Speaking of things kids these days won't experience

voidsessi0n · 1 day

Apparently you have not seen the top-notch computer equipment in our nations schools recently...

XombiePrwn · 1 day

If you told as a kid that we would one day control a computer with a hand held laser I would have shat bricks.

indridcold137 · 1 day

Why, it was a better time. A time when a man could clean his balls in the workplace and nobody would think twice on it.

bat0u · 1 day

picking off the clumped up dirt off the rollers.......oh man.....

Mor_Havok · 1 day

I've been told that one of those bad boys will fit perfectly in a paintball gun. Can anyone confirm that?

Mackinstyle · 1 day

I remember using MacPPP to connect to the "Internet" and FirstClass Client to get onto a bulletin board. From there I found a link to an FTP and downloaded and installed Warcraft 1 demo all by myself. May not seem impressive today but for a 9-year-old back when the Web was an infant, that was a feat.

thematthiaz · 2012-11-12T10:06:29+00:00

ONLY NINETIES KIDS WILL REMEMBER THIS LOL SO ORIGINAL AMIRITE GUYZ

Blackby4 · 1 day

Oh, god I still have one of those at work.

guyver_dio · 1 day

I kinda loved the weight in those

lbmouse · 2012-11-12T14:22:22+00:00

They'll sadly never experience these input devices either. Always remember to number them kids.

Walker131 · 1 day

I was that kid who would steal them from the computer lab. Sorry

wordhurdles · 1 day

I'm a mouse snob. I don't need an expensive one, but I need a responsive one, and have become addicted to the "back button," so any time I'm not going to be at my desk for work, I make sure to throw my wireless mouse into my bag. It paid off recently when I attended a training class for work at our fancy schmancy training facility and the mouse kept pissing me off. I turned it over to see if there was something blocking it and was totally surprised to see the ball. I had to giggle every time the girl sitting next to me slammed her mouse down and muttered about what a piece of shit it was.

Totally unrelated: My instructor for the class looked like a chubby Walter White. When I threw the shitty mouse on the floor after hooking mine up, I thought to myself, "It had to be done."

bcgoss · 1 day

So glad we're done with that phase.

XenomorphSB · 1 day

I still remember trolling people by taking the balls out of mice and waiting for people to get confused. Some of the greatest reactions ever!

RyanDolan123 · 1 day

Haha I forgot about those! I've been using a laser mouse for years, and I'm sure most people have too :P

IntoLimbo · 1 day

That ball was and is one of my favourite things to play with.

amily1709 · 1 day

I used to collect those for some odd reason...

TrepidationNation · 1 day

I was JUST discussing this with someone today. Or yesterday. I don't remember.

Andyu86 · 1 day

This is not nostalgia this is Sparta! Seriously, this sucked ass.

scooch_magooch · 1 day

They'll never feel mouse balls...

azarashi · 1 day

Remember my school would glue them shut cause kids kept stealing the balls. IT would have to replace the whole mouse when it got clogged up with dirt.

RhymeRemix · 1 day

lol get the q tips and rubbing alcohol out and rub the hell out of the rollers inside getting the gunk 100% out

Sting1 · 1 day

Those balls were damn heavy.

ShawnDawn · 1 day

Man I miss these.

acalacaboo · 1 day

There was one of these in the Tech Lab at my school. I teared...

OldSpider · 1 day

Waiting for the dial-up tone. Waiting for a floppy to load. Waiting for a cassette to read. Untangling Atari cables. Waiting for dad to give you some quarters. ...good times... ...sorry, I tripped into the time machine again thar.

fuzzyturtles · 1 day

Everyone in school stole them.

omegaaf · 1 day

I still have a collection of the mouse balls. The drinking games you can come up with those things..

MartiPanda · 1 day

On the flip side we had a call come in from one of our customers saying he received a 'ball-less' mouse and wanted a replacement, he in fact received an optical mouse.

bryanbro · 1 day

Clean the rollers, man.

scott3989 · 1 day

My place of work still uses ball mouses that haven't been replaced since it opened in 2002. They say its not in the budget for new ones. We sell them for £3.

