Seriously Lenovo, no touchpad?!

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a portable (<3.5lbs) notebook which has a decent battery life. I used the X300 for a month or so and loved it. Unfortunately, I had to return it (was of a friend of mine ). I loved the keyboard; so I went looking for more cheaper Lenovo models. I came across the X200. Everything looked fine: decent battery life, great keyboard, nice screen but.. no touchpad? Seriously, Lenovo? I really need a touchpad, those trackpoints suck IMO.

What do you guys think of buying a X200 and a USB touchpad (eg: http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Touchpad-Glidepoint-Technology-GP160U-121/dp/B0007T27BE )? Don't think it'll be handy but at least I got a touchpad. Or would you guys buy a Mogo X54 mouse? Or should I just skip the X200?

Any thoughts?

 

Give the trackpoint a chance - I'll never use a touchpad again, and I just ordered a x200.

 

I think getting the x200 and a mouse would be better than getting a usb touchpad IMHO....

 

trackpoint > touchpad. you'll get used to it in 5 minutes. if u absolutely cannot use the trackpoint, get a USB wireless mouse or a BT mouse.

 

Yeah dude, really, give the trackpoint a chance. It's much better once you get used to it.

 

track point works better in ultraportables, when there isnt enough
keyoard real estate there for big hands.

 

TrackPoints > other brand pointing sticks > optical mouse > touchpads

Give it a chance. My sister played with my X31 and she got used to it within a minute despite never using a pointing stick once.

 

Wow, thanks for the replies guys . My father and I have quite a few notebooks but none of them has a trackpoint. Well, we do have a 10 year old notebook but I think, and sincerely hope, trackpoint technology has improved over the years..

I'm not sure where I can try the X200's trackpoint though..

 

Historically the X series always lacked the touchpad. Trackpoint is nice, don't let it be the reason you don't buy a thinkpad.

 

Most people are just (reasonless) scared by the trackpoints.
Also, most of those people who actually have the guts to give it a try (over at least some days) will never use a touchpad again.
Touchpads are crappy technology and an even more crappy concept.

 

I would concur with the sentiments here. The trackpoint is great. I have tried other brand pointing stick and they don't seem to work as well. The x200 is an excellent machine. If you find you really can't (or don't want to) use the trackpoint then a mouse is a much better option than a usb touchpad.

 

honestly... first notebook that uses trackpoint (have a x200) and i have trouble using trackpads now lol

 

never used the trackpoint myself and took the chance....now i hate the touchpad


so much easier to you, never lift your finger to get across the screen, faster moving, etc

 

I'll say what everyone else is saying. Touchpads are garbage, and you get used to the Point so fast. I for one saw this as a major benefit of the x200 not having that POS in my way.

 

I have to agree. I used a T40 for several years and it had an Ultranav (both Touchpad and Trackpoint). I had never used the trackpoint before I got the T40, but I just love it now. I even have a desktop keyboard with trackpoint (USB Spacesaver II). It is actually better to just have one pointing device, because touchpads have a bad problem with palm check, and this is one of the many reasons I love the x200 series.

 

I agree that I FAR prefer trackpoints. In fact, I wish that the T400 I just ordered had ONLY a trackpoint, with no touchpad, and it would free up that useless space there that I never use, and could move the keyboard towards me a bit so it would be easier to use.

I find touchpads inaccurate and difficult compared to trackpoints. And I'm a guy who used to hate the idea of trackpoints, until I got fully used to them.

- Tim

 

I hate touchpads. That has to be the most inefficient economy of motion ever designed. Plus your palm always rubs on it and makes the mouse move unexpectedly.

 

Wow, so much people loving their trackpoints! I guess I should give the trackpoint a chance. Question is, where. I don't know any store which has a X200/X300/X301 on display..

 

I saw a report on a trackpoint vs. touchpad study that said the learning curve is slightly to moderately higher for the trackpoint, which is why most people prefer the touchpad. BUT, people who use the trackpoint are more efficient because they don't have to keep moving their whole hand to move the pointer, since the trackpoint is in the home row of the keyboard.

