Logitech - MX ERGO Plus Wireless Trackball Mouse - Graphite

Ergo: As evidenced by the name, MX ‘Ergo’ Plus, this trackball is designed to be more ergonomic than regular mouse devices. In fact, Logitech claims it’ll deliver 20% less muscle strain & reduced wrist pronation vs. a std. mouse. Setup: Out-of-the-box setup was practically plug-&-play-level-easy w/my HP All-in-1 PC & Win10 OS, though this new trackball is equally compatible w/Macs. My mouse arrived w/plenty of charge to get started immediately. Wireless Connectivity: Logitech’s unifying receiver—a tiny dongle USB key—is, as usual, very reliable & quickly pairs w/the mouse. You can connect via Bluetooth, but I prefer the 2.4GHz unifying receiver, which offers a 32-foot range & allows me to also connect my Logitech K750 wireless solar keyboard + up to 4 other wireless devices. Trackball vs. Std. Mouse: As far as input devices go, we’ve been a mostly Logitech shop for many yrs. now, for both keyboards & mice. So, I’ve been looking forward to testing Logitech’s new trackball option, as it’s been a few yrs. since I’ve used Logitech’s last trackball mouse—the M570—which was released back in 2010. Though the trackball is clearly a viable alternative to the std. mouse & touchpad, it’s not for everyone, as evidenced by the fact that the overwhelming majority of pointing devices sold are std. mice, not trackballs. While this new trackball provides a very good user interface, a word of caution to std. mouse users is in order. It takes a little time, in terms of developing your hand-eye coordination, to retrain your brain so that you can smoothly operate a stationary trackball mouse. When you’re used to moving the entire mouse vs. rolling just your thumb on a trackball, it’s an ADJUSTMENT. Once mastered, however, I find this trackball to be very smooth, sturdy, & easy to navigate. The stability is achieved because the trackball mouse sits in a stationary magnetic metal plate w/a non-slip bottom. This platform provides a clean, minimalist look on your work surface, as you’ll no longer need the clutter of a mouse pad. Features: Buttons: You get advanced optical tracking w/a scroll wheel & 8 buttons, 6 of which are programmable, for customization, or you can choose default settings if you prefer. All the buttons are well-placed & have a pleasing, tactile response w/good haptic feedback. Precision Mode: The precision mode button next to the trackball allows you to shift from speed to accuracy—dramatically slowing the tracking speed so that you can execute sensitive, micro-movements for pixel-precise, ultra-accurate cursor pointing. This is useful for photo editing, graphic design, & other tasks. Scroll Wheel: The precision tilt scroll wheel allows 4-way scrolling—up/back (vertical) & left/right (horizontal), though I do wish the scroll wheel were designed the way Logitech’s ratcheting scroll wheel operated on the MX Master S2. The quick access to shortcuts & the middle click in the scroll wheel are nice conveniences. Logitech Options Software w/Flow Technology: I like that the mouse can be used w/2 different computers via the Easy-Switch button on top, allowing you to switch seamlessly between devices w/o having to re-pair. Logitech’s new Options software (replacing the old SetPoint software), w/multi-computer FLOW technology, boosts cross-computer capability by allowing you to control & navigate content between computers, incl.: copying & pasting text, images, documents, & files—allowing data transfer w/o relying on cloud services or having to send yourself emails w/attachments. (Options software must be installed on both computers.) The free downloadable software also allows for app-specific settings, button & key customization, & notification & status. Ergonomics: The mouse comes w/an adjustable, integrated magnetic hinge, or wedge, that you snap onto the bottom of the mouse which allows you to choose the best trackball angle for personalized hand & wrist comfort. (Choose 0°/flat or 20°, or even 30° w/the additional 10° plastic wedge that comes w/the ‘Plus’ model offered thru Best Buy.) The bottom of the hinge has a non-slip surface to keep the trackball in place. Regardless of position, the large, wide base of the mouse felt comfortable under my hand. While