Why Touchpad???

I absolutely hated my TouchPad until I downloaded update drivers that allowed me to greatly magnify or exagerate the speed of the pointer.

Before the updated drivers I absolutely hated using it. To traverse the screen would take at least 3 or four swipes. Very annoying.

Now, I don't have any problem using the TouchPad although I probably wouldn't use it for games (but I probably wouldn't a FPS game with a TrackPoint either, I never tried a TrackPoint for games though so who knows maybe they are ok).

The way you've described it it actually doesn't sound too bad, especially if you're in bed. Plus, u don't have to recorrect typing errors because your palm accidently grazed the touchpad, thats really my biggest annoyance w/ pads. The constant retyping.

Hopefully, someone who can do something about it can hear your plight and promote more trackpoints. Maybe IBM charges a royalty fee for licensing TrackPoint? who knows.

Check this thread:
http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=84290

I think it has to do with mainstream users (i.e. 99% office apps & basic internet). A trackpad is easier to get used to than a clit-nub in the short term. While I agree that a clit-nub is more accurate than the track pad once you get teh hang of it, I definately prefer an external mouse anyday.

to me it doesn't matter. if anything i use an external mouse most of the time anway. i own a laptop with a touchpad (uniwill 258kao) and it works well for when i am not in a position to use a mouse, and i also own a Thinkpad T23, the eraserhead works just as well too.

These are basically strain gauges with a litlle stick on them, so no IBM won't have any type of royalty fees, especially since you can buy the mechanism yourself (http://www.eepn.com/Locator/Products...031/24031.html).

How good are you at modding & electronics? you can buy the mechanism and try to rig it or make an external pointing pad to lay on your keyboard.

I use an external mouse in bed or onb the couch all the time. I just use a thin plastic cutting board under the mouse pad. Fortunatly my GF sleeps on the left and I'm right handed so it works out.

Check that other thread I linked you in an earlier post. There were a buch of responses of laptops that do use the clit-nub or the clit-nub and track pad.

I hear you on the German keyboards. My parents live there and everytime I'm there, if I sit down on my dads PC I almost have to stare at the keyboard in order to find the letters and write an email. I was going to remind you that you can switcht he keyboards in laptops for ones in different languages. That way you could get a German one with a clit-nub and get an english KB, but then I remembered how insanley expensive they are there.

1) Market studies shows the the majority of the population actually prefer the pad. The percentage that likes the pointer system are older users of notebooks and were introduced to notebooks through work. With the number of average consumers purchasing notebooks for the first time out-pacing corporate sales, notebook manufacutures go with touch pads.

2) While the costs are small (to us, a single consumer), there is a cost difference and every PENNY/Dollar counts in the ever shrinking notebook market margins.

3) Longevity. Point style systems have a higher perpensity to break down over time and/or malfunciton.

Igorrr...

Are you slagging my post? I take it you think I am small minded? I was simply stating facts of the industry and not trying to dumb it down for anyone...nor was I trying to put my posts and info above anyone.

Today's notebook market (CONSUMER) is currently about NEW users. The world wide growth in notebooks is attributed to NEW users. That does not mean that companies should ignore existing customers.

I have been in the notebook business (product marketing) for 6 years now, so I speak from experience.

I think the 39 degree celcius heat sorta got to me...now that I look at my response. I appologize.

You are correct....it is money driven fuction, but there is always a line to be drawn.

The nature of the notebook market for the largest growing portion of the NB market is the SUB $999 USD catagory. This is where market studies are focused and where you see less "innovations" and more "removal of technology.

The reason being is that this portion of the market/consumers are more conserned with price point (DELL has driven this portion of the equation...THAT IS NOT A SHOT AT DELL) then features that "veteran" notebook users are accustom to.

Yes... there are now more first time users than exsisting notebooks. This eclipse happened about 1 year ago (i could be off my a quarter or two).

However, not to be left out...veteran users still make a good portion of the market, but tend to buy at the $999+ USD portion of the market if not higher.

There is actually less brand loyality in the 30 and younger catagory than the 31+ market. Older consumers have more brand loyality than the younger catagory. the 30 and under are more consciensious of features and specs (for those that are not concerned with price point).

And yes...unfortunately the the virgins are the fastest growing and they are the most important to an OEM.

In about 5 years....do not be surprised to see many laptop manufacturers EXIT this business. Remember back when Desktops were HOT...think about how many desktop companies have disappeared.

I am a believer that market share strength is the only way to successfully hold a technology/consumer electronic company in business.

I think I wrote in another post that all this DRIVE for cheap PRICED notebooks will soon backfire. When I look at a notebook that was made 3 years ago...and look at the ones now... it is sad change.

Notebooks just took the top spot over desktops in the last quarter in which results have been reported. It's not that the PC market is growing, as much as it is that more desktop users are replacing their existing systems with notebooks. I think it's a trend that can be tied into two factors:

1. The widespread adoption of wireless internet, meaning you can now go online at everywhere from the local library to Starbucks to even Burger King (at least you can here). Partly due to the relative novelty of WiFi, but also due the increased pressure to become mobile in many jobs, this had contributed to many people deciding to buy laptops instead of a notebook. Just to give you an idea of how big a draw WiFi is, Carnival Cruises just spent about a million dollars to outfit one of its new liners with a WiFi setup that literally covers every square inch of the boat. They charge 25 cents a minute, but it is estimated that they will bring in a considerable amount of additional revenue by offering this service.

2. There has been a trend in many markets over the last several years to make products smaller and more efficient. You can see this in the growth of the LCD/Plasma/DLP television market. People are starting to move away from the
"bigger is better" mindset, and don't mind paying a premium for a LCD or plasma TV that is thinner, lighter, and more versatile than a projection unit. This same mindset is carrying over into everything from cellphones to PDA's, digital cameras, and the PC market. Even Apple has followed this trend with the release of the Mac Mini.

I'm not saying that these are the two biggest factors in the growth of the notebook sector, nor am I implying that these are the only factors. But I do believe that if you look at these two trends and compare them to the growth in the mobile market, you will see a definitive correlation.

YP5 is right in that the bulk of the growth in notebooks is in the sub-$1000 range. Many of these customers are the ones who were first to jump on the sub-$500 desktops when manufacturers started offering base systems. But there's a significant segment of the "newly mobile" market (my term) that are first-time PC owners. Unfortunately, YP5 is also correct in that the entry-level notebooks of 2005 are not as high quality as the 2002 models. That's a byproduct of this push by the manufacturers to compete in this lower range, which necessitates low margins and a consequent need to sell more units. Ironically, if you were to look at the sub-$500 desktops of today and compare them to the units sold in 2002, you'd see that the newer models are much better in terms of quality & reliability.