Personally, I didn't like the track pad that came with my iMac. I use a blue tooth mouse & blue tooth keyboard.

You can pair a BT keyboard, track pad & a mouse w/the MacPro Laptop.

If you have the plug in places you can add any of the above as wired (or battery mouse)

I got a BT mouse for a reasonable price on Amazon.

I don’t like trackpads, I much prefer a mouse. DH hates the mouse, uses only the trackpad. I like mouse because I can put it where it is most comfortable for my hand and arm.

I’ve never had a track pad that worked well and am not a fan of the traditional mouse, I’ve been using the same model of trackball for decades and I believe it’s kept me from having the wrist problems others I know experience. It also requires no mousepad and less space because it’s stationery.

The track ball is intuitive, so I don’t remember having a hard time getting used to it, but can see there being a little bit of a learning curve for some who are new to it.

This is the one I use, you can find them on Amazon. (Logitec changed the name to Logi but it’s the same brand.

ETA: The pic I attached was so huge, I exchanged it for a link and I apologize in advance if I’ve misunderstood what you’re asking. I’m thinking that you are looking for alternatives but when reading other comments it appears I may be off track.

track ball

Daisy, I'm not sure I understand. You need to elevate your MacBook Pro and therefore can't comfortably access the built-in track pad and keyboard so you need external ones?

I have an iMac with a BT keyboard and mouse, plus a USB trackpad. I mostly use the trackpad for navigating and clicking but find I sometimes need a mouse for more detail. I'm not sure why I opted for the USB trackpad and not BT, maybe because I had a port and it means no futzing with batteries. My BT parts really eat up the batteries.

I don’t use a Mac but with my desktop PC I have a wireless keyboard and mouse that work great. I’ve had it for years - bought as a set. I despise trackpads. When I bought a laptop recently I got a Thinkpad because of its mouse like pad. I have managed to adjust to that and don’t have to carry a mouse around with my laptop.

Daisy, I'm not sure I understand. You need to elevate your MacBook Pro and therefore can't comfortably access the built-in track pad and keyboard so you need external ones?

bunny, yes! Thank you for summarizing so concisely what I was trying to say. Interesting about the battery use. I just got a new battery put in and I am wary of anything that may shorten its life.

lukki, I've never tried a track ball, but it sounds like it may be a good solution for the mouse/trackpad part of the issue. One issue is that I will need to use the trackpad occasionally even if I get a mouse or track ball and I'm worried I may not adjust well to going back and forth between the two. I recently had to use a mouse at a relative's home and found it took awhile to adjust.

3katz4me, I'm not familiar with a Thinkpad. I'll have to research. Might be another option.

pudgeder, that's what I needed to know about pairing. Thanks. I'll look on Amazon. I was using pricing from Staples on Mac specific products and it seemed like a major investment.

pbath, I definitely need something I can move away from the computer. Comfort is key! I think I need to experiment a bit.

I'm feeling a little less in the dark about my options. Off to do a bit of research on Thinkpads and trackballs.

ETA: bunny, do you mean it drains your laptop batteries or the batteries in the BT keyboard/mouse?

Daisy, there are times when I’ve had to toggle between the two as well and if the track pad on the laptop I have wasn’t so unintuitive, it would be a flawless transaction. I’ve not used a Mac in years, so there could be difference there, but it may be worth your while to order one from Amazon and give it a try. You always have 30 days to return it if it’s not a good fit. From the perspective of ergonomics, I find it to be much more comfortable to use. The biggest challenge I had in the beginning was I kept wanting to move it like a mouse.

Amazon does offer a Logitec wireless keyboard with a touchpad built in.

Logitec Keyboard w/touch pad

I have a treadmill desk and I have a laptop stand and wireless keyboard and mouse to make my screen more ergonomic so I can walk and type.

The stand I have is called M Stand: M Stand on Amazon

I have a Dell wireless keyboard and mouse. I would get one for Mac that has good ratings on Amazon, etc.

Also, I just got a new laser printer and 24" second monitor setup. The monitors are a great deal right now. I did curbside pickup at OfficeDepot.

Daisy - a Thinkpad is a Lenovo laptop

I'm only familiar with PCs but I have found it's easy to switch between mouse and trackpad once you get used to both.

Daisy, my laptop battery is fine. :) Mostly it's plugged in and remains fully charged. The only BT device I use with it is a mouse. I got used to using a track pad on my MacBook and decided I wanted one for my iMac.

My iMac has the BT keyboard and mouse. They go through batteries, although I'm using some old rechargeable AA in them and I think their useful lives have gone way down.

My iMac has a USB trackpad because I had an available USB port and it doesn't really make any difference since everything's always plugged in.

I find I need a combination of trackpad/keyboard/mouse. I thought I'd hate using a trackpad, but I've adapted and appreciate that it's right under my fingers when I need it.

I think I'm starting to figure this out. I didn't even know there were USB and BT - just wireless. I also think I may be able to get something cheaper looking on Amazon as long as I make sure they are compatible. I am running OS 10.12 (I think). I had only been looking at Mac products.

I can't find a keyboard with built in track pad that is compatible with my computer, but I'm leaning towards a keyboard and trackball.

gsciencechick, I am very envious of that set up. I keep going back and forth on how intense to get with things depending on how often I hear, "be ready to pivot back to remote learning". Pivot has become one of my least favourite words.

Daisy, if you go to the Logitech website, they have a variety of keyboard/touchpad options available. They have a menu that allows you to search by connection type and/or what will work with the Mac. Once you find what you want, you’ll most likely be able to find it at Bestbuy or on Amazon for less then the site charges.

I would encourage you to avoid purchasing an off brand from Amazon. A lot of it is junk and not made to last. Nothing I’ve ever bought that was electronic and an off brand has lasted more than 6 months. I even had to return several things because they didn’t work when they were received. After several tries, I finally gave up trying.

Thanks, lukki. That is extremely helpful. I wouldn't have even known that Logitech was a brand to look at. I went into Staples (the line up at Best Buy was a block long) last week to try to get some advice, but the person I talked to did not seem knowledgeable (or maybe I just didn't know what questions to ask). You guys have been much more helpful (as always).

Logitech has been a good brand for years. Just try to find one of their popular webcams right now. :)

Bluetooth is wireless.

I have a wireless keyboard and mouse on my work PC. It came as a set and has just the one USB dongle (my PC does not have Bluetooth, it's old!). It's Logitech. I have the cheaper version (cost less than $30 for the set); I would have gotten the one that's a little more expensive to get a better mouse (this one's kind of finicky, mouse is the M185). Make sure you get one that has the lights for Num Lock and Caps Lock! I can't tell if they are locked w/o having to type and check - what a pain!