Thinkpads Forum

I'll attempt to bypass the usual whining about the missing buttons on the W540 and offer a suggestion:

I loved the TrackPoint on several generations of previous models I've owned. The issue for me on the W540 is not whether the buttons exist, but rather the stapler-like ka-chunk required to make the TrackPad work as a replacement button. I bet many others will agree.

It would seem rather easy to allow use of light "touch" with the TrackPoint rather than requiring physical depression of the TPad. The TPoint would control motion exclusively, and TPad Touch would exclusively control left/right/center clicks (via adjustable zones.)

If this option exists already please enlighten me. I've experimented with all the settings I can find and still have not found anything I'm comfortable with - even after a few months.

This option does not exist (as you could´t lay down your thumbs on the TrackPad if this would work like this). To click when using the TrackPoint, a physical click is required.

Some advise that won´t solve this problem, but maybe helps anyway:
- The touchpad-driver should be the most recent
- Disable the TrackPad in BIOS
- Use the "Classical-TrackPoint only" mode in the driver

Thanks for the quick response and analysis.

But I'm still thinking that an "old fashioned TPoint Mode" could be designed with most of the TPad is numbed and just three sensitive spots enabled - adjustable of course - for left/center/right click.

Are they back on this new W550s ?

Looks like they are.

As much as people want to look at the unified Trackpad UltraNav buttons and say, "they obviously made it like this for a reason", or "we can still make this work", I just can't let it go. If you can make it work, then by all means.

The sensation of touch to me is nowhere near as good as a physical trigger. Feedback is very important in how I run a device up, and touch-based devices are always too vague to me.

I received a T540p yesterday, so I got to try the buttonless trackpoint and buttonless touchpad. I actually thought the trackpoint works about as well as on older Thinkpads. By contrast, the touchpad is awful, because it needs to be pressed downward quite far to click, and because the entire touchpad vibrates uncomfortably strongly while being pressed. It's much worse than the buttonless touchpad of my Sony Pro13. Many people here know that I generally prefer touchpads over trackpoints, but on this T540p, I find the trackpoint more usable.

Thank goodness I didn't buy this T540p for myself. Along with the X1 Carbon's 5-row keyboard, the current generation of Thinkpads is probably the worst in over a decade.