Gregory's ServerI am saddened to report that using a high precision silicon nitride bearing in a trackball is absolutely decadent to the touch, oil-on-glass smooth with the perfect slight hint of heft in the motion, looks absolutely amazing and does not work well at all.
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If your question is something like "what the hell" or "why", then... look: Computing is fundamentally about manipulating the secret language of the universe. It doesn't feel that way today, with all of us pushing down mushy rubber domes or pawing at glass, but it should. It should feel not just elevating but sacred. Tactile, kinetic and ceremonial. I want to hear metal sliding and snap into place. I want glowing, blinking lights, hissing wires, I want the smell of ozone. I want to feel it. |
Update! You just have to let it oxidize slightly, for a day! It works perfectly now that the shine has dulled just a bit. This is great.
Verdict: you should replace your trackball with a silicon nitride bearing machined to micron precision. You will definitely not regret replacing your trackball with a silicon nitride bearing machined to micron precision.