Thinkpads Forum

First cap survived about 5 (or 6) years and it was soft dome on T60. Than i have changed it to soft rim.
About 2 years ago i have changed cap on X61 to classic dome and now it become half bald (when i tried to remove dirt i think i remove some hair;).

I have read thread about cleaning trackpoints, but i want to know how long they can survive.

The older ones are of a higher quality and last longer. That T60 cap of yours is a good example. How long a cap lasts will depend on each person and the quality of the cap. On my X220, I used to change the cap every few months. On my X301, I haven't had to change it since 2012.

For me, they should last the useful life of the laptop. I dont like using trackpads, any trackpads, any laptop so im forced to use the trackpoint only when i flat out cant use a mouse.

But when I'm at a desk or couch or bed, I use a mouse.

Even so, you can buy a whole pack of nubs for a few bucks on ebay? Problem is I think Lenovo changed the nub stem attachment point depending on what kbd you have (chichony? cheery? etc.).

I don't think I've stayed with a single cap for more than 4 or 5 years. Since I use so many systems now I don't need to change them that often (distributed load/wear)...

I also see a lot of laptops (not specifically TP) that have a very worth out trackpad and when I was doing network admin I would see users not bother with a mouse EVEN AT A DESK and use the trackpad.

Ok if your sole laptop is ONE UNIT like most normal people, then yeah you will wear it away (tp or nipple).

However if you're like many of the hardened Thinkpad 'enthusiasts' here you will run a fleet of laptops, all well maintained so you dont put enough 'hours' on one unit to wear it down.

In a given day I could be banging away on 3 or more TPs.

I change Trackpoint caps as often as every six months on my daily drivers. (I use the original "cats tongue nub" almost exclusively....bought a box of a hundred years ago, still have more than half of them left!).

TonyJZX wrote:In a given day I could be banging away on 3 or more TPs.

Finally !!!.... I can prove to my girlfriend that I'm not the only guy in the world to have 3 or 4 Thinkpads up and running at the same time during any given day. Thank you Tony

Regards. Dave

The only trackpoints i have had to really replace were the classic dome caps after a few years. They become less 'fuzzy' and more smooth, causing your finger to slip easily. Washing the cap can extend its life, but replacement will eventually be necessary.

The caps that are exclusively rubber (ie. soft dome), will easily last 10+ years. I have a bunch of soft dome ones, and only had to replace one of them on my 16 year old T23 after the rubber was dried out and made the cap too stiff.