[ltp] Trackpoints, touchpad, and human aging

[Keith Lofstrom]

The Thinkpad model discussion is useful!  I'll suggest
a hacker's Frankenpad alternative in my next email.

Trackpoint vs touchpad;  touchpads are OK if you are under
50 and don't have cerebral palsy or Parkinson's tremor.

When Donald Knuth wanted to briefly borrow a laptop at
a conference a few years ago, he chose my T60 with a
trackpoint (and a 2048x1536 screen upgrade hack).

Some of us are well over 50 (my first computer was an
IBM 1130 fed by punch cards), and have lost precision 3D
spatial control of our hands and fingers.  A ball mouse
on a wide mousepad is still the best.  The trackpoint is
almost as good, if you frequently replace the worn caps.

For me, touchpads are a nightmare; too many false
"clicks" from my vertically jittering hands.  Useless;
I disable them.  Something to consider when purchasing
laptops.  A future risk for us if some marketing moron at
Lenovo decides to replace the trackpoint with something
"modern and stylish", that is, cheap and useless.

So - store a supply of Thinkpads with trackpoints for
old age.  Swap parts when they fail, until you do.

I hope all of you make it past 50, and avoid the COVID
plague ... like the plague.  I hope Dr. Knuth makes it
past 100, so you can meet him too.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com