Surely you were referring to trackballs... There are differences, to be sure, but anything with an optical sensor is where to start looking.

Microsoft and Logitech both had several models in the past that were praised for their ergonomics. That being said, there are plenty of models with great designs available today, so the actual need to scour the vintage market is somewhat reduced. Check out r/trackballs for some ideas.

As far as actual mice where you move the entire device to move the pointer - it's an inherently inferior design with limited applications foisted on the world by computer mfrs who needed to include a pointing device and chose the cheaper option. With the exception of certain games, you'd be better off with a trackball.

Does anyone really like mice (again except a handful of gamers) or is it what your computer has always came with? Spending $100 on an input device is kind of scary for most people but this is hardly the subreddit for that...