Welcome to Vista Banter. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access our other FREE features. By joining our free community you will have access to ask questions and reply to others posts, upload your own photos and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact support. |
|
Hardware and Windows Vista Hardware issues in relation to Windows Vista. (microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware_devices) |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
|||
help with assistive settings in vista for a trackball
I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where to
try next. I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine. I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual part of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems in controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when moving the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated results]. I think a trackball would be much better for her. This my first choice http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826125019 and this is my second http://www.staples.com/Logitech-Trac...?cmArea=SEARCH The first one is preferred because it has the fewest buttons, and has a nice, large size. But there is a problem I foresee, which I hope you can help me solve. When web-browsing and/or doing email or word processing, she is most comfortable using the scroll bars in windows [while she understands the function of the scroll wheel on her mouse, her dexterity limitations make using it subject to the problems and results noted above]. With the first mouse, the Kensington with a ball and one left and one right key --- she will have a problem with grabbing and holding a scrollbar [keeping the left mousekey depressed] and then using the trackball to move the scrollbar. Therefore, I need to have a software way of being able to *temporarily* lock the left mouse key in the depressed [on] state --- so that, having used the trackball to place the cursor on a scrollbar, she could then press the left key once to lock it "on", then use the trackball to move the scrollbar, then press the left key to *release* it from the always on state. The left key would have to be able to function normally at other times, as she would need to select from drop-down menus in the normal way. I am somewhat familiar with sticky keys [in XP] -- but that's a keyboard feature. I am familiar with mousekeys, too -- but that brings one back to the keyboard. I'd really like to set her up with a trackball......... So is what I have explained I'd like to do with the trackball do-able with software? Hopefully MS built in software? I have looked over some of MS's Vista Accessibility information, and cannot find my answer [it didn't look hopeful to me in what I did find]. I have been to Kensington's site for the model trackball I linked to above http://us.kensington.com/html/4771.html but it appears that there is no dedicated software that comes with it -- it simply uses Vista's built-in application[s]. I also cannot find the manual [if any] online at Kensington. [I've also been to Logitech's site for their model I linked to above -- http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mi.../4680&cl=us,en --- and while I can find some support materials, nothing I could find told me that I could accomplish my "temporarily locked-on left mouse key" goal] One last condition in my problem --- I cannot buy her a wireless trackball --- so any such models are a no-no. Why you might ask -- because batteries wear out, and I don't want to set her up to have the unit's batteries die, and have her panic ["the computer is broken"] and calling me ["the computer is broken"] so that I have to troubleshoot over the phone, and struggle through getting an accurate picture of what is going on, and then deal with there being no extra batteries in the house, or etc., etc., etc..... OK -- apologies if this is too wordy, or not as clear as I imagine. Any help you can offer will be much appreciated. albert |
|
|||
help with assistive settings in vista for a trackball
You might look around for the older Trackman Marble with the ball an the
left side. My wife and I still use the same ones we bought 20 years ago. "albert" wrote in message ... I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where to try next. I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine. I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual part of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems in controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when moving the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated results]. I think a trackball would be much better for her. Snip |
|
|||
help with assistive settings in vista for a trackball
Badger,
Thanks for your suggestion. As this goes along -- we are going to try out an older trackball from a friend, to see if my student likes the idea. If yes, then we will go hunting for the "right" trackball. Another possibility I am now considering is a trackpad -- e.g., one of the ones made by Adesso. Thanks again for the input. albert "Badger" wrote in message ... You might look around for the older Trackman Marble with the ball an the left side. My wife and I still use the same ones we bought 20 years ago. "albert" wrote in message ... I trust this is the group to ask -- if not, please do let me know where to try next. I have Windows XP, so I cannot answer this by examining my own machine. I am teaching an 80+ year old to use her computer. The intellectual part of the process she is quite good with, but has some fine motor problems in controlling her mouse [so that to click or click and hold, or to move the cursor around, she often ends up holding buttons too tightly, or inadvertently pressing a button, or both left and right buttons, when moving the mouse --- and that results in all sorts of confused signals to the operating system and programs, with all too frequent unanticipated results]. I think a trackball would be much better for her. Snip |
|
|||
help with assistive settings in vista for a trackball
You're welcome,
Hope it works out for you. Badger "albert" wrote in message ... Badger, Thanks for your suggestion. As this goes along -- we are going to try out an older trackball from a friend, to see if my student likes the idea. If yes, then we will go hunting for the "right" trackball. Another possibility I am now considering is a trackpad -- e.g., one of the ones made by Adesso. Thanks again for the input. albert "Badger" wrote in message ... You might look around for the older Trackman Marble with the ball an the left side. My wife and I still use the same ones we bought 20 years ago. |