaves the home row; I also care how far my hand travels from the home row, and back - so this trackball would still an upgrade for me.
Fair point. I use my keyboard right at the edge of my desk, I’m thinking a trackball embedded in the wood right before the spacebar, facing out, might be the way to go.
Yeah. The images of this thing next to the spacebar are tempting me (in spite of my past preference for the keyboard corner). Maybe I’ll get one of these when it releases.
Here it is being held horizontally against a keyboard, and that way it makes more sense: your hands can use the trackball without ever leaving the keyboard. If the trackball is held and located in a position that one can expect from a trackball or mouse, it doesn’t look really ergonomic.
https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/01/08/keychrons-nape-pro-turns-your-mechanical-keyboard-into-a-laptop-style-trackball-rig-hands-on-at-ces-2026/
(Nape non-pro)
I feel like that still only works for people with larger hands. You need to be able to reach it without stretching or moving from home row or else or kind of defeats the purpose I think.
That’s not an angle that looks natural to hit with your thumb for most people.
As a diehard Vi user who rarely leaves the home row; I also care how far my hand travels from the home row, and back - so this trackball would still an upgrade for me.
Fair point. I use my keyboard right at the edge of my desk, I’m thinking a trackball embedded in the wood right before the spacebar, facing out, might be the way to go.
Yeah. The images of this thing next to the spacebar are tempting me (in spite of my past preference for the keyboard corner). Maybe I’ll get one of these when it releases.
Thanks. I envisioned something that went to the right of the num pad.
Prob better for the less than 100% keeblers (no num pad).