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Page 1
Introduction
We know what you're thinking. "A trackball review, really?" Don't knock it until you've tried it. Trackballs may be old technology, but that doesn't mean that can't be refreshed with the latest innovations. The Logitech M570 has been a long time coming since the last trackball from Logitech was the TrackMan. Now, the M570 has a unifying receiver and a restyled design for thumb use making it the latest trackball to be released in the market. Let's see how it handles for daily use.
About Logitech
Packaging
Logitech's customer package is pretty standard. It has had the same look for many years with a green box and white accents.
The back of the box contains the various specifications and features. Yes, that says the M570 has 18 months of battery life from a single AA battery.
Introduction
We know what you're thinking. "A trackball review, really?" Don't knock it until you've tried it. Trackballs may be old technology, but that doesn't mean that can't be refreshed with the latest innovations. The Logitech M570 has been a long time coming since the last trackball from Logitech was the TrackMan. Now, the M570 has a unifying receiver and a restyled design for thumb use making it the latest trackball to be released in the market. Let's see how it handles for daily use.
About Logitech
Quote
Focused on innovation and quality, Logitech designs personal peripherals to help people enjoy a better experience with the digital world. We started in 1981 with mice, which (new at the time) provided a more intuitive way of interacting with a personal computer. We became the worldwide leader in computer mice, and have reinvented the mouse in dozens of ways to match the evolving needs of PC and laptop users.
Since those early days, we have expanded our expertise in product design beyond the computer mouse, with a broad portfolio of interface devices that are the “last inch” between you and your computer or your console game, digital music or home-entertainment system.
With products sold in almost every country in the world, Logitech’s leadership in innovation now encompasses a wide variety of personal peripherals (both cordless and corded), with special emphasis on products for PC navigation, gaming, Internet communications, digital music and home-entertainment control.
For each of our product categories, we study how our customers use their digital devices, and then our designers and engineers set their sights on how we can create a better experience with those devices – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, more delightful.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/about/logitech-story
Packaging
Logitech's customer package is pretty standard. It has had the same look for many years with a green box and white accents.
The back of the box contains the various specifications and features. Yes, that says the M570 has 18 months of battery life from a single AA battery.
Page 2
Marketing Summary
Package Contents
The M570 kit includes the TrackMan, the tiny unifying USB receiver, and some instructions.
Marketing Summary
Quote
You’ve got a different kind of comfort thanks to a leave-in wireless receiver, long battery life and precise cursor control that lets you work - and play - wherever you want.
Trackball comfort
Your trackball stays in one place, so you don’t have to move your arm to move your cursor. Its sculpted shape supports your hand to let you work all day in comfort.
Compact footprint
Short on space? No problem. Because the trackball doesn’t move, it’s perfect for tight workspaces and busy desks.
Time-tested shape
Millions of people have loved the Logitech Trackman Wheel. We’ve refined its proven shape to create the M570.
Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless
You get the reliability of a cord with cordless convenience and freedom - fast data transmission and virtually no delays or dropouts.
Wireless freedom
Who wants a cord in the way? The robust wireless connection lets you control your laptop, desktop computer of home theater PC from up to 30 feet away.
Tiny, wireless receiver
It’s so small it can stay plugged in a USB port. You don’t have to unplug it when you move around or worry about losing it. And your trackball is always ready to use.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/trackballs/devices/7365
Package Contents
The M570 kit includes the TrackMan, the tiny unifying USB receiver, and some instructions.
Page 3
M570
The M570 harkens back to the original TrackMan shape with the stylish red ball. Gone is the beige and red look and in are the grays and blues. It is highly angled and is only for right handers. Lefties need not apply.
The front of the M570 has the standard left and right buttons, the scroll wheel that clicks, the back and forward buttons, and a battery indicator. Green means good. When you turn on the mouse, the indicator lights up. It will alert you on low battery... 18 months after you put a fresh battery in.
You can clearly see just how angled the M570 is. The button placements are good in hand, though. If you have a small hand, this might not be the input device for you. Remember that we always say you should try before you buy. Head to a retail store to see the shape and how it feels in your hand.
The back of the M570 contains the white Logitech logo. Notice the contour on the right side of the mouse. This is for finger placement. The shape works very well for resting your hand.
The bottom contains the rubber feet and the battery compartment. Included is a Duracell AA battery. Quality batter inclusions are always a nice thing and it is good to see Logitech continue the trend. The On/Off switch is also located on the bottom. The battery compartment has a space to stash the USB receiver on the go.
Compared to a standard sized DVD, it is larger. The USB receiver is very tiny besides the M570. Since this is a desktop device, the size is a good thing to have. It has good weight to it so it won't slide around while using it.
M570
The M570 harkens back to the original TrackMan shape with the stylish red ball. Gone is the beige and red look and in are the grays and blues. It is highly angled and is only for right handers. Lefties need not apply.
The front of the M570 has the standard left and right buttons, the scroll wheel that clicks, the back and forward buttons, and a battery indicator. Green means good. When you turn on the mouse, the indicator lights up. It will alert you on low battery... 18 months after you put a fresh battery in.
