geekhack

geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Manyak on Wed, 03 March 2010, 22:03:16

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: Manyak on Wed, 03 March 2010, 22:03:16

Does anyone know where to get replacement trackpoint caps in different styles/colors?

What I'm really looking for are the toshiba style caps, like this:

(http://www.area403.net/trackcap/Toshiba%20Accupoint.jpg)

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Wed, 03 March 2010, 23:33:13

Quote from: Manyak;161723

Does anyone know where to get replacement trackpoint caps in different styles/colors?

What I'm really looking for are the toshiba style caps, like this:

Show Image

(http://www.area403.net/trackcap/Toshiba%20Accupoint.jpg)

Seems like there used to be folks selling different colored trackpoint caps on ebay, like in the below image, but they're gone now.
(http://i14.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/e8/09/babf_1.JPG)

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: lowpoly on Thu, 04 March 2010, 17:25:54

Ebay.

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 04 March 2010, 17:40:46

Quote from: lowpoly;161838

Ebay.

I can't find them on ebay any more, have a link?

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 04 March 2010, 18:29:16

Quote from: webwit;161848

Go to ebay and type "trackpoint green" in the search box.........

Well, thanks, I found them now.  I swear that I did the same identical search yesterday and got nothing.  Not sure if I was confused or they really weren't there.

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: kishy on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:03:28

http://myworld.ebay.ca/trackpoint1/

Why can't people find these again?

True, the specific type the OP asked for are far less common, but it's not like other varieties aren't out there.

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:15:39

Quote from: kishy;161895

http://myworld.ebay.ca/trackpoint1/

Why can't people find these again?

True, the specific type the OP asked for are far less common, but it's not like other varieties aren't out there.

Had no trouble finding them today.  I tried the same search yesterday and came up dry.  Either they temporarily weren't listed or I made a mistake. As I did the search multiple times yesterday though, hard to believe I goofed that badly.  The colors are unique and would look cool.  Drawback is they all seem to be "Classic Dome".  These are ok, I can use them, but prefer the newer "Soft Dome" and "Soft Rim" ones.

I haven't found many, or any, color trackpoint cap options out there besides the ebay ones already listed.  Mostly a sea of red.

Looks like Webwit bought some jumbo bags of the "Classic Dome" and "Soft Rim".  Are they genuine Lenovo?  If not are they as good?

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: kishy on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:59:54

I've been slowly and silently accumulating trackpoint caps...will never meet webwit's quantities, but will probably end up matching him as far as varieties go (there can only be so many out there).

As a novelty item (certainly not usable) I propose a Click-Clack trackpoint cap.

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 05 March 2010, 13:26:48

Quote from: salcan;161993

Quote from: webwit;161849

Where did you score that green key for the M13? It doesn't use two-part keys so I'm curious about where I can pickup keys for this board.

Good question, that looks pretty sharp, I like it!

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 05 March 2010, 17:24:52

Quote from: ripster;162043

I dunno.  I see Don Estridge, "The Father Of The PC", spinning in his grave.

Ted Selker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Selker) might also be, if he wasn't still alive, :biggrin:
FYI, he developed the TrackPoint.  He is currently part of the MIT faculty and previously an IBM Fellow and director of the IBM User Systems Ergonomics Research lab.
(http://www.pitecan.com/ASCII/selker.gif).

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 05 March 2010, 18:25:41

So before IBM, Selker was at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).  A lot of important technology came out of that place - bitmap graphics, the GUI which inspired the Apple Mac, Ethernet, laser printing, the WYSIWYG text editor, probably some stuff I'm forgetting.

Title: Trackpoint caps
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 05 March 2010, 20:23:22

Quote from: ripster;162054

Interesting guy.

Red badge of novelty

Quote:

One final change made to the TrackPoint was suggested by Sapper. The tip of Selker's and Rutledge's pointing stick had been black, a color that got lost in the black ThinkPad keyboard. Sapper said, "Let it sing," and the tip was changed to red, which brought about a closing act of corporate silliness rivaled only by Abbott and Costello trying to decide who's on first. Hardy explains: "IBM had a cherished standard which said that the only thing that could be red on a product was an emergency power switch, those enormous switches on the mainframes. To have the little TrackPoint tip subjected to this same standard was absurd, but, given the situation at IBM then, we knew the red dot wouldn't get through the system. So we toned it down a shade and called it magenta."

Having been out on data center floors with IBM gear, I can vouch for the power switches being the only red.  Keyboards with red trackpoint caps have only showed up relatively recently showed up and are hidden behind rack doors, not in plain view like those mounted on the outside of the frames.

I'd actually wondered why keyboards like the M13 apparently came with two red trackpoint caps and two black.  Makes more sense after reading your quoted material.  Picture below from M13 section of "Clicky keyboards again!" (http://www.dansdata.com/clicky2.htm) article at Dan's Data.  Shows extra trackpoints included with M13 above and beyond the red one on the keyboard.

(http://www.dansdata.com/images/clicky2/indust_baggie800.jpg)