QQuetzalcoatl · 1 day

In FPS games I had perfected a 'flick' in which I would do a near 180 degree turn by flicking the mouse left or right and place it down on some scrub's head.

Nolakpd504 · 1 day

I HATED CLEANING THOSE THINGS

surferchic741 · 1 day

In middle school some girl took all of the balls from the computer lab and didn't put them back for at least a week. It was utter chaos.

sudomv · 1 day

I was a teacher's aid my senior year in high school, and took the mouses' balls from most all the admin's offices.

Freefall22 · 1 day

My school super glued the bottoms shut so you couldn't clean the fluff out...

AlexJ136 · 1 day

Played through all of half-life 2 the week it came out with one of these bad boys.

Humansteaks03 · 2012-11-12T09:20:19+00:00

Cleaning mouse balls. You have to lick the mouse balls.

NovaFoster · 2012-11-12T09:24:32+00:00

Eh, I'm only twenty, and I remember those.

TheThunderbird · 2012-11-12T09:28:27+00:00

I use a trackball and it's hilarious to watch people my age or younger try to use it. My dad isn't great with computers but he picked it back up right away.

Azartic · 2012-11-12T09:28:52+00:00

Quick question. . Being a 16 year old, do I count as a part of the "Kids these days" group? Because more then half of the things I've seen posted with these titles, I've experienced on more then a few dozen occasions.

arkofjoy · 2012-11-12T09:30:53+00:00

A friend of mine had a "Computer expert" in his office. One day when he was out of the office they took out the ball and replaced it with an appropriately sized grape. After checking the cable he spent several hours trying to reload drivers trying to get his mouse to work again. Fun times. So sad that we have to come up with new ways to torture dicks

the2belo · 2012-11-12T09:36:03+00:00

MOUSE BOOGERS!

canisdormit · 2012-11-12T09:44:48+00:00

cleaning these things is like popping zits!

myfinecrime · 2012-11-12T09:54:29+00:00

Just threw one away /tear

But we have 30 more in stock /rejoice

freezingprocess · 2012-11-12T10:10:09+00:00

My workplace still uses these mice. I am the only one that knows how to clean them (I work with very old people). "This mouse is all fucked up", they growl. I clean it out and then I am here forth known as the computer geek. Next, they are bringing me all their computer problems they have at home.

I don't fucking know. I just know how to clean mice*.

*I actually build my own PCs but that is easy. I don't even consider that 'computer geek' territory.

fr3ddie · 2012-11-12T10:11:45+00:00

Every desk I have ever used has had a reflective surface that is totally FUCKING SHIT for laser mice... recently I tried to purchase a ball mouse because, well... THEY NEVER EVER HAD THIS PROBLEM.... only to find... they no longer make them. :( (also my 70 dollar razer gaming mouse broke recently (junk product imo) )

TheVictoryHat · 2012-11-12T10:12:24+00:00

A classmate of mine got kicked out of school when she took that ball out and hit the teacher in the head with it. Ill never forget that.

lejsen · 2012-11-12T10:18:15+00:00

GOOD RIDDANCE

samuraistalin · 2012-11-12T10:22:51+00:00

Still play modern FPS games with this shit.

DPI? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ROLLER BALLS SON

amperages · 2012-11-12T10:27:59+00:00

relevant.

TexasTango · 2012-11-12T10:30:11+00:00

Ah great memories of getting raped on an FPS and blaming it on "Dude my mouse was skipping that's how you got me". Can't really use that excuse now I have a R.A.T.7 I use "Dude must be lag I was behind the wall"

EatingTheNight · 2012-11-12T10:32:28+00:00

what kind of sorcery is this

mAlkavion · 2012-11-12T10:39:50+00:00

and then we played pingpong with the balls, except we shot them at eachother

TheSprinkleyOne · 2012-11-12T10:48:33+00:00

And they are better for it. Relics of the past, whilst interesting and nostalgic, are still just relics.

