Comments on: Of Mice and Men

By: Computer Ergonomics

Computer Ergonomics — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:45:23 +0000

I used to love the TrackPoint until my finger started to hurt. I know of others who had to stop using it. It is very efficient and well placed but the ergonomics are bad.

By: Matt Hoffman

Matt Hoffman — Tue, 09 May 2006 16:10:11 +0000

I have been using a mouse all of my life. So, i fall into the 99%. thought you do put up a good arguement.

By: jangelo

jangelo — Tue, 09 May 2006 02:33:41 +0000

Jon,

TrackPoints have been available on IBM thinkpads since time immemorial. Similar nubs (though not necessarily branded as “trackpoints”) have been on lower-end Compaqs, Toshibas, and Dells, and not only on higher-priced ones, as far as I know.

Well, yes, I do agree that ThinkPads are relatively high-priced. :P

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 08 May 2006 19:40:34 +0000

…And *why* does 99% of the world’s computing population abhor them?

Because they’ve never had the chance to try them. Trackpoint has always been available only on the relatively high-priced Thinkpad and the higher-priced models of a few other manufacturers.

With all the manufacturers offering “custom” laptops, why isn’t this an option?

By: racketboy

racketboy — Sun, 07 May 2006 22:42:53 +0000

Wow — somebody else that loves the things. As much as Apple’s laptops becon me, I could never leave either the wonderful keyboards or TrackPoint that the Thinkpads offer.

I’ve had 4 different Thinkpads over the last 15 years or so and have loved them to death.

By: jangelo

jangelo — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:56:34 +0000

The Apple touchpads seem mighty interesting, with the scrolling feature and all (i.e. two fingers!). Still not my thing, though. But I consider myself quite versatile, in that I can switch across pointing device types as the need arises.

By: Steveo

Steveo — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:50:16 +0000

I love the trackpointer as well, I’m using old Thinkpads (T20) and older Toshiba’s because they both use trackpointers yet and any Laptop in my pricerange new doesn’t have one !

About the only laptops I know of new that have them yet are thinkpads and they are spendy new….

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:48:35 +0000

I had a laptop with the rubber nub at one time, and never used it. I am sure if you use it enough, you get used to it, but I never did.

Now that I am on a Powerbook, I love using my track pad. It is the model just before they built in all the scrolling features, so I am interested in seeing how that works when I get my MacBookPro next week.

The only time I plug a mouse in is when I am working on something that needs some percision, like a web site design or something.

By: Rami Kayyali

Rami Kayyali — Sun, 07 May 2006 07:53:06 +0000

I guess I fall into the 99% of the population who dispises the rubbery thingy.

I own a Toshiba Tecra M2 which has the best of at least two worlds, a touchpad and a rubby thingy, with two left click buttons and two right click ones. Nonetheless, I still stick a USB mouse whenever I’m using my laptop at work.

The differnece with a mouse is pointing speed, you don’t have to wait for the cursor to reach the top-left corener in order to click the application menu, you just throw the mouse there, without waiting for the cursor to accelerate.

When you use a mouse extensivley you sort of memorize the distance relationship between your desk/mousepad and the screen, which helps you point n’ click more accurately.

I still agree with you that the laptop, with whatever pointing device, is much better for writing. I guess it’s a personal preference thing.