TrackPoint

TrackPoint The TrackPoint was IBM's name, now Lenovo's, for the stick that sits between the g, h and b keys of the keyboard. It is used as a PS/2 pointing device and hence as an alternative to an external mouse or a touchpad. What sets it apart from devices found in notebooks of other manufacturers is that it has no moving parts. It works by using a solid state strain gauge. Its tap-to-click feature, which means that you can tap the stick to do a left click instead of using the left mouse button, is also handy.

Overview

The TrackPoint has gone through four known minor revisions: TrackPoint, TrackPoint II, TrackPoint III, and TrackPoint IV.

The original TrackPoint was not actually a pointing stick as it is supposedly named. Instead, it was just an average trackball painted in red. The second revision of the TrackPoint 'fixes' this minor oversight, and is now finally a pointing stick with a red cap.

The third revision of the TrackPoint was notable for adding a feature called 'negative inertia', which essentially counter-acts against the 'positive inertia' caused by the force applied onto the solid-state strain gauge. This was to increase the accuracy of the previous TrackPoint as it was occasionally over-exaggerating the amount of force applied to it, making it inaccurate/too fast or difficult to use.

The fourth revision of the TrackPoint adds a feature called 'press-to-select', which is implemented by using a virtual Z-axis. This feature allows the TrackPoint to emulate a mouse's left button.

Configuration and Customization

See How to configure the TrackPoint for more information.

Hardware-wise, the TrackPoint (II, III, and IV) has only one form of customization, which is the red-colored cap that sits on top of the TrackPoint. There are four types of caps that can be fitted on: Eraser Head, Classic Dome, Soft Dome, and Soft Rim. As of today, only the Soft Dome cap can be brought from Lenovo. Note that it comes in standard profile, low profile, and super-low profile heights.

The TrackPoint II and TrackPoint III revisions did not come with the Soft Dome or with the Soft Rim cap pre-installed. However, the said caps can be fitted onto these TrackPoint revisions, as long as they are not a low-profile or a super-low profile variant. Only the TrackPoint IV revision accepts low-profile or super-low profile caps, but it also depends on your ThinkPad's keyboard, as not all keyboards implementing the TrackPoint IV uses low-profile or super-low profile caps. Some models use standard profile caps, at least on most of the older models with the TrackPoint IV.

External Sources

• IBM's page on configuring the third TrackPoint button under Linux (Note -- link was dead on 2 Dec 2007, replaced with Wayback link)
• Thinkpad Scroll Daemon Use the middle mouse button on a Trackpoint keyboard for scrolling in Linux.
• TrackPoint Science Gets raw force data from the TrackPoint.

Models featuring this technology

TrackPoint

• 220

TrackPoint II

• 350, 350C, 355, 355CS, 355C
• 360, 360CS, 360C, 360P, 360CSE, 360CE, 360PE
• 370C
• 500, 510CS
• 555BJ
• 720, 720C
• 700, 700C
• 750, 750CS, 750C, 750P
• 755CS, 755C

TrackPoint III

• 310, 310D, 310E, 310ED
• 345CS, 345C
• 365CS, 365C, 365CSD, 365CD, 365E, 365ED, 365X, 365XD
• 380, 380D, 380E, 380ED, 380XD, 385D, 385ED, 385XD
• 535, 535E, 535X
• 560, 560E, 560X
• 701C, 701CS
• 755CSE, 755CE, 755CX, 755CV, 755CD, 755CDV
• 760L, 760LD, 760C, 760CD, 760EL, 760ELD, 760E, 760ED, 760XL, 760XD, 765L, 765D
• 820, 850, 860
• PC110

