Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Mouse

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 5 expert reviews

Excellent:

0
Good:

3
Average:

1
Bad:

1

Pros:

Thin enough to stick in a shirt pocket. Seamlessly switches from mouse to a 360 degree trackball. Autosleep mode automatically extends the two AA battery life up six months. Seriously. Plastic chassis feels like metal with some heft. Amazingly comfortable
The mouse fits nicely in the user’s palm; excellent battery life with built-in gauge; multiple modes - trackball and traditional mouse; trackball feels more speedy and precise than a scroll wheel; sleek good looks

Cons:

Mouse/trackball mode button initially takes some time to figure out. Hard to know when sleepmode has kicked in.
No included dongle for non-Bluetooth laptops or desktops

TechSpot is supported by its audience. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Last revision on May 9, 2020

Reviewers Liked

Thin enough to stick in a shirt pocket. Seamlessly switches from mouse to a 360 degree trackball. Autosleep mode automatically extends the two AA battery life up six months. Seriously. Plastic chassis feels like metal with some heft. Amazingly comfortable
The mouse fits nicely in the user’s palm; excellent battery life with built-in gauge; multiple modes - trackball and traditional mouse; trackball feels more speedy and precise than a scroll wheel; sleek good looks

Reviewers Didn't Like

Mouse/trackball mode button initially takes some time to figure out. Hard to know when sleepmode has kicked in
No included dongle for non-Bluetooth laptops or desktops

Expert reviews and ratings

Although late – very, very late – on the scene with a scrollbar mouse, Apple produced a serious innovation with its Mighty Mouse. Its scroll ball allowed for not just up and down scrolling but also diagonal movement. It was for that reason that I...

By Macworld UK on January 27, 2009

Kensington’s SlimBlade Trackball Mouse is a worthy alternative to Apple’s flawed Mighty Mouse, and a good option for Windows users, too. It takes the Mighty Mouse’s 360° scrolling idea and perfects it by replacing Apple’s...

By PC Advisor on January 26, 2009

No, the SlimBlade is not some vampire movie with Wesley Snipes (hes going to jail anyhow) but this aerodynamic, sleekly designed, periphreal is decidedly sharp. Its also a tad schizoid. And thats a good thing. What I am crazy about is that with the...

By Wired on April 29, 2008

With minimalist styling, a gunmetal-grey finish and no visible buttons, the SlimBlade oozes quality. It feels great in the hand, too - the rounded contours are backed up by a reassuring weight. But what lifts it above other Bluetooth mice is the...

By PC Pro on January 17, 2008

I am old enough that I can remember the very earliest days of personal computers…heck, my first computer was the Apple II+ and what a marvel we thought that was. As a result, I have watched firsthand the evolution of personal computers,...

By Just Another Mobile Monday on February 27, 2008

When I wrote about meeting with Kensington at CES, I had already been testing their SlimBlade Trackball Mouse for a few weeks. This is the mouse with a trackball that “gives you control even when there’s no room to move a mouse, then...

By Gear Diary on February 02, 2008

The SlimBlade Trackball mouse is two mice in one. At first glance it’s a laser mouse and behaves exactly like one. You pair it to your computer (it’s Bluetooth) and then use the scroll ball on the mouse for scrolling up and down and side...

By Geek.com on December 04, 2007

"La souris qui marche n'importe où" c'est la promesse de ce petit périphérique de Kensington, le SlimBlade Trackball Mouse, qui tente le mariage entre souris et trackball. Mariage heureux ? Ça dépend… Cette souris...

By MacGeneration on June 26, 2008