First Step: Admit the Problem
A number of different pointing devices are in use with laptops. The touchpad seems to be the most commonly available device on current models. The pointing stick is somewhat less common but seems to have established a niche in higher-end business models. Specialized Tablet PCs offer pen touch input, typically through a digitizer but sometimes with a touchscreen, with some technologies permitting finger touch input. Various models might incorporate a number of the above technologies. The integrated trackball seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur but did roam the earth in impressive numbers in a bygone era. Finally, conventional external mice (mouses?) may be in addition to or in lieue of built-in pointing devices.
I admit it. I am an addict. When choosing a laptop for myself, not just any pointing device will do. Even if it limits my options, reducing the number of models I can consider and perhaps compelling me to spend more money or to compromise on other features, I insist on having my pointing device of choice available. If using someone else'snotebook, I find myself instinctively reaching for my favored pointing device, even if it isn't there. I need it. I must have it. Without it, the simplest of tasks suddenly seems impossible, and life grows bleak and empty.
Pointing Stick
Yes, friends, I am a pointing stick junkie. This class of device is known by many names. Officially, it may bear brand names such as "TrackPoint" (IBM/Lenovo), "PointStick" (HP/Compaq), "NX Point" (NEC), "Stick Pointer" (Sony), "StickPoint"/"QuickPoint" (Fujitsu), "Track Stick" (Dell), "AccuPoint" (Toshiba), or "FineTrack" (Acer) (or so Wikipedia claims). Colloquially, on the street, kids may refer to it as a "nub", "eraser head", "nipple mouse", or "clit mouse". Nomenclature aside, the uninitiated may recognize it from the presence of what is usually a round, textured rubber object situated between cutouts in the "G", "H", and "B" keys in the middle of a QWERTY keyboard, as well as mouse buttons under the spacebar.
In function, it operates as a miniature joystick. As a touch-typist, I seem to be even more susceptible to pointing stick dependency. No other pointing device seems capable of offering the same incomparable euphoric bliss of being able to move my mouse cursor long distances across my screen with the mere shift of an index finger and click mouse buttons with my thumb while my fingers remain in close proximity to the QWERTY home row keys. Personally, I also find a good pointing stick to be more precise than a touchpad for fine motion and generally more intuitive. For me, pointing sticks are even serviceable for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games, which would be a nightmare with touchpads.
Not just any pointing stick will do. The size and shape of the rubber nub itself may vary. Historically, the most common form was a "fuzzy dome" ("Classic Dome" in ThinkPad parlance), a convex, dome-shaped rubber cap with a rough "cat's tongue" texture to provide traction. Laptops I've used with such a tip include my old Dell Inspiron 8000, a Toshiba Tecra 9100, and a Compaq TC1000 Tablet. Current Lenovo ThinkPads (such as my T61) may ship with two alternative rubber caps, which are also sold separately. The "Soft Rim" has a larger-diameter concave head, rimmed and with a cup-like depression for traction, without a heavily textured surface. The "Soft Dome" also has a relatively large-diameter head, relatively flat but gently convex, with a pattern of raised dots on the surface for traction. Of the three types, I've come to favor the "Soft Dome". The textured surface of the traditional "fuzzy dome" can rapidly wear out from abrasion and accumulation of dirt, leaving a smooth surface that does not readily grip a fingertip, requiring replacement. The firm domed tip can leave painful indentations in one's fingertip after heavy use, particularly if the surface has been worn smooth. "Soft Rim" tips strike me as insufficiently grippy, even when new, and feel excessively soft and spongy to my fingertip. The Dell Latitude XT I've used shipped with a similar tip (actually something like a cross between a soft rim and a soft dome, concave but with texturing that still left it slippery), irking me to no end.
Meanwhile, pointing stick sensitivity and responsiveness represent another point of concern. The underlying "stick" mechanism may vary in its range of motion/travel from implentation to implementation, with some units quite stiff and barely moving at all. I recall the pointing stick on a Toshiba Tecra 9100 being especially stiff, irritating me with its lack of tactile feedback. Pointing stick sensitivity on the whole may vary widely, with various implementations calling for a relatively firmer or lighter touch to move the mouse cursor at a given rate. Some implementations offer software controls to adjust sensitivity. The sensitivity on my Lenovo ThinkPad was finger-strainingly low by default but became quite satisfactory after I adjusted it to the highest setting. The Dell Latitude XT I've used struck me as somewhat unresponsive on the whole but seemed to lack similar configuration options. The combination of a mushy, slippery nub and stiff stick might have contributed to the perceived lack of sensitivity. (This tands in strong contrast to my mostly satisfactory experience with the pointing stick on a Dell Inspiron 8000, which strongly influenced my preferences as the first notebook I've owned equipped with a pointing stick. Notably, the Inspiron 8000 featured a touchpad in addition to the pointing stick, yet I came to favor the latter.)
Mouse buttons are another key differentiator, varying in size, shape, contour, motion, and number. Deficiencies in such details can contribute to a poor user experience. The Dell Latitude XT has relatively small and flat mouse buttons that seem to click if depressed towards their top edges, requiring my thumb to assume unnatural positions and to move at awkward angles. In contrast, my old Dell Inspiron 8000 had contoured, concave buttons that seemed almost to suck in my thumb and mold themselves to it. My Lenovo ThinkPad T61 has mouse buttons with raised rims that facilitate depression and location by touch. A third mouse button is available in the center and may be used for scrolling in conjunction with the TrackPoint, a feature to which I seem to be developing an addiction. The T61's TrackPoint itself may be configured to be used as a button when tapped, but I've developed little affection for this balky feature, which seems to work only when I don't want it to - accidentally generating mouse clicks - but not when I actually do - the pointing stick must be tapped "just so" in a manner that doesn't seem to be worthwhile to get the hang of.
A pointing stick dependency certainly has its downsides. The devices have an irritating tendency towards mouse cursor drift, where the mouse pointer continues to move, seemingly by itself, after pressure has been removed from the pointing stick, although it should be stationary. If the pointing stick is still in good shape, it can usually self-correct the drift if left untouched until the mouse cursor slows to a halt, which may take a moment or two. This should soon become second nature. Drift may temporarily worsen if the laptop is tilted. Over time, mechanical wear may lead to constant drift, requiring replacement of the keyboard.
Pointing stick use can be an expensive habit, as rubber caps may wear down and require replacement. Further, most laptops, particularly budget models, are touchpad-only. Notebooks with pointing sticks are scarcer and tend to be costlier business models. IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad models are probably most closely associated with pointing sticks and typically offer them as standard, sometimes without a touchpad. Higher-end business notebook lines seeking to compete against the ThinkPad may also have pointing stick-equipped models, such as select Dell Latitudes, HP Compaq business notebooks, Acer Travelmates, Fujitsu Lifebooks, and Toshiba Tecras.
Extended heavy pointing stick use may even be detrimental to my health, leading to finger strain and cramping. Occasionally, I shudder at the thought of what the long-term implications might be for the joints in my index finger. Nonetheless, it would hardly be a proper addiction if I allowed such trivial concerns to interfere with getting my fix.
(To be continued)