 

If you don't like the trackpoint, that's OK, I don't care for it much either, which I think puts me in the minority around here. Having said that, if you want the X, you got no other choice except another notebook. I did notice they're selling the HP 2510p with the SSD for a little under $1k in the HP outlet store. That'd get you an X sized machine with a optical drive too.

 

no, the mouse is still faster and more accurate (hence, better) than a trackpoint still. trackpoint > touchpad, though.

 

try a different cap. I found the default dome too slippery n the eraser head too hard to move. soft rim ftw

 

The Trackpoint is much better than a touchpad. Its easier to keep your hands on the keyboard, easier to scroll and it just works better. Plus you don't have to contort your hands into awkward positions when you're lying down or sitting in an easy chair/recliner.

Its really awesome and a major pity that more laptops don't have it.

 

I was looking at the HP 2510p, ZaZ. I'm thinking of buying the X200, 2510p or the Macbook Air. Pity is the fact that I can't order from the HP outlet store as I'm from Europe.

 

I too prefer Trackpoint than any touchpad out there but only IBM/Lenovo's implementation. I found pointing sticks on Dells or HPs rather bad for what I'm used to with IBM. Especially since there're three buttons here and middle button scroll with Trackpoint is simply AWESOME.

That said, decent mouse is still far better for specific uses (graphic programs, FPS games etc) but in a typical office/home scenario Trackpoint is very good and beats any touchpad out there.

I do however like Macbook's touchpad implementation. Not the single button but double-finger scroll - it's much more convenient than dedicated scrolling areas on right/bottom of the touchpad. But that's more of a driver thing than hardware... Haven't tried multi gesture touchpads yet though.

So for me touchpad is actually a drawback on X300/X301 (another one is lack of of card reader) - that's why I await X200s to come to my local shop

 

I'm going to disagree with everyone here because I work more efficiently with touchpads than trackpoints. However, Thinkpads have much better trackpoints than those of other brands as the rubber dome has the perfect feel.

I can't stand trackpoints much, which is why the X300 is a better proposition, and the touchpad accounts for much of that. Lenovo has no excuse to exclude the touchpad on the X200 if the reason was size constraint because all other manufacturers are able to do so, so size certainly isn't an issue. It's good to have a choice.

 

I partly agree. Lenovo is forced to use touchpads, so sad it is.
But there's not the space to fit a proper keyboard + a proper touchpad on the small X200. Those tiny touchpads as seen in Asus' EeePC's, and so on are pure evil and the worst mouse replacement ever seen!
Better to spare them than to have those ugly things in the way.
So better NO choice than an ugly compromise.

Also, the trackpoints of other vendors are not that bad.
Sure, they cannot reach the thinkpads, but also the Dell and Toshiba implementations are still better than touchpads.

 

The default settings on trackpoints make it hard to use.
Disabling "enhance pointer precision" and setting a higher sensitivity
in Control Panel -> mouse settings
makes it so easy to use. I been using trackpoints for 8 years now, and
I would never consider buying a laptop without one.

 

Amen to that!!! Trackpoint is the top reason why I only been using Thinkpad, from 600x to T23 to T42 to T60 Go to Mouse setting, select UltraNAV tab, disable TouchPad, go to TrackPoint setting and adjust to LightTouch sensitivity. Works like a charm!!!

 

You can have a full-sized keyboard AND a touchpad. See HP's 2510p/2530p and Dell's E4200/D430. They offer both options, which is why I don't understand why Lenovo has to skimp on this.

 

Once you increase the sensitivity of the trackpoint to maximum, the stick's going to feel much easier to move around with or to press on. You have to install the synaptics utility though.

 

I'm gonna join everybody else here - the X200 is my first laptop that has a trackpoint. I've had it for a few weeks now, and as I use my old Dell laptop right now (my x200 is on my desk undergoing a clean install after buying a new HD!) I'm having trouble using the touchpad.. Trackpoint is way superior after you get used to it. It did take a few days to get used to it though.

 

Its a matter of individual preference. I love my touchpad, and use it all the time, while never using the trackpoint. I have no irrational fear of using the latter, but simply prefer using the touchpad.

