RSS 2.0Why I love the TrackPoint
Ten years ago, when Windows 95 first supported multiple pointing devices, I tried an experiment: I set up three different pointing devices so I could switch back and forth among them and see which I liked. I already had a mouse, of course, so I bought a new IBM keyboard with a TrackPoint built into it, and a touchpad which I placed below the space bar.
Essentially I had the same layout as IBM’s more recent UltraNav, plus a mouse.
At first, the TrackPoint felt a bit odd and hard to control, while the touchpad was easy to get used to. But after spending the money on that keyboard, I made myself use the TrackPoint for a few days… and then it clicked.
Once I got used to it, the TrackPoint became so natural that I wasn’t aware of using it. If I wanted the mouse pointer to go somewhere on the screen, it would just go there. I didn’t think about taking my hand off the keyboard, reaching over for the mouse, and then moving it. The mouse pointer would just go, seemingly because I willed it.
I was visiting a friend some time later and sat down to use their computer, and I started getting flustered because the mouse pointer wasn’t moving where I wanted it. In fact, it wasn’t moving at all, and I couldn’t figure out why. Why wouldn’t it just go like it usually did?
Then I looked down and saw my index finger moving around, trying to push on a TrackPoint that wasn’t there.
Because the TrackPoint is available in the touch typist’s home row position, it removes the barrier between pointing and typing. Consider how you operate a context menu: You can right-click with the mouse, move the mouse to the desired menu item, and click it. Or if you’re a real geek, you may know that you can type Shift+F10 to open the context menu, then press a shortcut letter or the cursor keys and Enter.
What you’re unlikely to do is combine these two modes of operation. You probably won’t right-click and then type a shortcut letter even though that can be very convenient. But with a TrackPoint, mixing the keyboard and mouse are perfectly natural. I often right-click and then type a shortcut letter, or mix up the mouse and keyboard in other ways. I’m never in “typing mode” or “pointing mode” like I would be with a mouse or touchpad.
If the TrackPoint is such hot stuff, why isn’t it more popular? You’ve got IBM/Lenovo, Motion Computing, sometimes Toshiba and Dell, and who else? Every other notebook has a touchpad.
I think one reason is that first impression. A touchpad makes a better first impression than a TrackPoint–especially at a retail store where the TrackPoint cap is likely to be damaged or missing. The benefits of the TrackPoint don’t become apparent until you’ve had some time to get used to it.
It’s a shame, because for someone like me who points and types, points and types, points and types, there’s nothing like a TrackPoint.
Patents
IBM patented the trackpoint and makes sure that no one uses it by charging royalty fees.
The trackpoint was patented, but it has been shipped on may different vendor’s laptops. I don’t have a complete list of systems it has shipped on, but Dell, Compaq, HP, Toshiba and Fujitsu come to mind. I know Dell and HP have models with trackpoint, I believe Fujitsu and Toshiba may be shipping some as will. Of course, if you want great design and proven engineering, the ThinkPad is a great choice.
The home row placement of the TP is a great thing for productivity if you need to type and I have to say that I wouldn’t buy a laptop without it.
wikipedia actually has a list…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_stick
I love these keyboards and request them for the ergonomic value where ever I work. They are expensive as external keyboards go but well worth it. Like you said - when you point and type a lot it helps to keep the hands/wrists in one position.
I also assume that patents are the reason why few manufacturers include Trackpoints (a trademark by IBM, maybe now Lenovo). Some include competing pointing sticks, but many of these suck, because they lack some (probably patented) technology that makes the Trackpoint so easy to use. For example there’s a feature called Negative Inertia, that – to my knowledge – is only available in Trackpoints, not in competing pointing sticks:
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/user/tp/ninertia.htmlHaving had a Mac since 1984, and so having already used a “pointing device” for a number of years, I had long wondered what might be a better way to handle this on a portable.
When the TrackPoint first came out, I was intrigued. I’ve never used one more than just playing with it a little, but if I needed a laptop I’d sure wish Macs came with that (not likely, I guess). I don’t know why, but I really don’t like touch pads (or trackballs on desktops either).
Your post is making me wonder if I could at least get a keyboard with a TrackPoint for my desktop Mac! I wonder why it hasn’t caught on more?
Gordon, you can indeed get a TrackPoint keyboard for your Mac desktop. In fact, when I needed a new Mac recently, this is why I bought a Mac Mini instead of a MacBook - so I could use a TrackPoint keyboard with it.
There are two keyboard models, the 31P8950 with a numeric keypad and the 31P9490 without the numeric pad. They are the same keyboard otherwise—ThinkPad keyboards with both TrackPoint and touchpad.
