OT: NE1 have an "extra" Spaceball 3003C to sell?

Getting tired of dragging my Spaceball back and forth to the office. I know that the 3003 series is no longer supported by SolidWorks, but it doesn't matter. I have a driver that works fine and the SolidWorks application that goes with it that works just fine. I don't need 12 user-defined buttons. Two are great. I'm looking for the 3003C, NOT FLX. I much prefer the tight feel of the regular version to the sloppiness of the FLX version. Anyone willing to sell one? Yes, I've already looked on eBay and I continuously do so. Seldom see one for sale, and when I do it's the FLX version and/or the seller wants more than $100 US, which is nuts (you can get a 4000 series for $129). The only online retailer I've been able to find (via Google) that has 'em in stock (used) wants $169 for one, which is double nuts.

Thanks, Marky "Sporky" Stapleton Watermark Design, LLC

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Reply to
Sporkman
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I agree, the 3003 has the best feel of all of them. They got it right the first time. Sell it. Not on your life. :)

If 3D had priced these at $100 to start with and had the drivers they have now every CAD station and gamer would have one. They are really nice for navigating menus too.

T> Anyone willing to sell one?

Reply to
TOP

That may be why nobody sells 'em for cheap. I dunno, but I know I don't want one of those floppy monsters.

Reply to
Sporkman

Try here:

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Just a quick web search.

Reply to
TOP

Spork,

There's some confusion in model names. I have three 3003 Spaceballs:

(1)I bought this in the 1990s from Spacetec IMC as an "upgrade" (see below). The palmrest is labelled 3003 FLX, but the baseplate has the model number 3003C.

(2&3) Are OEMed for Compaq, they say only "Compaq" on the palmrest and "3003C" on the baseplate.

All of these have a small amount of free motion (~1mm) before anything happens. I don't like it, but learned to live with it.

Many years ago I had a model 2003, and that had an absolutely rigid ball. The force sensors had no freeplay, and the device was truly a "fingertip" proposition. I heard that users complained because the ball didn't move, and I heard the 2003 was forced into obsolescence by lack of new drivers. I was offered a token tradein to upgrade to the 3003. This is called "progress".

Art W.

Reply to
Art Woodbury

Hello there, Art, and thanks for the reply.

Yes, there's some amount of confusion and vagueness in the names that various OEMs used for the 3003C. There's a label on the bottom that gives an actual assembly number that is probably the most reliable indicator, but I believe that all of your models are of the FLX version

-- if I'm right in understanding that the FLX has a tad of loose motion. I had one of those and while I agree that you can get used to it I really don't want to fool with it. Since I use one without the loose motion I find it doubly hard to go from one to the other, and besides that the ones with that little bit of loose motion can be easily damaged by jarring them or dropping them.

But I'm happy to hear from you again and hope things are going well with you.

Best regards, Mark

Art Woodbury wrote:

Reply to
Sporkman

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