Kensington's new Orbit Fusion trackball mouse is a new look at a rather mature pointing tool.

Trackball devices have been around for a long time. Seriously, check out the history of the Canadian Navy and trackballs. Though they're not as popular as standard mice, they're still an excellent alternative in certain industries and, perhaps more importantly, for people who suffer from wrist pain. I made the switch to a trackball mouse — specifically the Logitech MX Ergo — a couple of years ago to reduce strain during the day, allowing me to game comfortably with my usual mouse after hours. I wasn't sure I'd like it at first, but a trackball has now turned into my preferred way to point. That even holds true for certain PC games.

My MX Ergo has seen a lot of use and has begun to fail in the left click, so trying out the Kensington Orbit Fusion was well timed. It's designed differently than what I'm used to, with the trackball controlled by fingers rather than thumb. It's taken a bit ...