Dumbificate · 2012-11-12T11:05:42+00:00

Yeah, good riddance, tri-spheroid mousepads.

Valiuma · 2012-11-12T11:14:56+00:00

Or even recognise. I used to have to hate cleaning those damn things and yeah I stole them from computer labs at school too.

EDIT: That gunk on the ball is skin and dust. just like the mouse you use at home for gaming, ick

Eli5723 · 2012-11-12T11:14:58+00:00

Happened to my and my friend (both 12) yesterday while playing far cry 1.

r0cketx · 2012-11-12T11:28:28+00:00

Those things suck balls anyway....

I mean seriously. Been using optic since ever, and had to force myself to use it on an older computer....damn you physical contact!

laffing_at_you · 2012-11-12T11:37:42+00:00

Wow, I dont miss that at all!

TurtleCowz · 2012-11-12T11:43:07+00:00

I'm 16 and I grew up with one.

JezzaFromAUS · 2012-11-12T11:44:19+00:00

What's the opposite of nostalgia?

xiandrii · 2012-11-12T11:50:18+00:00

I used to love cleaning the gunk off those things! There was something very gratifying about it

KawaiiPanda · 2012-11-12T11:52:41+00:00

We have an old computer in our house that still has one of those. It still works and I use it from time to time.

Witbox · 2012-11-12T11:53:21+00:00

Anyone else like to open up the cover and clean the three rollers of whatever gunk was on the ? Then when you use it afterwards it feels like a new mouse again. Those were the days.

wcpjoe · 2012-11-12T12:04:44+00:00

We still have these at school THEY FUCKING SUCK

kiwianab · 2012-11-12T12:06:55+00:00

Then you try to bounce it. Disappointment ensues

BruceBrewsky · 2012-11-12T12:15:47+00:00

That stupid, dirty, muthafuckin ball.

My_Hair · 2012-11-12T12:18:15+00:00

God, I remember using one of those mouse's for years.

Those were dark days.

Dirkinator · 2012-11-12T12:21:12+00:00

I want to punch that photo

Kick_Kass · 2012-11-12T12:39:33+00:00

All the feels I just felt...

ElishevaGlix · 2012-11-12T12:43:38+00:00

Ah. Lucky them.

turdodine · 2012-11-12T12:44:10+00:00

my furry balls ?

yab21 · 2012-11-12T12:44:11+00:00

Good Riddance...

andyfuuu · 2012-11-12T12:52:36+00:00

The feels I got when I realised the mouse I'm using right now is one of them.

SkatBoodig · 2012-11-12T12:56:57+00:00

I'm glad, too.

nhguy03276 · 2012-11-12T12:57:11+00:00

I, for one, will not miss this in the slightest....

BlueMonkey1999 · 2012-11-12T12:58:38+00:00

Am i the only one that uses trackball mice?

Electricrain · 2012-11-12T13:02:52+00:00

MEMO

Re: Replacement of Mouse Balls.

If a mouse fails to operate or should it perform erratically, it may need a ball replacement. Mouse balls are now available as FRU (Field Replacement Units). Because of the delicate nature of this procedure, replacement of mouse balls should only be attempted by properly trained personnel.

Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger and harder than foreign balls. Ball removal procedures differ depending upon the manufacturer of the mouse. Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop off method. Domestic balls are replaced by using the twist off method. Mouse balls are not usually static sensitive. However, excessive handling can result in sudden discharge. Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be used immediately.

It is recommended that each person have a pair of spare balls for maintaining optimum customer satisfaction. Any customer missing his balls should contact the local personnel in charge of removing and replacing these necessary items.

Please keep in mind that a customer without properly working balls is an unhappy customer.

padmadfan · 2012-11-12T13:04:52+00:00

Back in my day, we had to deal with free-forming-lint-mouse-roller-wheel-ring formations. You kids have no idea how good you got it these days with your lasers, PEW! PEW! Look at me, I'm a spaceman! Disgusting.

May God have mercy on your souls...

