TRACKBALL NEWS – 4 November, 2019
Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring now available in two new colors – Unboxing and Review
Two new Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring Trackballs have been released to celebrate 10 years of the affordable and popular trackball model. In this article I’ll unbox the trackballs and remind you why for many years, this model is rewarded with Best Value trackball on my website (and making it even beter value, look for the 20% OFF discount code for the Space Grey model in this article).
Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring White (K72500WW) and Space Grey Ball (K75327WW) in the box
photo © TrackballMouse.org
As usual I have to start the article with an affiliate notice: if you buy something via the affiliate links to Amazon, I will receive a small commission – but you won’t pay anything more – and if you use the coupon code mentioned below in the article you pay even 20% less and you support the Trackballmouse.org website!)
The Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring is our Best Value Trackball winner and highly recommended as a starter trackball. With its amazing scroll ring and easy buttons and smooth ball, this is truly a winner.
Kensington released the trackball in 2009 and is now releasing two new colors of the Orbit to celebrate the anniversary: a white model with gray ball (model number K72500WW) and a black/dark gray model with ‘space gray’ ball (model number K75327WW are the new variations of the classic gray with blue ball that has become so popular.
Kensington has sent me the two new Orbit trackballs before they were officially launched, so I can bring you an exclusive preview of the two trackballs in this video below.
Why a trackball?
If you read this website, you know that my goal is to convince people to get rid of their standard computer mouse and try a trackball. There are many reasons why, but in short: it saves space on your desk as it doesn’t have to move around; your wrist and hand don’t have to move, reducing any pain or fatigue in the arm and wrist; and finally many trackballs give better cursor control and work faster than a mouse. Although all this also depends on what you do on a computer, and it must also be noted that it does take some time getting used to a trackball.
Click on the Buyer’s Guide button above to see many articles about trackballs and buying advice.
My ‘Best Value’ choice for years has been the Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring, with mostly the Scroll Ring making it a better choice than the also great Logitech Trackman Marble. I just think the Scroll Ring (or any scroll wheel on a trackball) is a must-have on a trackball device and this particular wheel on the Orbit is just a great one: smooth and easy to turn with the ring finger. (Other favorite scroll wheels of mine are the wheel of the Expert / Expert Wireless and my workhorse, the CST2545-5W – all of those are in a completely different price range from this budget friendly Orbit with Scroll Ring though).
Now if you have decided to go with a trackball, and want to try the Best Value trackball Orbit, then you have to make another choice: will you go for the original Gray with Blue ball (K72337US), the new Gray with Space Gray Ball (K75327WW) or the White with Gray Ball (K72500WW)…
Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring, White, K72500WW
The white Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring K72500WW and the gray wrist rest which can be attached.
photo © TrackballMouse.org
As I mentioned in the unboxing video, I was impressed with the white Kensington Orbit with Scroll Wheel K72500WW. It does looks great and different from most other trackballs currently on the market.
The white one is my favourite of these new ones as it is so different from any other trackball currently on the market, which are almost exclusively grey or black.
The white and gray used to be a standard color in the 1980s and 1990s on Commodore, Amiga, Mac and PC computers and mouse and trackball devices.
A selection of ‘vintage’ Kensington trackballs that were white: an early Kensington Turbo Mouse (Expert) model (as seen in Mission Impossible), the Kensington TurboBall, an early Kensington Orbit, and another Kensington Turbo Mouse.
But since the 2000s, the trackballs became mostly dark gray. For example the Logitech Trackman was white with a red ball and became dark with red ball, and the Kensington Expert Trackball used to be off-white/grey as well and then became grey with grey ball (the Expert Wirelesss Trackball has a red ball).
The color white of the new Kensington Orbit plastic is a clear but soft white, with some grey details like the bottom edge, the wrist rest, the scroll ring and of course the ball.
The white Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring K72500WW matches great with a light desk design.
photo © TrackballMouse.org
The ball itself is a sparkly, metallic grey. Lighter than the ball on the new Gray Orbit, it fits the white body quite nice.
The white Orbit trackball matches well with a lighter desk design, so if you want to keep your desk nice and light, this is a great color.
For more information on the trackball, read the full revieww of the original Orbit with Scroll Ring (which is technically the same as the new white model).
So where can you get this white Orbit? Well, it’s a bit harder to find than the new grey Orbit (which is available via Amazon.com, with coupon code see below). The white Orbit will be available at MacMall, B&H in the USA, and will probably pop up at other stores, hopefully also in other parts of the world. On the Kensington website it’s not for sale but you can find more info there.
I will list the stores here when it’s available, stay tuned.
$42.99 | ||||
$42.99 |
Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring, Space Gray Ball, K75327WW
The new Kensington Orbit with Scroll Ring, Space Gray Ball, model number K75327WW, is more similar to the original Orbit, with the biggest difference being that the ball is now Space Gray metallic, instead of Blue.
The “Space Gray” Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring K75327WW, and the wrist rest which can be attached to the device
photo © TrackballMouse.org
Technically both the new Orbits are the same as the original Orbit, so it comes down to a color preference.
The “Space Gray” Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring, K75327WW
photo © TrackballMouse.org
The space gray ball might fit better with the rest of your equipment, if it’s a space gray MacBook or another dark grey laptop or desktop for examples, or if you don’t want any distracting colors on your professional desk.
This is a personal preference of course, and I can only say that the new metallic balls and color combinations both look very clean and professional, with the white one being a bit more playful.
20% OFF discount coupon
One reason to opt for the new space gray ball Orbit model is that I can offer you a discount coupon for 20% off at Amazon.com with code REMMERT20 – the code applies only to the Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring and space grey ball on Amazon.com, make sure the seller is Kensington USA for the code to apply.
Limited time only – offer ends 19 November 2019
$29.99 | Read reviews |
Full review of the original
For more information on the original Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring, read the full review (it’s technically the same trackball as the new models).
Read more about Trackballs
The advantages of a trackball mouse are plentiful: it takes much less effort to use compared to a regular mouse, it takes up less space as it doesn’t have to move, and it gives you more control and accuracy.
On Trackballmouse.org you can find extensive reviews of all popular trackballs. Read the reviews here, or if you just want to know which trackballs are the best, see the Top 10 Trackballs, or Editor’s Choice winners.