[TroyDBrown]

My 2 Cents:

I honeslly think the majority is caused by grease, and by grease I mean eating and using the trackball.

[Fkmegently]

Originally Posted by troydbrown

My 2 Cents:

I honeslly think the majority is caused by grease, and by grease I mean eating and using the trackball.

Finger oil in general too is my guess. You can have clean hands and scratch your face, head etc. It doesn't take much. I won't generally use others phones.

[duffyanneal]

Everyone is different. Some people have oilier skin than others. I say just live with it and change that ball out every few months.

[kitmoni]

Originally Posted by delmarco

Curse of the Black Pearl a.k.a Dirty Trackball!
before:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...Bay/1ae2_1.jpg
after:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...Bay/a08b_1.jpg

Not only did your trackball get dirty, but your phone changed carriers too! Now those are some seriously dirty hands to make it do that...

[sean76]

Guys and Gals, anything that is bright white will eventually turn colors! Take for instance a newly painted white wall. At First it's real white, and as time goes on it just looses that brightness. And think about it, how often do u rub your hands on a wall? It just collects dust and dirt from the air! However the pearl is getting touched every single day, several times a day in fact! My advice, just wash your hands more often, and deal with it.

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by sean76

Guys and Gals, anything that is bright white will eventually turn colors! Take for instance a newly painted white wall. At First it's real white, and as time goes on it just looses that brightness. And think about it, how often do u rub your hands on a wall? It just collects dust and dirt from the air! However the pearl is getting touched every single day, several times a day in fact! My advice, just wash your hands more often, and deal with it.

Remember the roll on deodorants from the 80s


that was something I used growing up everyday and those things would
rub the grimiest armpits and stay white after an entire summer.

Now you are telling me a 99 cent roll on deodorant from almost 30 yrs ago is better quality that the trackball on a $400 device in 2007?

I don't buy it.

RIM needs to contact they guys that made those deodorants and get them on the Quality Control team.

White walls get dirty over the years. The trackball gets dirty in a matter of days to weeks.

[the_best_diva]

Originally Posted by avanden

My trackball isn't that dirty and I use it quite a bit. You might need to wash your hands more often.

ROTF

[JSanders]

Originally Posted by delmarco

Remember the roll on deodorants from the 80s
that was something I used growing up everyday and those things would
rub the grimiest armpits and stay white after an entire summer.

Now you are telling me a 99 cent roll on deodorant from almost 30 yrs ago is better quality that the trackball on a $400 device in 1997?

Ya think there might a leetle bit of difference in the technology? Besides, where did find a RIM trackball BB in 1997?

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by JSanders

Ya think there might a leetle bit of difference in the technology? Besides, where did find a RIM trackball BB in 1997?

LOL! I meant 2007.

[avanden]

Originally Posted by kitmoni

Not only did your trackball get dirty, but your phone changed carriers too! Now those are some seriously dirty hands to make it do that...

ZING!

[BBGregPearl]

I don't know if someone posted this yet but someone from the 8100 forum has posted some way of cleaning the trackball. I will see if I can find it when I get to a computer.

[jcbauerca]

I use handi wipes and that seems to keep things clean. They even work to clean cloth car seats if you spill coffee.

[zinzygeene]

Originally Posted by troydbrown

My 2 Cents:

I honeslly think the majority is caused by grease, and by grease I mean eating and using the trackball.

I think that what you're saying is EXACTLY how it works. I'm the only one in my circle with a BlackBerry, and despite the fact that none of my friends / relatives has ever even touched one (mine cannot be touched, naturally. Under NO circumstances), they keep telling me that "this BlackBerry of mine isn't any good, because OH MY GOD that trackball is going to Hell and all their friends have BBs and their trackballs look disgusting".
What most people seem to forget is that just washing your hands after toilet breaks doesn't make for a pearl white TB.
I say bleach those hands, wash 'em in 170 degree water and GO.
(You can call me a neat freak, because I am, and a certified one, too.)

[quillhill]

I would never notice things like this were it not for my OCD friends here on bbforums. Heh.
Now that it's been point out to me I must get a Q-tip (or cotton swab) and clean it off. I'm only casually obsessive compulsive.

[greggebhardt]

After seeing this I have to believe that it has something to do with different body chemistry. Those were some black pearls!

[Fuze]

I miss the trackwheel of my 8700c!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by greggebhardt

After seeing this I have to believe that it has something to do with different body chemistry. Those were some black pearls!

This happens to everyone!
I doubt if its body chemistry...it can also be people that don't use bluetooth headsets or headsets and put the phones to their faces when they talk and the trackball picks up face grease and make up since the skin on the face and the hair is more oily in general than the rest of your body.

I meet so many people each day with Curves, Pearls, 8800s that are older than a few weeks have dark-gray to pitch-black color trackballs. However, the trackball miraculously still lights up to 99% or more even when its pitch black with dirt.

So this makes me not worry about my trackball getting dirty anymore
since it will still work and light up to 99% brightness.

[StarKnight83]

as long as it works fine, whats wrong with the discoloration. Anything you touch will eventually discolor (as someone used the example of a white wall)

[delmarco]

Actually my track ball is still holding onto to retaining its original whiteness, but my light is getting duller by the day.
My gfriend just got her brand new 8320 last weekend and although my track ball appears as white as her's with the back light off, when the back light comes on my ball looks like a dull creamish white, whiles hers is bright white.

I assume that my ball is dirty already and will eventually blacken, but I had no idea it would be happening so fast!

How come this doesn't happend to the T-Mobile Sidekick track balls!?

I know some dirty punk kids whoo hang out at my friend's shop that's been tossing around their Sidekicks for months now and their trackballs are still brand new looking even though the Sidekick body is all scuffed up and dirty with wear and tear.

[dirtypirate]

What not just change the ball to solid black or grey and be done with it?