The Elecom Huge
Published February 17, 2020
The Elecom Huge is a great input device, and a formidable trackball. As the name would suggest, it’s absolutely designed toward larger hands — but if you wear an M/L glove or larger, it’s definitely worth a shot.
Comfort
Very nice base, with the ability to fully rest your hand and leave it there — that’s exactly what I’m after (otherwise I’d be using the Trackpad, which I love but cannot get the fucking hang of).
Programmability
I didn’t find the Elecom drivers for mac to be particularly inspiring. That being said, the software with which you customize the additional buttons and functionality seemed perfectly usable.
However my interest in programmability basically amounts to “can my third-party drivers run it”? Because in an effort to reduce the amount of random bullshit I install on my machine, I purchased SteerMouse a while back and haven’t looked back since.
I’ve found SteerMouse be more than worth the $20, since it seems to cover just about any non-Apple, non-Trackpad input device — and to do so with aplomb. I’ve connected all sorts of crazy devices just to see if it would recognize all the buttons. Invariably it does — and in some cases even offers device-specific functionality, as with the Logitech Master Mouse 1/2’s fabulous gesture botton.
I don’t use Windows or Linux to a point where it’s worth my time to set up fancy input devices for them, so I can’t comment on the software’s usability on that front — but most anecdotal evidence I’ve encountered suggests that the official drivers operate brilliantly on Windows and middling-to-well on Linux.
Fit & Finish
Quality is solid, but not polished. It feels like a big hunk of plastic with some foam and a fingerball. But it does feel like a nice, suitably-heavy hunk of plastic. And that’s honestly good enough for me.
The wheel is not thrilling. It feels a bit jittery and noticably mushy. But I’ve found that by messing with the sensitivity a bit in the aforementioned SteerMouse, I’ve arrived at settings I find comfortable.
ASIDE: That being said, I hold a deep, abiding hope that Elecom will give the huge the same Pro treatment it’s bestowed upon it’s other models — by which I mean a model that works wired/wiressless/bt, and has the upgraded bearings, wheel and switches as the others in the Pro line.
And just while we’re talking here, my absolute dream device would be a Huge-esque device with a more robust lower edge padding extended about another half an inch. DreamDevice™ would have the Logitech Master Mouse fancy mode-switching SmartScroll wheel with all the requisite clicks. And it would have the ability to map a “Gesture Button” — that when clicked did one thing, but when held allowed you to make gestures with the trackball and perform actions.
Like, right? That would be so fucking great. @me, Logitech.
Long Term Use
It’s definitely held up to sustained, heavy usage over the year that I’ve had it. I mapped every button to something I use frequently, and I work in IT/Media Management so I can promise you I’ve put this fucker through its paces.
The buttons all click as new. The wheel is still as not-great-but-fine as it always was. I’ve popped the ball out to clear the sensors of debris from time to time. I’ve wiped crud off the rubber on the bottom so the pads would stick again. But that’s the extent of the upkeep and a year and a half plus later, still running great. Respect.
How It Could Be Better
The Bearings
I used it for about a year before finally doing the ball-bearing swap out described here — mostly out of boredom (read: procrastination from the things I should be doing).
At least in my case, the Huge had pretty smooth action and low friction right out of the box. However: after the upgrade, I can definitely feel the difference and boy howdy is it nice. At some point I’ll get around to doing the same for my Deft Pro.
The Padding (specifically The Top Layer)
Here a year and a half or so into use, I have a small patch of cushion where the top layer has flaked and peeled off. Really not a huge deal. I don’t notice it under my hand.
Conclusion
Favorite input device I own — although it’s by a hair. I’m greatly looking forward to picking up a Ploopy and a GameBall once I can get the former in USB-C and the latter becomes available. But until then, it looks like the Elecom Huge will remain the top of the heap, alongside the left-hand-side magic trackpad I just can’t seem to quit.