I preferred the 30° angle, my wife preferred the 20° angle for her smaller hand, in what she termed a ‘more natural hand position’, as she used the trackball for some extended digital video editing work. This is yet more evidence of the benefits of a customizable ergonomic mouse. In either case, we both liked the sculpted shape of the mouse which provides full palm & finger support, w/the soft rubber on top of the mouse offering a comfortable grip for extended work sessions. And the island keys offer a consistent, sturdy click feel that’s definite & sharp w/o being too crisp or staccato. Charging: For yrs. I wondered why Logitech ceased offering a mouse recharging cradle like the one incl. w/my 2009 Logitech MX Revolution Performance Laser Mouse. But w/this new trackball mouse’s Li-Po (lithium polymer) battery, which Logitech claims can be recharged as infrequently as every 4 months, there’s really no need for the clutter of a battery recharge docking station on my desk, especially when the rarely required full recharge of the mouse now takes only a few minutes. Yes, the micro-USB recharging cord that connects to the front of the trackball mouse is cumbersome, but if it has to be broken out only once/qtr., where’s the rub? (And it sure beats the 1-week battery life I used to get between USB charges w/my previous Logitech MX Performance Darkfield Laser Cordless Rechargeable Mouse, purchased back in 2012 as a replacement for my worn-out Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Rechargeable Mouse.) I do wish, however, that Logitech had included USB-C technology, as they did w/their new Craft wireless keyboard. Logitech also claims that I’ll get up to a full day’s use from a 1-min. quick-charge w/this new trackball mouse, which provides a critical & welcome rescue if the mouse’s battery runs down at the worst possible moment, when I’m in the middle of 'crunch time' & pushing to finish a project or report w/a hard deadline. Warranty/Durability: Logitech offers a limited 1-year warranty (not very inspiring or reassuring, but fairly std. for pointing devices which often take a lot of abuse). They also project that I should be able to get ~10 million clicks out of the left/right buttons; so, I expect that I’ll want to purchase a new mouse w/enhanced technology features well before this trackball mouse fails or wears out. Bottom line: Overall, if you’re a trackball fan, you should be well pleased w/this mouse. But even after getting used to this trackball mouse, I still prefer a traditional mouse in a traditional work setting environment at my desk, even w/a trackball as well-engineered as this model. However, there are times when I’m using my laptop in other settings, incl. a limited-space environment on an airplane, or in a more relaxed, casual environment at home, when I’d prefer the benefits of a trackball mouse. In short, I’d like to be able to switch back-&-forth between a traditional mouse & a trackball mouse w/o having to change mice. Thus, I’d like to see Logitech develop & pioneer a hybrid, all-in-1 mouse that incorporates the benefits of both. Perhaps Logitech could do some market research on this concept & test to see if there’s a viable market, or at least a profitable niche, for such a hybrid mouse. With an increasingly mobile society that’s simultaneously migrating towards transportation modes that allow for increasingly productive commutes (think mass transit trains, Uber & Lyft ride-sharing, self-driving cars, etc.), many companies & workers would gladly pay more for a hybrid mouse w/superior flexibility vs. the status quo of frustrating touchpads & the age-old either/or, mutually exclusive, std.-vs.-trackball mouse dilemma. PROS -Good quality for the price -Bluetooth or USB Unifying Receiver easy connect -Very comfortable, solid, smooth form factor -Precision button for slow, smooth, refined pointing -Fast rechargeable battery lasts up to 4 months -Customizable for max comfort -You can toss your ugly mouse pad -Easy-Switch/Flow software allows quick transition between 2 computers -Windows & Mac-compatible CONS -Takes some time to fully transition from std. mouse to stationary trackball; thumb takes brunt of navigation effort -Older USB cord

