Raise your hand if the trackpoint is basically the only reason you would buy a #thinkpad these days. 🙋♂️
When does the patent expire on this thing? 🤔
@craftyguy never seriously used the trackpoint. I buying thinkpads for every reason but the trackpoint.
@fossdd yeah I used to have other reasons too, but they've been slowly killed off by Lenovo 😥
@craftyguy Same but the first Dell I got (4 years ago) also had a trackpoint. Did they need a license from Lenovo?
@nemobis woah, hmmm maybe, but I just kinda assumed it was patented. What model Dell was it?
@pavel @craftyguy HP's also. My 2007 HP Compaq nc6400 first got me "trackpoint curios" in 2009 after I managed to be able to move the cursor with it with some accuracy. It only had two mouse buttons though, which made scrolling less convenient.
There are also a few non-Lenovo mechanical keyboards with a trackpoint. I believe that it's the comparatively steep learning curve compared to touchpads or mice that hinders widespread Trackpoint adoption, not patents.