No, just because Lenovo has been abandoning the features that made some of us ThinkPad proponents doesn’t mean there isn’t a real market for them.
Frankly, I’m unlikely to buy another ThinkPad; the last generation made the trackpoint shockingly fragile, while it used to be practically unbreakable. Lenovo has also been soldering RAM and doing other shite that Framework, and enthusiasm for it, is a direct counterpoint to.
That is idiotic. So many laptop creators coreboot especially, don’t have that, trackpoint, as an option. And that is hugely frustrating, because touchpad is very annoying.
Trackpoint is very easy however to control.
I’d settle for real buttons on the trackpad…
as of now I will only advise purchase of laptops that have real buttons.
An issue with track points: the mouse buttons have to go above the trackpad. so we would probably have to have a custom trackpad with it too.
We may want to try to get a high quality trackpad that has haptic click instead of movement, and has really really thin spots for buttons above and below.
My buttons do not need to be big.
I would propose about .5mm x 5mm, a line of domes around the edge of the trackpad that can be accessed when someone puts the little piece of plastic in the gap between the pad and the holder. Then the buttons can be mapped to whatever the user wants.
If the person wants a big left click button, then map 3 or 4 of the buttons to the left click.
(the trackpad with buttons or at least buttons – is a requirement for the trackpoint)
Trackpads can be mounted upside down. no need for special trackpad to get buttons on top.
Would be nice if we could have a trackpoint on this computer soon. Touchpads are crap lol. too finicky.
I never really liked trackpads all that much, and the only similar product to the Framework 13 that has a trackpoint (the thing I want and use) is the NUC P14E, which is basically unobtanium and based on outdated hardware.
I personally think a lot of people would appreciate a trackpoint option, that’s really one of the main things the framework lacks imo.
Another suggestion, the “up and down mashed between left and right” arrow key layout is downright ASININE, will there be a top case revision that resolves this?
I think the main problem here is really that this would double the number of top covers they have to design and manufacture, and I think it’s a lot more different to the current top covers than the two layouts (ANSI vs. ISO) are from each other. You’d have to redesign most of the keyboard to accommodate the trackpoint. Their priorities right now are clearly just expanding their portfolio into many more segments instead of diversifying the 13 or 16 models. That’s also why we still don’t have a touchscreen for the 13, despite the connector being capable of it and people having hacked it up without problems. It’s a lot simpler than the trackpoint, and yet they’re choosing not to do it and working on two entirely new product lines instead. Obvious priorities.
It seems to be the screen ratio of the FWL13. As far as I’ve seen, no one has found a suitable touchscreen. At some point FW might pay to have one made, but it could be just more expensive than they feel it’s worth at this time.
For the FWL12 I believe there was a suitable off-the-shelf touchscreen just available to use.
My 9th gen X1 Carbon just died with the known motherboard issue but 9 months past extended warranty. So I decided to preorder the Framework 13. I’ll probably do the same as you and get an external keyboard for use at home. Glad to hear you love the keyboard.
Sad to not have the TrackPoint on the laptop moving forward but worth it to switch away from Lenovo finally. If Framework ever gets a keyboard with a pointing stick I’ll buy it right away.
Honestly, the external keyboard is the way to go IMO because then you can get the old 7-row keyboard
Actually you can scroll with your thumb on a trackpad. Look up edge scrolling.
You also need to reposition your hand from your keyboard to use your thumb for edge scrolling on the touchpad, so that is not an efficient alternative to using a trackpoint.
Works for me. Moves about as much as it does when I used the trackpoint. YMMV.
At least one touchscreen of the correct size exists: the one that was used in Microsoft’s 13.5" Surface Laptop until the current (7th) generation. Generations 1 through 6 had the same size display; it’s exactly the same size, aspect ratio, and resolution as the original Framework display (not the 2.8K one). Like the 2.8K display, it has rounded corners. The new Surface Laptop display is slightly larger (13.8") but the same resolution.
Whether that display is available for Framework to buy is another question. Microsoft may have had an exclusive deal on it.
I love how this thread seems to live forever…
I would be ready to pay a lot for the Thinkpad 7-row layout keyboard with trackpoint, even more without any touchpad, for the Framework 13 (or something smaller that is a classic laptop, not the convertible).
I just tried using my thumb to scroll the right edge of the touchpad. The only way to achieve a full range of motion is to rotate my elbow upward, which is extremely awkward and not nearly as comfortable as scrolling with the trackpoint.
Guess I just have a flexible thumb.
I am an avid trackpoint user and am regularly crawling the web in search of laptops with one. Creating a trackpoint keyboard for the framework 13 and 16 would lock me in with framework going forward and allow me to shed Lenovo once and for all.
Props for your thumb flexibility though!
I made an account just to like this.
likewise. i am still using a modded t430 (over 13 years old! no, i am not happy about that). it also holds 4 SSDs, which not even 18" gaming laptops are capable of today, and has an actual docking station etc… but those are minor details compared to the trackpoint, which is simply a must in a laptop for me. and when i quote “ready to pay a lot” i mean it: as long as the premium is below the 4-digits range, i’d be fine with it if it’s really solid. the young thinkpad enthusiasts of the ibm era are now in their late 30ies-50ies and have money to spend but no manufacturer seems to want their money.
Same here! I second this fully.