I purchased my first Logitech trackball in 1998 and what a revelation it was. I never used a regular mouse at home again. I cannot imagine why more people don’t recognize that a trackball is superior to a mouse in a multitude of ways. Over the years I’ve feared that Logitech would potentially discontinue this product line. I for one applaud Logitech for their continued support and development of trackballs. I was very excited to upgrade to the Logitech’s MX Ergo Plus wireless trackball. What a fitting name since many of the benefits of a trackball are ergonomic with reduced arm and wrist movement. Let’s remember that with a trackball you use your thumb alone to move the cursor. The mouse comes nicely packaged and includes a 2.4ghz unifying receiver, a micro usb charging cable, and an additional plate to further customize your mouse increasing its adjustable angle up to 30 degrees. Setup was simple. Just plug the unifying receiver into a USB port and turn on the mouse and you’re up and running. I also downloaded and installed the Logitech Options software. Here you can customize mouse buttons and scrolling behavior to your desire. Very cool. This device is wireless and rechargeable so no unsightly cord to deal with and no batteries to replace and a charge lasts 4 months. The MX Ergo plus supports both 2.4ghz wireless and Bluetooth which allows you to connect it with many different devices. The trackball itself has a quality feel and weight to it which is certainly a more refined build than earlier Logitech trackballs. The look is sleek and modern. Upon actually using the MX Ergo Plus I must admit I didn’t really expect anything remarkably different from the trackball I was currently using. I was wrong. When I tried the device with the extra pad which allows you to elevate and tilt the trackball even more I immediately felt like I hit a sweet spot in terms of ergonomics and comfort. My wrist and hand were now turned to the side of the trackball which just felt far more natural. The Ergo Plus also filled my hand better since it is larger with the additional pad attached. I had left my old trackball connected when I installed the Ergo Plus. I now switched back to it to compare and I discovered that it already felt awkward and uncomfortable. I was sold! I then proceeded to put it to use. The trackball itself definitely glides more smoothly than my previous model. It also seems to have a higher dpi. I struggled to determine the actual dpi of the Ergo Plus. It is quoted in two locations on the Logitech website with different values in each location. Frustrating. I love it for browsing the internet since I had configured two of the buttons for forward and backward web page navigation. While scrolling I discovered a cool feature. Unlike my old trackball which scrolled then stopped abruptly the Ergo Plus continues gently scrolling even after you release your finger and then gradually slows and stops the scroll. I really like this. I also like the side scrolling feature which you access by tilting the scroll wheel. Another feature I was anxious to try was the precision mode. By clicking the button adjacent to the ball one can adjust the cursor movement to greatly slow it down for accuracy. This is a great addition which comes in handy for photo editing techniques that requires steady and accurate movement. There is another fascinating feature that I haven’t tried yet but want to. It’s called Logitech Flow which allows you to use the Ergo Plus with multiple computers at once. There is a button behind the scroll wheel which easily allows you to switch back and forth between two computers without re-pairing the Bluetooth connection. And I don’t just mean connect to several computers at once I mean copy text or a photo from one system and paste it to another system! Super cool. I love the MX Ergo Plus for gaming. I would love to see Logitech develop a gaming trackball! Being a fan of first person shooters I find a trackball gives me ultimate control and accuracy and the Ergo Plus is no exception. Many mouse users wrongly argue the opposite. I also find the Ergo Plus very comfortable to use for extended periods of gaming. If you have never tried a trackball you should. The Logitech MX Ergo Plus is the best trackball I’ve ever used. Highly recommended.

