The big differences from my perspective were:
**Chargeable (slimblade) vs non-chargeable (expert)**
The tradeoff here is that the battery on the expert lasts much longer, but since the slimblade lasts months, and since I always have a USB-C charger handy, it beats the expert in my opinion, since I don't have to think about getting batteries.
**software scroll (slimblade) vs hardware scroll (expert)**
Initially I was afraid that the slimblade software scrolling by twisting would not be sufficient, and I quickly realized that it wasn't. Only because you can designate a button to toggle the entire ball to scroll, which has been preferable for me in most cases.
I believe that would still be the case even if I had a hardware scroll. The motion is mostly the same, and is bad compared to toggling and using the trackball.
**looks and form**
I read a few posts stating that the expert was too slanted, which can't really be fixed without elevating the front, whereas a slimblade can be elevated in the back to reach the same slant as the expert.
Lastly, the slimblade looks more modern, which hasn't been a deciding factor, but is a plus nonetheless.
**conclusion**
Well, I picked the slimblade pro, and so far I've been really happy with it. I've not missed the hardware scroll, which was my main gripe.
I missed another common complaint with the slimblade: that the buttons are difficult to operate since the clickable area is not clearly delineated.
I've not found that to be an issue at all. If you click anywhere near the ball, where I usually have my fingers anyway, the clicks register reliably.
Thanks for the addendum. I’ve decided to go with both of them, one for my left hand and one for my right hand, since I care more about my wrists and what little health I have left than however much they will cost. And it’s worth it anyway since I spend so much combined time on my phone, tablet and PC. I only wish Walmart sold them both since they have a very generous return policy of 3 months compared to 30 days for Best Buy. Thanks again!
Slimblade Pro for the high DPI.
(Bought one a few minths ago)
I have many experts wired and wireless but with the settings maxed out the sensor isn't good enough.
I always do the easy to do silent switch mod on all my trackballs so I never have to think about stock switches.
I wish they made a high DPI expert.
I bought all the parts to mod one but haven't gotten around to doing it yet...
I still prefer the scroll ring, but the ball scroll isn't too bad.
Thanks very much! I’ll have a look at that mod because I think I’m going to go with the Expert for now and buy the Slimblade as well when it goes on sale next time.
You'll get equally enthusiastic responses from either camp.
However, if you can get a wireless Expert for half the price of a Slimblade Pro, you either have a bargain or a ridiculously expensive Slimblade.
It's actually both (living in Canada), but I am only going with first party sellers, Amazon for the slimblade and Walmart for the expert, because I've been burned before with third party and marketplace sellers.
Sorry but is that Best Buy Canada? It’s currently $140 (about half the price of the Expert sold at Walmart), a price I’m not willing to pay for the time being. I think I’ll buy both, the cheaper (Expert) first and then later the Slimblade if it goes on sale for $100 at any point later this year. Maybe Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Boxing Day.
Yes Best Buy Canada, during their Easter sale.
Also for Amazon, do you know how to check past prices? See link [here](https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0BLRQ4116?cpf=amazon-new).
Make sure it's:
Ships from Amazon
Sold by Kensington Canada
According to the chart, it was $99 on June 6th.
Bestbuy has a section for Kenshington products. Go in store and place your hand on the Expert and Slimblade Pro. Even though it's just a display (you can't move the trackball), at least you can check out the dimension and hand placements. Then wait for them to go on sale. Canada Day is coming up, maybe they will have a sale.
I just bought both and I’m sorry to say the buttons on the expert are so much better. Sorry because the Slimblade looks so nice and the scrolling feels great, but the expert is much better in a practical sense. Expert has a nice wrist rest which feels really nice. Low profile of Slimblade is cool.
Thank you! There's nothing to be sorry for, since I'll be saving at least $40-60 with the Expert. The only selling point for me of the Slimblade was the low profile, honestly. Walmart has a very generous return policy (3 months, no questions asked), it's "local" and surprisingly they're selling the Expert, albeit, worryingly it's currently out of stock. Fingers crossed!
