Perfect if you don't like using the mouse
Written: May 08 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Your hands stay on the keyboard!
Cons: Expensive! Only two mouse buttons
The Bottom Line: If you don't like moving your hand away from the keyboard, this keyboard is perfect for you!
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| MooRogue's Full Review: IBM 104-key TrackPoint Keyboard |
I'm one of those people who like to use the keyboard for everything... alt-tab to switch between applications, alt, then the arrow keys to select menu items, tab to move between boxes in forms, etc. Hence, I rarely use the mouse, if ever. Web surfing it about the only time a mouse gets seriously used, but even then, i hate having to move my hand away from the keyboard in order to move the cursor.
The IBM TrackPoint keyboard is the perfect keyboard for me. The eraser-head style pointer is located in the middle of the keyboard, between the G, H and B keys, usable by either hand. Since my hands do not need to move away from the keyboard to use the mouse, I am able to work more efficiently, and type faster. If you've ever used an IBM Thinkpad, or other laptop that has an eraser head like Fujitsu, or certain Dell laptops, this mouse feels just like that.
The keyboard itself is nice and heavy. It feels solid, unlike the generic OEM keyboard that feels fragile. The keys give a nice amount of pressure, slightly more then the membrane keyboards that IBM bundles with it's Intellistations, but not as hard as the old IBM 'clicky' keyboards. The key press itself isn't too loud, but isn't as quiet as the other keyboard, about as noisy as a Microsoft Natural keyboard. It's definately quieter then the old IBM 'clicky' keyboards.
The keyboard does not have any egronomic features. It's not split, curved or anything, just your standard 104-key layout. In fact, because of the Trackpoint, you may have to adjust your wrist rest because your fingers will be raised higher in order to use the point. I've found that i need a higher wrist rest to feel comfortable using this keyboard for extended periods of time. If you actually need a egronomic keyboard for health reasons, then please don't buy this keyboard.
The Trackpoint only comes with two buttons. There is software that comes with the keyboard that allows you to configure the 'shift' button to switch the Trackpoint over to a 'scroll' mode, but i decided not to install it as I was using the keyboard on a KVM switch with multiple computers. Unfortunately, if you're used to having multi-button mice like the Logitech MouseMan Wheel, or the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer, it might take a bit of time to get used to only having two buttons again.
The keyboard does come with another PS2 port for a second external mouse, just in case you don't want to use the Trackpoint. This helps to ease the transition so you don't have to be forced to use the Trackpoint immediately. However, I've found problems getting more then the basic two mouse buttons to work correctly when connected to the keyboard's PS2 port. The wheel on my MouseMan Wheel did not work at all.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 160
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Epinions.com ID:
MooRogue
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Location: SF Bay Area, California
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 4 members
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