I purchased an MX Ergo Plus Trackball (only available from Best Buy or Logitech) directly from the manufacturer on New Year’s Day 2018. Note that the ONLY difference between the standard and plus versions of the MX Ergo is an additional magnetic rubber wedge which is included with the plus model. It attaches to the bottom of the trackball to provide an additional 10 degrees of inclination from level. Thus, the maximum inclination from a completely flat resting on desktop position is 30 degrees for the MX ERGO Plus (magnetic hinge plus additional wedge), but only 20 degrees for the standard MX ERGO (magnetic hinge only). There are absolutely no technical differences between the two trackballs and pricing is also essentially identical. So why wouldn’t a smart consumer always prefer the model with an extra “goodie” included for free? I really don’t understand why these two different versions exist. I would simply include the additional insert with every MX ERGO and settle on a single name for this device. Two models with such a minor difference are completely unnecessary! Regarding the trackball itself, the MX Ergo is much more substantial – both larger in size and significantly heavier – than the Logitech M570 trackball that I purchased back in 2011 and have been using religiously every day since then to completely eliminate the carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms that I had been starting to develop with a regular mouse. Both the larger dimensions and the increased heft ensure that this trackball will stay put wherever you place it; the lighter M570 always had a tendency to move around somewhat during use. The MX Ergo also has a more textured, grippy feel during use compared to the much smoother M570. However, apart from the consistent monotone charcoal gray appearance of the MX Ergo throughout (no longer a contrasting blue trackball as in the M570) and the use of an internal rechargeable battery (supposedly lasting up to 4 months on a full charge) instead of the familiar disposable AAs, the most important feature is the angular inclination capability already mentioned above. If you primarily work in a position in which you forearm rests completely flat on a tabletop or other surface, then this feature will not be of much interest to you: use the MX Ergo just like the M570 and let it rest completely flat on your work surface. However, if you spend a significant amount of time standing while you work – with only your hand and wrist being supported by a surface such as a keyboard tray – then inclining the MX Ergo 20 to 30 degrees upwards from level will make for a much more comfortable work experience over time. I have been exclusively using a standing desk since 2013 (Ergotron 24-280-085 WorkFit-PD, Sit-Stand Desk). I stand every day, all day long, rarely sitting at all and the MX Ergo with the additional wedge in place at a full 30 degrees of inclination is just the thing to ensure optimal ergonomic positioning of the hand and wrist with easy thumb-access to the trackball itself. Absolutely no carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms to worry about here! I won’t discuss any of the technical specifications/features of the trackball itself since these can be readily found on Amazon.com and the Logitech support site on the web. You will in fact have to consult the Logitech website when you first receive your MX Ergo since no instructions whatsoever are included in the retail packaging shipped to the consumer. All of the essential quick start information is available only online from where you will also need to download the Logitech Options software to get everything up and running properly. Overall, this is a highly recommended purchase. My right hand and wrist are thanking me already, perhaps yours will too?

I have been a trackball person for over 2 decades now. I have used just about every type at one time or another throughout my career as an Electrical Engineer. I have been converted to the Logitech since their first usb cable thumb trackball many years ago. When their M570 came out, I purchased 5 the first day so I could place one everywhere I might need it. Just to note, I also have a media center PC at home, a stationary mouse is kind of a must. Anyway I just purchased two of these MX Ergos a couple of weeks ago after a coworker just happened to show up with one, he wanted to try the trackball after watching me for several years. My first impression was, wow, they really made this the most comfortable control input device there has ever been for a computer. Two weeks later, I still believe this to be true, no contest. The material that Logitech chose makes your hand happy, and the ability to change angles with the magnetic platform is just brilliant. Again, it is comfort at its best, especially if you sit in front of a computer over 10 hours a day. Now for what had me drop a star. Due to Logitech's new "Options" software that you must download and use for their new gear, this trackball included, the accuracy and blunt detailed control that the M570 possesses has been diminished slightly and there are only minor adjustments in the software to attempt to correct this. In the Logitech "Options" software you can max the settings and you still cannot gain the acceleration and extra movement necessary to jump all the way across my screen(s). I may be an outlier though, so take this with a grain of salt. I use a 40in. 4k monitor for work with the laptop monitor on the side. The main monitor is divided, through software into 8 separate screens. For me, accuracy is a key part of what I do and it keeps me fluid. With the M570 I can pretty much stop on a pixel, no joke. With the new MX even with all of the adjustments through the Logitech Options software, that is nearly impossible. There is one thing you can do to make it pretty close and that is adjust your windows mouse settings after you make adjustments to the logitech software. That has gotten me through most of my concerns but it still is not quite as fluid or as accurate as the M570, but with the comfort I am still using it over the prior. If Logitech can fix the software then it would be a 10 out of 5, seriously. I would probably just go purchase 10. The buttons are perfectly placed, they are all assignable by program and this trackball has a pretty special feature that allows you to connect to to separate devices and it can copy and paste information from one to the next. On a side note, when I first got it I did swap the trackball from the M570 to see if it would help improve the accuracy, I felt like it might have, but it may have been my mind playing tricks on me. The M570 blue ball is not quite as sparkly as the grey disco like ball in the MX. Well hopefully my rambling helps you make a choice.