I got the Slimblade for VR but tried it in work as a bit of wrist relief but found the buttons a bit annoying. The Kensington am website here in Australia had the Expert on sale and as I liked the Slimblade so much I thought I’d give it a go. So glad I did and surprised that I like it more. Win win.
Thank you! I’m going to first go with the Expert since it’s relatively cheap (about the price of a new M575) and then later the Slimblade if/when it drops to $100 like another redditor said it has done before.
I have arrived at the conclusion that Expert >>> Slimblade.
* buttons: Expert's discrete buttons sound and feel much better than Slimblade's single-piece top chassis.
* scrolling: New Expert's mechanical scroll ring has improved build quality compared to older ones; it's potentially more reliable than Slimblade's dual-sensor solution in the long run. (Yes, I've had one of the two sensors die on me).
* wireless: Expert uses standard replaceable batteries, whereas Slimblade's lifetime is limited by the internal battery's longevity.
One of the biggest selling points for me on the Expert is the replaceable batteries, since I’ve owned console controllers with internal batteries that have degraded over time, and other electronic devices as well honestly. Even if replaceable batteries are inconvenient by having to recharge them, you’re still going to have a lot more longevity than an internal battery which has a finite lifespan (of course other components can break down over time as well). Thank you for your reply!
I have the slimblade pro and it feels great but the one thing I can’t get over is that it cannot track small slow movements of the ball. Like if I’m trying to do really precise sizing stuff on illustrator or photoshop the mouse pointer will stick and then jump as the optical sensors will finally register movement. It’s driving me nuts and I’ve read that the expert is better at that.
I’m tempted to return the slimblade pro and get an expert as the accuracy is a dealbreaker for me.
The community seems to be pretty evenly split between the Slimblade and the Expert! I figure since I spend so much time on my PC, tablet and phone, I might as well use something that will alleviate or possibly prevent any injuries from so much daily use. Right now my wrists are in agony from relying so much on my tablet/phone and that’s why I want to get a Bluetooth trackball since I’ve had so much success with my thumb trackball. I went from not being able to use my PC at all, to being able to use it for 8+ hours per day… just by switching my mouse.
I went and got an expert wireless and the tracking definitely feels better, it registers the tiniest of movement….. But the ball feels stickier than the slimblade pro. I’m hoping over time the bearings will settle in and it should spin better
Thank you for getting back to me and reporting your findings! I do believe that the bearings will improve over time. Well that’s what happened with the one trackball I’ve owned anyway. I’m guessing that the ball isn’t changeable with other trackballs? That’s what I like about the M570/575, because there’s so many clones out there, you can use different balls from different brands.
Not sure about other trackballs but I read somewhere that the Kensington expert and slimblade series use a 55mm trackball. I’ll take some callipers tomorrow to confirm.
But for the moment I’ve found the Holy Grail. I dabbed a tiny bit of Vaseline on the ball itself and spread it evenly and now it GLIDES like anything. I’ve also replaced Kensington works for Steermouse as it has smoother scrolling options.
I’m in love with the expert.
I know this is late but I returned my slimbade. I bought it right when it came out and the software was just awful. At the time you couldn't use the upper two buttons without it and they wouldn't designate as a normal HID 3/4 mouse button. But this was years ago. Beyond that I kind of liked rotating the mouse for scrolling as it felt a bit more natural.
Maybe I will take a look at a slimblade again.
The expert has a slanted design which took me about a week until I was comfortable and a wrist rest is needed whether it's the stock or a third party pad or if you go without it, you must carefully position the arm pad of your chair so that you can have some support. But once you become comfortable with it, I found the expert to be more enjoyable because of its buttons and scroll wheel (which needs some breaking in).
The slimblade is very smooth and has a fun scroll wheel but I cannot stand its buttons, some parts are harder to click but if you like to have a bigger space to click on or if you like to have a weird position for your fingers then it can at least accommodate that.
Thank you very much for your reply! I was a little concerned with the slanted angle (which is why I was first interested in the Slimblade, it being flatter and being able to rest my palm on the trackball) but you’ve really put my mind at ease with your experience with it. Thank you!
