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What is "trackball"

Crossword clues for trackball

trackball
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
trackball
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Klatsky found that some subjects preferred trackballs or Glidepoint pads even though they actually performed better with mice.
▪ The icons are generally activated by an on-screen pointer controlled by a mouse or trackball.
▪ The reason that conventional trackballs and joysticks aren't used is because the precise positioning that they provide simply isn't needed.
Wiktionary
trackball

n. (context computing English) A pointing device consisting of a ball housed in a socket

WordNet
trackball

n. an electronic device consisting of a rotatable ball in a housing; used to position the cursor and move images on a computer screen; "a trackball is essentially an upside-down mouse"

Wikipedia
Trackball

A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a pointer.

Compared with a mouse, a trackball has no limits on effective travel; at times, a mouse can reach an edge of its working area while the operator still wishes to move the screen pointer farther. With a trackball, the operator just continues rolling, whereas a mouse would have to be lifted and re-positioned. Some trackballs have notably low friction, as well as being made of dense material such as glass, so they can be spun to make them coast. The trackball's buttons may be situated to that of a mouse or to a unique style that suits the user.

Large trackballs are common on CAD workstations for easy precision. Before the advent of the touchpad, small trackballs were common on portable computers, where there may be no desk space on which to run a mouse. Some small thumbballs clip onto the side of the keyboard and have integral buttons with the same function as mouse buttons.

Usage examples of "trackball".

Mary Catherine used a trackball and a set of menus and control windows to open up a large color window on the screen.

Then he transferred his hands from the trackball and cursor keys to the laptop’.

When he touched the trackball, the hundred-centimeter display awoke from Sleep mode, throwing enough light onto the desk for him to see his split keyboard - an antique accessory that required an arcane skill, but still Greene's first choice for talking to his system.

His fingers flew over the attack computer controls, trackball, and touchscreens, designating targets and programming the missiles for launch.