Trackpoint

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Trackpoint on an IBM keyboard
Detailed view: back of a trackpoint with the strain gauges (size: 8 × 8 mm)
Trackpoint (top left) in a ThinkPad

The TrackPoint is a kind of small joystick that is embedded in the middle of a keyboard (always between the G, H and B keys) and takes on the function of a mouse . It was invented in 1984 by IBM scientist Ted Selker . The characteristic red color of the trackpoint on the IBM and Lenovo devices is an idea of ​​the German industrial designer Richard Sapper .

The way it works is similar to that of a joystick : the harder you push it in one direction, the faster the mouse pointer moves in that direction. Unlike a joystick, the trackpoint hardly moves. Its function is based on the measurement of the force exerted on it by means of strain gauges , which are then elastically deformed. A constant voltage is applied to them, and the resulting change in current is converted into a digital signal by a downstream integrated circuit .

TrackPoints are used in notebooks, for example . The advantages of a TrackPoint compared to a touchpad are that you don't have to take your fingers off the keyboard to control the mouse pointer and that the finger always remains in the same position: unlike the touchpad, the finger does not have to be moved around, constantly lifted and then put back on when the mouse is moved. In contrast to touchscreens, TrackPoints can also be operated with gloves without any problems.

The name “ TrackPoint ”, originally a brand name of IBM, has since been transferred to Lenovo . Other manufacturers use names such as “ Accupoint ” ( Toshiba ), “ Pointing Stick ” ( Hewlett-Packard ), “ SensePoint ” ( Asus ), “ TouchStyk ” ( Synaptics ) or generally “ Trackstick ” or “ Pointstick ” for comparable solutions .

For a long time, IBM only used TrackPoints in its ThinkPad series, while other manufacturers offered a combination of touchpad and TrackPoint or relied exclusively on touchpads. The name UltraNav stands for Lenovo ThinkPads with TrackPoint and a special touchpad.

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