Shanix · 2012-11-12T13:04:55+00:00

Man, at my school, some kids stole all the mouse balls.

JackDark · 2012-11-12T13:05:48+00:00

I used one of those the other day at a large scale corporation. Blew my mind that they still had ball and track mice. I never thought I'd be using one of those again without getting on an ancient machine.

Cyrilshark · 2012-11-12T13:17:47+00:00

I'm only 17 and still remember... what constitutes "kids" these days?

sunmonkey · 2012-11-12T13:20:44+00:00

LOL.

When I started at my current job 5 years ago, they gave me a CRT Monitor and a Ball mouse!

And we're a technology based company.

agracuta · 2012-11-12T13:21:33+00:00

would not wish that experience on any person.

EnjoyMyDownvote · 2012-11-12T13:22:15+00:00

No shit. Times change. Technologies change.

PandaSandwich · 2012-11-12T13:23:02+00:00

And i'm glad of it. That looks very inaccurate.

Typical_Asain · 2012-11-12T13:29:37+00:00

Every time i was in the computer labe at school, I would occupy myselfby playing with themouse balls.

FuTRoN · 2012-11-12T13:29:47+00:00

i fucking loved doing that

Ultibrick · 2012-11-12T13:31:08+00:00

I was really young when I had one of those and I'm 15 so I guess im the lucky one!

Noyes654 · 2012-11-12T13:33:07+00:00

MY friends and I used to take these and play lunchtable pinball

dilkington11 · 2012-11-12T13:34:04+00:00

We still have these at work.

I steal the balls.

They don't know it's me

Puttzdog · 2012-11-12T13:34:54+00:00

Darn kids today don't even know how to clean their balls!

uiewgf · 2012-11-12T13:36:24+00:00

Oh the horror.

Custodian_Carl · 2012-11-12T13:42:00+00:00

I have two of these still in boxes just so my boys can experience them. When they are 13 they will ceremoniously be given all of my old shit. Of course by that time they won't care and never use it so it will still be mine until they're getting stoned in their early 20's and rediscover said ceremoniously given cool shit.

ieGod · 2012-11-12T13:49:08+00:00

We have a computer in one of the electrical labs at work that still has a trackball. I have to get in there and clean the rollers of caked on dust every few months.

Reidic · 2012-11-12T13:53:26+00:00

I work at a community college, this is still my mouse at work.

PENGUIN_WITH_BAZOOKA · 2012-11-12T13:57:14+00:00

My schools news program(that's right a school news show) has a bunch of these in our studio

Meateous · 2012-11-12T13:57:27+00:00

IT guy here, i have one of these on my desk at work. it's my primary mouse. love it. (needs to be cleaned almost daily)

DaithiOMaolmhuaidh · 2012-11-12T14:01:09+00:00

Did anyone else find cleaning the inside oddly therapeutic?

RonaldMcDonaldsCum · 2012-11-12T14:12:43+00:00

I loved the ball mice. They were like the SUVs of mice. My shitty new laser mouse was pitched as a product that would work on any surface. Apparently all my desks had reflective surfaces which meant it never worked without a pad.

yagmot · 2012-11-12T14:14:37+00:00

The real old Microsoft mice were better. The balls were bigger; perfect fit for a 1in PVC pipe on an air gun...

hexy_bits · 2012-11-12T14:16:32+00:00

Still the only mouse that works properly on glass.

BeMoreLikeMae1 · 2012-11-12T14:17:30+00:00

Aww the teachers used to get so pissed 'cause we'd steal them from the computer labs.

Phyco126 · 2012-11-12T14:30:41+00:00

When I was in school, they super glued them shut. After time, the mice stopped working because so much dirt caked onto the rods that the ball couldn't roll. Finally, the school got fed up with it and got those fancy new infrared mice. Big. Mistake. In the first few months of school more than half those mice were stolen because almost no kid (despite being one of the more 'wealthier' schools) had one.

lysogenic · 2012-11-12T14:32:02+00:00

The mouse I'm using at work right now is one of these.

magnetpl · 2012-11-12T14:35:56+00:00

i remember getting my first optical mouse. it felt sooo good. and improved my performance in online FPS games by at least 50%.

diffeomacx · 2012-11-12T14:50:41+00:00

I use trackballs at home and work. ¬¬

My niece will learn to mouse on a trackball and type Dvorak!

