Editing Trackball (section)

== Special applications ==
{{See also|List of trackball arcade games}}
[[File:Bandai-Apple-Pippin-Applejack-Controller-FL.jpg|thumb|An [[Apple Pippin]] [[gamepad]] with a trackball]]

Large trackballs are sometimes seen on computerized special-purpose workstations, such as the radar consoles in an [[air-traffic control]] room or [[sonar]] equipment on a ship or submarine. Modern installations of such equipment may use mice instead, since most people now already know how to use one. However, military mobile anti-aircraft radars, commercial airliners (such as [[Airbus A380]] and [[Airbus A350]]) and submarine sonars tend to continue using trackballs, since they can be made more durable and more fit for fast emergency use.  Large and well made ones allow easier high precision work, for which reason they may still be used in these applications (where they are often called "tracker balls") and in [[computer-aided design]].

Trackballs have appeared in [[video games]], particularly early [[arcade game]]s (see a ''[[List of trackball arcade games]]''). In March 1978, [[Sega]] released ''[[List of Sega arcade video games|World Cup]]'', an [[List of association football video games|association football game]] with trackball controls.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sega Arcade History |date=2002 |series=[[Famitsu DC]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |page=34 |url=https://archive.org/details/segaarcadehistoryfamitsudc/page/n35 |lang=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WORLD CUP（ワールドカップ） |url=https://sega.jp/history/arcade/product/15316/ |website=[[Sega]] |access-date=2 May 2021 |language=ja |archive-date=2 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502072259/https://sega.jp/history/arcade/product/15316/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 1978, Atari released ''[[Atari Football]]'',<ref name="atari_production99">{{cite web|title=Production Numbers|url=http://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|publisher=[[Atari]]|access-date=19 March 2012|year=1999|archive-date=10 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510143012/http://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> which popularized the use of a trackball, with the game's developers mentioning it was inspired by an earlier Japanese association football game.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stilphen |first1=Scott |title=Michael Albaugh interview |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/michael_albaugh/interview_michael_albaugh.html |access-date=2 May 2021 |work=Atari Compendium |date=2017 |quote=I saw a soccer game with one (I remember only that it was Japanese, and a soccer game. Taito is plausible) |archive-date=2 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502072258/http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/michael_albaugh/interview_michael_albaugh.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Steve L.|last=Kent|authorlink = Steven L. Kent|year=2001|title=[[The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world]]|publisher=Prima|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=118|quote=Contrary to a popular notion, Football was not the first game to use a trak-ball controller. According to Dave Stubben, who created the hardware for Atari Football, Taito beat Atari to market with a soccer game that used one. According to Steve Bristow, when his engineers saw the game, they brought a copy into their lab and imitated it.}}</ref> Other notable trackball games include Atari's ''[[Centipede (video game)|Centipede]]'' and ''[[Missile Command]]'' – Atari trademarked it "TRAK-BALL".

[[Video game console|Console]] trackballs, now fairly rare, were common in the early 1980s: the [[Atari 2600]] and [[Atari 5200|5200]] consoles, as well as the competing [[ColecoVision]] console, though using a [[joystick]] as their standard controller, each had one as an optional [[peripheral]].  The [[Apple Pippin]], a console introduced in 1996, had a trackball built into its [[gamepad]] as standard.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=July 1996|title=The Pippin Atmark|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_094_Volume_08_Number_07_1996-07_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n23/mode/2up|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|issue=94|page=22}}</ref> Trackballs were occasionally used in e-sports prior to the mainstreaming of [[optical mouse|optical mice]] in the early 2000s because they were more reliable than ball mice, but now they are extremely rare because optical mice offer superior speed and precision.<ref name="techscoop.in"/> Trackballs remain in use in pub golf machines (such as [[Golden Tee]]) to simulate swinging the club.

Trackballs have also been regarded as excellent complements to analog [[joysticks]], as pioneered by the Assassin 3D, a trackball released in 1996 with joystick pass-through capability.<ref name="Assassin3D">{{cite web |url=https://dondeq2.com/2018/11/30/assassin-3d-precision-deathmatch-controller/ |title=Assassin 3D: Precision Deathmatch Controller |website=www.dondeq2.com |date=30 November 2018 |access-date=17 December 2020 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122093150/https://dondeq2.com/2018/11/30/assassin-3d-precision-deathmatch-controller/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in 1996, [[Mad Catz]] released the [[Panther XL]], which was based on the Assassin 3D. This combination provides for two-hand aiming and a high accuracy and consistency replacement for the traditional mouse and keyboard combo generally used on [[first-person shooter]] games. Many such games natively support joysticks and analog player movement, like Valve's ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' and id Software's [[Quake (series)|''Quake'' series]]. {{As of|2020}}, one professional [[eSport]] player was known for using a trackball.<ref name="legend">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/interview-with-adrian-kerp-wetekam-mood-kept-going/1100-6437175/ |title=Interview with Adrian "Kerp" Wetekam - "Mood kept going down every week" |website=[[GameSpot|www.gamespot.com]] |last=Rouffa |first=Jonathan |date=1 March 2014 |access-date=17 December 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027215616/https://www.gamespot.com/a/v8798520cd6f71f31812f51e79fd207ba/bundles/gamespotsite/css/gamespot_white.css |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:TrackballPB145.jpg|thumb|A trackball mouse on an Apple [[PowerBook 145]] laptop computer]]
Trackballs are provided as the pointing device in some [[Internet access|public internet access terminals]]. Unlike a mouse, a trackball can easily be built into a console, and cannot be ripped away or easily vandalized. Two examples are the Internet browsing consoles provided in some UK [[McDonald's]] outlets, and the [[BT Group plc|BT]] Broadband Internet public [[phone box]]es. This simplicity and ruggedness also makes them ideal for use in industrial computers.

Because trackballs for personal computers are stationary, they may require less space for operation than a [[mouse (computing)|mouse]], simplifying use in confined or cluttered areas such as a small desk or a [[19-inch rack|rack-mounted]] terminal. They are generally preferred in laboratory setting for the same reason.

Trackballs were often included in laptop computers, but since the late 1990s these have been replaced by [[touchpad]]s and [[pointing stick]]s. Trackballs are still used as separate input devices with standard desktop computers, but this application is also moving to touchpads due to the prevalence of [[multi-touch]] gesture control in new desktop operating systems.<ref>{{cite web|last=Topolsky|first=Joshua|date=July 30, 2010|title=Apple Magic Trackpad Review|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/07/30/apple-magic-trackpad-review/|website=[[Engadget]]|access-date=September 17, 2017|archive-date=February 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220171802/https://www.engadget.com/2010/07/30/apple-magic-trackpad-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>