I've been a fan of trackballs for years. I like their comfort, and I like that they use such a small footprint on your workspace. Unfortunately, trackballs haven't liked me back. Over the years, they'd had all sorts of design limitations, mostly poor and unreliable tracking, no precision. This trackball solves these issues and more! At first I was going to use it to replace my desktop setup. Now I think it's going to be my primary mouse for travel and everything! It's cordless. It uses Bluetooth so you aren't dependent on the usb receiver. This means it's easy to share among two computers because you can switch between channels, you don't have to take the receiver with you, and you get to conserve a precious USB port, and the battery life is impressive so far. The pointer tracking is awesome. It is as responsive as a top grade mouse, and you don't have to pick up and reposition your thumb to move the pointer across your screen. It even has a precision mode; just hit the button above the ball and suddenly the ball moves the pointer precisely over a small space. The adjustable angle -- really clever engineering. At first I was really leery of it. The bases are attached by magnet, so I thought it would be a hassle to stow the mouse in my bag, and that it wouldn't support the weight of my hand when I'm excitedly zipping around the screen. It's really stabile, even at the extreme maximum angle. By the way, that extreme angle is really comfortable for me and my big hands, it feels way better than the traditional shallow position of a trackball. It has the minimum buttons I've grown to need these days -- it has a scroll wheel and forward and back buttons. I'm not happy with the position of the forward and back buttons, and that cost the review one whole star. Forward and back should be at opposite sides of the trackball so they are more intuitive and I can hit them without repositioning my index finger. That's a big departure from what I'm used to. Also, the stacked orientation of the forward and back buttons is not intuitive, so I have to consciously think about which is which. The scroll wheel is pretty good. One improvement would be a quick way to scroll to the top or bottom of the window. I never quite got used to tilting the scroll wheel for side scrolling. I recently got a Logitech MX Master 2S mouse, and it has a side scroll wheel right under your thumb. That would be awesome for this trackball. I would position it on the edge of the device, near where the precision button is located. Overall, if you're a trackball fan, get this one.

(Disclaimer - I was given this product in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.) Logitech is known for several things - speakers, keyboards, tablet accessories - but their pointing devices are generally among the very best in their classes, if not the best. Case in point - The Logitech Ergo MX Plus. It starts with an already ergonomic design and simply adds to it in a way that makes it comfortable to use. Setup is simple - plug the Unifying Receiver into any open USB port on your computer*, turn the trackball's power on, and you're in business. Do you already have other Logitech Unifying devices? Good news - you can use the Logitech Options software to pair the MX Ergo to your existing receiver. I did this on a Windows 10 machine I have with a K360 keyboard and M185 mouse, and it was quick and painless. To me, however, this is also a drawback - I would have liked to see Bluetooth connectivity with this trackball along with Unifying connectivity. (* - Standard USB ports, not the newer USB-C ports you find on newer laptops.) The Ergo also has a nifty hardware feature that allows you to pair the trackball with two different systems. So if you're like me and you have a living room PC along with your office PC, and you prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads, you can switch between both computers by pressing a button near the scroll wheel. As far as usability goes, it's terrific. You have a clickable scroll wheel that also tilts for left and right scrolling, you have a pair of assignable function buttons next to the left button that can do pretty much anything (I set them for forward and back), and if you're not going to change the accuracy setting of the trackball, you can reset it to other functions. Now for the ergonomics, which is the marketing draw of this device. This model ships with a magnetic baseplate that allows you to adjust the tilt of the trackball to either 0 or 20 degrees, along with a small wedge that can give you an additional 10 degrees of tilt for 30 degrees total. This system feels a little clunky on your first use, but it works well once you get used to it. Finally, the MX Ergo has a rechargeable battery built into it. You charge the battery with a micro USB charge cable. I find this to be a drawback; for the price, this device should use USB-C instead of the breakage-prone micro-USB connector. All in all, the Logitech MX Ergo Trackball is a pretty good value for what it is. It works well, it's all-day comfortable, and it's loaded with features that justify its price tag.