NewsGhost · 2012-11-12T14:53:41+00:00

Haha they will if they work at the radio company I work at. I'm in IT trying to replace all of them but we have so many of these mice. Some haven't been cleaned in years.... :(

Siscwo · 2012-11-12T15:05:38+00:00

In my high school kids used to steal the balls out in the computer lab, most annoying shit ever.

Crabbymonkey92 · 2012-11-12T15:19:27+00:00

The thing I remember most about those is that they don't bounce it confused me for most of my grade school years

Datalust · 2012-11-12T15:31:08+00:00

ps2 port trackball mouse, man we have come a long way

W0gg0 · 2012-11-12T15:36:19+00:00

I remember shipping out thousands of these from the computer company I worked at in the early 80's. They were in their own box separate from the keyboard. I had to assemble the box, insert the foam rubber packing and put the ball in a separate cut-out section of the foam. Mindless work that would drive anyone mad.

lakk · 2012-11-12T15:43:42+00:00

We had to use these at work until I broke one just so we could get a nice optical one

rhymes_with_chicken · 2012-11-12T16:16:11+00:00

not if my boss has anything to say about it. hell, half the office is still on CRTs. and, definitely a few mechanical mice active on the desks.

hobbyless · 2012-11-12T16:48:51+00:00

They are not entirely obsolete.

n_reineke · 2012-11-12T17:08:31+00:00

Ah the good ol' days of computer class. Taking out that ball and pegging your friends across the room while the teacher isn't looking. Good times...

Naxza · 2012-11-12T17:11:50+00:00

I know some of you will disagree with me, but good riddance. Them balls were dirty and unpredictable- cleaning the things was a chore.

'Course, I've always had horrible luck when it comes to computer mice (gone through five or so now, I think?), but I'd still rather not deal with mouseballs.

rustajb · 2012-11-12T17:28:05+00:00

I worked for a Hearst newspaper in a bumfuck S.E. Texas city. This was back in the late 90's. I opened my mouse like this to clean it one day and my aged management flipped their lids. I had two managerial rednecks chew me out fiercely for breaking company property. I was unsure what to say, my jaw just hung there. I almost lost my job that day, but at least my mouse ball was clean and I could work again. They had been buying new ones every time old ones got gunked up because nobody knew you could just clean them.

PlantedChaos · 2012-11-12T17:38:06+00:00

Fuck these balls

SirDerpingtonThe3rd · 2012-11-12T17:41:45+00:00

Ironically, when optical mice were still fairly new, my aunt/uncle had a mousepad that reflected the light weird and caused the cursor to sputter all around. Even after pointing it out to them, they continued to use that damn mouse pad. Fucking technology, how does it work?

Bradyhaha · 2012-11-12T18:03:56+00:00

Bitch please, my high school still has those!

Vessix · 2012-11-12T18:04:46+00:00

Unless they go to school...

Musicray · 2012-11-12T18:06:47+00:00

Ok class, who the fuck took the rubber ball from the mouse on computer 17..

Jewst · 2012-11-12T18:07:34+00:00

Dat ball. It just was so... soft.

DontBeSuchAnAnnHog · 2012-11-12T18:18:10+00:00

It was the worst to have to clean off that ball every 9 months or so.

ali_koneko · 2012-11-12T19:35:32+00:00

I still deal with this, I use a trackball...

BassInThePlace · 2012-11-12T22:15:09+00:00

And you'd get so much gunk build up on the rollers it'd stop working properly and you'd have to get a knife to clean it out. I miss them so much.

TheWhyteMaN · 2012-11-13T00:52:25+00:00

Remember everyone. Neuter your mice.

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