Laptop pointing devices, only those horrible pads nowadays?
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices? I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop? I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market. This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course) -- Chris Green
On 12-Sep-10 08:42:00, Chris G wrote:
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices?
I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop?
I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market.
This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course)
-- Chris Green
I totally share your feelings about trackpads/touchpads. The result is that I always use a standard mouse plugged into a USB port on the laptop. Much better control and no unwanted effects (unless you happen to brush over the touchpad by accident, e.g. when typing). One variety of mouse that I find very handy for laptops is the Technika (very cheap, I've found mine for about £7 in Tesco; yet they seem totally reliable). The merit of this is that the cord has a 2-way spring-loaded spool halfway along it, and initially is wrapped onto the spool, each end just poking out of its separate aperture. When you use it, you start by pulling out the two ends to the desired length. When putting it away, you give the two ends a little pull which unlocks the spool and the spring then pulls the two halves of the cord back in. You could of course also use a cordless mouse. And if you prefer trackballs then no doubt the standard variety would work on the same principles. Just plug it in (or use it cordless if it's that kind of trackball). Trackballs have the advantage that you need much less space for manoeuvre beside the laptop! Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 12-Sep-10 Time: 10:28:54 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:28:59AM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
On 12-Sep-10 08:42:00, Chris G wrote:
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices?
I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop?
I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market.
This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course)
-- Chris Green
I totally share your feelings about trackpads/touchpads. The result is that I always use a standard mouse plugged into a USB port on the laptop. Much better control and no unwanted effects (unless you happen to brush over the touchpad by accident, e.g. when typing).
One variety of mouse that I find very handy for laptops is the Technika (very cheap, I've found mine for about £7 in Tesco; yet they seem totally reliable). The merit of this is that the cord has a 2-way spring-loaded spool halfway along it, and initially is wrapped onto the spool, each end just poking out of its separate aperture. When you use it, you start by pulling out the two ends to the desired length. When putting it away, you give the two ends a little pull which unlocks the spool and the spring then pulls the two halves of the cord back in.
You could of course also use a cordless mouse. And if you prefer trackballs then no doubt the standard variety would work on the same principles. Just plug it in (or use it cordless if it's that kind of trackball). Trackballs have the advantage that you need much less space for manoeuvre beside the laptop!
I'm a trackball user everywhere, well everywhere that I can be, I used to use a Kensington one, now I have a Logitech one. However they're a bit big for portable use. I've never really fathomed out why wireless mouse/keyboards/etc make sense for portable computing, there's never space to get fr away from the computer so how does cordless help? :-) I've seen some (old) trackballs that actually clip on the side of the laptop keyboard, that makes sense to me, but I can't find a modern one. -- Chris Green
(Ted Harding) wrote:
On 12-Sep-10 08:42:00, Chris G wrote:
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices?
I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop?
I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market.
This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course)
-- Chris Green
I totally share your feelings about trackpads/touchpads. The result is that I always use a standard mouse plugged into a USB port on the laptop. Much better control and no unwanted effects (unless you happen to brush over the touchpad by accident, e.g. when typing).
I've disabled the trackpad and clicketty-by-mistake bar, and only use a mouse. If I forget to take it with me, I'm often stymied, because the Eee will often boot-up and rrefuse to work with the keyboard. It may mean several reboots before it gets the idea...
One variety of mouse that I find very handy for laptops is the Technika (very cheap, I've found mine for about £7 in Tesco; yet they seem totally reliable). The merit of this is that the cord has a 2-way spring-loaded spool halfway along it, and initially is wrapped onto the spool, each end just poking out of its separate aperture. When you use it, you start by pulling out the two ends to the desired length. When putting it away, you give the two ends a little pull which unlocks the spool and the spring then pulls the two halves of the cord back in.
