geekhack
geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: tsv on Sun, 06 September 2009, 10:28:04
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First of all, hi! This is my first post :-)
I'm planning on getting a new keyboard soon and wanted a bit of advice.
I used to have a ThinkPad with a TrackPoint thingy which I loved. It was, in my opinion, the nicest way to use a "mouse". I was thinking of getting either a Model M, a Customizer or one of the Filco models. So, when I found the Endurapro I was delighted - a high quality "clicky" keyboard with a trackpoint.
Then I came across this board however and saw a lot of users complaining about the TrackPoint. I wanted to know if that was a general dislike of them, or if the one on the Endurapro is inferior to those on ThinkPads.
Cheers!
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It is very inferior. I have a Thinkpad and had an Endurapro at one time. It's a difference like night and day. The pointing stick (it's not a Trackpoint(TM)) in the Endurapro plain sucks.
Edit: there are geekhackers that think the Endurapro stick is okay though. Don't know what they're smoking ;)
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like lal says, its night and day. The thinkpad trackpoints are the best ever made. The endurapro trackpoint is among the worst ever made. :D
THey're completely different.
The endurapro trackpoint is 'useable', dont get me wrong. But if you're hoping its in any way like the thinkpad's trackpoint, you'll be *c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y* disappointed :)
that said, if all you want is a button to push the mouse cursor around, it'll do that fine. :) But its no thinkpad trackpoint, just so you know. :)
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Cheers for the replies. I think the way to go might be to wait for a Model M Space Saver to come up on eBay UK so the mouse is closer, or go for the Tenkeyless. Hmm...
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Cheers for the replies. I think the way to go might be to wait for a Model M Space Saver to come up on eBay UK so the mouse is closer, or go for the Tenkeyless. Hmm...
I'm not sure the M space saver (I assume you're thinking of the M13 keyboard (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-model-M13-Track-Point-Keyboard-Black-Item-135_W0QQitemZ110428847334QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item19b6127ce6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)) feels like the thinkpad trackpoint - or does it? you could prolly get some info at clickykeyboards.com or maybe someone here can comment. I've never owned one.
Since its ibm-made, maybe it uses genuine trackpoint?
The tenkeyless is always nice.
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Cheers for the replies. I think the way to go might be to wait for a Model M Space Saver to come up on eBay UK so the mouse is closer, or go for the Tenkeyless. Hmm...
Good luck with that, there only seem to be a handful of UK layout Space Savers out there, and they almost never appear. If they did, they'd be stupidly expensive. You'd be much better off getting one from the US.
As for the Endurapro - I used to have one for a while, the Trackpoint is useable if you turn the mouse settings up to the highest level and turn off pointer precision, but as has been pointed out before, they come nowhere close to a real trackpoint.
What about a Model M13? (ie. original IBM trackpoint Model M -same trackpoint as earlier Thinkpads)
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The Endurapro is quite a nice keyboard and I'd recommend it, but the integrated pointing device is not comparable to a Thinkpad's trackpoint. It's okay for very basic mousing tasks only. The resistance is too high and the cursor speed too low. Also, the buttons are way too hard to press. If you're looking for a thinkpad-style trackpoint, this is not for you.
The keyboard, however, is absolutely fantastic. I'd really recommend getting one or a Unicomp Space Saver. Filcos aren't bad, but they're using the clearly less fun Cherry switches; typing feel on a Unicomp is still paramount in my opinion. Plus, they're comparatively inexpensive.
-huha
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Filcos aren't bad, but they're using the clearly less fun Cherry switches;
...or the NO fun XM bastard ALPS. Or the huge fun but still less then buckling spring Fukka ALPS.
typing feel on a Unicomp is still paramount in my opinion. Plus, they're comparatively inexpensive.
Full ACK. If they would only do a completely black tenkeyless...
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yea, despite all the issues, my endurapro remains my daily driver and its the one board i've constantly returned to, during my keyboard experimentations.
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the fukkas come the closest to bs keys for me. but nothing can really compete with my '94 lexmark spacesaver. nothing.
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I'm not sure the M space saver (I assume you're thinking of the M13 keyboard (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-model-M13-Track-Point-Keyboard-Black-Item-135_W0QQitemZ110428847334QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item19b6127ce6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)) feels like the thinkpad trackpoint - or does it? you could prolly get some info at clickykeyboards.com or maybe someone here can comment. I've never owned one.
Since its ibm-made, maybe it uses genuine trackpoint?
The tenkeyless is always nice.
I was actually meaning the standard Model M without the numpad, but that keyboard is one I hadn't seen before and very promising, thank you!
Good luck with that, there only seem to be a handful of UK layout Space Savers out there, and they almost never appear. If they did, they'd be stupidly expensive. You'd be much better off getting one from the US.
Thanks, yeah I don't particularly mind the layout, and by eBay UK I really just meant any eBay that will ship to the UK :-)
Anyone care to comment further on the M13?
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Ragnarock was selling a M13 (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=6595) recently at a bargain price, I wonder if he still has it?
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Thanks for the help all, decided to take the plunge and grab that M13 from eBay! Have a slightly more empty wallet but hopefully it'll be worth it :-S
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Thanks for the help all, decided to take the plunge and grab that M13 from eBay! Have a slightly more empty wallet but hopefully it'll be worth it :-S
if it has true trackpoint, its doubly worth it :)
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The resistance is too high and the cursor speed too low.
A driver would help with that. But there probably isn't any?
In this case it looks more like a driver issue, not a problem with the hardware itself.
Of course, a driver will do nothing for bad buttons.
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A driver would help with that. But there probably isn't any?
In this case it looks more like a driver issue, not a problem with the hardware itself.
Of course, a driver will do nothing for bad buttons.
It does look like old technology. Cursor speed is fine when considering working with an 800x600 screen, but it's just no fun when using it with 3360x1050 or the like.
Pressure requirements for accelerating the cursor to its full speed are too high as well, so it's only a partial driver issue. I could crank up mouse speed, but that would conflict with my connected mouse ... why can't windows have separate controls for each connected device?
-huha
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I could crank up mouse speed, but that would conflict with my connected mouse ... why can't windows have separate controls for each connected device?
-huha
That's where the driver would help.
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Ragnarock was selling a M13 (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=6595) recently at a bargain price, I wonder if he still has it?
Nope, I have dibs on that when he's back from Holiday... Sorry!