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A comment on Norman layout: less effort than QWERTY. Parent comment

Re:Norman layout: less effort than QWERTY by kutkloon7 on Wednesday December 14, 2016 @10:38AM (#13176726)
I do have one indeed, but I'm not able to make accurate movements with it (for example, it's a lot of hassle to click the cross that closes a window with the touchpoint). Maybe a better one would help. I am using an old ThinkPad T410 now. I definitely want to buy a laptop in the same bussiness style as my next one. Love the feel of the keyboard and the separate buttons for the touchpad (I don't think I have ever accidentally pressed one).

Are there any models (of any brand) with a particular good touchpoint feel?

Edit: http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/looking-for-nub-best-and-w... Apparently, the Lenovo one is supposed to be good. Bummer, I don't like it at all. It seems to switch from moving slowly to moving really fast at a rather unpredictable spot, which makes it hard to make precise movements in a fast way. You usually overshoot about two times if you're trying to click in a small area.

Edit: LOL, it also only just occured to me that using the trackpoint with your index finger is the best option (I was using my thumb before). Work a tiny bit better (still not very well honestly).

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Re:Norman layout: less effort than QWERTY by NikolaNovak on Wednesday December 14, 2016 @01:50PM (#13178573)
Thinkpad is the best one out there, so if you don't like it, you won't like anything else.

I've used it on T410, T420, T450, T530, T61, T23.

You do have to set up acceleration and speed to suit you (takes a while I assume), and set them up differently than you would for a mouse.

I will absolutely agree that learning curve is higher for trackpoint and that it's less intuitive than touchpad - but it's a bit like Vi/Emacs vs MS Notepad - one is immediately intuitive, the other rewards you for initial investment. I think giving a random person a touchpad and a trackpoint, and asking them to immediately do something, touchpad will win. But I also firmly believe the achievable ceiling is higher on trackpoint.

I cannot imagine using it with my thumb!!

Interestingly, while I'm right handed and use my mouse with my right hand, I use my trackpoint with left index finger, thumb over buttons... but I think that's a quirk of mine and not a generalized thing.

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