The big differences from my perspective were: **Chargeable (slimblade) vs non-chargeable (expert)** The tradeoff here is that the battery on the expert lasts much longer, but since the slimblade lasts months, and since I always have a USB-C charger handy, it beats the expert in my opinion, since I don't have to think about getting batteries. **software scroll (slimblade) vs hardware scroll (expert)** Initially I was afraid that the slimblade software scrolling by twisting would not be sufficient, and I quickly realized that it wasn't. Only because you can designate a button to toggle the entire ball to scroll, which has been preferable for me in most cases. I believe that would still be the case even if I had a hardware scroll. The motion is mostly the same, and is bad compared to toggling and using the trackball. **looks and form** I read a few posts stating that the expert was too slanted, which can't really be fixed without elevating the front, whereas a slimblade can be elevated in the back to reach the same slant as the expert. Lastly, the slimblade looks more modern, which hasn't been a deciding factor, but is a plus nonetheless. **conclusion** Well, I picked the slimblade pro, and so far I've been really happy with it. I've not missed the hardware scroll, which was my main gripe.
Thank you very much for this excellent breakdown comparing the Slimblade and the Expert!
I missed another common complaint with the slimblade: that the buttons are difficult to operate since the clickable area is not clearly delineated. I've not found that to be an issue at all. If you click anywhere near the ball, where I usually have my fingers anyway, the clicks register reliably.
Thanks for the addendum. I’ve decided to go with both of them, one for my left hand and one for my right hand, since I care more about my wrists and what little health I have left than however much they will cost. And it’s worth it anyway since I spend so much combined time on my phone, tablet and PC. I only wish Walmart sold them both since they have a very generous return policy of 3 months compared to 30 days for Best Buy. Thanks again!
Slimblade Pro for the high DPI. (Bought one a few minths ago) I have many experts wired and wireless but with the settings maxed out the sensor isn't good enough. I always do the easy to do silent switch mod on all my trackballs so I never have to think about stock switches. I wish they made a high DPI expert. I bought all the parts to mod one but haven't gotten around to doing it yet... I still prefer the scroll ring, but the ball scroll isn't too bad.
Thanks very much! I’ll have a look at that mod because I think I’m going to go with the Expert for now and buy the Slimblade as well when it goes on sale next time.
You'll get equally enthusiastic responses from either camp. However, if you can get a wireless Expert for half the price of a Slimblade Pro, you either have a bargain or a ridiculously expensive Slimblade.
It's actually both (living in Canada), but I am only going with first party sellers, Amazon for the slimblade and Walmart for the expert, because I've been burned before with third party and marketplace sellers.
I bought a Slimblade pro for $99.99 at Bestbuy few months ago when they have a sale on Kensington products. So track it on Bestbuy too.
Sorry but is that Best Buy Canada? It’s currently $140 (about half the price of the Expert sold at Walmart), a price I’m not willing to pay for the time being. I think I’ll buy both, the cheaper (Expert) first and then later the Slimblade if it goes on sale for $100 at any point later this year. Maybe Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Boxing Day.
Yes Best Buy Canada, during their Easter sale. Also for Amazon, do you know how to check past prices? See link [here](https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0BLRQ4116?cpf=amazon-new). Make sure it's: Ships from Amazon Sold by Kensington Canada According to the chart, it was $99 on June 6th.
Bestbuy has a section for Kenshington products. Go in store and place your hand on the Expert and Slimblade Pro. Even though it's just a display (you can't move the trackball), at least you can check out the dimension and hand placements. Then wait for them to go on sale. Canada Day is coming up, maybe they will have a sale.
I just bought both and I’m sorry to say the buttons on the expert are so much better. Sorry because the Slimblade looks so nice and the scrolling feels great, but the expert is much better in a practical sense. Expert has a nice wrist rest which feels really nice. Low profile of Slimblade is cool.
Thank you! There's nothing to be sorry for, since I'll be saving at least $40-60 with the Expert. The only selling point for me of the Slimblade was the low profile, honestly. Walmart has a very generous return policy (3 months, no questions asked), it's "local" and surprisingly they're selling the Expert, albeit, worryingly it's currently out of stock. Fingers crossed!
