TrackPoint

IBM/Lenovo 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.

Configuration

Have a look at How to configure the TrackPoint.

Models featuring this technology

TrackPoint

This rendition of the TrackPoint used a red-coloured trackball, not a pointing stick as it should be in name.

• 220

TrackPoint II

Replaced the trackball for an actual pointing stick, generally uses Classic Dome caps.

• 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

Added a feature called 'negative inertia', which was likely used to improve the accuracy of the TrackPoint. Classic Dome caps were still used as of this rendition.

• 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

Trivia: IBM did, at least once, license the TrackPoint technology to another company. PC Magazine, 1997-02-21 page 152, says about HP OmniBook 5500CS: 'The pointing stick uses the latest TrackPoint III technology from IBM.'.

TrackPoint IV

Added 'press-to-select' by using a virtual Z axis to allow the TrackPoint to perform a click, also allows customization of the TrackPoint's sensitivity. Introduced two new TrackPoint caps: Soft Dome and Soft Rim. Height reduced caps were also introduced for this rendition of the TrackPoint: Low-profile and Super low-profile.

• 130
• 240, 240X, 240Z
• 380Z, 390, 390E, 390X
• 560Z, 570, 570E
• 600, 600E, 600X
• 770, 770E, 770ED, 770X, 770Z
• 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
• A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p, A31, A31p, A275, A285, A475, A485
• W500, W510, W520, W530, W540, W541, W550s, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds
• 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
• 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: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
• SL300, SL400, SL400c, SL410, SL410k, SL500, SL500c, SL510, SL510k
• 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
• Z60m, Z60t, Z61e, Z61m, Z61p, Z61t
• G40, G41, G50
• 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
• 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
• 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:13, Template:13 G2
• TransNote
• Twist

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 for fun, or for science.