TrackPoint IV

• i Series 1124, i Series 1157, i Series 1200, i Series 1210, i Series 1230, i Series 1250, i Series 1260, i Series 1300, i Series 1330, i Series 1370, i Series 1400, i Series 1410, i Series 1411, i Series 1412, i Series 1420, i Series 1421, i Series 1422, i Series 1441, i Series 1442, i Series 1450, i Series 1451, i Series 1452, i Series 1460, i Series 1472, i Series 1480, i Series 1482, i Series 1483, i Series 1492, i Series 1500, i Series 1512, i Series 1540, i Series 1541, i Series 1542, i Series 1552, i Series 1560, i Series 1562, i Series 1592, i Series 1620, i Series 1700, i Series 1720, i Series 1721, i Series 1780, i Series 1781, i Series 1800
• 130
• 240, 240X, 240Z
• 380Z, 390, 390E, 390X
• 560Z, 570, 570E
• 600, 600E, 600X
• 770, 770E, 770ED, 770X, 770Z
• P1, Template:P1 G2, P14s, P16s, Template:P43s, Template:P50, Template:P50s, Template:P51, Template:P51s, P52, Template:P52s, Template:P53, Template:P53s, Template:P70, Template:P71, Template:P72, Template:P73
• W500, W510, W520, W530, W540, W541, W550s, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds
• A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p, A31, A31p, A275, A285, A475, A485
• T14, T14s, T15, T20, T21, T22, T23, T30, T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p, T43, T43p, T60, T60p, T61, T61p, T400, T400s, T410, T410i, T410s, T410si, T420, T420i, T420s, T420si, T430, T430i, T430s, T430si, T430u, T431s, T440, T440s, T440p, T450, T450s, T460, T460s, T460p, T470, T470s, T470p, T480, T480s, T490, T490s, T495, T495s, T500, T510, T510i, T520, T520i, T530, T530i, T540p, T550, T560, T570, T580, T590
• X1, X1 Carbon, X1 Carbon G2, X1 Carbon G3, X1 Carbon G4, X1 Carbon G5, X1 Carbon G6, X1 Carbon G7, X1 Carbon G8, X1 Extreme, X1 Extreme G2, X1 Hybrid, X13, X20, X21, X22, X23, X24, X30, X31, X32, X40, X41, X41 Tablet, X60, X60s, X60 Tablet, X61, X61s, X61Ls, X61 Tablet, X100e, X120e, X121e, X130e, X131e, X140e, X200, X200s, X200 Tablet, X201, X201i, X201s, X201si, X201 Tablet, X201i Tablet, X220, X220i, X220 Tablet, X220i Tablet, X230, X230i, X230s, X230 Tablet, X230i Tablet, X240, X240s, X250, X260, X270, X280, X300, X301, X390, X395
• Template:L13, Template:L14, Template:L15, Template:L380, Template:L390, L410, L412, L420, L421, L430, L440, Template:L450, Template:L460, Template:L470, Template:L480, Template:L490, L510, L512, L520, L530, L540, Template:L560, Template:L570, Template:L580, Template:L590
• Template:R14, Template:R15, R30, R31, R32, R40, R40e, R50, R50e, R50p, R51, R51e, R52, R60, R60e, R60i, R61, R61e, R61i, R400, R480, R490, R500, R580, R590
• G40, G41, G50
• Template:E14, Template:E15, Edge 11", Edge 13, Edge 14", Edge 15", Edge L330, Edge S430, Edge E120, Edge E125, Edge E130, Edge E135, Edge E145, Edge E220s, Edge E320, Edge E325, Edge E330, Edge E335, Edge E420, Edge E420s, Edge E425, Edge E430, Edge E430c, Edge E431, Edge E435, Edge E440, Edge E445, Template:E450, Template:E450c, Template:E455, Template:E460, Template:E465, Template:E470, Template:E470c, Template:E475, Template:E480, Template:E485, Template:E490, Template:E490s, Template:E495, Edge E520, Edge E525, Edge E530, Edge E530c, Edge E531, Edge E535, Edge E540, Edge E545, Template:E550, Template:E550c, Template:E555, Template:E560, Template:E560p, Template:E565, Template:E570, Template:E570c, Template:E570p, Template:E575, Template:E580, Template:E585, Template:E590, Template:E595
• Template:S1, Template:S1 G2, Template:S1 G3, Template:S2, Template:S2 G2, Template:S2 G3, Template:S2 G4, Template:S2 G5, Template:S3, Template:S5, Template:S5 G2, S30, S31, S431, S440, S440 Touch, S531, S540, S540 Touch
• SL300, SL400, SL400c, SL410, SL410k, SL500, SL500c, SL510, SL510k
• Z60m, Z60t, Z61e, Z61m, Z61p, Z61t
• Template:13, Template:13 G2
• Helix, Template:Helix G2
• TransNote
• Twist