You can clearly see just how angled the M570 is. The button placements are good in hand, though. If you have a small hand, this might not be the input device for you. Remember that we always say you should try before you buy. Head to a retail store to see the shape and how it feels in your hand.
The back of the M570 contains the white Logitech logo. Notice the contour on the right side of the mouse. This is for finger placement. The shape works very well for resting your hand.
The bottom contains the rubber feet and the battery compartment. Included is a Duracell AA battery. Quality batter inclusions are always a nice thing and it is good to see Logitech continue the trend. The On/Off switch is also located on the bottom. The battery compartment has a space to stash the USB receiver on the go.
Compared to a standard sized DVD, it is larger. The USB receiver is very tiny besides the M570. Since this is a desktop device, the size is a good thing to have. It has good weight to it so it won't slide around while using it.
Page 4
Use
Going from a regular moving mouse to a stationary trackball is something you need to really get used to. After about an hour of use, the motion of the trackball becomes fluid. The M570 fits my large hands well and the placement of the buttons and the trackball for the thumb is excellent. ASE Publishing has seen many different types of mice in its history and the trackball style has always been a big consideration when recommending an input device.
The M570 has laser tracking so you won't have to worry about dust or slippage, but the ball needs to be cleaned every so often. It is easy to remove by pushing it out from the bottom. You don't want to get grime build up when using it for as long as the battery lasts. Needless to say, we couldn't verify the 18 month expectation of battery life. We didn't notice any battery problems in our weeks of use, though.
The scroll action is traditional. Each tick is a scroll action, as it should be. There are no gimmicks here, just a well functioning input device. The back button will get the most use and its position is fine. A quick pointer finger movement can hit this button. The forward button is easy to hit as well, but most people remap this button to something more useful.
We like the overall shape of this input device. In fact, Logitech may do well to produce a laser mouse with this shape. It feels like a large G7 in hand and that is a good thing. The only minus to the shape is that lefties won't be able to use the M570, but they are used to that happening.
Why use trackballs? Think of the movement that you do when using a mouse. Your wrist constantly moves and angles in different ways. With a trackball, your position is static. Once you feel comfortable, you don't need to move your wrist. This is a huge benefit to people that suffer (or are concerned about) repetitive stress injuries. Carpal tunnel is one such problem that occurs. Save your wrists and use a trackball!
All in all, this is an excellent update to the TrackMan line of input devices from Logitech. It is good to see the trackball get some additional features after some time.
Conclusion
The M570 retails for about $50 (Amazon Link) at the time of posting. For a trackball style input device, you'd be hard pressed to find another along these lines. With the improvement in technology such as the laser tracking, Logitech will probably continue to see people that love trackballs flock to their product lines. The fact that this style of input device saves your wrists for moving around should get people to at least try the M570 out. It is wireless, has a unifying receiver, and has laser tracking. You couldn't ask for more from the old standby of the trackball. Logitech did well with this product. While it may not please everyone, the people that use trackballs will want to check the M570 for themselves.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Logitech for making this review possible.
Use
Going from a regular moving mouse to a stationary trackball is something you need to really get used to. After about an hour of use, the motion of the trackball becomes fluid. The M570 fits my large hands well and the placement of the buttons and the trackball for the thumb is excellent. ASE Publishing has seen many different types of mice in its history and the trackball style has always been a big consideration when recommending an input device.
The M570 has laser tracking so you won't have to worry about dust or slippage, but the ball needs to be cleaned every so often. It is easy to remove by pushing it out from the bottom. You don't want to get grime build up when using it for as long as the battery lasts. Needless to say, we couldn't verify the 18 month expectation of battery life. We didn't notice any battery problems in our weeks of use, though.
The scroll action is traditional. Each tick is a scroll action, as it should be. There are no gimmicks here, just a well functioning input device. The back button will get the most use and its position is fine. A quick pointer finger movement can hit this button. The forward button is easy to hit as well, but most people remap this button to something more useful.
We like the overall shape of this input device. In fact, Logitech may do well to produce a laser mouse with this shape. It feels like a large G7 in hand and that is a good thing. The only minus to the shape is that lefties won't be able to use the M570, but they are used to that happening.
Why use trackballs? Think of the movement that you do when using a mouse. Your wrist constantly moves and angles in different ways. With a trackball, your position is static. Once you feel comfortable, you don't need to move your wrist. This is a huge benefit to people that suffer (or are concerned about) repetitive stress injuries. Carpal tunnel is one such problem that occurs. Save your wrists and use a trackball!
All in all, this is an excellent update to the TrackMan line of input devices from Logitech. It is good to see the trackball get some additional features after some time.
Conclusion
The M570 retails for about $50 (Amazon Link) at the time of posting. For a trackball style input device, you'd be hard pressed to find another along these lines. With the improvement in technology such as the laser tracking, Logitech will probably continue to see people that love trackballs flock to their product lines. The fact that this style of input device saves your wrists for moving around should get people to at least try the M570 out. It is wireless, has a unifying receiver, and has laser tracking. You couldn't ask for more from the old standby of the trackball. Logitech did well with this product. While it may not please everyone, the people that use trackballs will want to check the M570 for themselves.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Logitech for making this review possible.