It doesn’t necessarily have to be directly below the keyboard: some trackpoint assemblies use a flat connector (Kapton,I think?) Between the sensor and the PCB, allowing the PCB to be located elsewhere. You still need room somewhere in the case for that PCB, but it doesn’t have to be directly below the keyboard.
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That chart and that picture are both from the website of a person named Saoto Tsuchiya. He runs an Etsy store called SaotoTech where he sells aftermarket 3D-printed TrackPoint caps, and has released CAD data for the “soft rim” (concave) version of the “Super Low Profile” (4mm) TrackPoint cap.
I prefer SaotoTech’s aftermarket TrackPoint caps to Lenovo’s TrackPoint caps. This is because Lenovo only offers TrackPoint caps in the “soft dome” (convex) shape, and no longer offers the “soft rim” shape. The “soft rim” shape requires less force to manipulate the cursor, which in my opinion, makes it more comfortable to use. Here is a visual comparison of the TrackPoint cap shapes.
The existence of these aftermarket caps is proof that nobody needs to depend on Lenovo parts to implement a pointing stick.
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How about using old thinkpad’s keyboard module?
I’m designing for X40 series and X60 series.
And they’re available yet and have good trackpoint module
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I’m looking into this now, too; I’ve ordered a Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 10 keyboard for investigation (measuring, pinout hacking, etc). I’ve chosen to discuss the hardware details over in Thinkpad keyboard mod (supper early stages)! in the hopes of combining efforts.
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Hello! just created an account to be ready to order as soon as there is a reasonable trackpoint solution with pointer within GHB and 3 buttons below the spacebar. just in case someone is counting, a good framework trackpoint solution would cause the exchange of a whole fleet here as well. 
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For me… more like 10+ years, before that I mostly used mice because the touchpad was a huge pain in the ass which I detested.
In any case, this is a good idea for a feature.
Before the 10+ years, I didn’t have a trackpoint nor did I use lenovo thinkpads much.
Such a pity too… lol.
It’s looking pretty promising over in Thinkpad keyboard mod (super early stages)! with no blockers identified so far, but of course it’s impossible to be certain until laptops ship. Most likely it’s going to be a bit of a DIY project, at least initially.
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If somebody, whether it be framework or a third party or a hobbyist, makes it possible to put a 7 row thinkpad keyboard on a framework laptop (bonus points for spill resistance), I would tell them to shut up and take my money.
Do I think Framework should sink their company trying to make this happen? No.
Do I hate Framework, a small startup, for not accommodating my own challenging niche? No.
All I’m saying is that the trackpoint is pretty much the ONLY reason I’m still using a thinkpad instead of a framework, and given that the type of person who uses a thinkpad probably tends to be the type of person who aligns with framework’s goal for a modular and repairable laptop, I’m probably not the only one.
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Dito.
I also do a tonne of coding, and having to move my hand to the mouse and back every time I need to move the cursor is agony compared to a trackpoint.
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Please, reverse the way you look at this issue. This is not about how Trackpoint is popular, this is about how touchpad is unpopular. Consider: how many people are actually using touchpad at work? Or do they just use a mouse?
Touchpad is fundamentally flawed:
- it’s not precise enough to select text
- it doesn’t allow to move and click at the same time
- it has do deal with palm rejection, and to this day it doesn’t work. People just keep their hands in the air while typing, then wait for touchpad to reactivate. This is an unacceptable mess.
Framework is amazing, I was even considering to start using a mouse, but since I started to work away from my desk, this is not an option anymore.
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Ever since we took Human Computer Interaction (HCI) course in the late 90s which illustrated how well known the trackpoint is for being more efficient, we’ve been trackpoint believers. The touchpad however is better for folks who are not power users (the majority) due to being easier to adopt. Anyway, we would love to see a trackpoint option for Framework 16. Many of our professional friends have expressed that they have not purchased a Framework for specifically this reason. Hopefully the trackpoint keyboard mod goes ahead.
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in your experience maybe 
I just selected your text to quote it without issue.
I can easily move and click at the same time e.g. click drag.
I used to use the palm rejection, which was fine, but now find it just as comfortable to rest my outside plams either side of the touch pad while typing, so tunred it off.
At the end of the day, the community might make a replacement top shell and keyboard, but FW’s whole thing is you can swap out the guts and keep the I/O, and adding multiple keyboard SKU, in N different layouts would be a massive burdan on them so I can’t see it happening.
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This answer very much resembles “You’re holding it wrong”.
Le^s settle that there are a certain number of people who prefer one over the other,
and that for people who would like to use a trackpoint a framework nb without one is currently not an option.
In the mean time, I place my hopes on the trackpoint keyboard mod, too.
Best regards, MT
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That we can agree on
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Been using Thinkpads for 20+ years and the trackpoint is pretty much engrained in muscle memory. Even bought mechanical keyboards with the trackpoint. I was going to wait until there was a trackpoint, but I’m glad I didn’t.
In my 2.7 years experience with Framework, the touchpad:
- Moves more precisely than the trackpoint. It is much easier to select text.
- The right and left physical push to click is difficult to use. However, I use tap to click and it works with no issues.
- Middle-button emulation works with 3 fingers.
- Right-button emulation works with 2 fingers.
- Palm rejection isn’t an issue. I have no idea how anyone could actually place their palms on the trackpad while typing? Seems like a way to hurt your wrists?
It does take a bit of getting used to though.
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As of late March I am a proud owner of a framework 16 laptop. It has taken the place of my primary workstation and I plan to gradually replace the laptops of friends and family with this over the upcoming years.
That said, a touchpad (even one as good as what the fw16 has) will never quite cut it for my workflow. I eagerly await, cash in hand, for the day that I can purchase a keyboard and palmrest input module for this magnificent laptop that contains a trackpoint and 3 physical buttons to make it perfect.
Until then, I will continue to use an external keyboard with a trackpoint.
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Some clarifications to my points:
- We will not settle here which way is more precise or efficient, this is why my point was an observation, that Trackpoint users don’t carry mouse, while lots of touchpad users do - this says a lot.
- Touchpad doesn’t allow to click and move and the same time INDEPENDENTLY. Best example to illustrate this: try to play FPS game with a touchpad. Real world example: opening multiple links one by one.
- This may be language barrier issue: it’s not my palms resting on a touchpad, it’s bottoms of my thumbs hovering over and triggering random pointer movements.
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