Topuchpad vs trackpoint

[c_hegge]

Which laptop mouse do you prefer using? I'd say trackpoints (the dot in the middle of the keyboard). I have a USB trackpoint keyboard which I use for the briefcase laptop and absolouely love it. I can't stand touchpads, though.

[ratdude747]

I can use both but i hate both:

touchpads- when they get old they make the pointer "dance". I hate plain ones because they can't often scroll (old pII/pIII compaq presarios were an exception with scroll buttons, which rock). I hate margin-scrolls because they are finicky and cannot middle click. I hate multitouch because half the time linux hates them (and they are finicky under any os)

traclpoints- the IBM ones were good because they had the middle button. others do not (dell latitudes come to mind). either way, the flat ones are better than eraser heads (they suck). and i find them tricky to master. if i put my mind to it they work... but the "hot corner" of gnome 3 makes trackpoints half-useless if you slip.

actually, there is only one type of mouse I like... the 5 button mouse. my favorite for deskop use is the microsoft kind:



(ironically , google's first hit for the pic was my post on another forum)

for laptop use, I use the same since the price point on 5 button laptop mice is still too high to justify purchase... and they still do not make a laptop mouse that is 5 button and bluetooth, which I would like to use (saves usb ports)

the closest ever made was the microsoft wireless natural 6000, which was a combo RF and bluetooth 5 button desktop mouse... but the 2 side buttons were on the left, not one per side like i like. not to mention they are crazy hard to find and therefore expensive.

[Uranium-235]

I have like 3 of those MS 5 button mouse (two white, one black), I've loved them for years. Now I have a wireless laser 6000 mouse on my gamer system

as far as laptops go, it depends. some trackpads suck, some are good, depending on your laptop and installed software. my dv1000 has a nice pad, works great

[lti]

I like touchpads better because you don't have to wiggle a little blue nipple around and press the mouse buttons with another finger. I like being able to tap on the touchpad to click, and my old Gateway laptop allows you to scroll by dragging two fingers across the pad. It doesn't use true multitouch, but that laptop came form the factory with Windows 98.

On my other laptop, the touchpad does not work. The buttons stick and the cursor jumps to one of the corners of the screen when you lift your finger. This seems to be a common failure with Synaptics touchpads. I use a cheap Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical mouse. It is basically the three-button version of the Intellimouse. The feet aren't very good (the mouse is difficult to move and sticks to the desk or mousepad), but those can be easily replaced.

[momaka]

I use keyboard shortcuts. Enough said .
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But when given the choice, I prefer touchpads. I have a Dell Latitude C600 I use for school (somewhat crappy but it was free so who cares). It has both a touchpad and one those round trackpoints. The trackpoint is no good at all - most of the time if I touch it, the cursor goes amok. The mousepad on that laptop has a bit of an attitude as well (likes to drift every now and then). Just leave it for 2 seconds to calibrate, though, and it works fine again.

Originally Posted by lti

I like touchpads better because you don't have to wiggle a little blue nipple around and press the mouse buttons with another finger.

I can use one hand to do both, but my hand hurts a lot after 1 hour of use.

[lti]

Here is the section of the maual for that Gateway laptop that describes the capabilities of the touchpad. Its touchpad is made by Logitech.

My HP laptop has a section of the touchpad that is used for scrolling only. It is larger than the area that most touchpads use for scrolling.

Originally Posted by momaka

I can use one hand to do both, but my hand hurts a lot after 1 hour of use.

That is what I was talking about. Trackpoints are hard to use. The cursor drifts when you let go of the trackpoint, so you have to leave your finger on it while clicking.

[Wizard]

ratdude747, check gamer mouse. Laser and many buttons is great combo. I do not want red optical mice as these pointer tend to mistrack. Just enough to annoy. With laser mouse I have no issues with these and better tracking except for very rarely jump but that is not that often.

Cheers, Wizard

[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by Wizard

ratdude747, check gamer mouse. Laser and many buttons is great combo. I do not want red optical mice as these pointer tend to mistrack. Just enough to annoy. With laser mouse I have no issues with these and better tracking except for very rarely jump but that is not that often.

Cheers, Wizard

yeah... the price point on those are too high. waay too high.

[mockingbird]

I think it's essential that a laptop have both the trackpoint and the touchpad.

Why? There's little space on the touchpad and the trackpoint gives you continuous drag.

Unfortunately, there's some sort of licensing deal with the trackpoints today because of the patents, so you see less and less laptops with trackpoints.

[B757]

3-button trackpoint > touchpad IMO. Though a mouse is better than both.

3-button trackpoint can do almost anything a multitouch trackpad can do with some keyboard shortcuts (which works because the trackpoint keeps your fingers on the keyboard). Middle-button for scroll, Ctrl + scroll for zoom, Alt-Left and Alt-Right for browser forward and back (or just use the forward/back dedicated buttons next to the arrow keys on Thinkpads), etc. Much less finger swiping, and your fingers stay on the keyboard.

Also, in addition to Thinkpads, E6xxx-series Dell Latitudes all have 3-button Trackpoints.