The most common reason for choosing a Track Ball over a traditional mouse is ergonomics. The track ball mouse allows manipulation of the cursor without requiring the movement of the actual mouse itself. This reduces the users strain to wrists, hands, arms and shoulders that can be expreienced using a traditional mouse. The user can also operate the buttons more easily without accidently moving the pointer itself. This can be of great advantage to those with impaired mobility.

The design of the trackball mouse means that less desk space is required to operate the pc, meaning the cursor can be moved with the acutal mouse positioned anywhere. This can be handy for example if you have limited desk space, or need to operate a device wirelessly from a chair.

Most trackball mice come in a symettrical design meaning they can be used by both left and rigth handed users. The majority are also compatible with both Mac and PC.