Last night I did a bit more with caspian, (updated the Ultima Linux install from the latest CD, got Opera installed and mostly configured, told xchat how to open URLs with Opera. Still need to install joe and tell Opera to use NEdit to view source) and a fair amount of that time I was using the laptop's built-in pointer. The built-in pointer is an eraser-head thing. Despite the other colloquial names for that style of pointer, it's not fun to use, at least for me. I've found it's painful. Not right away, but I notice it eventually and today my wrist is sore. As much as I dislike trackpads, at least they don't make my wrist sore that I've noticed.

Fortunately I have a good spare trackball that I can plug into the laptop. It's not as convenient as the built-in pointer, but it's won't give me a sore wrist. It will, however, fit into the laptop along with various cables and such. I don't expect to be setting up the laptop in every little space or using it on aircraft, so it's not a big deal.

A good trackball is one with a fairly large ball. Those micro-marble things tend to be painful to use for any length of time. Also, a good trackball is one that can be used by the left hand. While I am right-handed, I prefer the pointer to be on the left. There are, or were, many allegedly ergonomic mouse and trackball designs that are right hand only and therefore useless to me. The Logitech "Marble Mouse" is mis-named twice, it's actually a good trackball. It's the one I now prefer. There are also too many trackballs that seem to be designed by people who never use them, and it shows. They're annoying to use left or right handed.