1999 — Trackerball ProTrack 60i trackball

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The ProTrack 60i was developed by the Trackerball Company, a former division of Marconi (the creator of the very first trackball, the “trackerball”, which was developed in the 1940s to control the on-screen cursor of military radars).

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The trackball was produced in two versions: the R60 (ProTrack 60) with a characteristic white body with a black ball and buttons, and the R60i (ProTrack 60i) with a translucent body and a blue backlit ball designed for use in dimly lit rooms. The most common connection interfaces are PS/2 and USB, however, the website of Cursor Controls, which Trackerball Company became a part of in 2000, also mentions RS-232, SUN and DEC interfaces [1]History of Cursor Controls, innovators in trackball manufacturing https://www.cursorcontrols.com/about/history/ [2]The Trackerball Company – Products https://web.archive.org/web/19990128124617/http://www.trackerball.com/PRODUCT.HTM [3]Cursor Controls Protrack 60 Industrial https://web.archive.org/web/20010311155954/http://www.cursorcontrols.com/protrack60i.htm.

Note that this device is an extremely large trackball. The ball diameter is 63.5 mm (2.5 inches).

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The trackball is equipped with three buttons located on the opposite side from the user, behind the ball.
According to the Trackball Fan review [4]Trackball Fan! Cursor Controls ProTrack 60i (R60i) http://www.hykw.com/tbfan/reviews/protrack.shtml, this layout of the buttons minimizes the chance of accidentally pressing them when moving the ball, which is obviously important in industrial or military use of the trackball, but makes it difficult to drag-and-drop objects (which is not typical for such application areas).
The trackball does not have a scroll wheel, but the manufacturer’s documentation mentions the ability to scroll with a ball, which is activated and deactivated by pressing the middle button.

Top and bottom sides of the trackball are shown below. The embossed “ProTrack 60i” text is present on the top of the case, as well as the “TRACKERBALL” emblem.

Rubber feet are present on the underside of the case, fixing a secure position on the table surface, and there is also the ProTrack 60i marking. The country of manufacture of the device is United Kingdom.

As you can see below, this trackball follows the traditional opto-mechanical scheme with an additional LED to highlight the ball. It should also be noted that the rollers are implemented using bearings and stainless steel shafts designed to ensure maximum reliability and durability of the device.
Apparently, it is impossible to get the ball out for cleaning without disassembling the case.

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References

References
1 History of Cursor Controls, innovators in trackball manufacturing https://www.cursorcontrols.com/about/history/
2 The Trackerball Company – Products https://web.archive.org/web/19990128124617/http://www.trackerball.com/PRODUCT.HTM
3 Cursor Controls Protrack 60 Industrial https://web.archive.org/web/20010311155954/http://www.cursorcontrols.com/protrack60i.htm
4 Trackball Fan! Cursor Controls ProTrack 60i (R60i) http://www.hykw.com/tbfan/reviews/protrack.shtml

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