• @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      1411 months ago

      It makes shopping for laptops either super-easy or super-hard.

      I can either get a Thinkpad, or try to find the one or two HP and Dell business laptops with one… and we all know how it ends (looks at stack of X230t, E585, and new L13)

      • DarkThoughts
        link
        fedilink
        711 months ago

        It’s already hard for me because I personally prefer the US layout, while living in Germany, and most laptops seem to be only available with the German keyboard layouts. And Lenovo has kinda gone to shit after the Chinese takeover too. I just wish the nub would be more common, and not just for business models.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          8
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          Lenovo starts up in China actually, so there is no “Chinese takeover”. By that term you could mean IBM sold their personal computer business(ThinkPad, etc.) to Lenovo.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        2
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        It is going to be harder and harder in a few years. They already worsened the keyboard and made trackpoint buttons flat like dell ones so we’ll all eventually switch back to trackpads or mouses I guess. Too nieche product honestly so I get it but kinda sad :(

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          111 months ago

          OTOH, it is a very effective product distinguisher. They don’t have to deal with the “Apple makes the best touchpad” meme by offering something else.

  • Liz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    411 months ago

    While not necessary, I do find that mouse can have some niche application, like clicking while smoothly scrolling.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    1911 months ago

    They were great back in the day when trackpads were shite and the option was a tiny trackball on your laptop.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      2111 months ago

      TIL

      A pointing stick (or trackpoint, also referred to generically as a nub or nipple) is a small analog stick used as a pointing device typically mounted centrally in a computer keyboard.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    17611 months ago

    Never figured out how to properly use these. I just find it very akward to put my tongue that close to my keyboard.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    3411 months ago

    Sir, if you keep licking the pointing sticks on our laptops we will have to ask you to leave the store

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    711 months ago

    Honey, where’s your F2 button? I gotta get to the bios to start installing Linux. You’ll really enjoy it!

  • Jesus
    link
    fedilink
    7411 months ago

    I used to have a friend that did R&D at IBM back in the day. Apparently there was a double nubbin version that they considered at one point.

      • Jesus
        link
        fedilink
        9011 months ago

        I never actually asked. We just made nipple jokes for 5 minutes.

        If I were to guess, it was either a left and right side thing for left and right handed people, or a dual stick for 3 axis control.

        • Captain Aggravated
          link
          fedilink
          English
          311 months ago

          Lefty here, the position of the nipple between the GHB keys is pretty convenient to reach with the left hand as well. I do know they made some mice that had a nipple instead of a scroll wheel which would allow for two-axis scrolling, so perhaps you’d assign one for document scrolling and one for cursor control.

          • Jesus
            link
            fedilink
            211 months ago

            We we talking about the early physical prototypes they were making. And when you do that type of R&D, you try lots of weird stuff. You don’t know if it feels good until you try it.

            Could’ve been for handedness, then when they played with the prototypes, they realized the middle was the best solution.

            Or maybe it felt great, and the nipple jokes were too much.