Apr 15, 2008 5:53 PM | 2 Comments

Despite all the upgrades, new CPUs, extra RAM and new screens, there's one laptop feature that hasn't gotten better with time - the trackpad. It's time to ditch them.

Notebook owners seem to fall into two camps - trackpad users, and non-trackpad users.

I'm in the latter group - I use trackpads when I have to, but I can't understand why anyone would like them. Despite what some people think, I don't think they're as fast or as comfortable as a mouse, and some notebooks force you to rest your wrist on them, causing your cursor to jump everywhere. The answer is to plug in a mouse, but that's no good on a train or bus (or when you're testing lots of different notebooks, like we do).

Usually I'd grit my teeth and put up with it, but recently I've been fortunate enough to use a few of the latest tablet notebooks on the market - and I've been pleasantly surprised by the experience.

I'd always seen tablets as clunky, awkward devices, and my experience so far using a stylus with smartphones left me less than impressed. Not so with the new Vista tablets.

For a start, the handwriting recognition works fairly well. Yes, I'm saying fairly well, because it doesn't cope with your worst handwriting scrawls. It does however keep up if you're happy to take some care with your notes.

One of the units I've been playing with is HP's new TX2000, which has an active stylus, meaning it'll detect if the pen is hovering just above the screen. HP says the screen technology is more sensitive so you don't have to press so hard - they even say it's ok to use a finger (though you won't get far in menus).

People still ask me what tablets are for - most people have a vague idea they're for "sales", but that's about it. I'd suggest the platform has potential beyond that as a new nav-method for everyday notebook users.

Another interesting idea I've seen for replacing the trackpad is on the U1010, which has a kind of rubberized rocker knob near the screen hinge. Because the U1010 is tiny you can hold it like a Nintendo DS, with your thumbs on top controlling the cursor via the aforementioned rocker.

I wouldn't use either method for hours on my laptop, but it'd suffice for a bit of Web surfing on a crowded train.

What do you think? Are you a trackpad user, or would you rather see notebooks designed without them?

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M9ROC Apr 16, 2008 5:15 PM

Track pads have their merits when on a desk and are dependent upon the laptop you're using. My old Alienware m7700 track pad was fast, precise and comfortable to use along with the right amount of sensitivity. I think it all comes down to personal preference and how well your fingers work. For example, I know many people who like Lenovo's ‘finger button’ on the keyboard whilst I don't. I do think that track pads and buttony things require getting used to whilst some systems inherently use better ones than others. But you can't beat a good traditional mouse. Or for an alternative you could use a pad and pen such as with a Wacom pad – this would replace a need for a mouse and a button – provided you’re on a flat surface or own a Wacom Cintiq.

William Maher Apr 28, 2008 9:49 AM

For some reason there a few notebooks out there that have the trackpad sitting directly under the spot where your palm rests. I've never used the Lenovo button for some reason. Agree about tablets - touchscreens might be a big hit in the future.