I have them both and prefer the one without the numeric pad. I never use the numeric pad anyway, and this one comes with a nice travel sleeve. I’ve been known to stuff my ThinkPad T60p, Mac Mini, and the TrackPoint keyboard all into my backpack.
I bought the one with the numeric pad primarily to test compatibility of my JKLmouse program (on Windows) with the numeric pad, since none of my ThinkPads have numeric pads.
One little problem with these keyboards: They do not have Windows keys. Ironically, you can get along in Windows just fine without a Windows key, but it’s almost essential on a PC keyboard used with a Mac (where it serves as either the Command or Option key depending on how you have set your keyboard preferences).
As a workaround for the lack of a Windows key, I went into the Keyboard & Mouse System Preferences, and set the Modifier Key list to:
Caps Lock: Option
Control: Control
Option: Command
Command: Command
This gives me all the Mac keys needed, albeit with the somewhat strange use of Caps Lock for the Option key.
But at least I have my beloved TrackPoint on my Mac! :-)
Someone PLEASE make an ergonomic/natural keyboard with a trackpoint in the middle. There are one hundred doofy ergonomic keyboard companies out there making junk that is not widely appealing and nearly all of them fall flat on their faces by still making you move your hand 8” over to use your mouse, or putting some terrible trackball 3” below the keyboard. I will make this keyboard if no one else does (in 20 years when I retire).
Hi, Michael. So is it impossible to use a trackpoint keyboard/mouse on a macbook? I’m also a thinkpad user, and I adore the trackpoint mouse. I think that’s why it took me this long to decide to buy a macbook. I just have to have the trackpoint. I don’t know how I’ll fare without it.
Anyway, any advice for a new mac user? Does Lenovo make a trackpoint mouse that would be compatible with the new macbooks?
Thanks so much! =)
I currently use one of the thinkpad keyboards you linked to and I’m thinking of getting a Mac Mini and using a KVM switch to switch between it and my PC. Your key mapping is good information but do you use the Function key on the ThinkPad keyboard for anything? Does the Mac Mini recognize the function key as anything? Also, could you use the page back and page forward keys near the arrow keys for anything? Any input would be helpful. Thanks!
These keyboards are wonderful, but they do have one serious limitation for me…KVMs. There’s only one USB cable coming from the keyboard, and it combines mouse and keyboard information. Most KVM switches proxy the real keyboard and so if you plug your trackpoint keyboard in to the keyboard slot of the KVM, you lose the mouse…if you plug into the mouse port, you lose the keyboard. The only thing that worked for me was to get a KVM that does USB peripheral switching too (I used an IOGear GCS1734 (or some earlier version of that)…this worked but the hotkeys for switching won’t work so you’re stuck with the buttons on the KVM. Supposedly some very new KVMs may be able to handle this situation correctly (same problem exists for multimedia and wireless keyboards), but I have not tried it out.
Hi, I just bought a Mac Mini and I want to use the IBM USB Keyboard with Trackpoint device. You said it works for you. Did you just plug the keyboard in to a USB port on the Mini and it worked automatically? Or did you have to do something more, e.g. use the installer cd that comes with the keyboard, or download drivers from the net, or something else? Any info you can give me is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I didn’t use any drivers on the Mac Mini - I just plugged in the single USB connector from the TrackPoint keyboard and everything works - the TrackPoint as well as the keyboard itself.
Be sure you get the new Lenovo ThinkPad keyboard - it’s greatly improved over the old one and cheaper too.
The part number is 55Y9003 which you can Google to find sources for the keyboard.
I fully agree! I’ve been a Thinkpad user for years (mostly under Linux) and just love the trackpoint. The day Apple will offer one on its MacBookPro series, I’ll get one!
Trackpoint is people have to get down to business on their laptops for at least a couple of hours. I prefer the trackpoint to a mouse. It makes so much sense: you keep your hands on the keyboard.
well it would be nice if most laptops had BOTH mouse pad and track point. i see your point about the trackpoint. I used to have one on my old computer until the screen burnt out, the hard drive became toast (with peanut butter on it)and i ripped it up for fun. i got a used laptop from a relative. it had JUST a mousepad. my old computer (ibm thinkpad [used to be my dad’s]) had a trackpoint ONLY. it is not so easy adjusting. i gota MOVE my hand over. too much wasted time. just like a regular mouse, but more annoying. my mom got a refurbished dell computer that had BOTH mousepad and trackpoint. it was awesome cause she let me use it and she was used to a regular mouse plugged into usb anyway and used a usb mouse or the mousepad. anyway, u should invent your own pointing device. would be nice. i would totally buy it under certain circumstances.