I took a Targus mouse down from its hook, and the shoprietor pointed me at a Targus pooterbag - "For just another fiver, you can buy this bag, and there's the same mouse thrown in at the price." Guess... -- Tony Anson www.girolle.co.uk/
On Sun, 12 Sep 2010 20:59:02 +0100 Anthony Anson <tony.anson@girolle.co.uk> allegedly wrote:
One variety of mouse that I find very handy for laptops is the Technika (very cheap, I've found mine for about £7 in Tesco; yet they seem totally reliable). The merit of this is that the cord has a 2-way spring-loaded spool halfway along it, and initially is wrapped onto the spool, each end just poking out of its separate aperture. When you use it, you start by pulling out the two ends to the desired length. When putting it away, you give the two ends a little pull which unlocks the spool and the spring then pulls the two halves of the cord back in.
I took a Targus mouse down from its hook, and the shoprietor pointed me at a Targus pooterbag - "For just another fiver, you can buy this bag, and there's the same mouse thrown in at the price."
I use a targus (I think) with my AAO netbook. I'm not exactly sure of the make because it was a freebie from (along with a load of other useful little USB widgets in a zipper bag). But I wholeheartedly agree that a mouse is infinitely better than the awful touchpad. Hate 'em. Mick --------------------------------------------------------------------- The text file for RFC 854 contains exactly 854 lines. Do you think there is any cosmic significance in this? Douglas E Comer - Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume 1 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc854.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------
On 12 Sep 09:42, Chris G wrote:
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices?
Is this a being convinced by never using one? But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples. Personally, I really rather like my touchpad, but then I've been using it for more years than I care to remember, and the only time I miss a mouse or other pointing device is when doing anything heavy on graphics... at which point the mouse gets involved.
I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop?
Yes, they could, but the world moved on from the laptop trackball. That used to be the most common method of giving mouse style input on a laptop, unfortunately this is no longer the 80s...
I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market.
Any USB trackball should work. The world has come on, and now most USB devices just provide a HID layer and so it's plug, play.
This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course)
It's difficult to make small trackpads that aren't shit, due to the need for the ball to have a good weight for control purposes, I'd just get a desktop logitech USB one (except, actually, I'd rather use a mouse if I really have to use a pointing device...) -- Brett Parker http://www.sommitrealweird.co.uk/ PGP Fingerprint 1A9E C066 EDEE 6746 36CB BD7F 479E C24F 95C7 1D61
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29:41AM +0100, Brett Parker wrote:
On 12 Sep 09:42, Chris G wrote:
I'm considering a new laptop/netbook and, having a selection around belonging to other members of the family, I'm still convinced that the standard traackpad is a truly awful pointing device. Are there really *no* laptops/netbooks available with other pointing devices?
Is this a being convinced by never using one?
I did say that I have used several in the past few years, my wife had a Fujitsu laptop and now has a Dell laptop - shee hates the Dell trackpad too. I currently use an EEEPC (I'm using it now) nd really don't like the trackpad. I must say that dislike mice too, on my desktop at home I have a trackball rather than a mouse and I've used a trackball for years. Mice really don't do it for me.
But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple
There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples.
Personally, I really rather like my touchpad, but then I've been using it for more years than I care to remember, and the only time I miss a mouse or other pointing device is when doing anything heavy on graphics... at which point the mouse gets involved.
I have a very nice little wireless keyboard that we use with one of our computers that has a trackball in the keyboard and that works beautifully, can't manufacturers put one in a laptop?
Yes, they could, but the world moved on from the laptop trackball. That used to be the most common method of giving mouse style input on a laptop, unfortunately this is no longer the 80s...
I guess I'll have to buy a laptop and add a trackbll of some sort but even then there seem very few which are aimed at the portable market.
Any USB trackball should work. The world has come on, and now most USB devices just provide a HID layer and so it's plug, play.
This isn't *just* a rant, any pointers to useful devices would be very welcome. (Linux friendly of course)
It's difficult to make small trackpads that aren't shit, due to the need for the ball to have a good weight for control purposes, I'd just get a desktop logitech USB one (except, actually, I'd rather use a mouse if I really have to use a pointing device...)
The desktop Logitech trackball is what I currently use in preference to a mouse but it's too big for a netbbok/laptop really. I really like the trackball in our wireless keyboard and that would actually be rather easy to implement in a laptop. -- Chris Green
Chris G wrote:
I must say that dislike mice too, on my desktop at home I have a trackball rather than a mouse and I've used a trackball for years. Mice really don't do it for me.
