New gen keyboard trackpoint

Have long-time trackpoint users had any issues with the current keyboard in X230, T430, etc Thinkpads? It seems to be recessed lower than the surrounding keys and I'm wondering if they get the way at all. While not thrilled about the layout, I generally liked typing on the new keyboard very much with the new key shape and spacing. I remember having some issue with the trackpoint but can't remember now.

If future Thinkpad's go the way of integrated trackpoint buttons I'll be keeping my X220 or an X230 a very very long time.

 

I moved from a T60p to a T530 and didn't really notice any real difference in the trackpoint position. I will tell you the drivers seem better for this new one though.

 

I've tried the W530's keyboard in comparison to my personal W520 in a review I had written a few months back:

Lenovo ThinkPad W530 Review

In summary, I didn't feel much difference in the fell between the two keyboards, save for the odd key places for certain keys. I miss the Forward/Back keys that were on either side of the Up Arrow key, though.

 

I wouldn't be honest if I said I was happy about the integrated trackpoint buttons, but hey, you never know. Life is full of surprises. You may end up liking it better than the old style. Execution will be key, but we won't know about that until it's released into the wild and one can try it.

 

We'll see about the new trackpoint buttons. I'm not hoping for much. The X220 almost nailed what I wanted in a notebook so replacing it will be only for miniscule improvements. The biggest upgrade since getting it was pairing it with an external monitor a year later. It's perfect now whether at the desk or away.

I use the page back/fwd buttons a lot too. The only consolation with the new keyboard is that I don't use pg up/down so those keys can be remapped to back/fwd (I think?).

 

Curiosly, these are precisely the two keys I'd remap to PgUp/PgDn if I could (they can be remapped on the laptop itself, but not on external Thinkpad keyboard).

IMO Backspace is larger than "Back" button, and Forward usually not used that often, so Alt+Right is not much trouble.

 

Seeing how much I hate the click pad on my X220, I don't have much hope for the touchpad trackpoint buttons. I was going to disable the touchpad anyway, but I decided to give it a try. The feeling of the touchpad moving just drives me insane, and it seems far too easy to accidently click it, especially with a palm as you move away from the keyboard. Palm detection does absolutely nothing for a physical click. As someone who always used tap to click when using a touchpad, I just see no point. And it's not like it's Lenovo's execution, I don't like it on my mom's MBP, either.

I figure the trackpoint buttons will be just as bad, and probably worse. I can't imagine how they'll execute middle-click scroll, or three buttons at all. Personally I hope they introduce Synaptics' Forcepad on the *40 series, and that it's good enough to leave the trackpoint behind. I love me some trackpoint, but it's clear that it's not going to be very usable in the future.