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Trackpoint sensitivity maxed out. Can I get more?

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:28 am
by SteveDC
I maximized the Trackpoint sensitivity on my X61s by going to Control Panel > Mouse > Pointer Options and setting the Motion slider all the way to Fast.

I would prefer it to be even more sensitive. Is there a way in the standard controls to do this?

I assume these controls just change a number in the registry, and if I go to somewhere in the registry I can change the numbers manually to do this.

Thank you for considering my question.

You're halfway there

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:00 pm
by Geary
There are two settings for the TrackPoint sensitivity. Your mouse control panel should also have a TrackPoint or UltraNav tab, with its own slider for TrackPoint sensitivity.

Slide that one all the way to the right and click Apply. You may then want to back off the Pointer Options slider a notch or two.

Also be sure to turn on the Enhance pointer precision checkbox. This slows the mouse pointer way down when you use a gentle touch on the TrackPoint, so you get the best of both worlds: The increased sensitivity from the TrackPoint slider lets you zip around the screen quickly, but it's also easy to make fine adjustments when you want.

I wish every ThinkPad came set up from the factory this way, instead of the tediously slow default settings.

If you don't have a TrackPoint or UltraNav tab in the Mouse control panel, then reinstall the TrackPoint driver/utility.

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:43 pm
by gongo2k1
"enhance pointer precision" actually does the exact opposite: it enables acceleration, so the faster you move the mouse, the greater the sensitivity...
personally, i disable this on every windows machine i use, mouse position should be what determines my pointer position, not mouse speed.

More about Enhanced Pointer Precision

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:42 pm
by Geary
That's why it's great that this is an optional setting, so we can both be happy. :idea:

But regardless of either of our own preferences, I think everyone should experiment with all of these settings to find what is most comfortable for them.

With the sensitivity cranked up the way I like (TrackPoint slider all the way to the right, and Pointer Options slider one notch from the right), I don't find the TrackPoint to be very usable unless Enhance Pointer Precision is on.

With EPP, if I give the TrackPoint a good push, it flies around the screen, and as I lighten the pressure the pointer slows way down for fine adjustment.

In fact, I have a TrackPoint USB keyboard on my Mac. It works great, but I really miss the EPP. The mouse pointer is much harder to control on the Mac than on my ThinkPads.

BTW, the name really is correct. What the setting enables is *deceleration* and finer precision for smaller movements. Fast motions are the same with or without the setting. With my fast sensitivity settings, light pressure without EPP moves the pointer three pixels at a time! With EPP, I can move the pointer one pixel if I want. That's pretty much the textbook definition of increased precision right there.

If you really want the best of all worlds, combine your favorite TrackPoint settings with my JKLmouse program to give you pixel-by-pixel keyboard control of the mouse pointer.