Eventually someone may be able to design and release a keyboard with a trackpoint (and even a touchpad with buttons) on the Framework marketplace.
My assumption is that since said trackpoint and buttons aren’t very common on current laptops, this isn’t a high priority for the Framework team/company…
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Oh, for sure, this is extremely nichey.
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The thinkpad trackpoint keyboard is not some niche product. Lenovo’s thinkpad line would fail overnight if they got rid of it.
Framework would gain a lot of new customers if they offered a think-pad style keyboard. They are attracting Thinkpad users, and then showing them the door right away.
It doesn’t even need to be the 7-row old kind, as the newer island-style is quite popular still.
If the company won’t do it, then a third-party might. Either way, I won’t buy until I can use a good trackpoint keyboard with it.
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Yah, I’ve been using thinkpads for 20 years because of the trackpoint, and I can’t believe I just said 20 years.
I’ve already got this on pre-order regardless of the keyboard, it’s too much of an upgrade over my x230.
Hopefully, someone can pull off the trackpoint in 3.8 mm because it seems like there’s a long list of buyers.
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Was hanging out in Discord in ThinKeys chat. Someone suggested low-profile cherry switches, but they are 3.5mm in height. @Framework - what switches are you using in the keyboard?
And does anyone know the additional height that a keycap would add?
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+1 for the trackpoint
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@nrp I also signed up to say just this. Trackpoints are simply the better way to mouse around. They’re simply more ergonomic, requiring less hand movement than using a trackpad.
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Another disillusioned Thinkpad user here. I LOVE Trackpoint, and would love to see something like it on Framework in the future.
To be honest though, I’ve actually been a bit disappointed with Trackpoint recently because Lenovo haven’t fixed Trackpoint drift in the 10+ years they’ve owned the Thinkpad brand. It doesn’t seem like it should be a big thing to fix, so this shows that they don’t actually care about it and are probably just waiting for the day that they can get rid of it to save money. If Framework made a Trackpoint style pointer, I would expect this kind of problem to be fixed, and perhaps the actual utility of the nub or software integration to be improved.
Regarding the actual design of the pointer, I think I read somewhere that the Framework devs think the deck may be too thin for Trackpoint to fit, but I’d settle for something like a Nintendo 3DS or Sony PSP analogue nub if it was tweaked to work well for desktop use. If additional features or shortcuts were added to make it work better with modern applications that expect touchpad gestures like pinch and zoom were added it would be even better.
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- 1 for me, a trackpointer. My wife and I don’t really use trackpads, and new computer has to have a trackpoint for the purchase to happen.
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I love the concept, but Trackpoint is a must. My current employer equipped me with Dell without one and I suffer. I’m long time ThinkPad user and the only way I can personally select something else than ThinkPad is the Trackpoint (apart from 15" screen).
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Public service announcement for the thinkpad lovers out there.
So after a week, here’s what I’m missing:
- The thinklight. That’s without a doubt the biggest. Backlight doesn’t compare in usefulness.
- The arrow keys are missing the pgup/pgdown for no good reason. Like really, this one is just a weird one. No reason to not have them.
- Keys. For the separate function key rows, however, there is a function lock which turns the media keys into permanent F-keys. There is no permanent volume / mute buttons though, so it’s an extra keypress.
- There is no hardware charge/suspend indicators on the lid. Really a nice to have, but I’ve gotten used to it to know if suspend actually worked. Never was in the realm of possibility I think.
What I’m not missing:
- The keyboard doesn’t have as much depth as the X230 chiclet keyboard and obviously nothing like the X220 keyboard. However, it’s roughly the same depth as both the early 2012-2014 Macbook Pro / Macbook Air. And those were pretty good keyboards.
- The trackpoint. I thought I would really miss it, but I don’t. The trackpad is a great substitute on linux. I setup 2 finger right click and tap to click.
I’m heavily keyboard only anyway. My pet peeve with the trackpoint even after 20 years was accuracy and drift.
90% of the time I’m typing. So the tradeoff for me was that that once in a while, not very often for me, my hands need to move off the keyboard, but in return, I get a much more accurate action for something like copy and paste.
10% of the time, I’m browsing the web. If I don’t want to use the key shortcuts, the trackpad is great.
Hope that helps.
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I’ve tried life without a Trackpoint before (when my employer issued me a Macbook Pro) and have determined it’s not worth living (I have a Lenovo USB keyboard velcroed to the macbook!). If there’s any sort of upvote or me-too or other means by which this can be promoted among the Framework folks to hopefully see it happen, count me in.
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Another vote, or plea, for a keyboard with trackpoint.
My Thinkpad W520 (circa 2010) is still my daily laptop, thanks in large part to its lovely 7-row, non-chiclet keyboard with trackpoint. And its replaceable components has allowed me to keep it reasonably current, performance-wise. In terms of modularity and keyboard, nothing since has really captured my fancy. Until framework.
I think that framework has stated that a trackpoint is not likely in the current (and only) model, because the thickness of the chassis won’t quite allow for it. Speaking for myself, I would gladly trade a few mms of thickness and a few milligrams of weight for a framework laptop with a thinkpad-like keyboard with trackpoint and good key travel.
Perhaps we’ll see this in a 15-inch model in the near future? Consider this a vote for same.
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As a Thinkpad user, since the 700C was released, Trackpoint is a must too. I did purchase one, but I wanted/needed a machine with four thunderbolt ports.
If I were to buy one for everyday use, it would have to have a good Trackpoint, backlit keyboard, and enough battery for a 5-hour cross country flight. (and black, as God intended quality notebooks to be)
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I will instantly purchase this laptop if a trackpoint is announced.
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I just made an account to post that this is literally my perfect laptop except that it’s basically unusable to me because it doesn’t have a TrackPoint (pointing stick) option. Maybe it sounds crazy, but for me to maintain my current productivity I absolutely need this hardware. I’d even prefer if you leave off the touchpad entirely and just have three mouse buttons for thumb use, but that’s probably just me. I am just salivating over here desperately hoping you will announce a keyboard with a trackpoint. I won’t even wait, I’ll just buy the laptop when that’s announced then get the keyboard separately whenever it’s available. I’m literally begging you!
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I wish to mod the keyboard with a track point, just waiting on a response to what interface the keyboard uses to figure out how I would mod it.
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