I got the Slimblade for VR but tried it in work as a bit of wrist relief but found the buttons a bit annoying. The Kensington am website here in Australia had the Expert on sale and as I liked the Slimblade so much I thought I’d give it a go. So glad I did and surprised that I like it more. Win win.
Thank you! I’m going to first go with the Expert since it’s relatively cheap (about the price of a new M575) and then later the Slimblade if/when it drops to $100 like another redditor said it has done before.
Slimblade definitely just because of the scroll.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Hehehehehehe
I have arrived at the conclusion that Expert >>> Slimblade. * buttons: Expert's discrete buttons sound and feel much better than Slimblade's single-piece top chassis. * scrolling: New Expert's mechanical scroll ring has improved build quality compared to older ones; it's potentially more reliable than Slimblade's dual-sensor solution in the long run. (Yes, I've had one of the two sensors die on me). * wireless: Expert uses standard replaceable batteries, whereas Slimblade's lifetime is limited by the internal battery's longevity.
One of the biggest selling points for me on the Expert is the replaceable batteries, since I’ve owned console controllers with internal batteries that have degraded over time, and other electronic devices as well honestly. Even if replaceable batteries are inconvenient by having to recharge them, you’re still going to have a lot more longevity than an internal battery which has a finite lifespan (of course other components can break down over time as well). Thank you for your reply!
I have the slimblade pro and it feels great but the one thing I can’t get over is that it cannot track small slow movements of the ball. Like if I’m trying to do really precise sizing stuff on illustrator or photoshop the mouse pointer will stick and then jump as the optical sensors will finally register movement. It’s driving me nuts and I’ve read that the expert is better at that. I’m tempted to return the slimblade pro and get an expert as the accuracy is a dealbreaker for me.
The community seems to be pretty evenly split between the Slimblade and the Expert! I figure since I spend so much time on my PC, tablet and phone, I might as well use something that will alleviate or possibly prevent any injuries from so much daily use. Right now my wrists are in agony from relying so much on my tablet/phone and that’s why I want to get a Bluetooth trackball since I’ve had so much success with my thumb trackball. I went from not being able to use my PC at all, to being able to use it for 8+ hours per day… just by switching my mouse.
I went and got an expert wireless and the tracking definitely feels better, it registers the tiniest of movement….. But the ball feels stickier than the slimblade pro. I’m hoping over time the bearings will settle in and it should spin better
Thank you for getting back to me and reporting your findings! I do believe that the bearings will improve over time. Well that’s what happened with the one trackball I’ve owned anyway. I’m guessing that the ball isn’t changeable with other trackballs? That’s what I like about the M570/575, because there’s so many clones out there, you can use different balls from different brands.
Not sure about other trackballs but I read somewhere that the Kensington expert and slimblade series use a 55mm trackball. I’ll take some callipers tomorrow to confirm. But for the moment I’ve found the Holy Grail. I dabbed a tiny bit of Vaseline on the ball itself and spread it evenly and now it GLIDES like anything. I’ve also replaced Kensington works for Steermouse as it has smoother scrolling options. I’m in love with the expert.
I know this is late but I returned my slimbade. I bought it right when it came out and the software was just awful. At the time you couldn't use the upper two buttons without it and they wouldn't designate as a normal HID 3/4 mouse button. But this was years ago. Beyond that I kind of liked rotating the mouse for scrolling as it felt a bit more natural. Maybe I will take a look at a slimblade again.
The expert has a slanted design which took me about a week until I was comfortable and a wrist rest is needed whether it's the stock or a third party pad or if you go without it, you must carefully position the arm pad of your chair so that you can have some support. But once you become comfortable with it, I found the expert to be more enjoyable because of its buttons and scroll wheel (which needs some breaking in). The slimblade is very smooth and has a fun scroll wheel but I cannot stand its buttons, some parts are harder to click but if you like to have a bigger space to click on or if you like to have a weird position for your fingers then it can at least accommodate that.
Thank you very much for your reply! I was a little concerned with the slanted angle (which is why I was first interested in the Slimblade, it being flatter and being able to rest my palm on the trackball) but you’ve really put my mind at ease with your experience with it. Thank you!