And I can't stand trackballs... I suppose it's what you get used to. When I had a trackball on my (486 DX4) flaptop, I soon learnt to ignore it and use a mouse instead. I think you'll just have to compromise. -- Tony Anson www.girolle.co.uk/
On 12 September 2010 21:04, Anthony Anson <tony.anson@girolle.co.uk> wrote:
Chris G wrote:
I must say that dislike mice too, on my desktop at home I have a trackball rather than a mouse and I've used a trackball for years. Mice really don't do it for me.
And I can't stand trackballs...
Me to on this one horrible nasty things trackballs especially the thumb opperated ones and nipples suck (excuse the pun), but touch screens like iPads et al are the absolute worst. I quite like track pads and I find it pretty easy to swap between them and a mouse. It's different strokes for diofferent folks I surpose. Lenovo and I think Toshiba still have nipple modles and of course Dell do the trackpad and nipple combi thing where you have a choice of both which are configutrable in the bios. Alternatively notebooks with tablet adaption have the touch screen interface. Cheers, BJ
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29:41AM +0100, Brett Parker wrote:
Is this a being convinced by never using one?
To be fair, trackpads are shit. The one on my laptop is now disabled in the bios :)
But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple
There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples.
There are also some HP models with nippes if you can work out the bizarre numbering of the models and Dell offer them too in non-consumer models. Adam -- New signature required, suggestions on a post card please.
On 12 September 2010 19:45, Adam Bower <adam@thebowery.co.uk> wrote:
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29:41AM +0100, Brett Parker wrote:
Is this a being convinced by never using one?
To be fair, trackpads are shit. The one on my laptop is now disabled in the bios :)
But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple
There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples.
There are also some HP models with nippes if you can work out the bizarre numbering of the models and Dell offer them too in non-consumer models.
And Toshiba too. Even on my desktop at home I use an IBM keyboard with built-in trackpoint (a.k.a nipple). The keyboard has a built-in trackpad too, but it is ignored. Lenovo have since brought out a newer version (it has the Windows key). Tim.
On 12/09/10 19:45, Adam Bower wrote:
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29:41AM +0100, Brett Parker wrote:
Is this a being convinced by never using one?
To be fair, trackpads are shit. The one on my laptop is now disabled in the bios :)
But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple
There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples.
There are also some HP models with nippes if you can work out the bizarre numbering of the models and Dell offer them too in non-consumer models.
Adam
As do Toshiba, so in fact pretty much any of the mainstream laptop manufacturers that you *should* be looking at offer models with nipples/trackpoint. In summary Lenovo,HP,Toshiba,Fujitsu,Dell all offer them if you steer away from the consumer orientated rubbish and look towards the more businesslike ranges.
On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 10:02:46PM +0100, Wayne Stallwood wrote:
On 12/09/10 19:45, Adam Bower wrote:
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29:41AM +0100, Brett Parker wrote:
Is this a being convinced by never using one?
To be fair, trackpads are shit. The one on my laptop is now disabled in the bios :)
But never the less, the current "alternatives" to a trackpad are: * Touchscreen * Nipple
There are a number of Lenovo laptops that are available with nipples.
There are also some HP models with nippes if you can work out the bizarre numbering of the models and Dell offer them too in non-consumer models.
Adam
As do Toshiba, so in fact pretty much any of the mainstream laptop manufacturers that you *should* be looking at offer models with nipples/trackpoint.
In summary Lenovo,HP,Toshiba,Fujitsu,Dell all offer them if you steer away from the consumer orientated rubbish and look towards the more businesslike ranges.
I have just bought a Genius/Kye 350 Traveller which is a tiny little trackball intended for use with laptops, it looks good so far, I need to configure the buttons a bit but the trackball works perfectly out-of-the-box on my EEEpc. Xubuntu recognises it as a Kye 350 Traveller. They're discontinued so if anyone else wants one you need to buy it quick. I can see my wife and daughter wanting the same as they're often complaining about their trackpads. -- Chris Green
participants (9)
-
Adam Bower -
Anthony Anson -
Brett Parker -
Chris G -
John Woodard -
mick -
Ted.Harding＠manchester.ac.uk -
Tim Green -
Wayne Stallwood