 

That's just the proof that it isn't possible.
The touchpad on the 2510p is way too small, and the keyboard is not full-sized, it's just crippled.
No distance between Esc, F1-F12 and the numberkeys, F-keys too small, all other function keys in the same row without distance. Totally unusable.

 

It may be more accurate, but nothing beats trackpoint for convenience. Having to move my right hand to a mouse just to click something isn't efficient.

I like the 2510p, but looking at pictures of it the keyboard keys are much smaller. Look at the PgUp and PgDn keys on the HP notebook. They are situated in the most unintuitive position on the keyboard. My X61 does not have the space to put a touchpad, not even the small touchpad that the 2510p has.

 

The x200s is my first computer with a trackpoint and I've had it for 3 days now. Mostly I think I am adjusting well to the trackpoint. Two minor points:

1. I feel like the trackpoint and the buttons are too close together, I would like the buttons to be 1/2 inch lower.

2. The tip of my finger is getting sore, I hope I build up a callus soon

 

I'll chime as well as preferring the Trackpoint over a touchpad. The efficiency of space by using a Trackpoint over a touchpad (of any sort) makes me wonder why Lenovo didn't put it into their IdeaPad S10, instead of the dinky little touchpad that's there.

 

You probably will develop a bit of a callus, but after several hours of use the trackpoint will make your finger hurt a little bit. You may want to try one of the other caps (you should have got 3 of them). I like the classic dome (sandpaper texture) because it has the best grip, but it can be fatiguing. For long sessions you may want to try the soft rim (concave shape) as it should be easier on your fingers.

 

I think all Thinkpads have trackpoints, not just X-Series.

 

That is true, although the X-Series is unique in having ONLY a Trackpoint (x300/x301 excepted)

 

Good call, thanks...that is nicer. I guess it will be a while before I graduate to one of the 'advanced' caps.

 

First thing I did when I got my T400 was disable the touchpad. Trackpoints rock.

 

I kinda wish the X30x series has no touchpad. I know I can disable them, but they really are ugly. The other X-series are beautiful.

 

I agree, I prefer using Trackpoints to Touchpad as I find it more easier to use and less strenuous. I use to have a Toshiba Satellite Pro A120SE with touchpad and it drove me mad when it doesn't respond at all and gets the odd movement when you type documents which is frustrating. Went back to Thinkpads with my R61e and i'm loving it, no problems at all. I'm a Thinkpad user for life now after my past experiences.

 

I'm a TrackPoint-only fan too!

IMHO the TrackPoint + TouchPad = UltraNav setups are inelegant. Especially if you are using the TrackPoint exclusively. That's a large chunk of dead TouchPad hardware sitting at the front of the keyboard.

I even have TrackPoint-only keyboards on my desktops (six computers, and I don't own a mouse or a TouchPad). I use the minimalist IBM Space Saver II keyboard, beloved by data centers. It's no longer made. I used to be able to pick them up for $20 on eBay, but prices have more than doubled in the last year.

 

After 6 days of TrackPoint use I am almost completely adjusted and quite happy. I had only used TouchPads in the past.

If you are considering an x200 but worry about not having a TouchPad, my experience is that the TrackPoint works fine.

My favorite bit is actually the scroll button, I find myself using it constantly. I don't feel the need to use PgUp/PdDn nearly as much as I used to when I had a TouchPad.

 

Not a huge fan of the trackpoint. I still prefer the mouse over either trackpoint or touchpad. My main gripe with the trackpoint is how easy it is to get dirty and gross. After a week's constant use, my trackpoint is no longer red, but covered with a layer of dirt. It seems unsanitary, I use the hard sandy nub.

Maybe I need to wash my hands more.

 

I have tried to get used to trackpoint, but I still feel touchpad is much more comfortable. Some people say they like trackpoint because they don't need to lift their fingers, but I think that's actually a disadvantage: you have to keep your finger on it all the time with no time to relax: you simply can't leave it for a moment to take a breath! With touchpad, I feel very relaxed, my hands are free to move around; with trackpoint, I have to keep my finger at the same spot all the time and am constantly on my nerve.

 

Are you being sarcastic? lol

 

Lol one thing I wish my MBP has is a trackpoint. When I had my X61 Tablet I loved the trackpoint.