touchpad questions/concerns on *50+ and X1C series

[tpdude4]

I have some simple questions that I couldn't find clear answers to here or elsewhere (...if I missed a thread somewhere let me know):
My current daily drivers are a T530 and W530 (both quad-core+FHD) and I like them very much.
My computing needs might change in the next few months though, so I'm considering the T*50-*70 series and possibly an X1C for travel.
Just wondering, what do habitual touchpad users think of the lack of discrete touchpad buttons on these machines?

I use both the trackpoint and touchpad buttons frequently, so I'd like to have ones that are as high quality as I'm used to on my *530 machines.
I'm also open to the P50, if people think the integrated touchpad buttons are too annoying to get used to. (I'm quite sure I can adapt to the other differences like off-center keyboard etc.)
....All of that said, I've also read that there's not a huge performance jump beyond the *530 series, so I'm also open to simply keeping my current machines for a few more years if possible.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Am I a frequent touchpad user, no. Will I use one on occasion, yes. The xx50+ touchpads are like a dream compared to the xx30 ones(for me thats a dream in hell)

[RealBlackStuff]

You're worrying about the **40 series that came without touchpad buttons.
Since the **50 they're back again, after Lenovo got hammered for their utter stupidity!

[tpdude4]

Thanks for the replies gents....RBS, I deliberately skipped over the *40 series because of the clearly ridiculous mouse configuration .
But what I was specifically wondering about are users' opinions about the integrated buttons on the *bottom* of the new (post-*40) touchpads -- as opposed to the 3 discrete/dedicated buttons at the top.
I.e. the lack of the discrete/dedicated touchpad buttons at the bottom of the palmrest, which appeared on everything up to/incl the *30 series. (Maybe these bottom buttons are considered hotkeys now?)

[RealBlackStuff]

/rant/
Since the **40 series there are no more trackpoint-buttons integrated in the keyboard, thanks to Lenovo's aforementioned utter stupidity.
At the same time the bottom-buttons also disappeared.
And to continue their stupidity, when the touchpad-with-buttons came back, it only contained upper buttons, so that the cheapest bean counters in the world could pinch a few more pennies by not having "two sets" of touchpad/mouse buttons.
And to top it all off, they went even further in their bean counting stupidity by putting in some unreliable crummy Alps touchpads instead of the proven Synaptics ones!
And trust Micro$haft to provide crippled [W10] drivers for both, that get thrown out of whack with every update they force down your throat!
One more reason you'll never see W10 on any of my machines!
/end-rant/

Unfortunately it is not visible from the outside what brand touchpad (Alps or Synaptics) is being used where.
And the partslist (when looking it up with S/N#) is no help either.
Personally I can't remember having ever used the bottom-keys, they are too far away from the trackpoint.
So I don't miss them. YMMV.
And if I need some more active mouse-stuff I use a small Logitech wireless mouse.

[Thinkpad4by3]

RBS showing sympathy for a touchpad?!? That's a first !

I will say, the driver on W10 is GOD AWFUL!

[RealBlackStuff]

RBS showing sympathy for a touchpad?!? That's a first !

NOPE!
My sympathy only goes to the upper touchpad buttons!


FYI: currently I'm having a battle with an X240 and its button-less touchpad.
To be replaced by an X250 touchpad-with-buttons.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Ahhh..ok. You'd probably only do it when pigs fly(without jetpacks). I despise the way the X250+ buttons click forward, not back like every other TP.

[RealBlackStuff]

This is my favorite winged pig:

[Thinkpad4by3]

This is my favorite winged pig:

One little modification: flying pigs with a T60p.

[tpdude4]

Yes, the lack of proper mouse buttons (whether on the top or bottom of the touchpad) is really ridiculous for a modern laptop...
IBM/Lenovo had it right for ~2 decades, so seems like an absurd way to save a few pennies (which I agree was likely the main goal).

Once again, as with display ratio, keyboard, etc etc it feels like a giant middle finger to their user base
(....sound familiar to those of us in the US?! ....our not-so-glorious orange-hued leader has been flipping off everyone who's not in his base all along!!
....and for that matter he's also screwing over his own base given his overtly elite-favoring policies. Bush tax cuts for billionaires round two, eh? No thanks!! ...ok, that ends my rant ).

Hmm, for the foreseeable future guess I'll just try to make do with my T/W530 machines -- and if needed maybe get a P50 someday since it does have more sensible mouse buttons (i.e. bottom buttons that actually exist!!).