There are two basic categories of people: Those who love, love, love their trackball mouse, and those who scream and yell whenever they have to use one. The latter group would actually fall into the first category if they took a bit of time to get used to it -- but they almost never do. And I can understand why; I used to be one of them. In fact, the only reason I fell in love with the trackball mouse, was because I had no choice but to use one. 8 years later, and you couldn't pay me to go back to the regular kind. (Who says arranged marriages can't work?)

Yes, sure; I hated that sucker in the beginning. It seemed like something you'd find in a masochist's toy box. I couldn't control the pointer no matter how hard I tried. But it really didn't take all that long before I could -- and from there on out, using the computer was so much easier, because I no longer had to slam the mouse down on the desk when it stopped working (what?) because it didn't stop working. I didn't have to pay attention to what was underneath it, and I didn't have to move it all over the desk just to get it to move 1 inch on the screen.

I'm not going to lie; trackball mice can be rather annoying when you're learning how to use one. But once you've gotten used to it, you will never, ever go back to the regular mouse. And yes, they work on both Macs and PCs; when I changed over, I simply unplugged my trackball mouse from my PC and connected it to my iMac and voila!

This Logitech trackball mouse is the one I currently have. I really love it. It's simple, basic and easy to use. The buttons are on either side of the ball itself, so if you're just switching from a regular mouse, this is probably the easiest one to transition with, as it's the most similar. Its quite comfortable, too!

This Logitech trackball mouse was the first model I ever used. It was incredibly frustrating, particularly since both buttons were on the right and I found it difficult to manipulate the ball and click at the same time. But I did get used to it, and I was quite happy with it. When it came time to get a new mouse, I looked for this model again but couldn't find it, which is why I bought the previously mentioned model (which I like just as much).

This Kensington trackball mouse is pretty space age looking, isn't it? I like the look quite a bit. It's similar to the first model in that it has the trackball in the center and the buttons on either side. This model is wider the first model on the list, and those with big hands may find it more comfortable.

This Logitech trackball mouse is the same as the second model on the list, but it's wireless. If you don't like desktop clutter, or if you have a computer with few USB ports (if you have an iMac, for example), you may want this mouse.

Another cordless Logitech trackball mouse, this one has the ball on the right side. The buttons are bit different on this one and may take some getting used to, but if this is your first trackball mouse, you'll need to get used to it anyway, so you might as well include this in your learning curve.