I'm not sure if this trackball will make converts who have never used a trackball, but for those users who are looking for a replacement or upgrade, this trackball is worthwhile. I have been a trackball user for quite some time. On of my first trackballs was the original Trackman Marble. I also used a Microsoft Trackball Explorer (one of the best finger style trackballs) for my desktop workstation. I still have the Microsoft Explorer, but unfortunately the ball has some warping to it. I had used the wireless Logitech M570 for laptops. Now that I have a slim laptop, and it only has 2 USB 3 ports, I thought I'd upgrade to the MX Ergo Plus (chiefly so that I didn't have to tie up a USB port with receiver and use Bluetooth instead). Very few vendors have the Plus version of the Ergo, which includes a bottom wedge that adds another 10 degrees. I've found that accessory a great option for when I have the trackball resting on the arm of my recliner. There are many features of it that are an improvement of the M570: it's larger and heavier. It's wider so that my pinkie doesn't dangle like when I'm using the M570. It has a grippy texture, and the form has a higher curve (so my hand rests on it better then the M570). I really like the Logitech Options software, which lets you enable the flow feature to quickly track from my laptop to a home theater PC. It also lets me copy over files to my HTPC. I also use the trackball while working on development and light graphics work (for illustration, I have a graphics tablet and stylus). I'm finding the horizontal scroll from the left and right scroll tilt to be very welcome: I can quickly horizontally scroll with a code editor or Photoshop. Though with Photoshop, I had to enable Application specific custom control and set the left and right tilt to zoom in and zoom out. I haven't needed to use the precision mode, and I may try setting it to have less high DPI (seems a bit too sluggish when I have tried it). The other unique design to this trackball is that it has a metal plate on the base (with rubber on the underside, so it won't mark your desk). There's a strong magnetic force, so when you forcefully push on one side of the trackball, you can change the angle from 0 or 20 degrees. The extra 10 degree Plus bottom only attaches when the trackball is at 20 degrees (for a total of 30 degrees). I'm finding 30 degrees to be perfect for my armchair, but may use 20 degrees for a desk. The extra wedge is the only difference between the Plus and non-Plus versions. So I think this trackball is a good upgrade for any trackball user, and is a no brainer for someone looking for a replacement of their current trackball. As to whether it will see a lot of converts from mice...it may sway some who are looking for better ergonomics or smaller footprints.

Got this for use with a Microsoft Surface Go for travel, and it's leaps and bounds better than the MS70 trackball. The bottom steel plate allows the trackball to sit flat on the table or tilted 20 degrees; there's a very strong magnet that holds it into position. it's very comfortable. The steel plate does make it a tad heavy for travel, but you can leave that at home if you don't want to carry the weight. The trackball is about the width of the Surface Go keyboard, so the trackball is a tad bulky. Battery is rechargeable and will last for about 4 months on a charge according to Logitech. but you must plug it in to USB2 or USB 3 to charge. The buttons are reconfigurable once you figure out where to go to download the software to reprogram them. There are NO instructions in the packaging save for a little sticker on the base of the steel plate that points you to logitech.com/options where you can download the software. Once you do, you can reconfigure the buttons from the default and set them to your preference. But the default settings are very handy, there's a button just above the trackball to set the 'precision' so if, say, you're doing a powerpoint presentation and want to go to finer control you can hit that button and get more precise control of the cursor. You can toggle it again to let you use one or two swipes of the trackball to cross the entire screen. The buttons to the left of the left mouse button default to forward/back on your browser, but you can change those if desired for a hundred different things, from volume up/down, zoom in/out, or anything in between. The main left/right buttons and scroll wheel (center button) can be reconfigured as well. You can set up the software to let you know when the trackball battery is getting low and you have to charge it. And, you can use the trackball for up to two different computers, either using the bluetooth or the USB2 dongle that comes with it. There's no slot to store the USB2 dongle like there is on the MS70, so don't lose the dongle if you're not using it.